90-FOOT DROP.

Feilding Star, Volume 3, Issue 553, 30 December 1925, Page 5

90-FOOT DROP.

SENSATIONAL SUICIDE. MAN ' KILLED ALA IOST INSTANTLY. Press Association. Auckland, Dec. 29. Pedestrians oil the Graftrin Bridge shortly alter 2 o’clock this afternoon were horrified to see • a youiig man take a fatal , leap from the parapet about* '9O feet from the 'ground. The body has been identified ns. that Id Janies Buie, single, aged 25, a resident of Waihi.

Buie ' was crossing the*“bridge ’.lTon'i Symbuds street, • and had not gone fa'.-' when- he*stopped a, pedestrian and said: ‘ : ‘ls this the highest point - of this bridge, mate?” Thinking ‘ that the query was merely the idle conversation of a ilia'll ob'viriusly uikler tdieTrittuehce of liquor, the’pedestrian nodded in the direction ol the ‘triid:dle of the bridge, and : (risked r ltule if be knew ' where be was going. 'The reply was I am tin Grafton bridge,' /iien’t’L? I’m going across.” Rule : inn tt creel fdmbt hi ng tin intelligible about being half-wav' across. Thinking he might prove garrulous, his. informant told him to move on and keep straight 'ahead and lie would reach Park' road. Bole said “Thanks,, mate,” and walked on.

il’e apparently proceeded only a lew; steps, and then mounted the parapet of the bridge gird jumped over: A wonian and a niaii TVere pass)ng Bnle when he climbed the wall, hut his action, was so sudden that they did not realise Iris oiiTtention. The body struck theaground in a clearing within, a foot of a tombstone enclosure. Buie was breathing, his last when Dr. .Murray reached him within five minutes. His head had apparently struck the ground 'first and external injuries suggested there was -probably a fracture of the skull.

Rule had a wAT let- in his possession containing €9 in banknotes. In ■his breast pocket Dr. Murray lound a portion of a yellow cigarette packetwhich was later found to hear tho‘ v words, “Harry Dwyer understands.”