A PATHETIC LETTER

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 6 October 1934, Page 9

A PATHETIC LETTER

; SCHOOL TEACHER’S SUICIDE JO O o a WORRIED OVER ILL-HEALTH n 1 * EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. :1 _ s fßy TelegranH—rress Association.) s AUCKLAND, Oct. 5. ~ Part of a pathetic letter left by the 1 1 dead man was read at trie inquest held p before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., into I the death of Clarence Earnsworth - Stratford, . a well-known member of i the Kowhai intermediate school, who ■ was found dead near the summit of Mount Eden on September 18. Stratford, who was 38 years of age, was a single man. Constable Quin gave evidence concerning the discovery of the body. A Winchester rifle was lying across it. In an overcoat was found a letter; addressed to the Commissioner of Police. Senior-Sergeant Flanagan said he had been handed the letter, the last paragraph of which read as follows: “I purpose a long talk with the heavenly Father through the night, and when dawn comes may it usher in peace to at least one harassed soul no longer concerned with mortal things. Gad bless you all, each and everyone, And so on to dawn. Clarence Farnworth Stratford. On the close of a September evening.” The headmaster of the Kowliai School, J. E. Wells, said he last saw Stratford on September 17, his last day at school. He carried out his duties as usual and seemed, as far as the scholars were concerned, to be in ' his usual jovial mood. In other ways, however, he was obviously not himself, and seemed to be more preoccupied than usual. I About two years ago he had had to i undergo a serious abdominal opera- 1 tion, followed by radium treatment, i and he liad said he would, have to have a further operation. There was a io doubt that in spite of his cheerful r

/ appearance his health gave him great anxiety. 1 From certain incidents that Iliad occurred Wells was also led to believe that Stratford was considerably harassed financially. I “Then again lie was such an oblig- . ing person and took such infinite pleaJ sure in doing work for others, and he ( had such a wide range of interests, 1 such as aviation, swimming, football, I university work, theatricals and eduI cational film work, that heavy de--1 mands must have been made on his /physical strength, as well as on liis financial resources,” Mr Wells said. “Harassed as lie undoubtedly was mentally and physically, lie must have suddenly found that his tremendous energy was failing and he lost the will to overcome difficulties,” added Wells, “lie'was immensely popular with the scholars and was most loyal to me and the school. I feel sure that his worries were not connected with his ordinary school work, but with his failing health and other difficulties mentioned. ’ ’

The coroner recorded a finding that death was caused by a rifle wound self-inflicted by Stratford while he was suffering from acute mental depression.

“I agree entirely with Mr Wells? analysis of the. position,” said the coroner. “Strafford was an able teacher and popular with his pupils, but there were matters outside his work which caused him worry, and his Condition of health also contributed to Tus mental'state.”