SUPPOSED CASE OF SUICIDE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8758, 21 March 1890, Page 2

SUPPOSED CASE OF SUICIDE.

It was reported to Sergeant-major Ramsay, of South Dunedin, on Wednesday night that a complete outfit of man's apparel had been found on the Ocean Beach late in tha afternoon by BombstdierMurray, of the Permanent Artillery force, stationed at the Lawyer's Head battery, whose suspicions were aroused by the fact that there was no person in sight. Sergeant-major Ramsay, with two or threa others, at onca went out to the battery, where Gunner Norman informed him of the particulars that were known to him, nnd tlwrce proceeded to the locality tint had been indicated, where the clothes were found in charge of Constable: Hnrtnett, of Anderson's Bay. They consisted of brovra hard hat (size 7), brown paget coat, waistcoat, striped tweed trousers, elastic-side boots, white cotton sox, shirt, collar and tie. The wearer was evidently a man of large proportions, as the size of his collar was 17. On searching the pockets a pipe, knife, tobacco, and 6d were found. In his waistcoat pocket was found a slip of paper inscribed " Fairfield, Wultou Park, 1859," and on the reverse side " David Bgliu." A white cotton handkerchief wa3 marked in common ink " J. Murphy." The clothes were taken to the Ocean Beach Hotel, where ouo of the.servant girls thought she recognised them a.3 having been worn by a man who had that afternoon purchased a bottle of beer and one of giDger ale, and borrowed a corkscrew which had not been returned. The prints of bare feet were plainly visible on the saud leaiiug into the- ocean, so that there appears to bo no doubt whatever that tho unfortunate man went into the water and never returned to the shore. Whether the case was one of accidental drowning or of suicide it is of course impossible to say, bat the weight of circumstances may be said to point in tho latter direction. There was no sign, up to a late hour last night, of a corpse having been seen by men who were stationed along the coast to keep a look out, nor has any clue been obtained as to the identity of the man.