BOXER’S SUICIDE.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18929, 26 April 1933, Page 11

BOXER’S SUICIDE.

GRIEF FOR GIRL’S DEATH. * COMMENT BY CORONER. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Monday. An inquest was held to-day Into the death of Harold Frederick Thomas, a light-weight boxer, who represented New Zealand at the last Olympic Games, and who was killed by a train at Thorndon station on the night of March 29. Mrs Mary Kirk, mother of the girl to whom Thomas was about to become engaged, said her daughter died in the hospital of Bright’s disease on March 29, and Thomas in a subsequent conversation said' he was about to become engaged to her. He seemed depressed, but he was quite cheerful when he left about 9 p.m., and said he would call again in the morning. Steward Donald McCallum, a passenger on the train on which deceased travelled from Lambton station, said Thomas got up from his seat half a minute after the train was under way, and went on to the platform. He climbed on to the telescopic handrails and jumped down between the rails. The action apparently was quite deliberate and witness had no time to prevent him. The coroner (Mr Gilbertson) said he w T as of the opinion that Thomas took his train ticket intending tq commit suicide in desperation, owing to the girl’s death. He returned a verdict of suicide while mentally depressed. “It is a thousand pities,” he added, “that a fine young fellow like this should take his own life. It is a great pity he was not sulficiently controlled to overcome this thing.”