INQUEST.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2056, 26 April 1881, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest touching the death of Harry LouU Natlmn, who was found dead m hisbfd on Sunday morning, was held yesterday ofternoon at the Clarendon hotel, before R. Beelham, Kaq., Coroner, and the following jury :— Messrs Jno. Jackson, E. Bowie, T. G-. Cork, J. O. Cowan, H. Kxley, T. Ness, T. B. Jones, S. Hotkins, F. Stoplebein, S. Kirby, Colin McDonald, J. Davidson, Q. Pearson. Mr Jacls>n was chosen foreman. The following evidence was taken : — Louis Moses : I am a draper residing m Timaru. I knew tho decease:! about 18 months. He haa been a clerk at Messrs Perry and Perry's. I was m the habit of seeing him slmotfc every day. He came to the ebop last Saturday night about a quarter to eleven. He walked home with me to my gate, and left me there at about ten minutes pa«t eleven. During the conversation that evening ho spoke frequently of suicide, and co much so that I took no notice as I might otherwise have done. He seemed quite well as far as I wae able to judge. Ho looked haggard. He stated positively that he would be buried within a month, but that no one should know when ho did it within a few days. I made an appointment to meet him next morning at eleven o'clock at my house. Before that hour I went to see him at Mrs Beldy's. I went about a quarter to ten. I did not see him when I arrived. I went to the door of hi» room with Mr« Beldy. It -as locked. I knocked violently at the door and shouted his name, but got no answer. I afterwards went to the back and forced the window, and got m the room. I took down the bedclothes, and I saw ti at be lay there dead. I then unlocked tbe door of the room and let m some others. I did not disturb him, but merely touched his hand and found it cold. I know his handwriting. To the best of my belief that produced is his. Letter read as follows : — " 1 person alone knows tho true reason of my voluntary death — I wish for whftt is impossible — yet without this impossibility I cannot be happy — therefore I die. — S" ye wiso men — bring m yonr verdict of insanity ; Icannot/eeZ hurt at it. — My pulse is a?. 75 ; I am quite cool, bat feel m a hurry to get off. — I am, as regards religious belief, ft believer neither m a porsonal Deity nor a future state of existence. "H. L. Nathas." He was always a great reader. Was a very intelligent young man, and was well educated. By Coroner : Iknow hiß father, who rcsidea m Hngland. Deceased was brought up m Ihe Jewish faith, and all his people are strict Jews. The last few days be seemed haggard, as if something was preying on his mind. I had son.o conversations with him, but could not judge from them thit his mind was unhinged. I should think from that letter he was not quite right m his mind, as be has written the word one as a figure 1. I never saw him make such a mistake as that m bis writing before. To the Foreman : The reason I called on deceaaed before tho appointed hour on Sunday morniDg wa» that I felt BUBpicious of him. I had made up my mind, if he continued to talk of suicide, ta give information to the police. Le Gay Holthouae: I am living at Mrs Beldy's, and knew tho deceased well. Yesterday morning, shortly after the alarm was given, I went into deceased's room. I found the letter produced on o. chest of drawers, and handed it to Detective Kirby. I had DO suspicion deceased was going to commit sniciie. He wus m the habit of talking wildly about committing suicide. Ho g»ve roe no reasom for en talking. He used to read a great rloal. He spoke so frequently ahout it that I took co notice. Tho last time he spoko to me was on Tuesday evening l»»t, going m the gate towards the house. Ho showed mo a bottle of chloroform, and m answer to a question of mine, paid it was for experiments. It was a bii ounce bottle. I handled it. Tho one produced is the same, and was found m the bed with him, together with the tooth-brush dtsb. They were close to his face. Charles B. Kichbaum : I am a chemist, residing m Timara. I kneV deceased, who wag m tho habit very often of getting medicine from mo. About two months ago be got two ounce bottles of prussic acid from me. He said he was m the habit of taking it for heart disease. Laßt Tuesday evening, at about a quarter to six, he bought nine ounces of chloroform. It was entered m my book, (entry produced). It was not witnessed. I asked him what he wanted with such a larg» quantity of chloroform at one time. He said it was for medicinal use and • xperiments. He said be took about twenty drops a', bed time to make him sleep. On Saturday last he got another six ounces. This he got from my assistant. Detective Kirby : I searched the deceased between ten and eleven o'clock yesterday morniog. I found nothing m his pockets. I found £3 12s m money m bi9 cash-box, a-id alio his watch and chain, which were closo to his head. I look posßetsion of the dish, the bottle of chloroform, letter, and handkerchief. There woro several books on a chair by the aide of his bed — somo of Hume'f, Diokene', and Paine's works. Dr Macintyre : I arrived at Mrs Boldy'a house about two o'clock yesterday afternoon. On entering the room of deceased I saw the body m bed drested, with the oxcoption of his boots and hat, which were off. He wai fully covered witb bedclolhing and an. overcoat. Tho body lay is a position of repose on its right vide, the knees bent, the arms bent m front of tbe chest, and the head well raised on tho pillow. Immediately m front of his face wnt a tooth-brush dish containing about an ounce of chloroform. There was an empty chloroform bottle beside it. The body was stiff, with a slight warmth m tho trunk, but the limbs were very cold. Within arm's length of Ihe body wus the bottle of pruseie acid produced, containing about five drachma. From the eridenoe I have heard and the letter read, the decoded wan, m my opinion, m a state of temporary insanity at tho titno of hit death. Judging from appearances and tho position of the body, I believo chloroform was the cause of death. The Coroner said he did nob think thore

I w.is any occasion for any remark* from him, as there was very little doubt deceased put an end to his own lifo. So far as he could BCO, tho spirit of tho Act hud been complied with as regarded tho sale of tho poisons, but if the jury thought otherwise they could uiaVe an expn'eiion of opinion. After a short deliberation tho jury returned a veriiict tbatdeceaaed had cominifcd filicide while m a state of temporary insanity.