A SURFACEMAN'S DEATH

Evening Star, Issue 17312, 27 March 1920, Page 6

A SURFACEMAN'S DEATH

\iv 11. Y. Y.'iddowson, District Coroner, held an inquest this morning at the Morgue on tho body of James Smith Einnenr. Sergeant Thomson represented tho police. John Alexander Johnston, farmer, of Shiel If ill. Anderson Bay, said that he knew tho deceased, who worked as a Surfaceman for the' Peninsula Itead Board, of which body witness was the chairman. Deceased" fell oft' a horse early in January. Tho fall seemed to affect his head, and he had influenza. Since then lie used to wander in mind at. times; and he visited Dr Linden. He knocked off work now and again, and was worrying. Lilian Frances Kinnear, the wife, said they had been married four years, and had three children. Her husband was 4o years of age. Since his attack of influenza his head had besn very much worse, and this caused him to boout of work more, and he worried. He was much depressed, but gave no like of doing away with himself. On Thursday ho said that if he was not going to get better he wished he would "die. •lust before 6 a.m. vesterdav he said lie felt better, and would fetch water ror tho cow. As he did not return .yesterday morning witness got a man who was passing to report tho disappearance to the local constable. Dr Evans gave evidence to the effect that the cause of death was strangulation, which could have been caused by hanging - . Constable Mcikiejohn said that he searched a deep gully at the back of the house, and found deceased hanging to the limb of a fir tree. He appeared to have been dead for some hours. Witness had been told that deceased was a bit queer in his mind when lie took bad turns. The Coroner's verdict was suicide whilst in a depressed state of mind caused by illness.