A SAD OCCORRENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4817, 5 September 1894, Page 2

A SAD OCCORRENCE.

; Suicide of Mr l/l, Alexander, ~ " r J ' It is witli ininghd foeliugs of deep ; regret and astonisliment' that wo havo to record tlio death by of one of the oldest and most respected settlers in this town, Mr | William Alexander, who has been a resident amongst us for twenty-five years or more, a builder by trade, in comfortable circumstances, with a' . wife and family, and occupying also a position as a leading elder in the Presbyterian Church, was about the ■ . J last man anyone would have expected to havo put a violent end to his own existence, It has been noticed latterly that he was somewhat peculiar and abstracted in his manner, and possibly some occult mental aberration lias led to the awful climax of this morning. ■ Quite a sensation was caused when, it became known that Mr Alexander had token his life in such a strange mannor, and people were utterly at a loss to account for the terrible act: We however, that' a letter wps left in his workshop addressed to jiis wjfp,' bidding hep farewell, The fetter indicated tljaf; he thought his business affaire were in a bad state, and yet at the same tinie, showed that ho was out of debt, and had house property andacdn« . .._ siderable sum. of money in tho Bank. There is no doubt that the mind'of tjio. deceased suddenly gavo wtyy, T hreo years ago lie had a very severe illness, aiid has not been the satp ii). mind or body since.. He liad recently talked of giving up contracting, and contemplated buying afarm property. The particulars of tlio sad oceurrence are—as far as wo can ascertain f* —as followsMr Aloxander'rose as usual this morning, and after partaking of hisbreakfast, intimato£)tf| his wife that ho was going to his stable, which is in a paddock some distance from his residence, Ho then • dragged a feed-box, which stands about three feet high, from the wall, pid fastening a rqpe to a beam in the centre .of the shed, threw liinij Bojf.pf the .box, Tlje jettep beint* founc| caused a sp&rcb to at pnpe Ijo. -7 made, but it was too lato, life being extinct, Dr Butomont was called, and, on examination, found that death had resulted from strangulation, and that deceased's neck was not broken. An inquest on the will bo held at 3 o'clock tflP«ftemoon before Mr T. Hntchison, District Coroner, : 1 1