CORONER'S INQUEST.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5161, 24 August 1878, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held yeßterdriy afternoon at the Greenmeadows Hotel, Taradale, before Dr Hitchings, Coroner, touching the death of Joseph Elias Smith, whose body was fonnd on the Taradale-road yesterday morning. The jury having been sworn, they chose Mr Barry as their foreman. They then proceeded to view the body, and on their return the following evidence was taken : — Henry Allen, billiard marker at the Greenmeadows Hotel, deposed : — I knew the deceased well for the last 18 months. I saw him alive last night, about ten minutes past six. He was in the billiardroom, and was sober. He said he had been to Wellington last week and to Poverty Bay this week. T knew he had not been to either place. He said he had just walked out from town. It was his usual jocular manner of speaking. He was not depressed in spirits. He stayed about five minutes. He had a flask of brandy in his pocket, from which he drank the spirit neat. I asked him if that was his particular kind of poison, and he said, no, he preferred shooting. He ? said he was going to stay at McCartney's hotel. He was very wet with being out in the rain. He was wearing a great coat. I did not see a revolver on him. Soon after he left I heard the report of firearms, but I took no notice of it.

James Heron deposed : I am a bakers residing in Carlyle-street, Napier. The deceased had been in ray employ for about two months. I saw him in the bakehouse yesterday at about 2 p.m. I paid him his wages. He thanked me. 1 then went into the town. On my return I saw him and spoke to him in the street. This was half an hour after. He had a parcel with him. He came back to my house about 4 p.m. I noticed he was clean shaved. He said he was going as far as the toll-gate, and would be back by 7 o'clock, and he asked me to do some of his work for him, He then went upstairs. I did not see him go finally. I never noticed any great eccentricity of manner in him, but at times he was a little absent. He was a sober man. He was about 21 years of age. On Wednesday last the deceased and I had a few words, but it had all blown over and been forgotten. Conn Nihill deposed : I am stableman at the Greenmeadows Hotel. I have known the deceased ten months. I last saw him at 5. 30 p.m. yesterday, at the Waverly Hotel. While stopping there he came in. I had previously passed him on the road. He was walking. He had two glasses of ale at the hotel, and left. I again passed him on the road. He was quite sober. I saw no more of him. I did not notice any firearms on him. John Cartwright deposed : lam a milkman residing at Taradale. About 6 o'clock this morning I saw deceased lying on his back quite dead. I saw a revolver lying beside him. I called to a gentleman who was near, and we both examined the body. I then went and called a policeman. I did not recognise the deceased. The place where he lay was on the Meanee road, opposite the Greenmeadows Hotel, by some palings. Constable Strudwick deposed : The last witness came to my house at 6.10 this morning, and told me of a man having shot himself. I went to the spot, and found the deceased lying on his back, with a revolver about two feet from him. He was quite cold and dead. I discovered a bullet wound in the upper part of his forehead from which there was some blood oozing. The revolver was six-chambered ; one chamber was discharged, the other 1 five were loaded with bullets. I recogn ised deceased. I searched the body and found three letters— one addressed to Major Scully, one to Miss , care of Inspector Scully, and the other to Mr Allanach. I found also a small flask of brandy, half-full, twenty-one shillings, and a pocket-book. Inspector Scully deposed : I did not know the deceased. About 9 o'clock this morning a letter was handed to me by Constable Strudwick, purporting to be written by the deceased. (Letter produced.) One paragraph confesses to his having done the deed himself, and the other contents evidence an unsound state of mind. The letters referred to in the evidence were read. They contained incoherent statements and had reference to females, married and single, and afforded ample evidence of the unsound state of mind of the deceased. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased committed suicide while in an unsound state of mind.