ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12776, 21 October 1919, Page 3

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES.

SUICIDE AT HALSWELL.

An inquest was bold yesterday afternoon. before Mr Y. G. Day, S.M., Coroner, touching tho death of a married man, named Owen Callan, who committed suicide at Halswcll on Sunday night by cutting bis throat. thven M’Gough, farmer, residing at Lansdowne, Halswell, said that the deceased came to his place on Wednesday afternooih and asked if ho could remain there for a day or two. He was then recovering from the effects of a drunken bout. The deceased wa.s quite well on Sunday and had dinner and tea, and when witness last saw him alive he appeared all right. Deceased never did or suggested anything which might lead the witness to believe that he might commit suicide. "Witness had known him for about eleven and a half years. Deceased’s nge was about thirty-three years, and lie was a married man, living apart from bis wife. He was subject to periodical bouts of drinkingOwen M’Gough, junr., employee of the Halswell County Council, said that the deceased occupied tho same room as witness since Wednesday of last week. Witness last saw the deceased alive about half-past fivo on Sunday afternoon. Later, at about 10.30 p.m., he found deceased in the bedroom. He was sitting on the, floor against the wall, with his throat cut, a bloodstained razor being on the dressing table nearby. Deceased got np from the floor and went into the wharo. "Witness went to call tho other men. and to get the doctor and police. (When he returned deceased was dead. Deceased had never given any indiea.; >n that ho would commit suicide, but lie appeared worried at night and seemed to think he might get into some irouble. Witness did not know what the trouble was likely to be.

August Switalli, a farm labourer, stated that at about 10.30 on Sunday night be was called to see the deceased, who was lying about five yards outside the wharo. Tlie deceased got up and walked inside the wharo. Witness picked up the razor and deceased made an attempt to got bold of it again, but witness threw it out of the window. His wound bad by this time stopped bleeding- Deceased then followed witness ■ across to another house, about three chains away. After a struggle the deceased got inside tho washhouse and Ids wounds wore bound up. He died soon afterwards, about ten minutes before tlie arrival of tho

police. Constable "Warren said that he went out to Halswell at about 11.30 on Sunday night and found deceased’.,,. hotly. There were gashes on each side of the throat.

The Coroner returned a. verdict that tlie deceased committed suicide whilst temporarily insane, due probably to the effects,of a drinking bout.

An inquest on the body of F. J. Al’Donald. who was killed by being thrown from a side-chair attached to a motor-cycle in Robinson’s Bay Road, was held yesterday before Air G. W( Thomas, J.P., and a jury. A verdict of accidental death was returned, and a rider added calling the attention of the County Council to the dangerous bend in the road and other parts of the main road.

SUICIDE. [Per Press Association.] NELSON, October 20. A married woman name Jeanette Lines, aged forty-two years, wife of a farmer at Kiwi, committed suicide this morning by hanging herself in a shed at the back of her residence-