"TIRED OF LIFE."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9674, 23 December 1909, Page 5

"TIRED OF LIFE."

A MAN'S FOOLISH ACTION. A single man calling himself 'Joseph Welch/ who admitted that his real name was Albert Victor Sly, was arrested last evening by the police on a charge of attempting to commit suicide. Subsequent investigation proved that the man was not in a daagerous condition. Sly will be charged at the Police Court this morning on the charge mentioned. Questioned by the police, the accused is unde.stood to have made the following statement:— Yesterday afternoon he went to the shop of Mr E. G. Eton, chemist, in Queen street, and purchased three pence worth of oxalic acid. He then walked out to the Opaki, where he boiled the acid in a pannikin, subequently drinking it. His condition excited the attention of an Opaki resident, who very sensibly adminis tered a strong dose of salt and water, the effect of which may be better imagined than described. The police were communicated with, and Constable Townsend went to the Opaki and brought the accused in a cab io the Police Station, where he was examined by Dr, A. Hosking. Sly's excuse for his foolish conduct was that he was "tired of life." He appears to have been unfortunate in the matter of obtaining work, and roughing it generally exercised a depressing effect upon him.