MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 256, 31 October 1887, Page 5

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.

A BEREAVED WIFE DROWNS

HERSELF.

BODY FOUND IN DOMAIN POND.

At . midnight on Saturday a man named Joseph Dewbar reported ab the Police Station that a middle-aged woman named Mrs Emma Field, with whom he and bis wife boarded at the top of Alcxandra-streeb, had left her house ab 3 o'clock in the afternoon and had nob since returned. He was apprehensive for her safety, nob merely on account of her prolonged absence, but from a variety of circumstances which had led him to the conclusion that she intended making away with herself. Her husband died about three weeks ago. Of late she had been more than usually peculiar in her demeanour. She had also frequently threatened to drown herself. On leaving* home she was seen to go in the direction of Symondsstreet, bub all effbrbs to brace her had proved fruitless. The man was very much afraid that Mrs Field would do herself bodily harm, because in addibion to her threats of suicide she had attempted about a year ago to gi%'e effect to them by cutting her arm with a knife.

After Mrs Field's departure from home she was found to have left on her dressingtable her purse containing a week's ren h and beside it her rent book. Dewbar considered this a very unusual and significant circumstance. He gave the police the following description of the missing woman : —Age, about 45 years; height, sffc 2in ; slight build, sallow complexion, very black eyes, large wart on the nose ; dressed in mourning and with veil. The efforts of the police to find the missing woman were quite unsuccessful.

Discovery of the Body.

At five minutes to 11 yesterday morning however, two young men named Charles Gumby, of Park Road, and Henry Townsend, of Surrey House, Hardinge-street, were passing the Domain pond near the Chinamen's garden close by the Hospital, when they noticed a woman's dress, bonnet and parasol alongside the water. They approached nearer and saw the body of a woman in the water, and having taken steps to bring it ashore, sent off news of their discovery to Dr. Lindsay at the Hospital. Dr. Lindsay, accompanied by an assistant, at once hurried to the spot and ascertained that the woman must have been dead for some time. The body was accordingly removed to the Hospital morgue, where later in the day it was identified as that of MrsjEmma Field,of Alexandra-street. In the dress-pockefc were found a letter addressed to Dr. Mackellar, of Parnell, and a purse containing lis 3d.

The Letter of the Deceased.

In answer to inquiries made by our reporter Mr Mackellar states that the letter addressed to him was undated, that it enclosed £3, and was as follows : —" I enclose all tho money I have to you for your great kindness in attending on my husband. I cannot live without him ; so I hope to meet him in another place. A miserable sinner.—Emma Field."

Her Suicidal Intentions.

The news of the sad affair did not altogether surprise Dr. Mackellar, for he was well aware that the deceased had a predisposition to suicide and that therefore to this extent she was insane. While attending her husband, who was suffering from consumption, Dr. Mackellar more than once heard her admit that she had a tendency to commit suicide, and he also found that she was a victim to melancholia. Her' husband, knowing her weakness, kept a sharp eye upon her, and after his death Mr and Mrs Dewbar, through living in the same house, were able to exercise a similar surveillance over the unfortunate woman. Thoy treated her too with great kindness. On Saturday she managed to give them the slip, and prior to communicating with the police Dewbar searched for her in vain. The deceased was punctilious in the payment of her debts, as the precautions taken by her to leave the means of paying the landlord and the doctor indicate. Dr. Mackellar had never troubled her about his bill. Knowing that her means were small, he left her to settle when she could.

The usual Coroner's inquest was opened by Dr. Philson at the Hospital at 2.30 this afternoon.