A SINGULAR SUICIDE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2404, 9 January 1895, Page 2

A SINGULAR SUICIDE.

By Telegraph.—Press Association, Napier, January 8. A most sensational suicido occurred here ;his afternoon.

George Howard, aged 33, was one of tho partners iu a concern known, as tho AngloAmerican Soap Company, aavin g its headquarters here. He had formerly as a partner George Duncan, of the Survey Office here, but the partnership was dissolved three months ago. Detective Kirby arrested Howard to-day on a charge of forging Duncrin’s name to two cheques for small amounts. Howard, who was in bed in a hotel at the Spit, dressed, and accompanied the detective in a cab to town, appearing to tako the affair very nonchalantly, smoking and chatting affably all the way. Just outside the police station Kirby got out of the cab, and on turning round saw that Howard had a small blue bottle to his lips. - Kirby dasbod the bottle to the ground, and struck Howard a smart blow on the back of tho neck, with tho result that a quantity of liquid iu the mouth was shot out. He examined'the bottle and found that it bad a portion of a prussic acid label on.

In the meantime ,Dr Moore, who resides close by, was sent for, and arrived within a few minutes. Howard, however, was then in a state of coma, and, despite restorative measures, died in about two hours.

On searching him at the police station another full bottle of prussic acid was found upon him; Howard was a widower, but leaves two daughters aged nine and seven. Little is known of him here, where ho has resided about a year; but,it is understood that he came from America. It was known that he was in financial difficulties. Ho had been on a severe drinking bout, and it is surmised that he went to bod at the hotel with a view of taking tho poison there.