ACCIDENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4513, 14 November 1901, Page 5

ACCIDENTS.

DROWNING CASE AT PORIRUA. An inquest was held at the Poruua Asylum on Monday by Mr James Ashcroft, district coroner, into tho circumstances attending the death of Mary Smith, an inmate of tho institutionIt appeared from the evidence that the deceased, a. married woman, thirty-six years of ago, from Levin, had improved so much i?i her mental condition that sho was to be discharged in tho course of a few days- She was'concerned at netting no letters from, her husband. Dr Hassall had a conversation with ftor on Saturday, and promised that it sho did not hear from her husband shortly, a letter would bo written to him. The deceased scoured- quite satisfied with this arrangement. As she was apparently sane, she was not placed under any special surveillance, and was allowed to work in the. kitchen. She was last seen alive shortly before ten o’clock on bunday morning, in the neighbourhood of the kitchen. Sho must have gone out through tho hack door. Nobody saw her leave. She walked about a mile and a half to a dam, on the banks of which her stockings and slippers were found. Tho water was let out of tho dam, and her body was then discovered at tine bottom. It was a rough day, and no one was about in tho grounds. Tho matron had gone to church service. When the deceased was missed, at dinner time, search parties wore organised. In reply to questions, it was stated that it was not considered necessary, in the circumstances, to station an attendant at tho back door- The jury, of which Mr A. Alfroy wag foreman, returned a verdict of suicide by drowning while ' insane. PKESS ASSOCIATION’. NELSON, November 13. At ColUngwood. the thrco-year-old son of Mr Richards, in tho absence of his mother, pulled a bucket of scalding water over himself. Tho child died today.