SUICIDES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8955, 12 August 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUICIDES.

A painful and shocking case of suicide at Kingsland, New North Road, was reported to Constable Haslett at the Eden Terrace police station on Friday night, July 22, the victim of the rash act being a young married woman named Amy Hulse, wife of a gardener named James Hulse. The husband informed the constable that he had left home on Friday morning sit eight o'clock, and his wife appeared to be then in her usual health. He did not return until about twenty minutes to seven o'clock in the evening, when he was shocked to find his wife hanging in the porch. He promptly cut the rope, and stretched the woman out, but was unable to find any trace of life, and he at once sent for Dr. Roberton, who on arrival pronounced life to be extinct, and that it had been so for some time. The unhappy woman appears to have acted with great deliberation, for she fastened the rope securely to tho rafter and stood on a email candle-box to place the running noose round her neck, and then kicking the box away from her remained suspended, her feet being within a few inches of the floor. She loft a pencilled note on the table in which she stated that she was tired of life. She asked her husband to forgive her. Mr. Hulse can in no way account for his wife's act, as she never complained of anything, although at times she seemed rather depressed in spirits. She was 28 years of age, and had been married three years. They have two infant children one fourteen months old, and the other only two months. An inquest was held at Mr. Hulse's residence on Saturday, July 23, before Dr. Philson, coroner, and a jury of six, when the evidence of Mr. Hulse, Dr. Roberton, Charles Keyes, Lincoln Clarke, and Constable Haslett was taken. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased committed suicido by hanging herself while in a state of temporary insanity. A woman named Harriett Sharratt, wife of William Henry Sharratt, a carter in the employ of Mr. Morpeth, was found in her house in Mechanics' Bay in a comatose state and quite unconscious, on Saturday, July 23, under circumstances which point to the case as one of attempted suicide. She was taken to the Hospital. Dr. Sommerville applied the stomach pump, but he informed the constable and the woman's husband that she was then in a dying state, and he had no hopes of her recovery. However, towards evening, she rallied, and is now recovering. Mrs. Sharratt is 34 years of age, and has five childron. On July 25 the Auckland police authorities received a telegram from Constable Donovan, of Coromandel, stating that John O'Connor, a miner, residing at the Upper Township, Coromandel, was found dead in his whare on July 24. Our Coromandel correspondent gives the following further particulars :—Connor lived alone in a small cottage in the Upper Township, and not having been seen for several days previously, on July 24 several of his neighbours went to see if anything was the matter. They found the door fastened with a pin on the inside, but on shaking the door a bit it dropped out, and they entered and found Connor lying dead upon the floor with a gun beside him. It appears he had placed tho muzzle in his mouth, and discharged the piece with his toe, death being instantaneous. From appearance he must have been dead three or four days. He has been an old resident and prospector here for many years. Of late he has not done very well, but there was no want of food, as several loaves of bread and other provisions were found in the place. At the inquest it was stated that some years ago he was very strange, and he was watched for some time, bub ultimately recovered. He was always misanthropical. A verdict of " temporary insanity " was returned. A greab shock was caused at Timaru on Wednesday, the 20th of July, by the suicide of J. W. S. Ziesler, for many years in business as a commission agent, etc. He was prominent in musical circles, and highly esteemed. He was formerly & partner in the unfortunate firm of Moody and Ziesler, broken up by the death of Mr. Moody, a few years ago. Mr. Ziesler shot himself in the temple with a revolver, in his oifice, on the 20th July. Death was instantaneous. At the inquest held on the body at Timaru, evidence was given by his brother-in-law that the deceased at times suffered from temporary mental aberration, in consequence of an attack of typhoid fever a few years ago, and on this evidence the jury returned a verdict of " Temporary Insanity." All the other evidence showed that the deceased was in his usual spirits up to a few minutes before he took his life.

Alexander Milne, settler, Opotiki, is gupRosed to have drowned himself in th& Ofcara ,ivef. He left a letter in his house, where he lived alone, stating his intention of doing bQ. The police are searching the rim.