SUICIDES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11842, 20 December 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUICIDES.

A YOUNG NATIVE WOMAN SHOOTS

HERSELF.

Tire following appeared in the Opotiki Herald of December 13 : —

Rather a romantic incident, with a tragic ending, occurred on Monday morning last at a little bush clearing in the Waiotahi. A young and pretty Maori girl named Hiro To La, married in February last a young Maori of the Arawa tribe, named Kipa Nini. They were strongly ■ attached, both being desperately in love with each other. Kipa made arrangement with Mr. J. 15. Gow for a portion of land to clear and cultivate, and here Kipa, far from other habitation, erected his whare. Here he and his young wife laboured together in amity. Hiro To Ua was unfortunately of a jealous disposition. She could not bear to see her husband out i of her sight, and as he was obliged to go away from time to time to earn a little money to keep things moving until harvesting time, his absence preyed on her mind, and as there were other pretty girls about she began to fancy that her husband was not as true and loyal to her as he should be. A few days previous to the sad ending of this tragedy lie had been to Ohiwa and was engaged on the wharf loading and discharging, etc., earned a little money, had a glass or two of beer, and returned from his work rather late. In the meantime poor little Hiro Te Ua was alone. She fancied all sorts: of things, and when her husband returned she accused him of several little faults in a petulant way, which he may possibly have responded to in a similar tone. On Monday morning she seemed to be in her usual health and spirits, and prepared the morning meal, which they partook of together. On receipt of a message from one of Mr. Gow's men Kipa left his wife and little raupo-built shanty for another day's work. He had only proceeded about 100 yds and was Hearing the gate leading to a road when he heard die report of a gun in the direction of his home, and he immediately hurried back to see the cause. Inside the whare he found his ioved and loving wife dead., with his doublebarrelled breech-loading fowling-piece iviug at her side. He lifted her gently and placed her 011 the bed, but life was already extinct, death having been instantaneous. Kipa, the bereaved husband, was almost frantic with grief. An inquest was held. . The coroner and jurymen, under the shelter of a tent-fly, which protected them from a hot sun, squatted on the ground, and one who acted as clerk took a saddle, and placing it 511 his knee, used it as a writing-desk. There was not much evidence to be adduced. The bereaved husband was the first examined. The matter, briefly stated, was that the deceased Hiro te Ua Nini, immediately after her husband's departure 011; the previous morning, had taken down his gun from a rack where it hung, put a shot cartridge in it, placed the muzzle to her body, just a little, above the abdomen, giving it a slanting direction upwards, pointing to the heart, and pulled the trigger with her toe. The gun and cartridge were produced and identified by old Nini, the father of the sorrowing husband. The nature of the wound exactly coincided with the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of death from a gun shot wound self-inflicted while in a state of temporary insanity. Another tragic ending to the old old story of love x and jealousy.

A man named' Geo. Alfred Tatan committed suicide on December 17 under ratlier singular circumstances, having apparently partaken of poison in the street. A little after three o'clock on Tuesday tv, carters named Samuel Thornelley and Geo. Peterson, who were on a dray, happened to notice a man go down Wellington-street, and on returning with their dray a few minutes later they saw the same man kneeling on the footpath. He then lay down, and when Thornelley and Peterson-got up to him he told them lie had poisoned himself. One of them ran for Dr. Bakewell, but Dr. Wine, who happened to be in the vicinity, arrived * before the messenger' reached Dr. Bakewell' consulting-room.; Dr. Wine pronounced life to be extinct, and Dr. Bakewell, on his arrival, could do nothing more. The body was lying on the footpath on the corner'of Wellington and Nelson Streets, and a crowd soon gathered. A soda water bottle with a label on it marked " poison," was found on the footpath near the body, and on • examination the contents were ascertained to be oxalic acid. The police were informed of the death, and took the body to the morgue, and got deceased identified as Geo. Alfred Tatan, a painter, who lived with Mrs. Carbines in Karanqahape Road. Tatan was a man of about 45 years of age, and came to Auckland from Christchurch. Before lie fell on the footpath he was apparently trying to write something on 1 a piece of paper. Mr. Gresham held an inquest next day, when a verdict of " Suicide when mentally deranged" was returned. : - John Juncker, a butcher, attempted to commit suicide on Dec. 16 at Ngaliauranga, by gashing himself in the left breast with a knife. The injury is not serious.

Edward Mathus, aged 30, a hawker, hanged himself on Dec. 12 at Island Bay.

The Christ church, Inspector of Pol has received 'information.' that a man named"~Seaton McLaughlin has been found dead, from a shot wound, by his house at Dunsandel. At the inquest a verdict of suicide while temporarily insane was returned.

A man named Charles Stanley Corry com-"' mitted suicide at Wanganui on Dec. 14 by cutting his throat with a razor. He is not known to have any relations in tho colony. A letter addressed to his brother, a clergyman in Queensland, and written two days before the suicide was committed, was found on deceased, in. which his intention of committing the act was stated. At the inquest a verdict of suicide while temporarily insane was returned.

A man known as Captain Picken is supposed to have committed suicide at Esson's valley, Picton, on Sunday. A boy saw an umbrella on the bank of the river, and on closer inspection found the man named, who had evidently deliberately rolled up his shirt sleeves and opened a vein 011 his forearm. Picken had seen better days. He recently acted as cook on mining and survey parties.

A man named Pharaoh committed suicide on' December 4 at his residence, Ver-mont-street. Pharaoh was 49 years of age, a farmer and gardener, and was rut of work. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased committed suicide whilst temporarily deranged. James Ainslie Thomson, aged 32, died at Dunedin 011 Saturday, the 7th of December, from the effects of arsenic -administered. He was employed at A. and T. Burls as an electro-plater, He leaves a wife and live children.