THE BOY SUICIDE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 106, 20 April 1912, Page 6

THE BOY SUICIDE.

INQUEST AND VERDICT

The adjourned inquest concerning the death of Charles Alexander Puller was held in the Napier Courthouse last evening. George Melville Burlinson, mana

ger of the Boys’ Training Farm at Weraroa, identified the body as that

of Charles Alexander Puller. The boy was admitted to the farm on the 17th January last and had absconded twice. The first time was on 14th March and he returned on the 17th of the same month, the second time was on the 16th April and nothing more was heard of him until the police reported his suicide. The lad was of a peculiar disposition. He >.as committed to the farm because he was not under proper parental control. On the 9th January he had broken into store at Woodlands and on the 10th January he had broken into a stores at Ti Tree Point. Similar charges were also allaged against him., The previous teachers of the bov stated that his home training

was bad and that he was untruthful. Witness was of the opinion that ow-

ing to the peculiar disposition of the boy there was a vein of insanity in him. It was in special cases that a boy was punished by the strap. All punishments are recorded and a copy is sent every month to the head of the Department. An officer belonging to the institution is present in all such occasions. The boy was rather difficult to manage and caused trouble. This might be due to his peculiar disposition. Witness was satisfied thaf the boy was treated in ■i humane and careful manner. This was witness’ twentieth year in this kind of work. The boys were allow-

ed time for relaxation and there was no suggestion of a prison. They ■flayed football, cricket and other games. On Monday night last 30 boys from the farm attended the pic lures at Levin and on Wednesday right 25. I.ast night witness personally conducted 86 boys to the skat-

ing rink. A party of 109 boys were encamped on the beach. There was no restrain. If a boy wished to get away all he had to do was to hidf himself in the bushes. Everything was done to train the boys and t ■

make their lives contented. He slated that the officers were good to the boys. Previous to taking up work of this ki’d w’tness hed bad five vears experience in Auckland. The deceased bov bad been punished twice sine** since his admission to the home. The birch had never been used bv winners rinc" his arrival in the North Island. He knew his men were good and kind to the bovs.

To the F"*einnn : Absconding came in waves for no nnn.wt reason, and it ’•"••• time before the bov® '•«tH*’d down again. On an nb«cc"'d' v, g bov bcin" returned to the farm be "•"*■ ”sv"llv in th? cha’-"’ of •’-r*!'” her. The deceased Spl-r-vplv O-> ther? t”'n c-iro-”. the offences did not warrant it. and it was some time after that he absconded. He was not a- boy who could settle dow”. bavin" a restless disposition. He would not work. J" Napier th" bov had worked possibly because the job set him w-as co-gen ini and he diq =t will-inerlv. It w-c verv difficult ‘o "et a 'my of this class to do re-

gnl-’r work. T'"' Screte.int C»mniinc"i: Witne-r made ” veeommendafinn th-"* the bev • ho”1d be transfefed to Bttrpb" T n. ’-•”t he co’-’-onfed to rn'eh’n another , The h n ’’q wheo thev enter are tn'ke’ l on their merits ’"■'l mvr” a fair chance. A large influx of bo-s fended to lower the tone of the school. He did rot think that +hc nercentage of absconders from M crnrna was "reater than that of "‘her similar institution. Durir" the oast thre° vears the number of irmates ”- a s increasing. The h-vc who -r or k on the farm rise at 5.30 and the others at six. Breakfast is nt 7 o’clock, and at 8 those emrfleved on (he f"’-m go to their y.a'-- :„,, R d”t;o~. Thev oca™ work nt n"d the remainder cf the-e'-en-=ng ;« snpnt in Satv’’dnv sfi-r-enn j- allowed off. 80-s ~->de" the f\f fourteen attend the cohonl while others work on the

ff'o Pn-.o—n'* • Bgsod o-q the nojnion of the t.->»Aer end h’.s necu-

’iar manner at fhe s"’.wl wjtne<w n . a <. r.f o-dnle-> thn* ho had a v«->n o r insanitv ; n him. The Inm-tes Ic'' I ’- efl unon him a neciil’'”’ Lev. We was r-m’’«pil +n hear that he h n d -'cmmitfnd =uic'do ar there v-ns no annarent reason for it. Anyone was allowed to look over the farm.

Sergeant Cummings read a telegram from the inspector at Invercargill stating that the parents were in too poor circumstances to come to Napier and that they wished the interment to take place them! The police were to make any arrangements they thought necessary. After a few minutes retirement the jury returned with the following verdict “That Charles Alexander Pullar committed suicide by hanging himself with a rope, and that they were not satisfied from the evidence as to the state of mind of the boy when he hanged himself.” The foreman said the jury desired to commend the police for the i nmane treatment they had extended ro the boy.