A CAPTAIN'S SUICIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13650, 18 January 1908, Page 6

A CAPTAIN'S SUICIDE.

STRANGE REQUEST. DREAD OF PREMATURE BURIAL. Captain* Yoss, of Campbell-street, North Sydney, committed suicide on the night of January 8. A letter to the Coroner was found pinned 011 the wall of the bedroom. It was in the handwriting of the dead man, and stated that ho had committed suicide by taking laudanum. A cup containing sediments of laudanum was lying near tho bed. Deceased leaves four young daughters, to each of whom h» wrote a letter. In one of tho letters the deceased stated that the verdict which ho wished to be returnd was "Death from -an overdose of laudanum, self-administered." In a postscript was added: "I would feel obliged if you would aliow a doctor to make certain of actual death, as I have always dreaded premature burial." Captain Voss, who at the time of his death carried on business as a manufacturer of boot polish, was originally a captain in the English merchant service, and was well known in the South Sea Islands, where for many years he engaged in recruiting for tho Queensland plantations. On leaving the sea ho became the keeper of a hotel -in tho city of Sydney, and afterwards in Newcastle. Subsequently, after acting for some time as agent for an English shipping firm, he settled in North Sydney. IL'rior to his death hi} was considerably worried by family and financial troubles, and by an affect-ion of the mouth and jaw, for which he underwent several operations.