A MYSTERIOUS DEATH.

4 . WELTTNGTON, October 31. Mr C. Hulke, headmaster of the x New- ' town School, was found dead to-day.l, He lii-ed by himself, and, not appearing ac school, a visit was r.\?de to his house, where lie was round in bed. having apparemlv beer. dead for some time. Ho was one of the best known teachers in Wellington. The death is supposed to have bean duo to heart disease, hut Mr Hulke's friend'! were not aware that ihe had any weakness of the heart, and it I was his boast that he never had a day's ill- ' ness all his life. 'He was seen about in his j usual health yeslerd?- afternoon, but two j visitors who called at the house last night could get no response to their knocking. I The appearance oil the body points to his i hfivinf had a seizure of some kind. About a fortnight a.^o Mr Hulke gave some, nrivate papers into iha keeping of a friend of his, and'on these b.-.ing opened this afternoon they were Found to comprise Mr I Hulko's will an<?'a memorandum giving a I number of singular directions. After referring ito his financial position, which shows a credit i balance, deceased 'says :—" I ivant one of the | plainest funerals possible, and mind no one !is to follow me.' .Of course there will be an I inquest^ and Mr Ashcvoft' (coroner) need only | call Mrs and Miss —— to know my senti- | merits, which I have freely expressed to them since January last. I hope Mr will now be satisfied." He concluded by directing how his personal effects are to be 'disposed of. The document wa_s dated June 18, IR9B. The chairman of tlie school comi mittp.e received a letter this morning, writ--1 ten V>y deceased, in which the latter thanked ,' the committee for the kindly consideration | they hud always shown him. and asking that the disposition of certain book* should be ■ l.iade to the teachers connected with the . snliooi. These letters were taken to indiI cate that deceased had premeditated taking his life, but it is understood the suicide theory is not borne out by the post mortem which was made this afternoon. Novsmber 1. At the inquest on the body of Mr Huikc, I teacher, the coroner stated that an ndjrmrn- ] jnent would probably be necessary in order !to have an analysis of the stomach, as the j medical testimony might not be conclusive. i Several witnesses gave evidence as to state--1 inents made by deceased which might imply

either a presentiment of coming death or « suicidal intention. Dr Tripe, wlio'.-mado the ; post mortem ' examination,, said that the' - lungs and heart were 'diseased; but'thore'was , no sign of irritant. poison* ,He ..would say' ' that death was due to'^failure of the heart, , from a diseased heart and lungs. A person ; in Mr Hulke's:condition.'might-go off at ■ any-time. The evidence of Mr Davidson, one of Mr Hulke's intimate' friends,'showed | that he had frequently made use' in wit- ! , ness's hearing of the expression " When I go, I'll go very tquickly. I won't trouble ; anyone with a long illness." ! , A few weeks ago he remarked he felt he j'. was breaking up, and, that his heart was ■ ; far gone'. Tlie mistress of Ncwtown ; School deposed.that deceased had often said , he wojild never go through, a long illness. ( For. years ho had said this, not particularlyof .late. Ho said he would do away with . himself rather than have people bothering about him in an illness. Only last week he said that "the first jday he did not come to school they would know' he was; '. dead." He was and always worried a great deal about small matters. Another of the teachers gave- evidence that last Wednesday deceased said he'Wanted to see ■ the examination over, and "Then he had a presentiment he was going to die." Re had frcnueutly hinted that he would hasten liig own end. and said* he had something at borne which would help him away. ! T>r Tripe, who made the post mortem, said j all appearances pointed to death from natural I causes. He did not think an analysis of the j stomach would clear the matter up. The inquest was'r.djourncd till Saturday to allow I of an analysis of the stomach being made. . November 5. At the,.adjourtied inquest on the body of Mr Hulke, school teacher, Mr Skoy said there was no evidence of poison in the intestines. The jury returned a. verdict that; according to the evidence of Dr Tripe and Mr Skey, there was no proof that deceased died from any other onuse than failure of the heart's action. ' -The'coroner objected to tho' verdict, pointing to any particular part of the evidence, and also to its negative form, and. after discussion, a verdict was given in a direct form—namely, "That, being bound by the medical evidence, the jury find that deceased died from failure of the heart's action and disease of the heart and lungs."