A SAD CASE.

Waikato Times, Volume 101, Issue 16947, 9 November 1926, Page 8

A SAD CASE.

WOMAN'S SUICIDE. DROWNED FOLLOWING QUARREL. VICTIM OF DEPRESSION. An inquest was held before Mr Wyvern Wilson, Coroner, yesterday, inlo Ihe circumstances surrounding the death of Mrs Mary Dcvine, whose body was found in the Waikato River on Friday morning. The husband of the deceased, Thomas Aubrey Devinc, factory manager at Tamahcre,- said he had been married for six years. There were two children. On Thursday, October 28, deceased left home at 5.30 a.m. The previous day witness had come home and dressed to come into town. Just as he was leaving his wife came to him with a butcher's account and told him he had better pay it. Witness replied that she had better pay it and a quarrel ensued, his wife finally stating that she would catch the train in the morning. She asked witness if she might take Joan, their eldest child and he replied that she could do as she pleased. Witness did not attach much importance to his wife's statement because when in low spirits she frequently said the same thing. He was not angry but thought his wife seemed somewhat flurried.

The Coroner: The Sergeant of Police tells me that Mrs Devine has several times threatened lo take her life when you quarrelled with her. What do you' say to that? Witness: We have quarrelled several times, when she became lowspirited, but never through jealousy. Constable Neary testified to having found the body in the river about a mile and a-half above No. 1 bridge.

Dr A. Joseph said he had treated Mrs Dcvine professionally and had seen her last on June 30. She had complained of extreme mental depression brought about by the delusion that she had cancer. The doctor had examined her and found a good deal of internal trouble but no sign of cancer. He had advised her that an operation was ncs- ; essary to cure this disorder, which was seriously upsetting her nervous system. Mrs Devine had then been obsessed 1 with the idea that she had cancer, but the doctor thought that after their conversation he had relieved her of this delusion. It was arranged that Mrs Devine should undergo an operation in a private hospital but the influenza epidemic had intervened and the operation had been postponed. Several months ago Mrs Devine had written that she would be prepared to undergo the operation in two months' time. In view of the fact that he had known her for the past five years, Dr Joseph expressed the opinion that Mrs Devine had been suffering from mental depression which condition, he thought, was in keeping with her physical condition. The coroner said the case was a very sad one. The couple had apparently quarrelled several times and on one or more occasions Mrs Devinc had threatened to do away with herself. On the evening preceding her death the couple had quarrelled again, Mrs Dcvine stating that she would leave and lake her child with her. Her husband's reply that "she could do as she pleased" had evidently been taken as a sign of indifference and Ihc unfortunate woman had committed suicide. A verdict that the woman hart committed suicide by drowning herself in the Waikato River at the Narrows, on October 28, was returned.