ATTEMPTED SUICIDE IN SHORTLAND.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 363, 29 September 1868, Page 2

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE IN SHORTLAND.

Some considerable sensation was first made known that a man had been discovered on the old race -course/Jadjacent to Mr Mackay's residence, with his throat cut from ear to ear. The full particulars of this sad occurrence are as follows. Information was brought to the police-station, about 9 o'clock, by a man of the name of Christmas, who stated that there was a man lying outside the fence of Mr Mackay's residence in the state above mentioned. Sergeant Lipsey at once hastened to the spot, and found the man laying on his side in a most deplorable state. His throat, which had been literally cut from ear to ear, had been bleeding most profusely, as- indicated by a large pool of blood discovered about a couple of yards from where he was lying. A few yards further off an open razor was picked up covered plainly indicating the manner in which frightful wound had been inflicted The man was still livin°and the attempt at suicide had evidently been made during the early it hour of the night, as the bleeding had'stopped. On being accosted the man gave his name as Peter Brennan, for many years a resident of Auckland, being a shoemaker by trade. He has a wife and several children in Auckland, and states that he has only been in Shortland about a fortnig'ht, and that he had been drinking and was desirous of killing himself. Drs. Lethbridge and Sam were quickly in attendance, and ordered the removal of the sufferer to the station-house, where Dr. Lethbridge took all necessary means to dress the wound, which* is not considered of such a nature as to cause death, the man was. carried to the station-house by sergeant Lipsey, constable Kinsella, and several bystanders, in a wrapper that hrd been procured from Mr Mackay's residence. On arriving at the station-house a large crowd had collected to see him brought in, and the sufferer remained there until yesterday evening, when he was sent up to Auckland. The wound in the throat presented a frightful appearance, and from the nature of the gashes it was evident he he had made several attempts to effectually kill himself, fortuanately for the sake of humanity generally, without success. Brennan refused to' give any reason why he thus attempted to take away his life ; but there can be little reason to doubt that the attempt was made under the influence of delirum tremens. The jugular vein or any of the arteries have not been severed, the wound having been inflicted under the chin.