HEATHCOTE RIVER TRAGEDY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16542, 28 September 1921, Page 8

HEATHCOTE RIVER TRAGEDY.

THE INQUEST. The body of the woman who was found drowned in the Heath cote River under Wilson’s Road bridge at 6.30 on Monday night was identified yesterday morning as that of Jane Bryenton, a married woman, a cook by occupation. who had been living apart from her husband. She was fifty-five years of age. An inquest was held yesterday afternoon before 3fr S. McCarthy, 5.31., District Coroner. Frederick Bryenton. husband of the deceased, said he was a labourer at the gasworks. They had been married about thirty years, but had not lived together for twenty-five. They had had no quarrel, but separated because be was not able to earn sufficient money to keep both of them- His wife bad gone out as cook, aud earned good money. She had always more money than he. "Whenever 31rs Bryenton was in Christchurch she always visited witness, but he bad not seen her now for three .years. He could not understand why she had not seen him- Every year, she sent him a gift on his birthday, and as she had not done so this year lie thought she must be dead. She had always been a cheerful woman, and he thought th»* she must have been knocked on the head, or something like that; she could never comm it suicide. Ellen 3ladden. residing at; 107, Durham Street, said that Mrs Bryenton had been living with her for about three weeks. She had been working at tike Rakaia Hotel, but had come into town for a holiday. As far as witness knew she was a sober woman, but she did drink sometimes. She had paid no rent to witness, because she bad no ready cash, her money being out on interest. The last time witness saw deceased alive was at a quarter to eight on Sunday evening. She went into Mrs Bryenton’s room with tea on Monday morning but the room was empty. Joseph Robert Ankins, aged twelve years, gave evidence of finding the body under Wilson’s Road bridge. Constable E. J. Rowe also gave evidence. The Coroner found that the deceased, while in a state of melancholia, had committed suicide by drowning on Sunday night.