ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 27, 1 February 1910, Page 6

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

THKEB TJNTOKTTJNATES IN COURT. Three, of the sufferers by the suicide epidemic, which has recently been raging over Auckland, appeared in the dock at the Police Court, before Air. E C. Cutten, S.M., this morning, looking rather sick and sorrowful. The first was Amy Kigby, who, about the Bth of Jannary last, drank part of the contents of a bottle of lysol. Her plea amounted to "not guilty." She did not seek to dispute the fact that she drank the lysol, but she claimed that she had been so ill at the time that she had no proper appreciation of what she was doing when she drank the poison. This morning the accused looked quite sane and almost well. She was so well-dressed as to preclude any notion that poverty supplied any part of the motive for her act. Sub-Inspector Hendrey thought that alcohol had played some little part in bringing accused to the suicide frame of mind, and he suggested that she had better be examined mentally by a doctor before she was dealt with. She was accordingly remanded for a week.

David Fisher thought to end his troubles by drinking spirits of salts. This was on the 24th January last, aud he has been more or less unwell since. In fact, he looked very far from well this morning, when he pleaded "guilty" to the charge of attempted suicide. After he had taken the dose of spirits of salts, he was taken to the hospital. There he expressed regret that his attempt on his own life had failed, and there was evidence available that on previous occasions he had had in mind some intention to poison himself with matches dissolved in water. He was remanded for a week for medical observation. In his case also the Inspector ventured the opinion that drink had more than a little to do with his troubles.

James Bullivant made his attempt on th 25th aJnuary. On that day he went home drunk, raged at his wife for a while, and then produced a razor and drew it across his throat, while his unhappy wife had to look at him. He looked a very sorry man this morning, having only partially recovered from the effects of the severe wound in his neck. He also was remanded for a week. His Worship refused bail in all three cases.