CORONER'S INQUESTS.

Wellington Independent, Volume V, Issue 429, 21 November 1849, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUESTS.

Sergeant Mangan, the unfortunate man who shot himself at the Barracks, Mount Cook, on Friday morning last, after lingering throughout the day and uight in great agony, expired on Saturday morning at five o'clock. At .12 o'clock a highly res-pectable-jury was impannelled by the Coroner, Dr. Fitzgerald, when the following evidence was gone into :— George Dalrymple Monteith,' being sworn, stated—l am a Surgeon practising in Wellington; on Friday morning last, the 15th inst, between 8 and 9 o'clock a.m., I was sent for to see Serjeant Stephen Mangan, of the 65th Regt., who was reported to have shot himself; I found him in one of the wards of the Military Hospital, lying on a bed with a gun shot ■wound on the left breast, extending into the lungs, and a corresponding wound immediately above the left scapula; there was a large escape of blood and air with each respiration ; he then told me that he had shot himself, and that he had done it through love ; be was in, a state of great collapse, from which he never rallied ; I have no doubt but that this wound was the cause of death.

Richard Buckley Ttvyfort Thelwall, deposed—l am Acting Adjutant of the 65th Regt. About 8 o'clock yesterday morning it was reported to me that Serjt. Mangan had shot himself. I immediately proceeded to the barracks, and found him lying ou one of the beds in the Hospital; about ten ininutos afterwards he asked me to take his hand as he wanted to say something to me. He said —"God bless you, Mr. Thelwall, you have .always been kind to me; tell the Col. and officers that I respect them all, that I bear no malice towards any one j but love for has been the cause ofitall." I sent for the Rev. R. Cole: the man has always borne a good character in the Regiment; I had previously sent for Dr. Monteith, who had been acting for Dr. White in his absence ; the deceased appeared to me to be perfectly collected when I was speaking to him. William Alexander, deposed; I am a Serjeant in the 65th Regiment; I have been well acquainted with the deceased, Stephen Mangan; yesterday morning, the 16th Novy I went out in, company with the deceased, about half-past 7 o'clock; we took the direction of the upper gate of Lower Mount Cook; we went round by the Magazine for the purpo«e of picking water creaees; he said to

me along, that.hu tcl . t . v . ™ry groat •- depression of spirits tins morning;. I ' aslied him H he fult it moro so this morning than at uny other time, or if he felt in his head, or heart, or where; he said he could not describe, but lie felt it till over him ; we went to the water-cress bed, und he picked some ; we then went home and went into the Segeants , mess, room ; lie left his cresses there and went out:'! remained; it was near 8 o'clock when I, saw him after this, they were curryjng him to the Hospital; it was in my roohi where he shot himself. The man who went into the room after the act, gave me two letters through the window which he picked up, one of them was addressed to me,the other to Miss . The contents of the one addressed to me are as follows :— Note, No. I. > November 1(1, 1849. I Dear Alick,— Will you deliver this note to i . Apply what I lia\e got in the Bank and every other thing belonging to me to your own use if you jrfease ; write to my sister, Mrs. Ettingsall, 18 Merchants Quay, Dublin, and tell of this proceeding. I die in friends with every one, enmity to none; and love only to one individual, and that one "-7 /-'I the la "er is the caupet don't neglect jpviiifHierthe-nrtfc. Good bye, Alickt. I die in the hopes of a better and happier world. Farewell. ■ S. Makqas. See me decently buried. Note, No. 2. Mount Cook^Bairftcks, lfith Novemher, lSlp, '1 his is my last epistle to you ; all that I have previously told you will have been complete 1)\ tlie time joii receive this note. If I am consideieil uuv.orthy of you, I consider mjsell unworthy io live. Tell Hemsley what I have done for you, and if he ha-> die sauip love for you, let him make a bimilur sacrifice. I die in lo\e with you: The coldness of your, manner towards .me lately 1 considered rather-wrong, and m fact deceit fnl on your part. J could not after that (without being mean) cijlUo »cc you, nnd not to do so would be to h\e in awful misery. I could Mot apply niyscit to anything but the thought of yon : you are the ideal being of which 1 dreamt loiig before I saw you ; any one else.would have been obuoxinus to me fore I chose this proceeding rather than to live a life of misery the most awful that can be imagined; pure and'undefined love for yoii. alone is the cause. I die in the hopes'of a better and happier world,'nnd the hope of meeting my Redeemer.' As Christ died for mankind, f die far you. Farewell, theu.iny beloved girl I never dreamt a dream these six months Jmt you were the substance of it . I forgive'your friends' hard heartednesa tow.ardsjne. .Once-more my only love, good bye. Farewell' Isabella, and your father, mother, And, all your little sisters and brothers, Adieu for ever, my love. -. S. Masgas, George good bye. John Frost, deposed; I am a private in the 65th Regt.; yesterday morning I was sweeping out the.room belonging to Coi-our-Sergeant Alexander; the deceased, Sergeant- Mangan, came in arid said he Ranted to write some letters; which he not do outside';'I v to6k ntftte'e oFhfs: being low spirited: I asked him if he was sick, he told me he was not; I came oat arid left him inside ; I saw him come out of the room, and I saw him go to his box 5 he appeared to be regulating his box ; he then locked the box, and walked out of the room; while; he was. out I found a Bible and Prayer Book on the box; I asked him if they were his, and he said yes, and took them from me; he then went out and remained some time away; I saw nothing more of deceased till I heard the report of a gun in Sergeant Alexander's room; as soon as I heard it I ran into the room, and saw his cap lying oh the floor, and the fusee dropping out of hishiand; he appeared reclining against the bed, which was rolled up on the iron bedstead, but was just dropping down on the iron when I went in; his coat was open, and his stock on the table; his shirt over the left breast was on fire, and his breast was bleeding; some of the other men came mi and I ran up to Sergeant Alexander and told him; I afterwards found the Bible and Prayer Book, and two letters, which latter were in his paper ease ; during this occurrence there was uo one in the room, which is a small one belonging to Sergeant Alexander;" the deceased appeared both this morning, and time previously, very low in spirits;; and diflerent from what he used to be, which made me think he was sick.

J 6hn Kennedy, deposed ;I am ColourSent, of the 65th Regt.; the fusee J no\f prdauce: I found in the room with the deceased, Serjt. Mangan; it was recently discharged, and the string which is now tied round the trigger is the same which was on at the time. ■ • •.;< /

The jury returned a verdict that the deceased Killed himself whilst labouring under temporary insanity. Yesterday morning, deceased's remains were, conveyed to the Cemetery followed by all his late comrades, the band playing that mournful air which ushers in all cases a soldier to his grave.