A SUICIDE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 705, 29 December 1902, Page 3

A SUICIDE.

Saturday’s Auckland Star states: — Captain Matthew Hooper, a retired master of vessels engaged in the coastal trade, .vas found dead in the waehhouso at the oar of his residence, Glenmore, New I North road, yesterday afternoon, under 1 circum3tancos which point to suicide. Decoaecd residod with his wife and family and his mother-in-law, Mrs S. Fail, who 1 is about 80 years of ago. Yesterday morning Mrs Hooper and her daughter I wont to St. Holior’s Bay, leaving deceased ud Mrs Fail at home. Mrs Fail saw ecoased at half-past eleven, when ho asked hor if she was going out, receiving a _,ogativo reply. At about one o’clock Mrs Fail wont to call her son-in-law to dinner, and in looking for him found that tho door of tho washhouso was locked. Looking through tho window sho saw Capt, Hooper lying with his feot on a tablo near the boiler. She called to doeoasod, but got no answer, and then called on the neighbors, being alarmed at his silence. Mr George Little broke open the door and found docoased partially dressed with his head and chest in tho copper, which was full of water, his legs Doing on tho table. Mr Little lifted tho body to the floor, and thon called in Dr. Roberton, who could only pronounce life extinct, death having apparently taken placo some time previously. Decoaaod had beou in ill-health for the past six weeks, and was ocoasion ally melancholy. He was a nativo of the colony, and was 58 years of ago. An inquest was hold at tho late residence of docoased to-day boforo Mr T. Gresham, coroner, when evidence was given by Mrs Fair and Drs. Lindsay and Roberton, it boing statod that deceased had been of unsound mind twolvo years a „ 0 . Tho jury returnod a verdict of suicide while temporarily insane.