INQUEST.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4206, 21 January 1879, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest touching the death of George Bntlerwas held at Moody , s Bed Lion Hotel, Bangiora, on Monday, before C. Dudley, Esq., coroner, and a jury, of which Mr W. Buss was chosen foreman.

George Cone, butcher, Bangiora, depossd—The deceased is a person whom 1 knew by the name of George. Ido not know hia anrname. Yesterday afternoon, January 19th, I found the deceased, in Mr Bassingthwaite'e stable. His body was in an upright position, leaning somewhat towards the door of tbe saddle room, between that room and the atable. He was sitting on Ms knees, with the right foot projecting slightly forward. His hands were lying on hie thighs. Examined the body, and pnt my hand on the head ; it was stiff and cold. There was a email piece of cord round his neck, very tightly embedded in the flesh. Immediately above Ms head there was a piece of similar rope fastened to a hook on the wall. The rope round the neck and the piece on the wall were part of the same piece, 'i he neck was much swollen and the rope seemed by the swelling of the neck to have broken the knot or running noose, which was palled very tight. The body only had a shirt atfd socks on, and a handkerchief round the neck. Should think ho "had been dead from two to three hours. ,1 went int? the stable beiavuse Mrs Bassingthwaite cent for ine about 3 p , clock. She said she had lost him. He worked about the house for Bassingthwaite. " She sent a message by the aorsaufr tO"B"ay that she had been waiting -dinner for him. To police—l- caw deceased iast: Thursday morning about 9 o'clock, at the time the train was going away. He appeared *t> be very shaky, which was Ms natural look. He said he was very shaky, as he had suffered lo3f es, and his bed had been sold at ATr Bassingthwaue's sale. He muttered something about Hoping a lot of money. He led mc to believe "that the bag of gold found in Mr Bassinef•thwaite's house by the detectives was his -property. Hβ did not say how thie money Was iis. Tfeestablej when I went to it, was locked, the key being inside in the lock. I broke open tbe door with tomahawk and poker; forcing the lock produced from the door. All the outer (doors of the etable were locked, and too keys inside. The Windows 'were also fastened inside. Uo one *conld have out iof the stable without unlocking the doors/ The pieces of rope produced were those : found the shorter piece round deceased's neck: the longer piece'on the hook on the wall. The hook , was from sffc ism. to 6ft attorn the ground. Deceased's height was about sft. sin. Deceased's head was about 2ft. from the hook to which the rope was attached.' Deceased must hare been strangled by leaning on the rope if he hung himself in the place where I found him. He appeared to have been washing, and Ms clean clothes were lying ready for him. On the Thursday morning I noticed, deoeasei had a cut on his throat, which he eaid was caused whilst shaving. I went for the police. The body was in the same position when we returned. "•; John Pratt, sergeant of police, Bangiora; said—From information received from last witness at 3.15 on Sunday, I accompanied Mm to Mr Bassingthwaite'e stable. I found the deceased on the floor, the back of tbe body was against the,wall, the left side of the bead.was leaning against the jamb of the door, the left leg was under the body, the right being partly eiretched. The arms were hanging straight from the shoulders, the left hand touching the ground, the right resting on the right ■. I felt the body, wMch was then cold and stiff; Deceased must have been dead about three;or four hours. I examined the neck and found the small p:ece of -rope with, slip knot produced eunk into the flesh. This seemed to have been broken from another piece, which was hanging from a harness hook on the waU. f I produce the latter piece, about two feet of which was hanging below thi hook, and deceased's head was about a foot below the broken.-end. The stiffness of the body must have prevented its fallin? on its face. 1 found a half sovereign" /and five shillings and sixpence in silver among his property, and receipts in name of George Bntler, lor property purchased at Bassingthwaite'a sale, for i! 99 2s 6d, and .£25 for a horse bought by Mm from Mr WMte. The windows of, the room wMch deceased occupied were all fastened on the inside. A door from the yard to the bay store was also locked, the key being in. the lock inside. TMs is the only other room connecting witi the stable. I have seen deceased previously, but know nothing of bis habits. Hβ is said to be eixty years of age- The stable in wMch the body was found is twenty yards from Mr Bassingthwaite's house. Any straggle or noise in the Etable might be heard' in the house. The deceased only had a sMrfc on: His box was open, and clothes ready to be put «n- . . J

Mary Baesingtuwaite, wife of James Baseingthwaite, living next Bed I-'on Hotel, said—l know deceased whose body is in the stable. ■ His name w»3 George Butler. His age was about sixty. I last saw deceased alive about 10.55 on Sunday morning, and spoke to him as the people were going , to church. I was speaking to him at the back door of my house. He ssid, " I am going to Simpson's to get shaved, as I feel shaky this morning , , and in the afternoon I am going to the Sandhills." Hβ went towards the stable, and I went inside. On Saturday evening, -when I returned from Christßlrcrch he seemed very tench excited about the loss of his money and the want of his bed. He faid that Mr Kerr, the trustee, had sent his bed awajy to Mr Buss. Mr told him he could have it, but Butler said as he had taken it away he should now go for it. It was Butler's own bed. He gave mc the money on Sunday (yesterday , west to buy in some furniture, whioh.niqney Mr Benjamin, detective officer. took from mc. He gave mc the money to buy in some furniture at the sale, and which he intended to hare secured to Mm by a bi'dof sale. Hβ was a very sober We called for Butler about one, and then' the girl and I had dinner, and we put Gfeorge's into iha byea. About two or three I sent to ask if he tru at Cone's or Simpson's. We tried by using matches to see if we cauld see into the. stable and put up a saddle horse to see through the window. doors fast so that an entrance cooM not be effected,,l sent foe-Mr Cone. J had tried to open the door with a t jtcaiawk. Butler has been in my husband's employ about twelve months as stableman. I did not know him before he entered my hnsband's employ. I do not know where he came from—he had no friends here. He miprht have come from the North ■ Island, ffe told mc he came from Bristol. He owns a cottage, the things he bought at the sale, and a horse. Although Strong an&he&Rby he iras yery nervous. Mβ bad a glass of branny about eleven o'clock when , I was speakins to him. Hβ-was a somewhat r&- ---! ferveS Jaani He nsualljisltaTed i, Was not a man who would be ea*ayoverpoweri?d*b as I to c bong as be was. When he said be was

going to the sand hills I understood it was to the Ashley, where I supposed he had his money buried. Agnes Mathers, servant at Mr Bassingthwaite's, eaid —I knew deceased for a' month past. He seemed awfully queer since the affair of Bassingthwaite'e sale. Ho was fretting about his money, and that they had taken his bed away. He told mc they had taken 380 of his sovereigns away, which he said he had I brought with him. He did not say whether it I had been given to or lent to the Bassingthwaites, bat some of it had been given to her to bny in some of the things. On Sunday he had a hearty breakfast at nine, after which he cleaned his boots. He catoe in twice after that, and the last I saw of him was about twelve, when he was going to get a shave. He slept in the stable. When we missed him, I was sent to Simpson's and Cone's to look for him. The latter broke the door open. Deceased usually slept in a room off the stable. I saw no one about the premises. Mrs Bassingthwaite was in the house all the time, Mr Bassingthwaite was away. At 2.30, when looking into the stable, I heard something fall inside. Mrs Easaingthwaite called " George," but got no reply. By Foreman —I understood deceased •was going'to the sandhills. He said his age was sixty, and hai friendj in Wellington • - The Coroner complimented this witness on the ' way she gave her evidence. Mr A. Ivory, one of the jurors, stated that deceased on Friday was under an impression that he was to be questioned by the police, and brought up in connexion with Mr Bassingthwaite's affaire, which seemed to prey upon his mind. ■ ■-':•.. The Coroner briefly reviewed the evidence, when the jury returned a verdict that " Deceased committed suicide while in a fit of temporary insanity." , , .- ; . ~, .