FATALITY IN SALE STREET

West Coast Times, Issue 10671, 27 December 1897, Page 4

FATALITY IN SALE STREET

jSome sensation was caused in town on ] Christmas eve by the report that a man

had committed suicide by hanging in Sale street. Subsequent enquiries elicited that the report was only too true.* The deceased, Charles Banka, isian elderly man who at one time followed the occupation of a miner. For some years he has not been* engaged in any pursuit and was understood to be in comfortable circurn" stances. He was at one time a resident of Woodstock but came to town about three years ago rebuilding the cottage in which he lived up to the time of his death. He was scrupulously neat in his person and habits and Im cottage is described as a picture of neatness. He was not married and it is not known whether he has any relatives in the colony. He was somewhat reserved in manner, greatly addicted to reading, and, strange to say, was heard but , recently condemning in strong terms those who took their own lives. Intelligence of the suicide wasconveyed to Sergt-Major Macdonald at 7.30 on Fridaytevenmg by Messrs E. H. Robinson and W. Mills and he at once went to the scene and cut down the body, which was suspended to a jo^st in the ceiling of a lean-to at the back of the house, and was already in an incipient stage of decomposition. . An inquest was held in the Belle Tue hotel on Saturday afternoon (Christmas Day) at three o'clock before Coroner Macfarlane and a jury consisting of Messrs W. Gooch (foreman), W. Smith, J. Howat, A. Hendersou, P. Walker jr., and T. Coyle, wheu the following evidence was given : — W. Mills, a miner, working near Sunday Gully, and who lives next door to the deceased, stated that he had some misgivings through not having seen deceased for two or three days. He usually left his copy of the paper for deceased to read, putting it in a place agreed upon between them. He noticed that two copies of the paper had been left undisturbed and <so decided to see if anything was wrong. The gate was fastened so he broke it open and went round to the back and looked in at the window and was confronted with the appalling sight of the face of the dead man, I the body being suspended wifch the face looking towards him. Concluding that Banka must have been dead for some he did not break open the door and cut the body down but went to consult his neighbour on the other side, Mr E. HRobinson, who went with him to the place.Mr E. F. Robinson said he went with the last witness to deceased's house and found the body hanging as stated. As 20 minutes had elipsed since Mills first saw it, and there could be no doubt tha* i he was dead, he did not cut the bodydown but went with Mr Mills to apprise

the police.— Sergt. Major Macdonald said

he was informed of the occurrence at 7.30 on the Friday evening and immediately proceeded to the scone. He found the body as stated and at once cut it dewn The body was rigid and there was a faint odour, showing that decomposition

. had already commenced. There was no i sign of a struggle and he had no doubt j that deceased had committed the deed himself. He had, apparently, adjusted the rope from a beam in the ceiling, fixed . it round his neck and then stepped off a I bench, two feet high, which was close by, his feet being almost on a level with the 'floor. He had grasped the rope very tightly in his death struggles, so tightly that difficulty was experienced in freeing his hands when cut down. The place was scrupulously clean and neat and there was nothing that would furnish any clue as to the motive for the rash act. — The only other evidence given was that of two girls— Clara Morgan aud Annie Ho watt— who deposed that deceased gave them some flowers over the fence on Tuesday evening, December 21st. — The jury, after a brief consultation, brought in a verdict that deceased came to his death by hanging but there was no thing to show whether self-inflicted or ; done by others. The Coroner commen- ! ted on the neglect of persons waiting for j the police instead of cuttiug a body down as soon as discovered. There is very little that can be added to what we have already conveyed. He was last seen in Mr Gooch's shop on Tuesday and a copy of Tuesday's paper was . found in one 'of his rooms. He was at ' the lecture in the Town Hall on Western Australia on Monday evening and appeared to take a very lively interest in the , proceedings. He has many acquaintances throughout the district all of whom have a good work to say f of him. The funeral will take place at 11 o'clock this morning. f ~ J 'As a Safe, Permanent and Wak- ! RANTED Core" for Pimples, Scrofula, Scurvy Bad Legs, Skin and Blood Diseases, Pimples I and Sores of all kinds, we can with confidence 1 recommend Clarke's World-famed Blood Mixture. "It is certainly the finest Blood Purifier that science and medical skill have j brought to light." Thousands of wonderful I ouies have been effected by it. Sold everyI where at 2s. 9d. per bottle. Beware of | worthless mifcation.