SUICIDE AT BELL BLOCK.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1918, Page 2

SUICIDE AT BELL BLOCK.

ODD MAN HANGS HIMSELF. What appeared to be a case of determined suicide was discovered early yes' tcnlay morning at Jlenwood .Road, near Bell liloek. Constable Hadler, stationed ut Fitzroy, received a call from Mr. J. A. Walker, fanner, of Ilenwood road,, who stated he iliad found the body of an old man named Frederick Williams hanging by the neck from the door of a small cottage. ..Constable" Hadler went to the cottage and found the dead body of Williams hanging as statedFrom the fticts related it appears that Williams, who was S3 years of age had resided with Mr. WalKer (his bro-ther-in-law) for the past 10 years. H« ; appeared in his usual health the previous evening, when ho retired to a tworoomed cottage, in which he slept, almm 50 yanls from Mr. Walker's house,, after, having 'had Iris tea. About T o'clock yesterday morning,Mr- vVallcer observed' the body of deceased through a window. When the constable reached the place he found the outer door lockeji, He. obtaind an entry to the- cotts*e- anil found, the body of Williams hanging from' one of the inner doors, 'by a piece of window, cord. One foot ot" deceased was resting on a box about 14 inches; high: anil fcho other foot rested on the floor;. There were no signs of a struggle-, andl tile' indications pointed undoubtedly to-a. caseof suicide- Williams was a. widower;, h wife having died about LIZ: monulis ago. The body was removed! to> the: morgueyesterday morning by; Constable- Hadler. THE INQUEST.

The inquest in connection: with the above was held yesterday afternoon' hefore the district coroner' (Mr.. A.. Crooke, ; S.M.). Sergeant Trehey represented'the police. Constable Hadloy, Jitzroy, gave evidence as to receiving l a-telephone roessage calling him to Mr. Janies Walker's place at Henwood road,, Bell Block, where he found deceased, as> already described;, in a small cottage, hanging- by a cord; to the top hinge of the inner door. He examined the bodyi and the: only marie on it was a fresh scratch over the right, eye. The body was quite stiff, and had apparently been dead some hours. He\soarehed' the house, but found nothing to indicate that deceased contemplated taking his own life. There was nothing to suggest that anyone else but deceased had been in the cottage. The outer door was locked on the inside. Witness took .the body down and removed it ,to .the morgue! lie was of opinion that deceased.-com-mitted suicide. ..,".' James A. Walker, farmer, Kenwood road, Bell Block, deposed that he knew the deceased as Frederick Williams, He was a brother-in-law of witness, was 83 ye;irs of age, and a widower. He .was .born in Stuttgart, Germany, but had not been naturaliced. Deceased'had been about forty-flve years in New Zealand, ai:J had been at Bell Block about eight yea;-,:-. Previously he ivsidod a,t Caversham, Duziedin. 'Ho slept alone in .a small Cottage a few yards from witness's house, but had all his meals in the house.... Witness k:t raw him alive about U.C3 p.m. on Monday, when he van going towards his cottage. About seven o'clock yesterr day .morning witness's son told him that deceased had hanged himself. Witncrs! did not y 0 to the cottage or sse tlio body until tho constable came to take, the bedy away. Deceased.. hr.d complained for some time about pains in his legs. Hs had never said or done anything to lead witness to believe he would take his life. Deceased hr.d r.!wr,ys been a very lOticant man. On cue occasion, when looking at some war pictures in an illustrated weekly paper, and seeing pictures of some men getting shot, ho had said he wished he was one of them,

Thomas Anderson Walker, farm manager, Henwood road, Bell Block, gave corroborative evidence, and deposed to seeing through the window of tho cottage, yesterday morning, the body of deceased hanging from the door by a rope fastened round hia neck. Deceased was apparently quite dead. The coroner: Why didn't you go in and cut tjie body down?—l was under the impression that I, dared not touch him until the police came. The coroner said it was a wrong impression that anyone finding a body hanging could not touch it until the police were communicated with. In the present case, however, it made no difference, as the man was evidently dead.. Continuing, the witness related the taking down of the, body by Constable Hadley. He said witness, if anything, appeared more jovial than usual on Monday. He had never heard deceased say anything suggesting that lie intended taking his life. He identified the body at the morgue as that of Frederick Williams. . Tlie coroner said there could be ;i,o doubt that deceased had taken his own life, and from the evidence it appeared to have been a most deliberate act. There was no evidence as to the slate of mind of deceased, and he could only find that deceased committed suicide by hanging himself on the eleventh day of February, 1!)18.