QUESTION OF SANITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23118, 18 February 1937, Page 7

QUESTION OF SANITY

COUPLE’S SUICIDE PACT It was within a few minutes ot midnight when an Aldeburgh (Suffolk) inquest jury announced that they were unable to agree on a verdict regarding the deaths of Kenneth Edward Free-

man and his wife, Violet Freeman, a young married couple, who were found gassed in the kitchen of their home. The couple prepared a coffin for their pet wire-haired terrier, then sealed up all openings in the kitchen and turned on the gas. Faced with a disagreeing jury, the coroner recorded a verdict of the majority—that it was a suicide pact while both were of sound mind. Jurors who did not agree signed a

note or* the back of the verdict form saying that they believed the couple were of unsound mind. A box lined with white linen, to serve as a coffin for the terrier Judy, was found in the office where Freeman worked. He was manager of a wine and spirit stores. Police Constable Jenner said that he found all doors, windows, and keyholes blocked up in the Freemans’ kitchen. The couple were lying with hands

clasped in front of the gas oven. The terrier was dead in the chair, and a canary dead in its cage. Police Constable Jenner said he found a note written by the wife saying: “ We are taking our beloved Judy and Dick the canary with us. There is a box for Judy in the office.” Evidence was given to show that Freeman was worried about his accounts being muddled, but there was no suspicion of anything wrong.