ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT NORMANBY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 216, 1 March 1882, Page 2

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT NORMANBY.

Last night a most determined attempt at suicide occurred at Normanby. Shortly before midnight a strange sound was heard in a room in Mrs. Dilke's boardinghouse, occupied by a man named, or who is known as, Daniel Cane, and on someone going to see what was the matter Cane was found attempting to strangle himself with his shirt. On this delicate process being interfered with, Cane at once rushed into the kitchen and taking up a common knife hacked away at his throat. He then ran out into the street and acted most violently, meantime losing largo quantities of blood, but in his frenzy he manifested almost superhuman strength, and it was not until he was felled by a blow on the head that he could be overcome. On his being secured temporary remedies were resorted to, and the police and doctor were sent for. Sergeant Cahill and Dr. Richards galloped out from Hawera as soon as possible, Constable Mclvor having before appeared on the scene, and on their arrival they found the man of course very weak. His wounds were dressed, and he was guarded so that there might be no further att mpt. That there was a necessity for every precaution was shown by the circumstance that after the knife was t .ken from him he had inserted hia fingers in his throat and endevoured to enlarge the wound. However, he was securely guarded, and by the morning train was forwarded to the New Plymouth hospital. Cane (as wo will call him) had not been drinking, and indeed was known as a temperate man, but is the subject of two or three delusions, and is unques1 fcionably mad on those points. He was for some time working at Messrs, Southey and Willy's saw mill, but had been discharged from thence some little time since. He will, in all probability, recover from his wounds, and if committed to an asylum would no doubt be discharged in | about six months ; but, nevertheless, he is the victim of a homicidial mania, and will always need very careful watching to prevent him injuring not only himself but other people also.