THE DARGAVILLE SUICIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8880, 17 May 1892, Page 5

THE DARGAVILLE SUICIDE.

ASYLUM AUTHORITIES BLAMED. Mr. Fred, Bould, well-known in connection with "The Ark" at Dargaville, committed suicide on Wednesday morning by cutting his throat with a razor. The deceased was at one time a member of the police force in the South, where he became insane, and was confined in a Junatic asylum. Ho recovered from his madness, and came to live in Dargaville, where he has resided for many years past. He was a very hard drinker, and it was no doubt due to this that lie not long since again became mad, and had to be committed to the Auckland Lunatic Asylum. He was released by the Asylum authorities about a week ago, and returned to Dargaville on Monday, 9th May. He had an angry, despondent look, and stated that he had only returned for a day of reckoning. He asked three times for his gun and revolver, and evidently meant mischief. He only had one glass of beer in Dargaville since his return. On Wednesday morning he was found doad in " The Ark" with his throat cut from right ear to centre, and a severe gash in the fleshy part of each forearm. Deceased was born in Bilston, England, and was about forty years of age, and I am informed that both his father and brother died in lunatic asylums. I cannot help feeling that the asylum authorities are much to blame in liberating such a character. Had the man been able to secure his gun and revolver, or had he not taken his own life, we would in all probability have had a more fearful tragedy to record.

THE INQUEST. The inquest was held at Mr. Raynes' Kaihu Hotel, 011 Thursday, March 12th, before Mr. Webb, coroner, and tho following jury : —Messrs. Audus Raynes (foreman), J. MitcheUon, H. H. Taylor, W. A. Ford, E. Hillary, and S. Dell. Percy F. Carlyon, sergeant of police, stationed at Dargaville, deposed : The dead body viewed was that of Frederic Bould, who was committed to the lunatic asylum, Auckland, in September last. He returned to Dargaville, having been discharged on Monday last. I saw him come off the staamer at the wharf, and I saw him again between seven and eight, when 1 handed him the keys of his boat dwelling-house, known as "The Ark." I saw him again in " the Ark" about nine p.m., and I gave him a bunch of keys belonging to him. L hud conversation with him, ana he asked after some of his property. I took careful notice of him, to see whether he had been drinking, and in my opinion he had not been. 1 saw him aj»ain on Tuesday, about midday, in front of his house. He then told me how he was going to fix " The Ark" in its proper position. 1 took careful notice of him to form some opinion of the condition he was in. There was no sign of drink upon him in any form, but his eyes appeared to 1110 to be those of a despondent and angry man. I nextsawde-oea-iod on Wednesday, about one o'clock, in the upstairs of "The Ark." He was sitting up dead, with his throat cut, and both arms cut deeply into the fleshy side. I found a razor, evidently having been used by him, lying in his blankets, close beside him. I searched him, and found £3 10s on his body, but could find no papers to throw any light upon the deed. I was informed yesterday that there was a report in the township that deceased had been lying drunk in one of the hotels. I made strict inquiries, bub have every reason to believe that he was not so lying. Charles Hollis, barman at Mr. Raynes' Hotel, saw Bould on Monday evening and on Tuesday. He had a long beer and some bread and cheese before going to bed on Monday, but had nothing else to drink since his return. Frank Sems, painter, residing at Dargaville, helped Bould to unpack his things. He asked deceased how he felt, and remarked that he looked dull and downhearted. He last saw him alive at three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. He was then standing inside "The Ark," and was in the act of closing the doors. In passing, he asked deceased why he had not come in to dinner, and deceased replied that he had had his dinner in "The Ark," having opened a tin of preserved meat. He saw deceased on Monday night, and a pood deal on Tuesday, and he did not think that deceased had had anything at all to drink. John Gillander, barman at the Northern Wairoa Hotel, deposed that deceased had not been in his hotel since his return, and had had no drink from there. Audus Haynes, proprietor of the Kaihu Hotel, deposed : I remember .being in "The Ark" with deceased between seven and eight on Monday evening last. I was with him for about half an-hour, helping him to look for some sharp knives he had. I told, him if he wanted a knife for his tobacco I could give him one if he went to the hotel Ho then said he must find his razor, and after a little trouble he found it in a box. He looked at it, turned it over, and put it back in the box. I then told him we had better go out, as he seemed to be very downhearted. I advised him to come to the hotel to sleep, and return to "The Ark" in the morning. I also told him to cheer up, because he broke down in bears, and said he thought he would do no good here. I remarked that he had better wait and see, and if he could not do, to sell out and try somewhere else. He then asked me for his gun, which he had previously asked for in presence of the sergeant. I bold him I had ib, and would take care of it. Ho then remarked he had only returned to Dargaville for a day of reckoning with Mr. Dargaville. \Ve then left "The Ark," and just at the little bridge he again pleaded for his gun. I did not give it to him, as I did not consider him fit to be trusted with it; any s' ranger could bell by his countenance that the man was nob right, even if he had never seen him before. Deceased had drunk very heavily before going into the Asylum. The jury, after a short deliberation, brought in a verdict "That deceased committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor whilst in an unsound state of mind," and added a rider "That in the opinion of the jury the Asylum authorities are blameworthy for having released Bould before he was thoroughly sane."—[Aratapu Correspondent.