A Sad Occurrence.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 56, 20 October 1887, Page 2

A Sad Occurrence.

THE DEMON DRINK AGAIN. (From ocb own coanxsroNDKNT.J WAtHOs, last night. Two distressing events have occurred here during ths last few days through that wretched curse drink. The first was a case of drowning. A man named Isaac Frost, who had been employed on the Wairoa bridge works and who was last seen in a state of intoxication on Friday night, has been missing since that date, and from the fact of his hat having been found at the edge of the river there is little doubt that he has found a watery grave. It appears that at about midnight on Friday the deceased asked one ot the bridge contractors for the loan of a boat to cross the river, but the contractor seeing the state the man was in, refused to Ist him hava it* Deceased than went away towards the terry house, presumably io rouse the ferryman, and that was the last seen of him. The other event was a most determined at. tempt by a man named Thomas McClushy, also a bridge hand, to commit suicide, Thia man, shortly after leaving the Ferry Hotel on Tuesday evening, rushed down to the bank of the river at North Clyde and struck out for the middle of the stream. Fortunately he was seen by a another man, named Ball, who swam after him and caught him by the hair of the head, and after considerable struggling ha was got into the ferry boat, which made its appearance on the scene shortly afterwards. It appears that this demented individual had been drinking for soma time and at the time of the oeouTence was in the horrors. For some ti ne he had several times been heard to threaten to do away with himself, but no one paid any heed to what he said. He is now under treatment in the look-up and will be brought before Court as soon as he recovers to answer for the attempt on his life.