ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

Southland Times, Issue 16784, 12 July 1911, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

(Per United Press Association.) DUNEDIN. July 11. An inquest was held to-day on the body of Peter Dafforn, an old age pensioner who committed suicide yesterday. The person who discovered the man met a nauseating sight, the wound in Dafforn’s abdomen extending from side to side. The medical evidence showed that Insomnia had produced lowness of spirits and probably a sudden suicidal Impulse. The coroner recorded a verdict of suicide whilst temporarily insane. CHRISTCHURCH, July 11. An Inquest touching tne death of Edwin Anderson, of Richmond, who died In the hospital last night as the result of a bullet wound inflicted earlier in the evening was held to-day. Nana Audley Anderson, widow of deceased, said that she last saw him alive b little after half-past seven the night before. After having a cup of tea, he left the dining room without saying a word. A minute or two after witness lieard a shot. Witness called out to deceased as to whether he had heard the shot and, after calling out a second time and getting no reply, she went out in the back yard and found him lying on his back on the ground with blood coming out of his mouth. She told a neighbour, who went for the police and for the doctor. Witness, on returning to the house, found a letter for her on the kitchen table, dated the same day. The letter, which was from deceased, stated that he was sorry to take such extreme steps; but he had had no sleep for weeks and was nearly knocked out. Now that bis health was gone he thought he was only doing the right thing. Continuing witness said that deceased's heart had teen very bad for years and he had periods of great depression. He hurt his arm about a month ago; it did not seem to heal, and on Friday he took such a bad turn that he was delirious with pain and a doctor had to be summoned. During the last two or three days before Ills death his arm was very bad. Witness had not seen the revolver (produced) before deceased’s death. A .verdict of death by suicide while temporarily insane was returned. AUCKLAND, July 11. A fisherman named, Jas. Reed and a woman and another man went out on the harbour to-night in a small dinghy. They were capsized and Reed w r as drowned; but the other two were rescued/ The body has not been recovered. The"police are waiting for a dense fog to lift before commencing operations.