THE INQUEST.

Evening Star, Issue 7403, 24 December 1887, Page 2

THE INQUEST.

The inquest was held at the Pier Hotel thu afternoon before Coronor Carew and a jury ofsixi Constable Cf uicksnank stated that he identified the body as that of Edward Koyston Bradshaw. He was a native of England, and was a rabbitskin merchant by occupation. His office was in Jetty street, By papers found on the premises, it appeared that he was thirty-six years of ago, and that he bad at one time been in the 6th Dragoon Guards and, later on, in the Otago police force. He was a married man. ; At 9.20 this morning, from something witness heard, he went to deceased's store and found the door looked on the inside. Witness looked under ono of the doors and saw a body lying inside. He burst open the. door and found deceased's body lying at full length, face downwards. There was a large wound on the top of the head, part of the skull being blown away, and the brains partly protruding and: partly scattered about the floor and wall. A Bpoiting rifle lay close by the body, with the muzzle under it and tho deceased's hands holding the muzzle. The body, which was fully dressed, was f-tillwaim. Tho rifle had been recently discharged, and there was an empty cartridge case in the breech. There was a mark on the wall where tho bullet had struck after going through deceased's hear], and on the floor below were two pieces of skull. The bullet had gone in at the right cyo and out at the top of the head. Tho wounds could have been caused by a shot from the rifle produced. On searching tho office witness found on the wiitingdcsk an unsigned note, written' by deceased in pencil, as follows:—"These aro tho wretched things that killed moj I must say good-byo to all." There was in a pocket-book in a coat banging up in the office a letter written by him as follows: —" My darling wife,—l must tear mysolf away from you and tho poor darlings. God will never forgive mo for deceiving you and my very best fiicnds. I have had chances to do well, but not enough will to withstand temptation. Please give Morris tho picture of Lake Wakatipu in exchange for the two likenesses he did. God bless you, darling. Oh, how happy you would have made a pood man with your industry, love, and happy disposition. Good-bye, darling, for ever. I have had a devil within mo prompting me to suicide for a long time, and I shall go mad if I live. Bring the children up to forgive me, if they can. I cannot hope, oven on the verge of death, for you, darling, to forgive me; I havo given you no pleasure, and been very unkind to you." There was no date to the letter, which was written in ink, and it was not signed. There was the sum of L 3 9s lOd in one of deceased's pockets.

Colin Macandrcw stated that he bad known deceased intimately. The two notes produced appeared to be in his handwriting. Witness last saw biro alive at about eleven o'clock. Hp went homo with witness at 6.30 p m. in a tram, and spent the evening there. There was nothing unusual in his manner or conversation. Witness at times was despondent on account of business not being very flourishing, but he was often cheerful enough, He had not been drinking much. Witness had never heard him say that ho contemplated suicide; in fact, he used to say it was a cowardly thing to do. Witness had heard a few months ego that deceased had attempted suicide, but did not know that it was a fact. At that time witness knew that deceased was suffering from inflammation of the lungs, and was delirious. He leaveß a wife and three children; who are at present staying at Mocraki, to which place tboy went the day before yesterday. Ho told witness last week that he intended going up to Moeraki this aftornoon. Deceased had no special care taken of him after the rumored attempt on his life some months ago. He was at times excitable, but witness never notiocd eccentricities about his behaviour. Ho bad never suffered from sunstroke in India; he had never, to witness's knowledge, been in India. Witness knew that deceased kept a rifle at his office. He had made all arrangements for going to Moeraki, including packing up some of his things. ...;.,. ' Inspector Weldon stated that deceased wak enlisted as apolicerconstable in October, 1875. He was a specially smart arid intelligent officer. On Septomber 1,1876, he left the force, flaying that he had neon left a few hundred pounds, and went into business. Witness, often,- saw and conversed with him since then.'' In'consequence of a suspicion that ho had attempted his lifo a few months ago, witness got his revolver taken possession of., Witness ( was not surprised to hear of his death this morning, for h$ had strange.ways with him; he seemed flighty and absent-minded at times.

The jury returned a verdict to the pffeot that deceased die'd'from tho effects of a gun-shot wound solMnflictcd while in a state of temporary insanity.