THE LATE G. C. C. BLACK

DEATH BY POISONING

An inquest was. held at' the Magistrate's Court to-day before the Coroner, Mr. T B. MeXeil, S.M., into the death of the late Mr: G. C. C. Black, M.P. " for Motueka, -who was found dead on the Makara beach on 17th October under circumstances which suggested suicide by poisoning. After hearing the evidence of the taxi driver who drove Mr. Black to Makara, and other witnesses who had been in close contact with Mr. Black shortly before his death, Mr. McNeil said that it was quite apparent that the deceased was not in his normal state of mind at the time he met his death by his own hand; nor had he been for some time. His actions,- according to. those who knew him well, clearly showed that. In addition to that there was the fact that' during the last few months he had been a voluntary patient m a mental hospital. That alone, said Mr. McNeil, was sufficient to account for the death of the deceased, who was worried financially. There was no doubt that the condition of his mind, together tvith accumulated worries of his own, and possibly the responsibility, of the office he held, caused him to take his own life. Mr. McNeil returned a finding in accordance with medical evidence that the deceased had died from the effects of poisoning, self administered while he was mentally unbalanced.