POLICEMAN’S DEATH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18511, 7 March 1930, Page 6

POLICEMAN’S DEATH

INQUEST REOPENED. EVIDENCE BY COMMISSIONER. By Telegraph—Press Association. ASHBURTON. March 6. An inquest on Constable David Ogilvy Brown, who shot himself at Rakaia on February 18. was resumed to-day in consequence o* allegations by Mr W. J. Hunter, acting on behalf ui the relatives, that Commissioner Mcliveney had suppressed a letter from the deceased. The Commissioner attended and produced a letter in which deceased said he had been too long at routine office work t-o make a success of anything else, stating: 'I must apologise to you, for it was not your fault that I didn’t remain in my good job in the Gazette office.” The Commissioner said the letter was a State document, and the proper place was on the files in Wellington. He could have refused production, but had brought it down to show that there was nothing in it to lead them to ascertain the cause of death. Brown was a thoroughly reliable, competent, strong-minded man, and had been very favourably reported on by Inspector Cummings. Brown would have been placed iii a better position had one been ready. He had passed the Sergeants’ examination, and would shortly have taken up that position. He had made no complaints to the Commissioner about the difficulty of the Rakaia work. He had applied for assistance, but declined it when offered. It was utter nonsense to say the man would be dismissed if he applied for a transfer. The Coroner returned a verdict of suicide due to acute mental worry.