TRAGIC OCCURRENCE IN CHRISTCHURCH

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 6

TRAGIC OCCURRENCE IN CHRISTCHURCH

DISCLOSURES AT AN INQUEST. . .(By Itleeraij.h.—Prosa Association.).'. .••■'■'■••;■ Christchuroh, May 26. "Good-bye, l'erce'; 1' cannot do what you want me to. '1 could not go on, knowing-you aro going with' another woman. God forgive me for what lam doing. Give my clothes and jewellery to 1 your sister. Oast aside for ever.— .Emily." This pathetic note, scribbled roughly in, pencil on a dirty piece' of foolscap, provided practically the only evidence as to the state of mind of Emily Smith, who died as the result of poisoning early this morning when being, admitted to tho Hospital. An inquest was held by Mr.H. Wv Bishop, S.M., District Coroner, to-day, John Percival Smith stated in evidence that ho was proprietor of , tno Don »Dining ltooriis, 11V llanchester Street. Deceased's name was Emily Alice Smith, but she was no relation of his. Sho was* a married woman, but witness had no idea wliero her husband was. Sho had been living .'apart from him for about nine years, and had .lived with witness: for the last eight years. They first met. in Wellington. He "was a single man, and deceased had no children. They had been living on very fair terms, but had. tho usual little tiffs occasionally. Mr. Bishop: Was sho jealous of you? Witness: Oh, yes. Had that jealousy become more accentuated lately?—"Oh, 1 can't say that. She had been jealous generally." • Yesterday, continued witness, she had eeemed in her usual spirits. Deceased, however, had often spoken , of suicide, but such a thing had not been spoken' of'for some time! On such occasions witness had not taken her soriously. Hβ last haw her in her usual state at about 8:15 p.m. yesterday, when ho,left her sitting in the kitchen and wont for a walk round town;

Mr. Bishop: Did she raise any objections to your going out? . . Witness: She did not like me<going out, but sho made no fiiss. She" asked me not to go, but I simply walkett out. • Mr. Bishop: Did she think t-Mlt you were going with another woman ? Witness; She was suspicious. As a matter of fact I was going out with another woman. I would probably'have married the other woman in time, but, 1 never told deceased so. Deceased knew who tho other woman was; Witness added that ho camo back at about 10 o'clock and, after attending to business, he went up to tho room next his own, where he saw a light, but took little notice of it. Ho returned upstairs again at about 11 , p.m., and went to the room.' Finding the door locked he knocked two or three times, and receivirig no answer, pushed'up ■tho window off tho verandah, and ,en'tercd. He found deceased lying unconscious, and he saw at once that something was Wrong. Hβ called a waitress, and ran for Dr. Louisson. \ Deceased was ■ removed to tho Hospital. Ho accompanied her, and thought that sho was alive, but tho doctor came running up, and said that she must have been dead.when admitted to the Hospital. ■ ■-, Deceased's last note -was then produced, and Mr. Bishop,' perusing it, asked: "What was it that you wanted her to do ?'* : Witness: "Go' to her people in Australia." Witness added that ho had never seen' a." bottle'-'of poison in" the house. - ' - . - ■Reginald Ward, detective, gave evidence that he-knew-the parties. Deceased had been to him about three times during tho past two months.'The first time' sho told him that she had been away'- to Sydney on holiday 'in March, and, 'when she got bafck, she found another woman atilie house. On tho'last occasion deceased 1 said' that Smith was going to marry this woman, and that he had,told deceased that if she did not like , it she could'get out. Deceased was crying at the time. Her object was apparently to get information about her rjral. Mr. Bishop said that, as there was no evidence as to deceased's state of mind at the time he would simply return a verdict, of suicide by poison. "Do you intend to bury her?"> asked Mr. Bishop. Smith: "Yes." Mr. Bishop: You'd better take Mint, then (handing him a certificate); it is tV least you can do for her. It was stated in evidenco that deceased's husband was 'at ono time an acrobat employed on the local vaudeville stago.