FOUND DROWNED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 June 1924, Page 4

FOUND DROWNED.

DEATH OF HORSE TRAINER. INQUEST ON PERCY COFFEY. An inquest into the circumstances touching: the death of Percy Coffey, whose dead body was found in the Waingongom River on Friday last, was hold in the courthouse at Hawera. yesterday before Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M. Sergeant Henry said that deceased had been a horse trainer and had resided at- the Normanby Hotel. He had been in financial" difficulties lor some time. and had expressed the opinion that life was not worth living: Dr. R. G. B. Sinclair, who examined the body at the morgue, stated that he had found several wounds on the head which exposed the bone, but the skull was not fractured. The injuries were consistent with the suggestion that the deceased had met his death by diving from a height and striking rocks. Olive Coffey, wife of deceased, .said that Coffey had resided at the Normanby Hotel for the past seven months, while she and the two children stopped with Mr. O’Carroll owing to Coffey’s financial circumstances. She had an interview with her husband on the 11th, and he had told her that he had been summoned to appear at the court on the following day to answer it, judgment summons. He did not know where the money was coming from, and remarked: “A man would be better off in his grave.” Witness, however, did not take much notice of him as he had had a drink or two, although he was not drunk. On one other occasion when a horse, Mort Avis, owned by deceased, had died he had passed some similar remark. On the night of the 11th deceased had said good-bye to the eldest boy, but she did not take particular notice, as he usually did this. Later, when witness said ‘Au revoir.” he had replied: “No not au revoir, but good-bye!” ’ 'Tonga. O’Carroll said that Coffey had never said anvthimr to him about taknm his own life, although he knew that CoUey was always “hard up.” Tommv Tetau deposed as to bavin" round the body of deceased in the shallow water below the Electric Li"ht louipany’s dam on the 13th inst, ~ Constable Pidgeon told how, on the day before the body was found, a jockey had met him and had said that the licensee of the hotel wished to see him saw th« hcen-oe, who told him that Coffev had not been in to his meals, and his hor.se Sly Wink had been .found near the Wamgongoro River with bridle and saddle on. He organised a search party, and the body.was eventually found. Deceased was a sober and orderly man.

His Worsbio found, on the facte iitbfw • e<l hacl been foUild browned in the \Yaineongoro River on the 13th just. he having left hi s ordinary haunts m a time of mental depression