SOCIAL STATE OF CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6066, 27 April 1881, Page 5

SOCIAL STATE OF CANTERBURY.

THE FAREWELL OF A SUICIDE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWS CORRESPONDENT. | Christciturcii, Tuesday. There is a perfect epidemic of accidents and suicides just now. The papers this week have consisted chiefly of a series of fires, sudden deaths, suicides, serious accidents, &c. la many instances intemperance is at the bottom of it. Nathan, who committed suicide at Timaru on Sunday last left the following singular letter, which undoubtedly caused the verdict of insanity to be returned :—" 1 person alone knows the reason of my voluntary death. | I wish for what is impossible, yet without this impossibility I cannot bo happy, therefore I die. So, ye wise men, bring in your verdict of insanity. I can't feel hurt at it, My pulse is at 75 ; I am quite cool, and feel in a hurry to got off. I am, as regards religious belief, a believer neither in a personal Deity nor a future state of existence." The writing "one" as a numeral was considered sufficiently suspicious. ANOTHER SUICIDE. A woman named Day, 53 years old, committed suicide to-day by taking strychnine. She was intemperate and fond of quarrelling with her husband, who was in the house engaged in cooking when she swallowed the poison.