THE INQUEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2845, 23 September 1908, Page 3

THE INQUEST.

An inquest was held on the* -18th inst# at the Morgue, before Mr, C} ~Xf. Graham, coroner, and a jury, of whom Ernesfj Thomas Moi*ris was chosen foreman, on the body of William John Newman,- 06. Roelyn, a married . man, found drowned > in the harbour on Thursday afternoon. * ' Dr Gordon Macdonald, who examineA the body, said there were no marks cfi' > violence. _ 1 Frederick Drummond, engineer, gavo evl« dence as to the finding of the body. George Newman, plasterer, of Roelyn, 6aid he was a son of the deceased, who j was a- plasterer, but had been out of busi- ( ness for some years. He- had been ailingi of late, and had been attended by Dr Riley. ( ; He suffered a great deal. Witness w was afl the house t>f deceased on Wednesday nighf, •when he was suffering intense >v ago^iy. The two had a game of cards, but tbe deceased! was not in his usual state, and seemed to be wandering in his mind a bit. - He- hadi bad a stroke some months ago, and lost his speech, but had since recovered, and* did not appear to be despondent. Witness never knew him to go fishing, and he had no fishing material. , Deceased was in his 81st year. He had loft homo ,that 4 morning with the intention of going' to eec th« doctor. The Coroner said that it seemed that tha old man's mind had become- unhinged by Buffering, end that jhe had icommitted suicide- while temporarily insane. The jury agreed with this view, am} gave a verdict accordingly.