SUICIDE AT KAIAPOI.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 5830, 21 May 1884, Page 3

SUICIDE AT KAIAPOI.

Mr F. W. Wright Broeke committed suicide on Sundaylast atKaiapoi. Hβ had been unwell for some time. At 11 a.m. his wife observed a change in his manner, and went for Dr. Ovenden. On the way she met Mr H. Bardon, and asked him to go up and see her husband. He did so, but on reaching the cottage found the doora fastened. Finding no one stirring or answering his knocking, he went away, shortly after meeting Mr Schofield, who, like himself, was engaged at the factory. Meeting Mrs Brooks returning, they told her the honse was fastened, she said, " Then he must have cut his throat.' On I their going to the house, finding the doors I locked, entrance wae gained by a window. In the sitting room they found the deceased lying on his side with his throat cut. Both windpipe and jugular vein were severed, and death had probably followed swiftly on the rash act The body was removed to the morgue. The following letter was found upon it. dated December 17th, 18S3:—"Dear sir,—l beg to tender my resignation as Duke in the ' Patience' Company," and on the other side, undated and written in a somewhat unsteady hand, " Dear wife, —Forgive mc if you can when you know all. Give my love to mother. Pray for mc." The deceased "had been at his work at the sorting' shed up to Saturday last. No reason has been assigned for the rash act. It would be noticed that a few days ago a settlement of hie estate and property had been made in favor of Mrs Brooke, bat he is not supposed to have been in embarrassed circumstancea. De-

ceased leaves no family. He was a woolclasser in the Woollen Factory, and was connected with many Kaiapoi institutions. On Monday an inquest was held in the Kaiapoi Magistrate's Court-house, before C. Whitefoord, Esq., Coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr Edward Bevell was foreman, touching the decease of Mr F. W. W. Brooke, referred to in our last issue. Evidence was given by Br. Ovenden respecting deceased's health, and the nature of the wounds in the throat which had caused death. Messrs H. Bardon, H. Schofield, and Mrs Brooke stated the deecased had for sene time been laboring under a hallucination, and had hinted at cutting his throat. Sergeant McDonald detailed tbe position of ths body, and said there was a t;a ba«in near, in which come blood was eu.l. uteri, a looking-glass, and a razor by its side. The jury found a verdict that deceased committed suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity.