SUICIDE AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 940, 2 July 1878, Page 3

SUICIDE AT CAMBRIDGE.

We regret to have to record the following melancholy event ; — ■ Mr Laurence O'Brien, of Tamahere, committed suicide yesterday morning at about six o'clock. 'I he following appear to "be the facts of the case as far as they have been at present elicited. Mr O'Brien was. staying at the residence of his son-in-law, Mr- Thomas Ryan, of Clement's Park, with whom he was sleeping m the same bed, on accoun. of the old man not being well. About five o'clock, he ordered his horse to be put m his trap for the purpose of going to Ms own home. He then got up and dressed himself, Mr Ryan remaining m bed. An hour afterwards, he was noticed by Mr Ryan mixing some porter m two tumblers. His son-in-law, suspecting something wrong, immediately jumped out of bed, and enquired what he had there ; but, before he could do anything, Mr O'Brien had drank the contents of the tumblers, saying* that it was nothing, and, pouring some more porter out m a glass, offered it to Mr Ryan, whose suspicion by this was disarmed, and he drank the porter. A short time after, the old man was taken bad, and Mr Ryan dispatched a messenger for his son, Mr Chas. O'Brien, and also to fetch the doctor and the constable. The latter arrived at about half -past seven o'clock, and found him quite dead. The coroner has been telegraphed for, and the inquest will be held at noon to-day. The poison (strychnine) he obtained from Mr Houghton's store on Sunday under the pretence of wanting to poison rats, wliich stopped his sleep. Mr Ryan suffered temporary indisposition from drinking out of the same fflass into which' the poison had been mixed, bat was all right m a few hours.