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person at the hospital.
-76- 17.
There are two avenues of approach to this side of the
case which have to be explored. Are you satisfied that the
accused was attempting suicide at that moment ? It seemed to me as I listened to Learned Counsel for Accused's excellent
+
speech that it was accepted that the accused had made up his
mind to commit suicide. You will remember that was his
defence, his excuse, his palliation before the Magistrate "I
have no money, therefore I commit suicide."
The other avenue is the letters.
It is a grave matter and it is a matter on which I am obliged to claim your indulgence for a few moments.
You will recollect that this basket which was brought
The three
by the accused to the shop on the 21st June was handed out
of the cockloft in which accused put it, by an employee of the
shop on 23rd and in that basket when it was examined at the
police station, these three letters were found.
letters are written on what I think I may call characteristic
note-paper of which seven other sheets were also found in the
basket.
The Crown ask you to accept on that evidence, remembering
also the dramatic incident when the Magistrate was out of
Court, where the accused having a soiled singlet on and wanting a clean one turned to Inspector o'Donovan and said "Pei ngo" that the accused admits ownership of the basket.
The Crown case is here is a man who was ¤ttmptingx
disappointed and despela te. We know he made up his mind to commit suicide. We go further and we say that he was of that
antisocial turn of mind which gives its adherence to pernicious
doctrines such as these in these letters. The Crown don't say
- "Although the three characters on the letter dated December 1933 and marked 7-C are the three characters representing one of
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