SUICIDE OF MR C. PHARAZYN

Otago Witness, Issue 2558, 25 March 1903, Page 25

SUICIDE OF MR C. PHARAZYN

LONDON, March 17. Charles Pharazyn, a New Zealander, has been missing for three weeks. His body has been found in the Thames. At the inquest a verdict of " Suicide during temporary insanity " was returned. (Fcoir Our Owx Corhespoxdent.) WELLINGTON, March 18. The news of the daath of Mr C. Pharazyn wa» received with much surprise and regret here, and thoee who knew him well say they would never have dreamt of his committing suicide. He was the only surviving son of Mr C. J. Pharazyn, one of our oldest citizens, who celebrated his hundredth birthday in October last. He landed in Wellington with his parents and two brothers fßoberfc and William) by the ship Jane, in May, 1841. He was very well to do, and had shown considerable enterprise in \ariotw directions and in the development of his own estate, now known as Northland, Karori. He joined the company that : acquired what is now called K>lburne, and mainly to his enterprise Wellington is indebted for the useful tram service from Lambtou quay to the Botanical Gardens. He some time ago gave £1000 towards the Victoria Co.llege Building Fund, conditionally

on the college being erected at Kelburne". Upwards of a. year ago he left on another visit to the Old Country, and his wife and young child were with him. .Since then cable messages and letters have shown that he has been interesting himself in some very large projects, one of the latest of. which was the purchase of an immense tract of land in Australia. The deceased would! be upwards of 65 years of age at the time of his death. Unlike his father and his brother, the Hon. Robert Pharazyn (who was a member of the Wellington Provincial Executive and of the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council, where he succeeded his father, and was also Provincial Secretary and Treasurer at the time of the abolition of the provinces in 1876), tho late Mr Charles Pharazyn did not take a prominent part in the political life of the colony. He was twice married, and leaves a widow* .By his first wife he had a family, some of whom survive him, and are still among us. Two or three -weeks, ago a cable was received by relatives here stating that Mr Pharazyn was seriously ill. It is understood he recently underwent a serious operation, which was not quite successful, and he dreaded a further operation that was to follow. This no doubt preyed on his mind and caused a temporary mental aberration, which, led tC so cad a result.