VERDICT OF SUICIDE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 63, 14 March 1936, Page 8

VERDICT OF SUICIDE

MAN’S LONELY DEATH | CORONIAL INQUIRY HELD A verdict of suicide whilst temporarily in a state of unsound mind, wa • the verdict of the coroner, Air. S. M. Dixon, at the inquest yesterday into the circumstances surrounding the death of William bamuel Bechre, aged 4»i. who died last Monday at <>toko Hill, 30 miles from Wanganui "ii the Parapara R f »ad. The roronial Ptiquir-.-was held at Wanganui and whs con eluded yesterday, when the evidence was taken <»f witnesses wh<» were nn able to attend the opening proceeding'. Pr. H. JJ. Robertson, who examined the body, said that in his opinion death was due to poisoning. James <’har|es Quinlan, who is employed by the Public Works Department on the Parapara Road, said he was camped at ;hc 13-mile peg. On Sunday, March S, at about 1 p.m., hr saw the deceased, who later spent that night sleeping ii. a tent which was temporarily unoccupied. He lia*l tea and breakfast thttc He did not lei! witness his name, but said he intend** : going to Raetibi to iook for work in the timber mills. Hu asked if he won**. l have to be registered as “unemploy ed ” before he emua get a job on t’u* | road work wnerj witness was cm | ploy.-I. Witness said that when the decease! arrived on the Sunday he was cold and made a fire. He did not complain o* hi* health, but was not in good spirits and looked thin and miserable, lie had a brown paper bag in which were some homemade cakes. After breakfast on Monday witness told him that he could coriie along on the Public Works lorry to the 28-mile peg where the men were working. The deceased accompanied them and at about 8.30 a.m. witness told him that this was as far as they went, to which the deceased replied: “That is a good help, but God knows what is going to happen after this.” lie then walked on towards Otoko and was carrying his suitcase and a sugar-bag swag.