Inquest on the Late Mr E. W. Pickering.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 198, 22 December 1893, Page 2

Inquest on the Late Mr E. W. Pickering.

An inquest on the body of the unfortunate young man, Mr E. W. Pickering, who committed suicide yesterday, was held in Mrs Hastie's Hotel this morning, before Mr J. Linton, Coronor. The following jury were sworn — Messrs H. L. Sherwill (foreman), W. G. Haybittle, H. W. Davy, F. Owen, S. Ratliff, and H. Bastings. F. E. Pickering deposed: Deceased, who was his brother, was 25 years old last May, and held a commission as captain in a Welsh regiment of militia ; deceased had been in the colony about two years ; saw him last on Friday, the 15th instant, and he then appeared to be in better health than he had been for some time ; deceased had been ailing for some months, and suffered a great deal from insomnia; he resided with witness until about four months ago. * Alfred Richard • L. Hayne deposed : Had been in the employ of Mr Fetch, and resided off Eimbolton road in a cottage on the property of his employer; deceased had lived and worked with witness for four or five months, but of late had suffered from insomnia and pains in the eyes, and was not able to do any work ; deceased got up at half-past nine yesterday morning, and ate a little breakfast ; witness left the cottage at about 9.45 to catch his horse, when he heard a dull thud, but thinking something had fallen in the cottage did not take any notice of it ; when he got back to the cottage and had saddled his horse, he called out " Ernest," and not getting a reply went into deceased room, but could not see him ; on coming out saw him lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood witha wound in his head and a gun in his hand ; stood over deceased for a short time, but did not see him breathe; witness caught his, horse for the purpose of coming to Feilding to get the doctor to visit deceased ; the previous night came in and got a sleeping draught ; a letter was found in deceased's desk addressed to witness; the gun was the property of Mr Fetch, but deceased had amunition of his own. 'Dr Charlton deposed: Mr Hayne called on witness at about 10 a.m. yesterday and asked him to go out to see- a friend who had shot himself; arrived there and entered the cottage ; deceased was lying on his back on the floor ; there was a gun lying across the palm of his right hand and his head was resting on the barrel ; 'his left arm was lying across his chest ; the left side of head and face were shattered ; found shot marks on the roof of the cottage ; the cause of death was a gun-shot wound; from the position witness believed deceased was sitting oh the bed when he discharged the gun ; prescribed j a sleeping draught for deceased the day previous. Constable Tuohy gave evidence of the case being reported to him by Mr Hayne, and he went to the scene ; corroborated the evidence given by Dr Charlton ; had the body removed to wljere it now lays at Haatie'a Hotel ; in his opinion there were not the slightest grounds for suspicion of foul play. The following verdict was returned : — " That the jury are of opinion that the deceased Ernest William Pickering shot himself on the 21st of December, 1893, while in a state of temporary insanity superinduced by prolonged insomnia. The funeral of the late Mr Ernest William Pickering, will leave Mrs Hastie's Feilding Hotel to-morrow, at 10 a.m. .-