A SUICIDE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1948, 3 December 1906, Page 1

A SUICIDE

PATHETIC LETTERS,

There were some distressing ohcamslancea surrounding the da»‘h of J jsepb Smith, a clerk, 67 years of ege, whose body was found floating in Weliogton harbor. At the inquest .in the afternoon Ohas. Henry Smith produced the follow irg letter, which he found in deceased's bedroom on Thursday morning :— 11 Goodbj e, Charlie. I see nothing in front of me but ending my life, Tho world is hard, and lam sick of it. My bfe has been hard for some time, and I don’t see any end to it. I think it is quits time to tnd it, Do tho beßt you oan for yourself, I have applied to the Government, and to the City Oounoil, but Mr wid not fiod anything, and, as I am at the end of my tether, there is nothing lift for it. lam eorry for you ; but do the best you cao. I suppose tuioidoa don’t go to HenveD, so I may not seo your mother.—Your despondent father.”

A message on the eame sheet to a friend said : " Dear old friend. For old times’ sake take care of Charlie. So good bye. Give my love to George and A'ic;. Hoping, which is ogainst hope, to meet again, 1 remain, yours truly, Jos. Smith,”

The ovidenoo showed that deceased’s wife died 10 months ago, bidcj which time he had almost daily been under the infla> ence of drink, and had dona no woik A prohibition order was granted against him on the 7th inst,, and on the 26,h ioef. he was hoed 40s, with 7s costß, in default 14 days’ imprisonment, for a breaob of the order. Tbo fact of his having little or no means is thought to bavo preyed on his mind. He left his home at sis o’clock on Thursday morning, and two hours later his body was found in the harbor. One witness stated that deoeased had written a similar letter to the ona found in hie bedroom two months ago. He was then in a despondent mood, The letter was not dated, and may possibly have been tbe same as the one found by his sou. Toe jury fouad that death was due to suioide by drowning whilst inaßtaieoi temporary insanity.