SAD CASE OF SUICIDE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7246, 21 May 1884, Page 4 (Supplement)

SAD CASE OF SUICIDE.

On Sunday, April 20, a young man named A. Bennetts was walking with a friend in the Park near the Addington Saleyards, when he saw the body of a man lying there. The police were informed, and Inspector Pender, with Detective O’Connor, went to the spot. They found the body lying on its back; in the forehead was a bullet wound, and on the ground, a few inches from the right arm, lay a revolver, which examination showed had been discharged in two chambers. Before the body was moved, Dr M'Clure was sent for j when he came his opinion was that the deceased had committed suicide. The clothing was searched, and in one of the pockets was found a Salvation Army song book, together with a letter which, when read, left no doubt that the man had died by hia own hand. His name, it appeared from the letter, was John Hose well, and he has a brother, James Eosewell, living in Queen street, Sydenham, and a wife at Devonport, England. In the letter, which was very trad reading, the unfortunate writer set out that he had been in the fioyal Marine service, and some four years ago he was invalided through blond poisoning. Since then bo had suffered greatly, especially from pains in the head. He came here in the lonic, arriving a few weeks ago, but though he was better on the voyage, he soon had a return of his old malady. Failing to get rediof from the various dcctors he applied to, he spent the last money he had (X2) in the purchase of a revolver from Messrs Plai t' d and Co., with the intention, he States, of destroying himself, as he despaired of ever obtaining relief from his pains. He wrote the first part of his letter on April 7, on which day he intended to shoot himself, but be says, further on, that he went to see a druggist, then Dr Townend, and finally was admitted to the Hospital. No relief followed, however, and he says that he falsely stated that he was better in order to get

out of the Hospital, and on April 15, the date of the second portion of ms letter, appears to have carried out the intention with which ho Jbought the revolver. An inonest was held at the Hospital at .1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, before Dr Coward, Coroner, and a jury of which Air W. A. Knapumn was chosen foreman. Jho witnesses examined wore James Kosowell, brother of deceased; Mrs Crosier, with whom he lodged,- Arthur Bennetts, who found the body; Constable Crockett; J. B. Williams, salesman at Messrs Plaistod and Co.’s, whore deceased purchased the revolver with which he shot himself; and Dr M'Clure, who made a post mortem examination of the body. Alf'tho facts adduced in the evidence have been mentioned in these columns. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity. -