SUICIDE BY DROWNING.

Northern Advocate, 3 September 1919, Page 2

SUICIDE BY DROWNING.

SUSPENDED ASSURANCE

OFFICER,

AUCKLAND, This Day,

At the inquest concerning the death of Herbert Harold Marshall, R. J. White, Australasian manager of the Guardian Assurance Company, stated that he had been making an inspection of New Zealand branches. He took particular notice of the Auckland Branch, on account of a whisper that .things were not as they might be. On Thursday last he suspended Marshall, who understood that h e was not likely to to regain employment with the company.

The coroner returned a verdict of suicide by drowning.—Press Assn.

The body of Mr H. H. Marshall, manager of the Auckland branch of the Guardian Fire and Accident Assurance Company, was found floating in the Parnell swimming baths about seven o'clock yesterday morning by two early bathers. Intimation that there was something amiss at the baths was first noticed by an early bather, who found a coat and hat on the steps leading down to the openair swimming pool. He had a look round, but could not find anything to account for the garments, so he had his dip, and was leaving the baths when he met Messrs G. H. Cornea and Thaeker, also going for a swim. He mentioned the matter of the coat to them, and they had a look round the and eventually discovered that the body of a man was floating in the centre of the pool, about a foot below the surface. They at once brought the body to the side, and got It out of the water, only to find that life was extinct. There was a hol c a bullet wound in the corner of the left eye, which suggested that the matter was more than one of accident. The Parnell police were at once communicated with, and as a result of investigations it was found that a note had been left by Mr Marshall for Mr A. P. Friend, accountant, of Shortland Street, which disposed of any suspicion of foul play,