MAORI COMMITS SUICIDE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 98, 18 January 1908, Page 6

MAORI COMMITS SUICIDE.

.... ... I'OUND HANGING ONATREE , (BT- T*r,EaiUrn—SPECIAL ■ .. Hastings, January 17. \ ' A report lias been"received; by; tho police .that a Nativo liaincd .Tungataki 'Cooper had committed : ! suicide by •' hanging • himself at the -sdmo time between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Deceased was: last seen, by his wife, Hurikia Cooper at 2 a.m.,'and ho was then drunk. ' Constable T. O'Grady proceeded to .the sceftc" of tho occurrence and found tho body lying on, tho floor' of the whare, dressed; with the exception of his hat, and : boots. .Deceased went to Hastings yesterday, afternoon, returning. homo at 1 a:m. He burst the dooj-fof the ivharo. open and sat on. a chair, besid,e the bed.where his wife was sleeping. Deceased commenced to abuso her, pulling her hair, and finally dragging hor out of bed. •■Ho then told his wife he was sorry for abusing her,'and kissed her and his children, saying he was''going to see his.child. One/oHtis children 1 is iff Poukawa, ;and another is' tlead/ ' audvto- mhsfc ' liaVo moant his dead child when he' said he was going to. see, his child. His wifo awoko at 4 aim. with, a strange fooling, arid, lifting tho- bedroom blind', she looked ,out and saw her husband hanging from a'tree. She cried aloud, and ran to. where the body .was hanging.' Sho found ' her . husband-dead, ; and iii her olforts to got'the body down,-theleather rein,-' by .which the body ■ was' hanging, broke. Tho wife'was very distressed,' aiid' was supporting the body ori. her arm when'the otlier Natives arrived- on;, the. scene.- Aiv inquest will be held'in'the .morning., \ .