SUPPOSED SUICIDE AT TIMARU

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12444, 6 March 1906, Page 9

SUPPOSED SUICIDE AT TIMARU

, Further j-tarticulars of the supposed, suicide at Timaru, shows that the missing man had contemplated suicide forborne time past. At about 7 o'clock on Sunday morning a party of three men who were out in a boat noticed a man sitting on the end of the extension. Thinking he was fishing they took no particular notice of him, hut a few moments later the sound of a splash drew their attention, and one of them saw the man fall into the water. They hastily rowed to the spot and waited for some time for the man to come to the surface, but he never rose. All day Sunday the members of the local pofice force were out in boats, dragging the .waters in the vicinity of the"Jnarbourfor the body, but without success. During the afternoon two or three hun-dred-people walked out to the ond of the extension to watch the operations. Circumstantial evidence points to the fact that tho, man was George Wateon. an elderly, man who until recently was employed in Timaru as a „nsa_th. .He was discharged last, Thursday on account of his intemperate habits. While working at Messrs Priest and Holdgate's recently, he put i aside about half a hundredweight of lead, which those who worked with him suspected he intended to use as weights, in case he drowned himself. ' They took the lead away, as Watson had frequently threatened to make way with himeelf. On Saturday nigbt the people with whom Watson was staying considered! it would be unsafe to let him get out of the house, as ne had been drinking, and was scarcely in his right mind. They accordingly locked him in his room. On Sunday morning the window of tho room was tound wide open, and Watson was gone.