A TRAGIC DEATH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19760, 10 April 1926, Page 4

A TRAGIC DEATH.

YOUNG MAN ASPHYXIATED. BUSINESS WORRIES. At 9 u.ra. yesterday the police wore summoned to the business premises o£ Mr Aubrey Elliott Wright, at tho corner of High and Cumberland streets. There they found the body of Mr Wright lying on the floor of a small room, which was part of his business premises. The deceased resided with his wife and family of six children. The eldest member of the family was 11 years of age, and the youngest nine months. An inquest W" = opened at the Mprgue yesterday afternoon, before Mr J. R Bartholomew, S.M., sitting as coroner. Sergeant MTmtee represented the police. Henry Arthur Sells, an employee of the deceased, living at Sawyer’s Bay, identified tho body as that of Aubrey Elliott Wright, who was in business as a commission agent, and who resided with bis wife and family at 66 Queen’s drive. He wps 38 years ol age. Witness understood that the deceased had lately been worried over financial matters. He had last seen him about at 1 p.m, on Thursday. He was then in his company. They caught the 1.15 p.rn, train from Port Chalmers. Deceased discussed business matters with him, and from what witness knew of them they could have been adjusted and got oyer in the very near future. On Fiiday morning witness arrived at the office at 9 o'clock, his usual time He went upstairs with the senior typiste, who drew witness’s attention to a note which was left on her desk. The note stated: “Don’t go into the small room. Wait for Pat or Mr Sell” He apprehended that something was wrong for ha could smell gas Witness rang for the police and then entered the room. He found the body of deceased lying on its side on the floor. He had disconnected a gas tube and placed it near his mouth. Deceased was dead. There were two letters, one- addressed to the coroner and one to his wife, lying on the desk. Witness handed both these to the police. To Sergeant M’Entee: Deceased had never seriously stated that he intended to take his life. He had at times jokingly referred to something tragic. He was occasionally depressed, but he had- never at any time suspected suicide. Constable Ihonias Milne deposed that in response to 0 ring on the telephone at 9 a.in. that day he went to Mr Wright’s office and saw the body of the deceased lying in a small room. He assumed that the deceased ,had been dead for some hours. A gas pipe in the room was disconnected from u gas heater, and wa» lying close to deceased’s face. Tho gas had already been turned oil when witness arrived. Witness had the body removed to the morgue. The letters produced were handed to him by the previous witness. The Coroner stated that, the deceased’s letter addressed to the coroner intimated that he contemplated suicide. He said it was a very sad case of ,a young man’s suicide while in a depressed state of mind. The verdict would be that deceased died through being asphyxiated by gas.