SUICIDE IN AN OFFICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4415, 8 July 1884, Page 2

SUICIDE IN AN OFFICE.

Coroner's Inquost.

An inquest on tho body of John alias Leopold Beit, who was found dead in an oilico in High-street yesterday, was held in tho Auckland Hotel this morning beforo Dr. Philson and a jury, of which Mr Hugh ; Uriah (Hover was chosen foreman. Samuel i Kout having been sworn, deposed : I nm a settler, residing in Newton. Had no previous acquaintance with deceased until ho camo to my ofiico in High-street on or about Juno 20th. Ho wanted torentanoflicefrom mo in the "same strcot. We did not come to lonns immediately, and ho called on me six or seven times subsequently. I rather put him on", oxpocting a messago from anothor tenant. Finally, on Saturday, Juno 28th, I agreed to let him have tho olhce weokly, at 12s (id per week, requiring him, as a strangor, to pay in advance. Ho paid the übovo sum. 1 then asked his name, when ho replied, " Put in the namo of Henry and Co." I also uskodhim how tho rooms weroto be occupied, and he answered " For storing samples." I thon handed him tho key. Did not soe him again alive. I consider that ho was in a sano state of mind, but exceedingly reserved. Ho showed no signs of poverty, and was perfectly sobor. In the course of the week following I of ton remarkod that tho office showed no signs of occupation. Tho street door was always flhut.aHd tho tickets "To Lot" wore not removed. As tho place remained so quiet, yesterday morning I went to a lubour ollicc kept by Henry and Co., in Shortland-strcet, and was thero informed that they know nothing of tho poison referred to. I then took the duplicate key of tho ofiico and opened tho stroct door. I found both the innor doors lockod, and that doccusod was tho solo occupant. The koy was on tho inside of ono of tho inner doors, and tho other door was lockod on tho outside with a padlock. 1 became alarmed, and told Constable ISullon 1 had suspicions of something wrong. Ankod him to accompany me. Wo burst open the dooiyind the body of thedoccaucd mot our gaze. I recognised tho body us that of my tenant. It was fully clothed excepting tho head, which woe uncovered. Tho body lay on its back on tho floor of ono of tho inner rooms. 1 saw a wound in tho right temple and blood collected on tho lloor. Tho right hand grasped a revolver. (Produced.) Thero wus a great stench from the body, which had evidently been dead for HOvoral days. Thero was a pillow under tho head, and part of a window blind on the floor under the body. Thero was no furniture in the room, neither was there fowl or liquor of any kind. Thero was no candle. I left Constable Bullon in charge. To tho foreman : I did not press deceased to toll mo his name. Heard no report of liroarms whilo at business, and nono of tho neighbours mentioned unything of tho kind to mo. . Dccoaxod was about 00 years of ago. John Leydon deponed : I know deceased for the last threo or four years, and iilontilied his body yesterday. He wus known to mo as " John " Boit, nmi had been employed an a clerk by Mr Khronfriod, at tho I'hatnen. Itoliovo ho was a native of (iermany. Last saw him alive on Thursday or Friday last, when I bid him " good-day " in passing in (juoon-Htroot. Thoro wutnothing unusually peculiar about him. 1 thought docousod did business in scrip on tho Exchange. Never know him to drink. 1 hoard of a man having shot himself yes lurduy. Went to Mr Rout's oHioe, saw deceased, Olid recognised him. John Louis Khroufrtcd, browor, dO|x>Hed : 1 have business both at tho Thumes and in Auckland. Havo known deceased for about twenty-two years. Kinployed him a« a clerk for about eighteen months or two years. I last saw him alivo on Saturday, June 28th, close to the Imperial Hotel. I had succeeded in gotting deceased employment in Mr Jogger's oilico as book-keeper. I hud come convursution with deceased, and ho was to havo come to work on tho following Monday. Ho wan at that time very Irritable and melancholy. I think tho cause was that ho had lost a lurge amount of money in eorip. I know that for a fact. Threo weeks beforo thin I had sent htm £10. lio was not at all given to drink. Ho was a single man between 61 and 02 year.) of age, and his namo wns "Leopold" Beit. He was a native of Hamburg and a Hobrow. 1 havo seen tho body and identify it. To n juryman : I should think deceased must have lost botween £100 and i'ooo in speculation, and ho could not stand people laughing and joking about it. Deceased came hero from (iormany with a very lurge fortune. 1 hoard yesterday ovening that decoosod previously mado an attempt on his life many years ago. John ilonoyman, duly qualified medical practitioner, deposed : I was not acquainted with the deceased. Have mado a post mortem examination of tho body to day. 1 found two wounds on tho head, the lirst on the right temple. It was a rugged wound, and blackened as by gunpowder. The wound waß n penetrating wound, and I should say was indicted by a bullet, discharged close to tho head. Tho second wound was immediately opposite to tho lirst, and was larger, tho scalp being much lacerated, and (ho bones on the left *ido much fractured. These were the only wounds. I account for tho second wound by the escape of the ball. Having opened tho head, 1 found tho brain very much lacerated and torn, and also a large quantity of dark blood. Thero was no ball in the head. Tho body oxJiibitcd no other marks of violence It was well nourishod, and gave no indications of want. I found tho ball (produced) in onecornor of the room, about two feet from tho body. It had struck tho wall and rebounded. Tho causo of death was a gunshot wound in tho head, and so far as I can judgo, Holf-inflictod.

John Home Humor, commission agont, deposed : I havo known deceased for sixteen years by tho namo of Leopold Beit. Last caw him alivo on Thursday morning at nino o'clock. Ho wns tit my chop in Karangahapc Rood. I was going down town, and just bid him the timo of day and walked on. I remarked at tho time to a friend that docoased was in bad circumstances, and appearod to bo in trouble I raid also that he had attempted suieido some sixtoon years before at ifoki tika. Ho thon attempted to take his lifo by banging, but was discovered in time, and hi« Hfb saved. Tho causo of this attompt was speculation in the Rccfton mino. Ho was tried for tho crimo at tho Supremo Court there, and to tho best of my recollection he was let off with sureties.

Edward Shorrar Bullon, constable, cave ovidenco corroborative of that adduced by Mr Rout respecting tho discovory of tho Dr. Ilonoyman (rocallcd) said : I should say death had takon place four or five days. . John Codlin deposed : I am propnotor of tho Royal Mail Hotol in Victo'ia-strect. Havo known the deceased for about four years. I saw him alivo on Juno 28th, He was at lunch about 1 p.m. In the hotel. Ho was then in his usual health, and I observed nothing peculiar about him. Docoascd lodged with mo for tliroo months after ho canio up from the Thames, and payed promptly every month. Ho was of sound mind, and was a very temperate man. Ho left a portmanteau and miscellaneous things at my house. I wan undor-tho impression that deceased had gono to the Thames, and expected him to return shortly. This concluded the ovidonco, and Dr. Philson having addressed tho jury, the latter brought in tho following verdict ;— "That tho deceagod, Leopold Beit, was found dead in his hired office in High-street with a bullet wound in his head, believed to have been inflicted by his own hand. As to tho state of mind in which the deceased was, the jury lias no evidence to show."