HEW YEAR TRAGEDY

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1930, Page 11

HEW YEAR TRAGEDY

SUICIDE OF A TRAVELLER

REJECTED ADMIRER’S EXIT.

SENSATIONAL BEDROOM SCENE.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dannevirke, Jan. 2. One family in Dannevirke Has cause to remember the dawn of the new year, for it’ was ushered in under tragic circumstances. Harold James Hay, aged about a commercial traveller in the employ of H. F. Stevens and Company, wholesale druggists, Christchurch, committed suicide in the early hours of New Year’s Day, taking poison following unusual circumstances. Early on New Year’s Eve he had been a visitor at the house of Mr, F. T. Cotter, railway clerk. A little aftei nine o’clock Mr. and Mrs. Cotter, with the latter’s sister from Wellington, Miss Stevens, left the house to spend the evening with some neighbours. They carefully locked all the doors and windows before going out and left Hay at the front gate. He said he was going to Marton and they wished him a happy new year. . Mr. and Mrs. Cotter and her sister returned home about 3 a.im on New Year’s Day and retired to bed. Mrs. Cottei s cister, as was apparently her usual cuetom, looked under the bed befoie getting in and found Hay underneath it. She became alarmed and told him to leave the house at once and that she would call her sister. Hay told Miss Stevens not to call her sister or make a disturbance. Miiss Stevens left the bedroom and called out to her sister who, on coming Into the room, found Hay standing in the passage to Miss Stevens’ bedioom ioor and requested him to leave the house. Hay then went and sat on Miss Stevens’ bed, took out from his pocket a small bottle, drank its contents and fell across the bed. Mr. Cotter, being unaware that May had taken poison-and, believing him to be under the influence of liquor, pushed him out of the front door on to the verandah and the family then retired to

Some time later Mr. Cotter s attention was directed to moans coming from the direction of the verandah and, looking through one of the front rooms, he saw Hay lying very still Mr. Cotter became alarmed anti went for the assistance of a neighbour. They made an examination of the man and came to the conclusion that he was dead. They then telephoned the police and a doctor wae summoned. He pronounced life extinct. Hay had been in Dannevirke since December 24 and his address is Devonport, Auckland. He was married with two children. He apparently gamed access to the house through an unlocked scullery window. At the inquest Miss Frances Eileen Stevens, a clerk residing at Coromandel Street, Wellington, gave evidence that she knew the deceased, having met him when working for the same film in Wellington in 1925. Later she assisted in her spare time in keeping his books. They were friendly, but had little differences. About four - months ago owing to something he had heard she desired to continue the friendship, but deceased persisted in his endeavours to continue it. He led her to believe he was a single man. He had previously threatened to commit suicide. About four months ago he went into an office in the city where she was working, produced a tin bottle marked “poison, and drank the contents. He went away, but rang up the office an hour later and witness came to the conclusion that he was bluffing. She saw him at Dannevirke station on December 24, witness being on holiday. She did not speak to deceased, who called at the house of ier brother-in-law, Mr. Cotter, where she was stopping, on Christmas Eve. She gave him to understand that she did not want his company. About 9 p.m. witness called at the house with a travelling rug for Mr. Cotter, and as she and the 3 Cotters were going out for the evening deceased accompanied, them to a friend's house. He then left. After detailing her arrival home and the finding of Hay under her bed, witness said she told him that if he would leave quietly she would let him go. he declined to do and she called hei lister, witness going i the kitchen. Hay was 'then asked to leave by Mrs. Cotter, but went jnto Miss Stevens' bedroom, sat on the bed, took a small bottle from his pocket and said, “I’ll take this.” He swallowed the contents and lay’over on the bed. He was subsequently put outside by Mr. Colter, who w aa not aware that he had taken poison. Later lie was found dead. Mr. Cotter said that he was aware jhat deceased had an infatuation for iVliss Stevens and also that he knew lu« xdvances were being resisted. He did oot know that Hay was a married man with a wife and two children but separated from his wife. A verdict was returned that deceased iied through taking a dose of poison.