ACCOUNTANT’S SUICIDE

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 December 1926, Page 2

ACCOUNTANT’S SUICIDE

“ENJOYING THE TRAGEDY.” l- - (Per Press A§StldaM(inJ '”1 e [-. CHRISTCHURCH, December 6. h “He was surprised to see me, and j- after showing me where the books It werht fib IBtk t.hb fifflne. When next I saw him; lib whs dead, in the m.oan3- time; I Had foiind a shortage Of £450 i- in the firm’s bash; of which he had ,t bebh ih t Tnesb werb the wOfds of W; E. 3 Best, auditor, who gave evidencb' d£ g the adjourned inquest on James Adair !_ Hall, accountant for the Hawarden y Branch of the Farmers’ Co.-op. Sot ciety, found dead last Wednesday. e Best said that he visited Hawarden to audit the books without giving noj. lieo .of his iiilentioii; Witness asked ; Hail fbb twh i-bcbiht iiohks; and he , ivaikbd th his bvbrbddt aiid tddk sbffieJ thing frofii a iidckbt hrid left the Ofu fibe; Witiiess thought. he Had gdne to get the blocks. When witness ® found the shortage he made inquiries for Hall, but was informed he was not on the premises. Subsequently, he was found in a stable, quite dead. a The face was painfully distorted. b Feek, manager of the Drapery Debaftihefit;. ibid withbss lie fidd seetl . deceased iil the chaff house and tdlq h liini witiiess Wanted him. Hall had S replied that he would go to the office e in ten minutes’ time. “F.eek came r back,” said witness, “but did not inform me he had seen Hall. I cannot r understand that action on his part. £ The first intimation I had of anything o untoward had happened was when I e saw the body. They,told me nothing, i blit jiist led me to Him. Feek dcibd f as thought he enjoyed the whole trag:l edy, which had shocked me in--3 tensely.” i The Coroner, Mr Lawry, gave a ver--3 diet of suicide by strychnine poisoni’ ing.