SUICIDE.
A melancholy case of suicide occurred at the Glen on Wednesday. Philip Henry Davis, a plumber in the employ of Mr Johnstone, Moray place, and who resided with his parents in the Glen, came home about 7 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, being then in an intoxicated state. Shortly afterwards, he retired to his room, and after being there for some time returned to the apartment in which his father was, and producing a bottle that had contained spirits of salt, said to him, "It is all up now, I have drunk all this." Not much notice was taken of what he said at the time, and he retired to bed. In the morning, however, as he did not get up at the usual time, his parents went into his room and found him in great agony. Dr Ferguson was sent for, but then of course human assistance could be of no avail, and the unfortunate man died at shortly after noon on Wednesday. He was unmarried, 32 years of age, and given to intemperate habits. About six months ago he had been heard to express a wish that ho would be found dead in the morning. The deceased was in constant employment. — Morning Herald. -Clutha Leader, 18/8/1882.
With regard to the death of Philip Davis, which was reported in our columns last week, we have gleaned further particulars from Mr John Hardie, brother-in-law of the deceased, which tend to give the matter a slightly different complexion. Our informant said that the deceased came home a little before 8 o'clock on Tuesday evening the worse for drink. He went into his room, took off his coat and then told his father that he was going to work on Wednesday morning and asked him for the loan of a small screwdriver. The father got this and took it to him, when deceased remarked, "You had no need to be in such a hurry." The father remarked that probably he would not see him in the morning, and then left him. In about three minutes he heard him vomiting which continued for about five minutes. He took no notice of this, because he thought it was the result of the drink. But the young man came out shortly after with a bottle in his hand, and said: "Look here father, what I've done; I've drunk these spirits of salts can't you get it out of me?" His father then gave him some hot water and salt, and hot milk and water, and sent for Dr Fergusson. The latter arrived, and brought a stomach-pump, but did not use it. He gave him instead emetics, and produced further vomiting, which caused him, in Dr Fergusson's judgment, to bring up all the remaining poison; but the man died of the inflammation caused by it the next day at 12.30. He had been in the habit of taking two drops of spirits of salts in a tumbler to sober himself, and his friends consider that he was intending to do this on the night in question; but being stupidly drunk, took too much. His father had no words whatever with him prior to the sad event, having given up remonstrating with him of late. The one fault of the deceased appears to have been excessive drinking. He was exceedingly quiet and inoffensive otherwise, and on the best terms with his father. It has been considered unnecessary to hold an inquest. -Otago Witness, 26/8/1882.
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