ATTEMPTED SUICIDES.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1919, Page 5

ATTEMPTED SUICIDES.

| AN.EXTRAORDINARY AFFAIR. ■ LIVES OP A WOMAN AND SHIP'S DOCTOR JUST SAVED. • By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, July 23. Shortly after the Prinzessin arrived In New Zealand from Sydney on Monday night two passengers, one of them a young lady, were found to be in rather a critical condition, suffering, it is believed, from an overdose of some drug. Tho lady was removed to the hospital, and is now out of danger. Tho male passenger Boon recovered, but is still on board .the ship. The police have the matter in hand. Wellington, Last Night. Some particulars of the mysterious happening on the Prinzessin were told at the Magistrate's Court this afternoon, when G. 8. Aspinall and Bessie Bates were charged before Mr. 15. Page, S.M., with having attempted to commit suicide. The mala accused showed some hesitation when asked to plead, but linally he said: "I will plead guilty. I was sorry for another person. It did it on account of sorrow." The female defondant also admitted, the charge against her. Chief Detective Bo'ddam said Aspinall was the doctor of the Prinzeßsin, the female accused being a passenger. The latter informed witness and Constable Burnett that on Monday afternoon she was in. the doctor's cabin, where she found Rome tabloids containing a drug in tabloid form and marked poison. Obtaining possession of one phial, she took the contents about 10 o'clock at night, but she refused to state her reasons for having done so. Early the following morning she 'was found' in a state of collapse. Two other medical men were travelling on the vessel,'and they saved the woman's life by applying restoratives. She was now ou,t of ,dabger. When the male accused was charged aboard the vessel he stated, on hearing of Miss Bates' condition as the result of .taking the drug, he felt he was to blame for carelessly leaving the tabloids in his cabin. He said the responsibility was so great that he hod taken 14 grains himself. The two other doctors saved his life. The chief detective continued: "There is not the slightest doubt that if these two doctors had not been on board the ship would havo berthed with two corpses. I know nothing about the doctot, and in his case I ask you to defer passing sentence for a week. He is not in a fit state to l be at large. He threatened, not only to the captain, but to other people that he would commit suicide. The female accused is the daughter of respectable people who live near Waverley. We know nothing at all about the girl, 'and have not had time to see her parents. The chief detective suggested, pending sentence, that the female accused might be placed in the care of the Salvation Army authorities, and reiterated that it was nrt safe to let (he male accused go out, His Worship remanded Aspinall for a week's medical treatment, and ordered that the defendant Bates should be brought up again on Saturday. Meanwhile, she was to be placed in the care of the Salvation Army.