DISCOVERTY OF A DEAD BODY. SUPPOSED SUICIDE OF MR. ROSKILL,

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3999, 16 June 1870, Page 3

DISCOVERTY OF A DEAD BODY. SUPPOSED SUICIDE OF MR. ROSKILL,

At eight o'clock yesterday morning a, body was observed by a man named Joseph. Buchanan, floating in the harbour near the wood and coal wharf, Custom-house-street. He immediately gave information to the police. Police-constables Carrigan and Clarke, with Buchanan, proceeded to the spot. On getting the body into a dingy, for the purpose of conveying it to the morgue, it was observed that a rope was fastened to his left arm by two round turns and a halfhitch ; at the end of the rope was fastened a kit containing a large stone, weighing about 301b. or 401b. On searching the body at the deadhouse, the only articles found were a knife and a key. Constable Carrigan, having an idea that the body was that of John Roskill, who very frequently held religious services on the Queen-street Wharf, immediately proceeded to his residence in Edin-burgh-street, Newton, where he £>und that the key fitted the door of the deceased's house. He afterwards found RoskilTs sister, Mary Cox, and she informed him that Mr. Roskill had been missing since Sunday week, but she had thought that he had. gone to the Thames, or elsewhere, as he was very often absent from home. The body at the time of its being found was dressed in a dark tweed suit, and had apparently been in the water some seven or eight days, the features being undistinguishable. An inquest ou the body will be held to-day, at the Terminus Hotel, at 2 o'clock. The description of the clothing tallies exactly with that which Mr. Roskill wore at the time of his disappearance, and there, appears to be no doubt as to the identity of the body. Roskill was a good-hearted, harmless sort of man, who was affected by a kind of religious monomania. It will be remembered that last year he engaged the Prince of Wales Theatre, and for several Sundays conducted religious services in it. His exhortations were always marked by traits of insanity. We believe that, about four years ago, he was an inmate of the Lunatic Asylum. Latterly, his insanity had developed itself in acts of benevolence, which, naturally enough, almost invariably miacarried from want of method in the arrangement. He frequently invited numbers of the children to assemble at different places, and to partake of a feast ; and, on one occasion, he prepared a monster tea meeting at Mount Eden, which, we believa, was a failure.