INQUESTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2786, 8 March 1877, Page 2

INQUESTS.

A Coroner's inquest was held yesterday at the house of Mr William Mathewffj Lakeside, before B. B Willis, Eeq , Coroner, on the body of Kobert Wallace, aged three years, who died on Thursday, Maroh 1. From a jury of 14, Mr D. Marshall was chosen foreman. From the evidenoa of Eliza Wallace, motber of the deoeased, and her husband, it was proved that deoeased had taken a severe cold while in the Emigration Depdt, London, and had after* wards suffered from measles while on tho passage out. The evidenoe of Henry Hugh Chapman, M.D., showed that deoeased was in delicate health, whioh was probably owing to the above mentioned causes, lhe jury re* turned a verdiot of " Death from natural causes, to wit, disease of the lungs." An inquest was held on luesday after* noon, Maroh 6, at the Somerset Hotel, Ashburton, before Dr Trevor, Coroner, on the body of John Sherman, which was found on Mon* day morning hanging by the neok from the Railway gooda shed at tbe Hinds Station. The evidence went to show that the deoeased arrived at Ashburton on Saturday last. He remained until the following afternoon, when he left, stating that he intended walking to the Bangitata. He waß seen on his way by two witnesses, who both stated tbat ho ap* peared in a very odd and exoited state, and looked like a man who bad been in the horrors. Mr Bobert Glass, station-master at the Hinds, deposed that during Sunday night he heard a voice, and then a orj of " murder." He did not get up, as he thought it was only some drunken man passing. The body was found in the morning by Eeuben Kite, a platelayer, hanging from the door guide, between three and four feet from the ground. The man was dead, and lay flat, his neck bearing on the rope. Saw no marks of struggling near the body. Dr Franois M'Bean Steward, aduly qualified medical practitioner, deposed to having examined the body of the deceased. 1 He was of opinion that death resulted fro_a mingled strangulation and suffocation. There were no marks of violence on the body, and from what witness had seen of it, he did not consider it necessary to mako a post mortem examination. H. W. Felton, Sergeant of Polieo at Ashburton, deposed to having taken charge of tho body, and bringing it to the township. Two sailors' discharges were found in the pockets of deceased. The jury returned the following verdict: — "The jury are unanimously of opinion that the deoeased committed suioido while suffering from a fit of temporary insanity."