ALLEGED ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 211, 13 February 1915, Page 3

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

CASE DISMISSED. LYSOL TAKEN BY ACCIDENT. At the New Plymouth -Supreme Court i yesterday, Arthur John Richards pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted suicide. Sub-Inspector Fouhy prosecuted, and in opening the proceedings stated accused admitted taking lysol, but by inadvertence. After outlining the case for vertence. After outlining the case for the prosecution, he called: — Albert E. Burnett, licensee of the Qui) Hotel, Opunake, who deposed to finding accused o n the floor of his room in an unconscious state, but talking to himself. On getting accused to the bed, witness found a bottle which had con- - tained lysol. Witness got accused quiet, and sent for a doctor, about 1.30 a.m.By the smell in the room, witness considered that accused had taken lysol or some other poison. Accused regained consciousness about 8 am. It was about five minutes past ten P- m - when accused came. in. He was then sober | and appeared, as usual. Accused audi witness had a drink. j To Mr Quilliam: Accused did not ap-, pear at all as one who was contemplating such a dreadful act as suicide. He was a quiet and cheerful man. Did not think accused was drunk. A candle ■ was burning in accused's room. Accused was waving hl» arms. Knew that accused, had sold out las business to advantage.

To Sub-inspector Fouhy: There was a 1 syringe at the back of the washstand. | It was a new one and had not been used. To Mr. Quilliam: The water in the basin had some lysol in it and some was spilt on the washstand. Harry Win. Holmes, storekeeper, at Opunako, deposed that when he was in bed, he was called up by Mr Burnett about quarter to 11 p.m. and saw accused. He then corroborated the evidence of the. previous witness. Accused appeared to have had a few drinks. To Mr. Quilliam: Did not think accused had been having a night out. Had gone upstairs with accused and lit a candle for him. Saw nothing to suggest that accused was about to commit suicide. Dr. Barron, of Opunakc. deposed to having found accused struggling with Mr Holmes and Mrs Burnett. Accused was on the bed. There were evidences that accused had taken lysol and witness administer an emetic. Asked if accused had taken much liquor and was told, not a great deal. Later the emetic acted. On regaining consciousness accused, when asked why he bad _, taken lysol, denied doing so. Witness proscribed the ordinary remedies. Defendant said he felt quite fit enough to answer the charge of taking poison at Opunake. but witness thought not, and evcntuallv accused went to New Plymouth. There was a small quantity of lvsol on the table. Accused had a syringe that had not been used. Witness knew of no renson why accused should take lvsoL Witness made, an* examination of accused to ascertain if there was a reaso n why he should require a lysol solution and a syringe and found the reason. In the morning, accused stated he had been going to use the syringe, but that something had happened—lie did not know what—to prevent him. The lysoi had been taken neat, but it was hard to say wlvt quantity. Accused should know the difference in taste between lysol and nhisky. If taken acrdentally for whisky, only a very small quantity would be j taken. To Mr Quilliam: There was a quantity of lysol on the handkerchief. If accused were under the influence of liquor I whe n the lysol was taken, there woul' 1 be a collapse. It was quite likely that a layman nrnrnt consider that ft solution of lysol was a proper treatment for an injury which accused had met with in a 1 trap accident. j To His Worship: Taking lysol would! not necessarily cause accused to struggle, but it might have an exciting of- j feet. Accused absolutely denied taking | lysol. but witness showed him his facein the mirror and then accused said, "Well, I must have taken it," but per-1 sist'ed in stating that be did not be had done so. j Constable Clouston gave corroborative evidence. He also deposed that accus ! ed had stated that he took the Ivso' accidentally in mistake for whisky. Had seen accused the same evening when he appeared quite sober. For the defence, Mr Quilliam >on«Gilded that the evidence clearly showed that Ihi' taking of lysol by acc.ised was a pure mischance. Accused was married and lived happily with his wife. He had a good business, which he had sold at a satisfactory price. Counsel explained the reason for procuring the lysol was to use it as a solution in consequence, of an injury. Accused had taken- whisky to fortify himself against the injection, and bad then quite by accident taken the lysol.

Accused then gave evidence on his own behalf on the lines indicated by his counsel. Had taken six or eight whiskies in the evening as he was having a bit of a fling in consequence of having sold out. Just before using the syringe, witness went to take some whisky and found that he had lysol in his mouth, and promptly got rid of it. After that he lost consciousness. On regaining consciousness, he asked to be taken to New Plymouth. There was no reason whatever why he should take his ow.i life.

To the Inspector: The first person he had told about his accident, was Mr Quilliam. He had also told his wife. He had neither financial nor domestic troubles. Had lie noi oeen muddled by drink, the affair would not have happened.

To the Coroner: Always had a, flask of whisky handy at night time. His Worship said that in this case he was justified in coming to the conclusion that the lysol had been taken accidentally, and he dismissed the. case.

Tu reply to Sub-inspector Fouhy, His Worship said he had no power to order payment of costs.