SLEEP OF DEATH WAS REAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 781, 30 September 1929, Page 1

SLEEP OF DEATH WAS REAL

Man Who Pretended Suicide WIFE’S TRAGIC DISCOVERY HAVING previously attempted to take liis life and quite frequently remarked to the members of liis household that he would commit suicide, Alfred James Barker lay dead for several hours before his wife realised that he had carried out his threat and was not lying in a drunken stupor as she had at first imagined him to be.

Following the discovery by the man's wife at an early hour yesterday morning that he was really dead, the jjewton police were informed and an inquest was held before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., this morning, when a verdict of suicide by gas poisoning was returned. Mr. Barker was a married man, aged 36. and lived with his wife and two children at 6 Surrey Street, Grey hynn. He was a waterside worker, but had been off with an injured finger for some time, and was to have started work again today. According to evidence taken this morning, Mr. Barker had been depressed recently. His widow, Alice May Barker, said that he had come home at 6.20 p.m. on Saturday evening slightly under the influence of liquor. Witness and her two children had gone out for the evening to a euchre party, and had returned at 10.45 p.m. Deceased was then lying ou the kitchen floor beside the gas stove with a bed cover over his head. He had a gas tube in his mouth, and there was a slight smell of gas in ihe room. Thinking that her husband was asleep witness had gone to bed aftev telling Mr. Walters, who occupied a room at the back of the house. She turned off the gas at the meter. They had not

tried to awaken her husband, as they thought he would be angry. Mrs. Barker said that she had come down to look at deceased at two o’clock and again at four, when she thought something must be wrong. At six o’clock she had awakened Mr. Walters, and it was then discovered that the man was dead. Mr. Barker had previously said that he would shoot himself if he had a gun. In the opinion of Herbert Walters, who was the Barkers’ landlord, Mr. Barker had been depressed for some time, and appeared to have something on his mind. Witness, who had a room at the back of the house, had come home at 11.30 p.m. on Saturday. when Mrs. Barker had met him at the gate and told him of how she liad found her husband. I didn't think he was dead—only in a drunken sleep,” added Mr. Walters. “He has previously made similar attempts or pretended that he was going to gas himself, so I didn't take this seriously.” Deceased's hands were cold, witness continued, but it had not occurred tc i him to send for a doctor. In tht morning, when witness had beer I awakened by Mrs. Barker, he had im i mediately communicated with the I Npu-lnn nnlipp