ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 84, 3 January 1929, Page 6

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

PATHETIC SCENE IN COURT Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, January 2. Grasping a police matron for support, a young married woman, aged 22, in a voice that was barely audible, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court this morning to a charge of attempted suicide. Sub-Inspector Fitzpatrick told the Magistrate (Mr. H. 1». Lawry) that accused was only 22 years old. She had been married last February, and since she and her husband arrived in Christchurch from Auckland they had not been happy. He had not provided a home, and the pair had been living in rooms. Early on New Year’s morning, stated the sub-inspector, she and her husband had a row. She was later found in the street almost unconscious. In her handbag was a packet of poisonous powder. She was taken to tlie hospital and a restorative was applied. She was later discharged. The sub-inspector asked for a remand to enable the police to get in touch with her relatives in Auckland. In tlie meantime, lie suggested, Ensign Newton might take charge of her.

The husband, a young, slightlybuilt man, was now called into Court. “My wife left me on Saturday night,” he said. "She went out with another fellow. I saw her yesterday and pleaded with her for half an hour to come back to me.” The husband said they had a flat in town.

Sub-Inspector Fitzpatrick: Did you tell her you were going to take divorce proceedings against her merely to try and get her to come back; are you .willing to take her back?—Yes, I think I can fix things up. The Magistrate: Have you ever had any serious rows before?—No, only tiffs.

Tlie Magistrate ordered the case to be stood down for a few minutes to see if the husband and wife could fix things up. When they returned to Court the husband was willing to forgive all, but the wife, in the SubInspector's words, was “not too willing.” \

The Sub-Inspector did not think she ought to be allowed to go back to a flat in her present condition. Accused was accordingly remanded until next Tuesday, in the care of tlie Salvation Army. Her name was suppressed.