Napoleon54
06-18-2011, 08:18 PM
Man who set himself on fire had a history with courts
A man who died after lighting himself on fire outside the Cheshire County Superior Court House Wednesday had a history with local courts.
Thomas J. Ball, 58, of Holden, Mass., was embroiled in legal battles over how much he owed his ex-wife for their three children’s medical bills, according to court documents.
A hearing had been scheduled for June 24 at Superior Court in the matter.
Ball also filed suit against the town of Jaffrey in March 2004, over what he said was the police department’s mishandling of his arrest following an April 9, 2001, incident.
The Sentinel received a document Thursday mailed by Ball indicating his intention and outlining his discontent and anger with the government.
Link to the story (http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/man-who-set-himself-on-fire-had-a-history-with/article_a2d27492-9840-11e0-9fe9-001cc4c03286.html)
Link to his 15-page suicide note and manifesto. (http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/last-statement-sent-to-sentinel-from-self-immolation-victim/article_cd181c8e-983b-11e0-a559-001cc4c03286.html)
This happened about 45 minutes from me. I actually read through the whole thing. My parents went through an extremely ugly divorce lasting over 2 years when I was approx 14-16. I can understand where he's coming from. The bureaucracy around such issues is unbelievably cold, complicated, and inefficient. The system spits out a lot of broken and twisted people, this man undoubtedly among them.
A man who died after lighting himself on fire outside the Cheshire County Superior Court House Wednesday had a history with local courts.
Thomas J. Ball, 58, of Holden, Mass., was embroiled in legal battles over how much he owed his ex-wife for their three children’s medical bills, according to court documents.
A hearing had been scheduled for June 24 at Superior Court in the matter.
Ball also filed suit against the town of Jaffrey in March 2004, over what he said was the police department’s mishandling of his arrest following an April 9, 2001, incident.
The Sentinel received a document Thursday mailed by Ball indicating his intention and outlining his discontent and anger with the government.
Link to the story (http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/man-who-set-himself-on-fire-had-a-history-with/article_a2d27492-9840-11e0-9fe9-001cc4c03286.html)
Link to his 15-page suicide note and manifesto. (http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/last-statement-sent-to-sentinel-from-self-immolation-victim/article_cd181c8e-983b-11e0-a559-001cc4c03286.html)
This happened about 45 minutes from me. I actually read through the whole thing. My parents went through an extremely ugly divorce lasting over 2 years when I was approx 14-16. I can understand where he's coming from. The bureaucracy around such issues is unbelievably cold, complicated, and inefficient. The system spits out a lot of broken and twisted people, this man undoubtedly among them.