SUICIDE VERDICT AT DANNEVIRKE INQUEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18959, 3 January 1930, Page 5

SUICIDE VERDICT AT DANNEVIRKE INQUEST.

Per Press Association. DANNEVIRKE, January 2. The story of New Year’s morning poisoning tragedy was told to-dav at the inquest on Harold James Hay, commercial traveller for H. F. Stevens’ and Co., wholesale druggists, Christchurch. Frances Eileen Stevens, spinster, a c lf r k. residing at Coromandel Street, Wellington, said she knew deceased, having met him when working for the same firm 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 she had heard, she desired to discontinue the friendship, but deceased persisted in his endeavours to continue it. Deceased led her to believe that he was a single man. He had previously threatened to commit suicide. About four months ago deceased went to the office in the city where she was working, produced a tiny bottle marked “ Poison,” and drank the contents. He went away and rang up the office an hour later, and witness came to, the conclusion that he was bluffing. She saw him at the Dannevirke railway station on December 24, witness having come here to spend a holiday. She did not speak to deceased, who called at the house of her brother-in-law, Mr Cotter, where 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 Cotters were going out for the evening deceased accompanied them to a friend’s house and then left. After detailing her arrival home and finding Hay under her bed, witness said she told deceased that if he would leave quietly she would let him go. This he declined to do, and she called her sister, witness going into the kitchen. Hay then was asked to leave byMr Cotter, but went into Miss Stevens’s bedroom, sat on the bed, took a small bottle from his pocket, said “ I’ll take this,” swallowed the contents and lay over on the bed. Subsequently he was put outside by Mr Cotter, who was unaware that he had taken poison. Later he was found dead. Cotter said he was aware that deceased had an infatuation for Miss

Stevens, also that deceased knew that his advances were being resisted. He did not know that Hay was a married man with a wife and two children and that he was separated from his wife A verdict that deceased died from taking a dose of cyanide was returned.