DEATH OF FARMER AT APARIMA

Southland Times, Issue 23540, 21 June 1938, Page 3

DEATH OF FARMER AT

APARIMA

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST

George James, a farmer of Aparima, was found hanging in a loft in the stable on his property on Saturday. An inquest was held at Aparima before Mr R. C. Abernethy, S.M., Coroner. Margaret James identified the body as that of her husband. She had noticed that his health was not of the best of late and he had appeared more quiet than usual, she said. On Wednesday, June 15, the unemployment tax inspector called at their place and went through their books and informed them they would have to pay £lB. James and the inspector parted the best of friends. It was not the payment of the amount that was worrying him, but the fact that a mistake had been made. Witness told him not to worry as everything was all right. James had no financial worries, and had never at any time spoken of taking his life, and she knew of no reason why he should do so. He was a very religious man and had spoken several times about not doing things right. Arthur Wilson Liddell, a teamster employed by James, said that James was a very quiet man and left most of the work on the farm to him. He noticed he had been a little quieter of late, but he did not appear to him to be worrying. He last saw James alive at about 7.26 o’clock on Saturday morning. When James did not turn up for dinner witness went to look for him, and found “hn in the loft hanging from a rafter. Witness did not touch the body, but asked a man named William Kennedy to go to Mr Milne’s and telephone the police and doctor. The latter tried artificial respiration, but without success.

Dr W. B. Reekie said that death was caused by strangulation and had occurred, in his opinion, approximately two hours before his arrival. Constable A. C. White, Otautau, gave evidence that he received a telephone message from Mr John Milne, Aparima, that a man had been found dead up past his place. He proceeded to the residence of James and up in the loft he found Dr Reekie administering artificial respiration. Close alongside where deceased was lying was the rope which had been cut by Arthur Wilson Liddell. A quantity of chaff was stacked along the wall, from which James had evidently jumped off after he had placed the rope round his neck. Lying on a sack of chaff was a lead pencil and in deceased’s pocket was a note which read: “I, George James, declare that Mrs G. James is innocent.” There were no marks on the body other than where the rope had been around his neck.

The Coroner returned a verdict of suicide while in a worried state of mind. The Magistrate added a rider: ‘‘That the doctor’s evidence shows that in his opinion death occurred before the arrival of A. W. Liddell, and no blame therefore is attached to Liddell for the delay which occurred in cutting down his body. It would be well, however, for the public to know that in cases of this sort the freeing at the earliest convenience of a man who had attempted to take his life in this fashion may save his life.”