SAD CASE OF SUICIDE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 224, 19 October 1903, Page 2

SAD CASE OF SUICIDE.

fJHOKTLY afscr m ; 0. day on !-'a ! u-'rlay it was kaown in town fh:A .Mrs teaser, •wife of Mr W. L<Y.v-ei', c.hetrn-t, of Dm von-street", iiw»> commit;! «d ruicide by hanging hers -If. Tim f.tcts relative ;o the dist.iv s i-../ e-i«o i-p-o i- below.

THE INQttEttT. An inq'ie t vras held by the Ooroner, Mi- K. L. Stanford, oa Sunday, touchi jg t he d-j»th of Mrs W. Frasar, of Devonstrv e'-. Tlw proo Hvli-'-gs were conducted by Sergeant Maddrell, 01 he'wl! of the I olice, and he f To -ving were the jury : -losses John Be.irwM (■onmiaii), G. W h'o! , Ernes'.. K'Suit, Henry Avenell, .) ohn Olive.-, and Gi-inville Dillon. Wi'iliam Fmser, chemist, gave ovi- " erica that def.eusjd was his wife. She •/as about 32 yenrs of ape, acd thoy had e.in married 15 years. Her hrp.lth >ad not bnsn good for a long timf, b-.r she wis abouj the Ram - ) as u.-uil on Saturday, and wer.t about her d'tnestic iusirs. About 11 oVloek, not feeling wy well, wifcu?.PS wait npstairs'to lie ■lown, leaving his assistant; in charge of hi shop. About 10 past 12, after dosing a bit, witaess cams downstairs and •vai goiag out to the back yard, and on opening the intermediate door found ats wife hanging on it. Galled his assistant, Mr Carder, and .got her down it once, but life was extinct. She had fixed as'rap to two flails in the floor, the loop of the strap being round her neck. Oould give no reason for the *ct. She had been very unhappy sometimes. She was a kleptomaniac, and had given a good deal of trouble, and had to be watched, otherwise their relations were satisfactory. Raymond Douglas Carder, chemist, had been with Mr Fraser for the pass 14 months, as a rule saw Mrs Fraser daily. She seemed to go about her household duties in the usual way. Did not see her at? all on Saturday before her death, She and her husband seemed to get on well together, Mr Fraser left the shop about 11, wying he was not well. Went upstairs to him witn messages two or three times. He came down soon after 12, aod imne after called out "Carder, for God's suke huTy up." Went to him and saw Mrs Fraser hanging by a strap from the door. Helped to take her down, but she was quite dead. Seldom went into the lavatory behind v hti door of which she was hanging. Never saw the nails in th a door before to which the strap was fastened. While dispensing heard some knocking. Cannot give any reason for har act.

Dr. Fookes give evidence of his being called by the last witness, Djceased was quite dead when he siw her but her body was quite warm. M ade a post mortem ex uninalon, The external marks were consistent with the position in which Bhe was found. Her brain appeared to have suffared from ir.flamatory trouble at some time, which was liable to ciuse mental derangement. The state of her liver also would account for a good deal of illhealth. The condition of har other organs aod her condition generally were quite consistent with the evidence given. A chair was close at hand on which she appeared to have stood to fix th j strap to the nails. j The Coroner said the cause of death J was clear, and Dr. Fookes' evidence) pointed to serious mental trouble. The jury should have no difficulty in avriv-' ing at a verdict. j The jury, through the foreman, said they were agread that deceased met her death by hanging herself while in a state of temporary insanity. The Coroner thanked the jury and j discharged them. ;