DETERMINED SUICIDE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1140, 6 September 1882, Page 2

DETERMINED SUICIDE.

About one o’clock yesterday afternoon Mr John Thomas Lewis, who is residing close to the Hapera estate, left his residence to proceed to work. His wife, Fanny Lewis, went with him a good distance, and bidding him good afternoon, returned to the residence of her husband. Mr Lewis never saw her any more until about five o’clock yesterday afternoon. On returning from his work he looked into the sitting-room, and not seeing his wife there, he proceeded to an old outhouse, which is known as Thelwall’s old slaughter-house, situate close to the residence of Mr Lewis, and on looking in, discovered the unfortunate woman hanging from a beam, and quite dead. Mr Lewis at once cut the body down, and ran over to the residence of Mr W. L. Rees, who kindly sent his boys down to town at once in order convey the news to the Police. Constable Walsh was immediately despatched to the Hapera, and lie found the body lying close to a chair, with a thin piece of cord (box lashing) round the neck, and the knot placed under the left ear with mathematical precision. On searching the body Constable Walsh found nothing and from all appearances the deceased had been dead about two or three hours. He removed the body into the house. The deceased has been married for 13 years, but leaves no family. She has been in a desponding state for some time past. An inquest was held at Te Hapera, at 3 p.m. to-day.