TRAGIC OCCURRENCE AT TE AROHA. SUICIDE FROM THE RAILWAY BRIDGE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 320, 28 November 1888, Page 2

TRAGIC OCCURRENCE AT TE AROHA. SUICIDE FROM THE RAILWAY BRIDGE.

About half-past four yesterday afternoon, a man named William Lincoln committed suiejde I)}' jumping 1 from the mihvny and traffic bridge, which crosses the Waihou river. J he news of the sad occurrence quickly spread, but was hardly ere lited by many, Lincoln being alwnj r s co/isidere<iift quieo, inoffensive man, in whom the motive of suicide had never been suspected, The circumstances under which he committed i he rash de d are as follows :—: — About a quarter past four o'clock Lincoln went to Mr W. Even it's woik.«hop, and in his usual quiet way took up a Sfu-k lying on a bench near at hand, and asked Mr Everitt for a needle. He was well-known to Mr Everitt, frequently doing odd job? For him. Apparently theie was something strange in his manner, for Mr Everitt, on looking up, said " Why Billy, what's up with you.'' He put a few more questions to him, and then asked him what he was going to do with the pack. Lincoln answered almost inaudibly that he was all right, and then proceeded to cut the sack in halves, and taking the bottom end, together with a piece of rope, he left the premises. Mr Evcritt thought no more of his conduct at the time, and went on with his work. Lincoln win next seen by two employers of the flaxiuill, John Ay 1 ward and J. Campbell, standing on the bridge, facing Mr Eveictt's shod, about forty yards fiorn the shore. They state he stopped there for about ten minutes. It seems I he paitly filled the sack with clay, and ! then tied it strongly round his neck, in wlr.ch position it, was found. After a while he wns seen to climb over the side of the budge nnd move towards the stringers ; crawling down one branching out fiom the supporting pillar, he hung with liis hands for a shoit time and then dropped, sinking deeply at once. He rose, however, and made s\ few strokes and then finally sank. When Lincoln got on the outer part of the bridge, Campbell, anticipating his intention, jumped into a punt, but was unable to get near him, having no oars. lie gave an alarm, and within n few minutes one of Mr Everitt's bonts was manned by Messis Roatherington, I». John«on, and others, and a search was made for the body, which after about twenty minutes was brought up by means of a. pole with hook attached, about twelve yards below the bridge, in about fourteen feet of water. The. body was then taken, in charge of by Serseant Emerson nml Constatle Wild, who were early on the c cene, and the ordinary means were taken to restore animation, but without avail. He was then taken on a stretcher to his house, which is situated at the rear of the Palace Hotel. Lincoln was a Londoner, 50 years of agp, and was a painter and glassier by trade. He came o-,t to New Zoaland from the Cape in 1868, and settled at Te Aroha prior to its proclamation as n roldfield, and has resited here almost continuously ever since. Deceased was honest, inoffensive, and of a most obliging disposition. He was a single man, and lived alone. An inquest will be held to day at eleven o'clock, before Mr J. Ilott, J.P., in the absence of a Coroner.