POLICE COURT.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 8692, 23 March 1897, Page 1

POLICE COURT.

Before E. ¥. Tizard. and J. Enlay, : ' • Esqs..J's.P. .-.. ~

• Attempted Suicide.' ■: ■ Frank Ashman was charged with having attempted to commit suicide on the 14thMarch. ( v ; ■- ; ''.••■. Sergeant Gillies "briefly described the circumstances, after which he called ■'. v -._. .' • ' Alfred James, who deposed that he was a: mine manager, at Waitekauri. He had known,the accused since lie was a boy. He remembered accompanying the accused and a young fel-. low nam'od Crocker, from Paeroa to Thames on the 14th March. The'accused and witness had dinner together at his (witness's) father's t house. After dinner they went for a walk to Tararu. On the return to town accused called at his mothor's .house, and remained there for about two hours. Witness waited until he camo away. Both oE them went to Church, but tho accused left just after the sermon commenced. Witness afterwards saw accused lying upon the sofa at his (witness's) father's houso, and-in a. state of prostration. Witness said, " Where's the bottle?", and he replied, .'."l|ve got no bottle." Witness had heard accused had taken landanum and that was why he asked for the bottle. Witness searched accused and found the bottle in his pocket, and handed it over to the police. Seeing the dangerous condition of the accused, witness coinmunicated.with the police and gavo the bottle to Constable Flavell. Dr. Callan came soon after and ordered the removal of the accused to the hospital. The accused was in a deep sleep and they wore unable to keep him awake. Witness assisted to carry accused to the hospital. To accused: When at Paeroa you did not appear to have had any intention of doing yourself any harm. There was nothing in yoiu , ' demeanour then to causo me to think you would attompt to commit suicide.

'William Edward Townsend said he met accused in Mary street on the Sunday night,.. and the latter asked hinx to come for' a walk. Ho refused at first, but eventually he went with accused towards Sllortland. When ,thoy airived at .tho .hairdresser's near 'Denby's accused asked him to wait a niwnent, while he got some stuff. Accused then went into Mr Denby's shop. > Witness thought accused intended \to. go to. the hairdresser's. Accused galled witness into Denby's. When wifaes? went in ho hoard Mi\ Denby' telling accused" that"" it was bad stuff to take," but accused said he had always got H down South by j ast signing his name, and thatheliad always taken it for headaches. Wit joss then'signed the book. Accused pur'Cliasod 2s worth of laudanum. There wore full directions'" upon the bo l tlo. Aetauwl aftorwards went up Miry :(itroot. '.-..■■■ George Denby remembered the accused coming to hie shop on. Sunday wesk and asking for 2s worth of laudanum. He did not then supply him, but said, " 1 do not know you, aud cannot sell poison to you without I a witness," Sβ replied, " I'm »5 tliO

habit of taliiug it,, and always" go I by. simply 6igning- my namo/" ilyS name is Frank Ashman, yjii know meS quite well." Witness replied, " You|> young men grow out of knowledge." % Accused 1 then went .out ,and broughtSj Mr Townsend r in. ■ ;Witness ■;'; are you in the taking," to accused 1 before he the poison; He replied from 15.t0;20>:K drops. Witness told him it was a yfiryvvl bad.thingio take. He replied, "XosS but it oases pain." Witness! v 'thenp supplied him with a bottle'; 480 drops. : When accused-left wit- ; 1 iiess's shop Le 'said, "I shall be in'Vi Paerba to-night." vi \ : % ~MaudJamds-said thatontho' Marchj Accused i her 'fatlier'g&\ house, ■ witli • her; IJrother, ; kd^ : dinner. Her brother and; afterwards went for a walk, - The';i

latter returned alono about 8 o'clock at night, and asked her for a diink of water, which she gavo him. Accused then stopped inside while witness went on to tho vera«dah. A few __ minutes after accused called her.iu, aud, showing im ompty bottle, said, "I've drunk it all." He then lay down on the sofa. 110 said he had taken all tho laudanum, and wished her good-bye, saying he would soon see her mother now. HermotbeV had been dead some time. Aceusid told hor to say good-bye to her brothers for him. Accused took tbo bottle and put it in his pocket. Her brother came in shortly afterwards and asked the accused where the bottle was, but accused denied having any bottle. Her brother found it in ac; " cused's pocket. Accused was verysleepyaftor he had takenthelaudanuui. Witness asked accused if he was not jorry for what he had done, Accused ' Tsaid " No, my life ia ruined, and I am '* broken-hearted. I wanted to die. ,. Dr. Williams stated that the accused was brought to the hospital on-' -March 14th, at about, 10 'o'clock afc ' night by two constables. Ho was .quite limp, and had to be sup-, ported hy two constables, while sitting on a chair. His face was very, pale.' and covered with perspiration. His eyelids were closed "and his-mouth "firmly set. On lifting the eyelids he observed that 'the pupils were very much contracted It was impossible to rouse him, and from the it was clear he had been taking a nai>~ cotic poison. He proceeded to counteract the effect of the poison; firstly, by washing out his stomach, with some difficulty. It took an hour to clean ' ihe stomach. After "that was done accused's condition improved slightly, , and after further treatment he was able to sit up by himself. He was not put of danger for two and a half hours after he was brought in. He was afterwards kept awake by the two constables who brought him in, and towards morning he was completely -out of danger. He,remained in witness's, charge until the Tuesday morning, when he was allowed to go If proiu] t measures had not , been taken death would probably have on&ued. The . symptoms wore not those, of an overdose, but of a poisonous dose. No j'pciMm uhowiibbobcr or in his right - senses would take such a dose, considering tho directions that were given " on tbo bottle. Laudanum was-not often takou to relieve headaches.' Toacjused: L'tudanuniisfrequontly K %. taken to deaden pain. ' To Sergeant Gillies: I could'not"'. smell any drink on accused when he', 1 was admitted to Hie hospital:- .The * contents from the accused's stomaclK-v smelt very strongly ef laudanum. Gergo Denby, re-called, said accused was perfectly sober when he asked for thelandanum. Constablo Mavell detailed the circumstances in connection with the removal of the accused to the Hospital from Mr. James's house on Block 27. When at Mr James's, witness told ac-

cuseil ho would not wake again if he allowed him to sleop, to which he replied, "That is just what I want." \ When at the Hospital witness heard Constable McPhee say to accused, "You'll soon be all right now." " Accused replied, " That .means that I shall not seo the Lord and all the little x angels to-night. I have" had a" lot of - trouble, and T wish I was dead." '_ This was the case for the prosecution. Thp Eench said that they had no - other c< u -so, after the evidence that had ' been given, than to commit the accused for trial. Accused could call evidence or reserve his defence. Mr James, recalled at the request of "V----the accused, said he had had six or ) seven small drinks with him on the / day mentioned. Accused: Do you think if you put " * it down at 19 you* would be nearer the mark? ■ ' -.

Witness: No. Thovo were but 7. Accused, had poit -\\iuo and biandy twice, and shandygaff the other times but Mas quite sober when lie? left witness on Sunday night. x Mr Towusend, recalled, gave cor- - luborative evidence as to accused's sobriety on the Sunday night. There was uo bign of drink oa him. Accused was *then- committed for trial. . The accused applied for 1 ail. The Bench granted bail, accused in. £50, and, two sureties of £85 mfy