A VOGELTOWN SENSATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 345, 22 March 1910, Page 2

A VOGELTOWN SENSATION.

SUICIDE OF AN OLD MAN.

An old man named Francis Eastfield Bilton, 79 years of age, committed suicide at Vogeltown yesterday morning ',by cutting his throat. Bilton resided with his wife and family in a cottage on a by-street near the Vogeltown Btore. They came to the district from Westmere, near Wanganu-i, a couple of months ago, under an agreement to purchase a farm on the Frankley road. The Negotiations, however, fell through. Ever since then, it seems, they have been endeavoring to purchase a farm, and had made arrangements to take a place on the Albert road. The conduct of the wife and mother lately in regard to intemperance brought her within the clutches of the law, and evidently this preyed on the old man's mind, for about three weeks ago, in a confidential chat with his daughter, a girl of apparently fourteen years, he told her tliat he was tired of life, and that but for her and the other children he would end it.

The old man was apparently in normal health, although he complained of a headache on Sunday. Yesterday morning he was about as usual, and cut the children's lunches for them be'iore sending them off to school. About an hour later, one of the boys vas going out through the front door, when he heard a groan in the sitting-room, the door of wh.'eh was open. He ran in, and before he knew it he was standing in the pool of blood which had flowed from the throat of his parent lying there with his head on the fender and his throat severed from ear to ear. He immediately ran to his mother, who was dressing 'for town in a room on the other side of the passage, and told her what he had seen. She ran to a neighbor's foT kelp, and telephone messages were sent from the store to Dr. Walker and to the Dr. Walker was speedily on the scene, and Detective Boddam and Constable Mclvor arrived not long afterwards. The information at this time was very vague, and the idea was conveyed that it was a case of attempted suicide only. The doctor found, however, that life had been extinct for some time before he arrived. The duty o't the police officers in charge was anything but a pleasant one, for Mrs. Bilton was naturally in a most agitated state, and there were three or four of the little iboys about. Neighbors, however, came to the rescue, and presently the woman was induced to come down town, not returning til! after mid-day. Arrangements were made during the day for care to be taken of the children.

Appearances point to tlie idea that the old man stood beside the table and committed the deed standing, dropping the razor on the table as he fell. There was not much furniture in the room, and •most of it was bespattered with blood. No actual reason has been assigned 'ior the horribly determined suicide, but it is well known that the wife has been drinking heavily of late, and doubtless this -was a contributing cause. Bilton, 'who was a native of England, and was l said to have been in New Zealand since he was twenty years of age, was a Taranaki military settler, and had the New Zealand war medal. An inquest is to be held this morning.