ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Taihape Daily Times, 18 January 1919, Page 7

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

ADESPERATE WOMAN

A determined attempt fit suicide was made a. few days ago by Mrs. Batchelor, of Nelson, wife of Mr. G. J. Batchelor, who is serving with the New Zealand forces at the front. It Ts stated that Mrs. Batchelor had been depressed through the absence of her husband, and took poison, then cut her throat with a carving knife, and next plunged, fully dressed, into the girls’ bathing hole, just above the Nile Street bridge. Constable Berthclson, while in Manuka Street, heard of the occurrence, and went to Mrs. Batchelop’s house, but she had disappeared. There was a large quantity of blood in a bedroom, but outside the house there was no sign of blood or anything to indicate the direction in which the woman had gone. In the''meantime word was received at police station from Constable Crespin, who lives near the Nile Street bridge, that a woman had tried to drown herself” in the river. Constable Hardy immediately proceeded to the girls’ bathing pool, and on arrival he found vAho woman on the bank. Two little girls, Eileen Pharazyn and Joyce Humphries, had been having a bathe, and had returned to the dressing shed, when they heard a gurgling sound, and on going to the water’s . edge saw a woman in the water. They were about to utterin' a rescue when they observed that the woman’s throat was cut. They therefore went to Mr. Crespin’s for assistance, and Mr, Alfred Denholm, “who lives with Mr. Crespin, hurried to the pool, and got the woman out of the water. Constable Hardy shortly afterwards arrived and had the woman conveyed to the hospital. It is stated that before leaving her house to go to the river she wrapped a towel round her throat, which would account for the absence of traces as to’the direction she had taken.