Extraordinary Case of Alleged Suicide.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 220, 17 September 1887, Page 1

Extraordinary Case of Alleged Suicide.

A most extraordinary caso of alleged suicide occurred in Melbourne on August 31st. Captain Christopher D. Moore, of the ship Sarah Grice, reported to the police that he was walking along Victoria Bridge, near Kew, at about halfpast eight that evening, with a young lady, Miss Laura Swain, a resident of Clifton Hill, to whom he was affianced. They were £joing on a visit to Miss Swain's sister, Mrs Simmonds, of Kew. While on the bridge Moore stopped to light a cigar, when suddenly he heard a splash in the river and missed his companion. He immediately rushed clown an incline towards the river, but fell down the bank about 40ft into some furze and was stunned. All this time he heard tho girl's screams as she was being carried down by the stream. He called on two men who were passing to rescue the lad}'-, but she was swept away before anything could be done. Failing in his attempt to save her, ho reported the matter to the police. Moore stated that his ship was to leave on the following day, and he had called to say good-bye to his fiancee, and there was nothing in her manner to make him imagine she contemplated suicide, and she was perfectly rational in her behaviour, Victoria Bridge is a considerable height from the water, and Miss Swain must have climbed over the parapet in order to commit the rash act. A person reported to the police that, as he was coming along the Kew side of the Victoria Bridge, he had discovered traces of blood on the embankment. Tho blood stains, however, were proved to have been seen somo days before the tragedy, and it is believed are those of sheop. The body of Miss Swain was discovered two days later in the Yarra, by a party of mon who had gone in a boat to assist the police in dragging the river. The men, who are employed at the tannery works close to the Victoria Bridge, used. what are termed tan-hooks, and when about 400 yards below the bridge they brought up the body,

which had got between two logs at a depth of from 6 to 8 feet. On the body being taken charge of by the police, -no marks of violence were found, but there was a slight discolouration of the face, supposed to bo due to the deceased striking the water in her fall from the bridge. The watch worn by the deceased had stopped at 20 past 8. The Victoria bridge was crowded with people all day, watching the dragging operations. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 30,000 were present. John Flynn, a warder of Kew A&ylum, acknowledges that he was one of the two men whom Captain Moore called upon to rescue tho lady ; but he says that ho felt too nervous to go into tho water. His statement generally agreea with the account given by Captain Moore. A person ha? volunteered to give evidence at the inquest to the effect that in July Jasb he met Miss Swain on the Victoria Bridge, and that she stated she was contemplating suicide that same evening.