FATAL THROAT WOUND

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 75, 28 March 1936, Page 19

FATAL THROAT WOUND

RETURNED SOLDIER'S END.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

HAWERA, Friday.

An addiction to methylated spirit drinking and an expression of his intention to commit suicide were attributed to-day to Benjamin Speight, a relief worker, of Hawera, at the inquest touching liis death on Monday last. Speight was found with his throat cut in an outhouse at his home while Detective P. Kearney and Constable Donovan were waiting for him to accompany them to the Hawera police station. '

After evidence had been taken Mr. R. S. Sage, the coroner, adjourned the inquest pending the receipt of advice from the Pensions Department regarding Speight's medical and mental record during his war service. The secretary of the South Taranaki Returned Soldiers' Association, Steven •R. Veitch, gave evidence that he had received vouchers from Speight relative to a claim for a subsidy. He said he had doubted whether the work for which the subsidy was claimed had been performed. Speight had admitted in conversation that it had not been, after which the matter had been referred to the police. The purpose of the police visit to Speight's residence, said Constable Donovan, was to interview Speight regarding a voucher for the payment of a subsidy.

Evidence of methylated spirits addiction and previous threats to take his own life were given by Speight's wife. Her. husband, she said, usually kept his razor at the top of the medicine chest, but on Monday morning he took down his razor case. Asked what he wanted it for he said there, was a shilling in it. When he put it back she thought the razor was still in it.