THE CASE OF SUICIDE AT WOODVILLE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3699, 23 May 1883, Page 3

THE CASE OF SUICIDE AT WOODVILLE.

Furthor particulars have conic to hand of tlio case of suicide reported from Woodvillc in our telegrams published last Monday. It appears that on Saturday last a Mrs Ross reported to the constable at Woodvillc that a man had drowned himself in the Manawatu river near the Gorge bridge. Constable Motley proceeded to the river, and there mot two men named Neil Anderson, of Muurioovillc, and A. Anderson, of Eketahuna. The latter informed Constable Motley that as ho and his companion were going , towards Palmer.stou, and when they had passed tho bridge about two hundred yards, they heard some one coocy as from the river bed, but the scrub on the bank prevented any one being seen. Thinking the sound must come from somebody rccjuiriiig- assistance-, tho two men went back along tho road to a spot where they could get a view of tho river bud. They then saw a man with his coab and hat ofF .standing on a rock by tho water's edge. 'When the man saw that he was observed lie jumped into the river, and wn.s rapidly carried away by the current —ho only rose once to the surface. Constable Motley and tho two Andersons went down to the river bed and found the man's coat and hat —in tho latter had been placed two shillings in silver, shirt studs, knife, pipe, and tobacco. In tho coat pocket was a bank-book, ■which contained an account with tho Dank of Now Zealand, Palmcrston North, and the name of "Charles Marson, contractor." Constable Motley ascertained that the deceased had been staying at the Temperance Hotel, Woodvillc, since Tuesday the l<sth hist., and that ho had not been drinking, nor had he shown any signs of insanity. The policoat Palmcrston were at once communicated with, with the result that Marson's wife's father and two brothers arrived at Woodville last Monday, from whom it was learned that deceased had only boon married three months, and that he had written a letter from Woodville last week stating that he contemplated suicide, but giving no reason for such an act. Every search has been made for the body, but as yet it has not been found.