THE WELLINGTONS-TREET SUICIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11841, 19 December 1901, Page 3

THE WELLINGTONS-TREET SUICIDE.

An' inquest was held yesterday, at the Criterion Hotel, before Mt. Crresaavn, coroner, on the man George Alfred Tatan, who committed suicide iu Wellington-street on Tuesday afternoon, as reported in yesterday's Herald. Claud Williams, pander's assistant, do-, posed to last seeing deceased on Monday night at the Thistle Hotel. Deceased had/ told witness he had only l>ccii out from Enghind two years. Me had only resided \n Auckland three weeks, and came from Gisburiie. Dr. R. If. Bakewell deposed that- he was* called to attend deceased. He died within! a- few minutes. Witness trie.] to make him.' swallow some brandy, hut he was too far gone. The bottle produced. labelled "poison," was handed to witness by a. bystander...' and witness gave it to the police. Thetis were crystals of oxalic acid in the bottle, i Death resulted, in witness' opinion, from a. large dose of this poison producing shock to the system.

George Robert Peterson, carter, deposed that at about a-qnarter past, three on Tuesday afternoon, he and Samuel Thomalky were working on the tramlines near St. .lames' Church, in Union-street. 'They first noticed deceased walking on the footpath. Shortly afterwards he knelt, down and began to write on .1 piece of paper with a pencil.' About half-past three witness and his mate went, to speak to deceased, who, in reply to their inquiries, said. " 1 am not drunk.! .1 have poisoned myself." The bottle pro* duced was in deceased's pocket. The writing on the paper was to the effects' that, deceased had been deceived by a friend,, and that lie was going to commit suicide. He wished his brother at Gen Mine, South' Canterbury, to be apprised of his death. The jury returned a- verdict that deceased' committed suicide by taking oxalic acid, whilst mentally deranged.