A TAILOR'S SUICIDE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1293, 5 April 1918, Page 5

A TAILOR'S SUICIDE.

ASPHYXIATED BY GAS, An inquest was held at 9 a.m. to-day by the Coroner, Mr T. A. B. Bailey. 8.M., on the body of William Alfred Burton Hobbs, a tailor, residing at 29 Fitzgerald Street, who was found dead by his wife early last evening. Amy Gertrude Hobb."*, widow of the; deceased, said that he was 54 years of age, and was much addicted to drink. On Wednesday evening ho was much the worse for liquor, and at 9 o'clock' he turned witness out of the house.; Witness went to her sister's place for the night. Returning about 0 p.m. yesterday, she found the house shut, and on entering noticed a strong smell of gas.! Deceased was lying on a sofa with a piece of gas tubing near his mouth. Frank Ryshworth Leach said that Mrs Hobbs came for him, and he ac-' eompanied her to the house, where he found tho body of deceased. Constable McLeod gave evidence as; to the state of the body. Deceased was; lying on the sofa in his night attire ' covered with a rug, with the gas tube near his mouth. Witness thought that! the deceased had been dead some 10 j hours. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide by inhaling coal gas, there being no evidence as to his state of mind.