DEATH OF A. EDWARDS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 129, 27 November 1909, Page 5

DEATH OF A. EDWARDS.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. An inquest concerning the death of Andrew Edwards, of Khandallah, whose body was found near the Kaiwarra •wharf on Thursday, was held at the morgue yesterday afternoon by Dr. A. M'Arthur, coroner. Sub-Inspector Norwood represented the police. Mary Matilda Edwards, wife of deceased, stated that she had lived happily with her husband for eighteen years, but his conduct towards her hai recently changed. On the nighi of the 11th inst. deceased came home under the influence of drink, and his behaviour was objectionable. He refused to allow her to retire till after 9 p.m., when she went into the bedroom and locked the door. Soon after this she heard a gun fired, and on looking out of the door, observed deceased near the kitchen door. She heard the movements of the gun, and her husband had fired in the direction of the dining-room, there being a passage between the bedroom and the dining-room. Witness left the house by the window, and spent the night with a neighbour. On gohfg back in the morning, she observed a basin, half filled with blood, on the kitchen table. There was a sharp carving-Knife and a steel on the table, which witness had left in the drawer. Deceased was nowhere to be seen. On several former occasions, deceased had threatened to ehoot witness. John A. Carson also gave evidence. Dr. W. Kington Fyffe deposed to having examined the body of deceased on Thursday. There was a gaping wound in the middle line of the neck. There was no doubt that the wound was inflicted before death. The cause of death was asphyxia, due to drowning, »nd the fact that deceased went unconscious into the water may have been due to loss of blood from the wound. He could not explain how the deceased had walked a mile and a half if the wound were as it was at the time of examination. A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned, the coroner adding that how the deceased got into the water was not known.