READER OF TOLSTOI.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7147, 11 July 1901, Page 2

READER OF TOLSTOI.

HANGS HIMSELF AT THE LONDON DOCKS.

Mr Langham held an inquest at the City Coroner's Court at London recently on the body of Thomas J. Powell, aged thiTty-six, who committed suicide by hanging himself at the warehouse of the London and India Decks Company, where he was employed.

The widow said that .the deceased was a very steady, sober man, but somewhat quiet in his manner. He had never threatened to commit suicide.

The CoroneT : Then you caflnot account for^his doing so?— Well, he was a very great reader of scientific and classical books. I don't know if that affected him ; I mean what he read.

The Coroner's Clerk: A book was found entitled " The Four Gospels," harmonised and translated by Leo Tolstoi, and <the deceased had put a maaker at tlie portion referring to "No other life." On the book being examined by ths jury it was found that the partioular portrJe-n marked weTB the words, "But the day and lime of salvation no one- knows ; neither the power of God no?" the Son," also, "One shall be ■taken but the other left."

William Frederick Powell, the elder •brother of the deceased, said there was a tot of insanity on: the father's, side. He was of opinion thalt deceased must have been suffering from hereditary religious mania or affected .the works he read. The jury (returned a verdict of "Suicide ■whilst of "unsound, mind^.