DEATH OF A WATERSIDER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 49, 22 November 1918, Page 5

DEATH OF A WATERSIDER

SUICIDE WHILE SUFFERING FROM ; . INFLUENZA. An inquest was held yesterday morning by Mr. P. V. Frazer, S.M., into the circumstances attending the death of Harry Barlow, a waterside worker and a single man, who shot himself with, a revolver and. died at.jthe'Wellington Hospital 011 Wednesday. John Randall Morgan said that Barlow had lived with him at 12,1 Ghnzneo Street for the past three months. On November 12 he complained of being ill, and stayed in bed for two or three days, being nursed by Mrs. Morgan. On Saturday he appeared to Jiave recovered, and got up. He had a bad attack of diarrhoea on Monday. Dr. Gilmer was sent for, and promised to come before he went to bed that night. The doctor called at 8.30. An hour'previously witness heard the report of a revolver and a sound like a heavy thud. He went into the room occupied by the deceased, and found the latter lying across the bed unconscious, with a revolver at his side. Tliero was a wound behind the right ear. Deceased had never threatened to oommit suicide. Constable John .Walsh said that Barlow, recovered consciousness sufficiently to make tho following statement: "I got very weak from influenza, and I didn't thinlj it worth while. I got the revolver and shot myself." He further silid he had made a will and that he wanted the Public Trustee to forward his money and effects to his mother in England. He had 0£250 or. ,£2OO in the bank. Dr. D. M. Paterson, superintendent at the Public Hospital, deposed that Barlow was admitted to tile institution on November 18 suffering from a bullet wound in the head. lie was practically unconscious, and showed signs of pneumonia. His temperature registered 105.0 degrees. He did; not recover consciousness, and died 011 November 20. \ The cause of death was influenzal capillary bronchitis. The Coroner returned a verdict that the cause of death was influenzal capillary bronchitis, nnd that deceased had shot himself in the head with a revolver while depressed owing to influenza, but thfi .wound so inflicted was not the cause of death.