SUICIDE AT KERERU.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 219, 17 August 1918, Page 6

SUICIDE AT KERERU.

THE INQUEST. The dead body of Robert Leonard Jones, a shepherd, was found in a paddock at Poporangi Station, Kereru, yesterday morning. On investigation it was found that death had resulted from injuries, apparently self-inflicted.. The body was brought into the Hastings morgue, and an inquest was held at the Courthouse this morning by Mr. R. W- Dyer, S.M., coroner. The coroner stated he had viewed the body and had decided to dispense with a jury. Detective Butler represented the police. Milljam Stanley Jones, contractor, Puketapu. deposed that deceased was his step-brother, who was 31 ■years of age. He last saw him alive at the June races at Hastings. Eighteen years ago deceased was kicked on the head by a horse and rendered unconscious, and was in the Napier Hospital for about a montn. He noticed that since when deceased had had liquor his head became ver? much affected. Tn March last his step-brother wrote to him stating that he was very lonely and asking witness to write to him.

Dr. Ernest Boxer, medical practitioner, Hastings, deposed that hi had examined the body at Popo rangi Station yesterday, about It a.m., and that the. opinion he then formed was that deceased had cut lis throat, which was the cause oi his death. There was no doubt that the wound had been self-inflicted. Thos. Victor Long, manager oi Poporangi Station, said deceased had been employed by him as a shepierd since 19th April last. He went to Tikikino on Tuesday week last, md returned after a week’s absence, resuming work on M ednesday last. )n Thursday evening, about 5 /clock, when deceased came in from vot-k. witness noticed he was wanlering in his ■■'nd. This was the last he saw of o■ . U. T. T k arbiter, said he knew leceased. <■ -m had occupied the same house as him. He knew that leceased had been to Tikikino, and ■ad not’ced that he had varied con.iderably in his behaviour, and had .’lur ed "signs of liquor since his return. On Thursday night he was .•Hiking about talking to imag nai? 1‘ i'sons. On the same night he t ’ go to Tikokino, but wit-e-s •>. - aided him to remain. He . • :i > alive at 11 o’clock that i phi cis room. He was then • c:i”. 1 •• Could not say if he was .en stiff -ring from ihe effects of ‘iqunr. Witness discovered th’ body xt nr'rning lying in the paddock Te satisfied himself 'hat life was •\-tmct. covered over the body with i run. and left it there lai Hie doctor ■■rived . The knife. In c-a-ed held n his grasp was p - - b-b’v own The Coroner found that deceased md died from the effects if wounds .••If inflicted while temporarily of un•ound mind.