A DETERMINED SUICIDE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11993, 16 March 1901, Page 8

A DETERMINED SUICIDE.

A MAN fTHROWS HIMSELF IN FRONT OF A TRAIN, An elderly man named Joseph James committed suicide in a rather eensational|manner yesterday. Hβ walked up to the Stuart street railway crossing about 12.20 p.m., ■ and deliberately threw himself under a train which was shunting at the time. A number of waggons had been drawn out of the main station, a short distance beyond Stuart street. The waggons were then pushed along a curve, and had almost reached Stuart street again, when deceased was seen by the shunter (Andrew Clarkron) to walk "smartly towards them. Stopping a short distance from tho approaching train, he turned round suddenly and throw himself acros3 tho rails, and was immediately run over. Tho wheels of the first waggon inflicted injuries sufficient to cause death, and tha second throw him noarly clear of the lino, leaving his left arm acrots the rail. A number of waggons passed over the limb, almost .severing it from tho body. Clarkson stopped the train, called up the police, and waited by the body until constables 6ame to his assistance, Deceased's face was badly cut, and there was a gaeh on the neck which almost severed the head from tho trunk. The right hip was broken, and tho body cut and bruised all over. Driver Stewart, who was in charge of the train, was not in a position to see the accident, as the train was on a long curve, and deceased was on the wrong sido of the line to bo visible from the engine. Deceased was a widower, 57 yean of age, and there can be no doubt as to the deliberateness of the act. For the past eight or nine years he had been in ill-health, and for six weeks prior to the early part of February he had been an in-patient at the hospital, suffering from nervous debility. In the past he had had work at the railway sheds, and was thus known to the railway authorities, who hod promised to take him on as temporary cross-ing-koeper at tho Stuart street crossing, but his ill-health prevented his turning up, and when Mr Wm. Conn, who is in the stationmaster's office, called on, James some threo weeks ago, to see what was up with him, he found the old man very ill, complaining of vomiting worms. Then, again, he had tho suicidal mania. He lived with his etepson, Mr W. .!, Davidson, in Leith street. On two previous occasions Mr Davidson caught him in the act of taking his life, once by hanging, and the other time by shooting himself with a revolver. Mr Davidson, being suspicious of his movements, yesterday morning followed him, only to arrive at'the crossing a minute or so too late. On his clothes being searched by Constables Kelly nnd Sweeney a letter written in pencil, dated yesterday, and addrowed to his son,, was found upon him. It was to the effect that he regretted having to tako his life) but that the complaint from which he was Buffering , and the fact that he was_ unable to get any work had upset his brain. Deceased loaves two grown up sons, one of them residing in Dunedin. His wife died about three yean ago. Mr C. C. Graham will hold an inquest on the body this morning at 11 o'clock.