HELPLESSLY DRUNK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 196, 2 June 1930, Page 5

HELPLESSLY DRUNK.

WOMAN ON RAILWAY LINE. SAVED BY TRIPPING OVER WIRE (Special to the “Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, May 31. A story that a married woman attempted to commit suicide by throwing herself under a train at Waltham was told in the Magistrate’s Court this morning. According to a witness,., had the woman not tripped over a wire and fallen into a faint eight feet from the engine, she would certainly have been killed. Muriel Martha Gertru.de Thomas, aged 34, was charged with attempting to commit suicide, ,and further with being found helplessly drunk at Waltham Road. The woman pleaded not guilty to the first charge, and guilty to the second. , Mr H. P. La wry. S.M.. was on the Bench. James Henry Adams, a shunter, said that on May 22 he was on duty in the evening near the Waltham Road crossing. Suddenly lie saw the accused run across the railway line and fall. Witness went to her, and found that she had fainted. He carried her to the signal box, where she revived and said that she had intended to throw herself under the engine. She fell about eight feet from the engine, and had it not been for a wire over which she tripped she might have run right underneath the engine. The woman was under the influence of liquor. A constable said that he took charge of accused, who was under the influence of liquor. Sub-Inspector O’Hara said that he considered that drink was mostly the cause of accused’s trouble. The woman was married, and, when her husband was away working during the day, she indulged in drink. The woman’s husband said that she had been under observation in a reception home for a month, and after discharge was said to he all right. Her trouble was drink. He thought that if a prohibition order was issued against her she would pull through. Her health was good, and there was no trouble in the home. “I won’t convict on the attempt to commit suicide,” said the Magistrate. “There is a little bit of doubt. Probably she did not know what she was doing.” The accused was convicted on the drunkenness charge and ordered to nnv C2 3s costs and medical expenses. She agreed to take out a prohibition order.