Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Mrs Annie Louisa Zobel, Biddon via Gilgandra, New South Wales

DIGGERS' SAD END

CUT THROAT WITH RAZOR

The flying of the flag at half mast at the Gilgandra War Memorial Literary Institute on Saturday last denoted the passing of another brave soldier,  and incidentally one of our well known men on the land. But the tragedy was all the more touching, when it was learned that death was brought  about at the Diggers' own hands—in one of those moments of distress and pain, the culmination of months, and years, of agony and nervous  unrest resulting from war service and the reoccurrence of the dreaded malaria.
 
The unfortunate man was Fred Benno Zobel, a single man, aged 44 years. He was a native of Wilmington, South Australia, being a son of the late  Mr. and Mrs. T. Zobel, natives of Poland. Deceased migrated to N.S.W. some 23 years ago, and for 21 years had resided in this district, being in  partnership with his brother, Mr. H. H. Zobel, owning a property at Biddon. He enlisted for active service from Gilgandra during the Great War,  returning home in 1918, just about the time the Armistice was signed, having seen some twelve months' service abroad with the Australian  forces. In addition to the brother, the only surviving member of the family is a sister, Mrs. M. L. Slde, who resides in South Australia.
The gruesome discovery was made by Constable Gould, just prior to midnight on Friday, when entering the horse stables at the rear of the Imperial Hotel, he saw deceased lying in a pool of blood, with a razor firmly grasped in his hand, and a large gash in the throat that reached almost from ear to ear. The man appeared dead, and the Constable immediately communicated with the Government Medical Officer, who made  an examination and pronounced life extinct. The body was then viewed by the Coroner (Mr E. Townsend) and later removed to the District Hospital morgue, from where the funeral left at 4.30 on Saturday afternoon. It is known that deceased had been in indifferent health for some time, which  was the cause of great worry to him, and only two days prior to his death had sought medical attention, and was an inmate of a private hospital,  leaving on his own accord about 7.30 p.m. on the Friday. Deceased was also a great suffer from nerves and insomnia, and for many weeks past  had had very little sleep. As a mark of respect to a deceased comrade, members of the Gilgandra branch of the Returned Soldiers' League  marched in front of the hearse at the funeral, also acting as pall bearers and forming a guard of honor at the cemetery, the casket being draped  with the Union Jack.
The remains were laid to rest in the Methodist portion of the Gilgandra cemetery, Rev. Winston Jones conducting the last sad rites at the graveside.
 
THE INQUEST
An inquest was held at the Court House on Tuesday morning, before the District Deputy Coroner, Mr. E. V. G. Townsend, when a verdict was returned, in accord with the evidence, that deceased had been in a very bad mental state, and that he died of haemorrhage from a wound in the  throat, wilfully inflicted by himself on December 4.
Mr. L. D. Serisier appeared on behalf of Mr. H. H. Zobel.
First witness was Constable C. C. Gould, who detailed that at about 11.30 p.m. on Friday he was on duty, and made a visit to the Imperial Hotel  stables. On entering from the southern side he struck a match, and then walked to the end of the stable, where he saw the body of a man, lying  on his back, with his throat cut. He did not know the man, but later ascertained that the man's name was Zobel. Witness said he communicated  with Sergeant Taylor, and Dr. Alexander, G.M.O., and in company of the doctor and Constable Evans returned to the stables. It was at this stage he saw the razor (produced) clasped tightly in deceased's right hand. The body was later removed to the morgue. Matron Godwin, of Idaleigh private hospital, gave evidence that she had known deceased indirectly for ten years. Deceased was admitted to Idaleigh on 3rd inst., suffering from a  threatened nervous breakdown. His doctor desired deceased to remain in bed, but he was restless and would not stay in bed. On the Thursday  and Friday deceased left hospital at different times, saying he felt better when walking about. He even offered, and did, dig round the plants in the garden. Deceased's brother went to the hospital, on Friday, and deceased said to him that he would feel happier out with the horses. After tea on  Friday, witness said that after the doctor had left, she talked with deceased, asking him to try and settle down and give himself a chance to get a  little sleep, but deceased begged witness not to ask him to go to bed. Deceased said he knew what his trouble was, and could not speak of it,  even to his own brother since the war, from which time he said he feared he would lose a grip of himself. From this, witness said she took it that deceased referred to his reason and control over his own actions. At about 7.20 p.m. on Friday, witness said that thinking deceased was too unhappy to be left alone, she took him down to where there was a convalescent patient, but he would not stop there. She then asked him to listen to the cricket on the wireless but as she turned to tell the nurse not to remove deceased's things to the other ward, deceased walked out into his  room and then out the front gate. That was the last she saw of him. She had communicated with the doctor and told him of her conversation with  deceased, and was informed that if he did not return by 9 o'clock to telephone deceased's brother, whose name, however, was not in the  telephone book. As deceased had left the hospital several times during the day, she thought he would come back again. To Mr. Serisier, witness  said that deceased spoke quite sensibly, but never complained of violent pains in the head. He had never intimated that he would take his own  life, but in conversation had said he would be better dead. She said she did not know that deceased had his shaving kit at the hospital. If she did  she would certainly have taken it away. Dr. J. K. Alexander, Government Medical Officer, said he had first seen deceased on 3rd. inst., when deceased paid a visit and complained of feeling sick in the stomach, that he was not sleeping well, and that he was nervous and worried, and  afraid he may become insane. Deceased  mentioned that he had had malaria for 21 years, and had had a nervous breakdown five years ago.  Witness said he prescribed for deceased and asked him to go to hospital, but he said he preferred to go home. Deceased's brother then came  along and they persuaded deceased to go into Idaleigh hospital. Witness said when he next saw deceased he appeared very agitated and nervous, and Sister Godwin was asked to give extra medicine in hope of steadying deceased and inducing him to sleep. Witness then detailed the message  received from Constable Gould and the subsequent visit to the stables. Deceased had a large wound across the neck and a razor tightly clasped in  his right hand. Witness said he considered the wound in the throat could have been self-inflicted with the razor, and that the cause of death was  haemorrhage. He considered that deceased had been dead from about two to five hours when the examination was made of the body. Witness  said that deceased had not shown suicidal tendencies. When he heard that deceased had left hospital, witness said he thought he had gone home. To Mr. Serisier, witness said there were different kinds of malaria, but that deceased had never complained of pains in the head. He did complain  of sleeplessness during the past four months. Witness said that deceased was afraid of becoming insane, and that he might be put in an asylum.  He was of opinion that deceased ended his life during a temporary mental derangement. Deceased was also overcome by emotion, brought about  by his long suffering.
Herbert Henry Zobel, farmer, residing at "Springdale," said he and deceased were in a business partnership, which was in a flourishing condition,  and that deceased had no financial worries. They owed nothing and had a large credit in the bank. He said his brother went to the war returning  home during 1918, and had since shown the effects of malaria, and had often been compelled to seek treatment. On the last occasion, deceased  had been sick for about three or four months, and during that time had only slept for a few hours. He had been restless day and night, and  complained that he was affected by terrific pains in the head, and once had said that he may end up in a mental home. He had never heard his  brother say that he would commit suicide. The razor produced was identified as that of deceased's, witness having taken it, together with a  shaving kit, to the hospital on the Friday, so that his brother could have a shave. This concluded the evidence, when the Coroner gave his verdict.