LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 214, 16 January 1865, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We call attention to the sale by auction of drapery goods, hardware, groceries, timber, general merchandise, and freehold property, by Mr. J. Stuart, on the Spit, this morning at 11 o’clock. [Vide advertisement.] By the ; arrival ot the Lady Bird, yesterday, we have our files of- Auckland papers complete to the 13th inst. We note that the Claude Hamilton had been detained at Auckland one day, for the purpose of taking on board 108 horses for Wellington. She may be expected at Napier this day, and brings a mail. The schooner Kauri was to take her departure on the 13th inst. for Napier. She has a large,quantity of bonded goods on board, consisting of wines, spirits, and several cases of drapery, transhipped from the Helenslee from Glasgow. \ The s.s. Storm Bird had arrived at tlie Manukau from Wellington, Wanganui, and Taranaki, with sheep and cattle. In consequence of the unsettled state of the Natives at Tauranga and in the neighborhood of Auckland, His Excellency has foregone his intention of proceeding to Dunedin to open the New, Zealand/ Exhibition in person. Several item's of Aucklaild intelligence must stand over till our next. Accepted Tenders.—We give the following list of Tenders accepted, from the Provincial, Government Gazette of Thursday, last: Surveying, &0., O. L.-W. Bousfield ; matt?asses, &c., J, Dinwiddle ; coals, J. H. Yautier; firewood, J. Heyden; ironwork, J. Garry j printing and stationery, J. Wood; paintiilg, J. Kennedy; sundrysupplies, Newton, Irvine, & Co., M. Boylan, E. Sutton, E. W. Knowles; rations, Ac., for hospital and prisonora, W.&H. Parker. “ Another Suicide.—Another of these dreadful results of - intemperance has occurred amongst us. A laborer,' under the annoyance of having been beaten by a companion in a drunken quarrel, has drowned himself in a river in. the. neighborhood of the town. We will endeavor to give particulars in our next.

“ On Friday morning the inhabitants of Napier were thrown into a state of melancholy excitement by-the intelligence that Captain Marsh, late of the. 65th Regiment, Had destroyed himself by discharging a revolver through his head in a St of delirium and bn inquiry we were grieved to receive confirmation of the truth of the report. The unfortunate deceased was well known and highly.respected by the colonists generally here, in Wellington, and on the West Coast. In this case we have one more name added to the fearful list, of victims sacrificed to the fiend Intemperance. Let us hope that the living may be led to profit by the warning his death affords, who, but for this cursed vice, would have been still amongst' iis, and in all probability would have remained to bo, from his urbanity and accomplishments, an ornament to his station in society. A report of the inquest held on the body will be found in another place. HoBTiCTJLTUKAii Society. —We have pleasure to note that Hawke’s Bay is about to imitate the example of some of her elder sisters in the matter of periodically exhibiting to the public the choice productions of the orchard and garden. There can be no question as to the good these shows, do to a community when well conducted, both to the visitor and the exhibitor, especially m leading to increased exertions towards advancement in the practice of his favorite pursuit. We heartily wish success to the society in their laudable work.

INQUEST

Held before T. Hitchings, Esq., Coroner, at the Exchange Hotel, on Saturday, 14th January, 1865, to inquire into the death of Captain Octavius John Blake Marsh.

The following Jury were sworn:—Thomas Price, (foreman), Richard Williams, William Williams, William Fletcher, Henry Groom, Robert Baty, James Elmes,-Francis O’Donnell, Thomas Torr, Thomas Stale, Thomas Henderson, John Elmes. Kate Ma'sterson, being sworn, deposed: I was servant to the late Capt. Marsh. On Thursday night last I slept in his house. I saw him at 12 o’clock on that night. He had been drinking during the day. On three separate occasions I fetched brandy for him that day. When I left him that night he was not sober, and was incoherent in his manner, imagining all sorts of things. He was anxiously seeking for a bottle of something which he could not find. I heard nothing during the night. Whon I arose, between 7 and 8 o’clock the next morning, I awoke him, and found him in the same state as I left him in the night before —on the floor, boots and clothes being on. He then sent me to Mr. Carver’s the chemist, for something which he wrote for, and said “ If you go quickly you may see me when you come back.” I brought the medicine back from Mr. Carver, and found him asleep on the bed. He did not taste the medicine, which I afterwards handed to Dr. Hitehings I found him him with a revolver lying across his chest in his right hand. There was a cap on each nipple. I went immediately to Sergeant Scully to fetch him. James Watson,.on oath, said: lam Staff-As-sistant-Surgeon to H.M. 2nd batt., I4th Regt.„ I made a postmortem examination in conjunction with with Dr. Brown, twelve hours after death; 1 found a ragged wound situated above the fight ear, .communicating with an extensive fracture of tile skull. On examining the brain, I found a considerable portion of fractured bone driven into the substance. The bullet had not penetrated the skull; but had taken a direction backward under the scalp. -The bullet was zuuch flattened, and there were evidences of powder on the wound and on the fractured bone. Such a wound would certainly cause instantaneous death. I also examined the chest and the stomach. The heart and lungs were healthy; the liver enormously enlarged, giving evidence of intemperate habits. The stomach, on being opened, presented the usual appearance, containing a small quantity of undigested food, with a strong smell of garlic. lam fully convincd that the explosion of a loaded revolver would or might, have Caused the wound which we saw. Dr Brown concurred with me.

William Brown deposed: lam a member of the College of Surgeons. I accompanied Dr. Watson in performing apost mortem examination on the deceased. The evidence of Dr. Watson having been read to me, I fully concur in the same.

Thomas Scully being sworn, stated; I am Sergeant-Major of Police at JSapier. Yesterday morning, about 10 o’clock. Captain .Marsh’s servant came to my house and told me that ho had been very ill during the night, and lying in a very awkward position, and that he had drank a lot of drugs which were in the house, and that she thought he had poisoned himself. She also said she had been sent to the druggist’s, but was refused, and that he hid his revolver in his hand lying on the bed, and that it was capped and his finger on the trigger. 1 told her I would be down immediately. When I went down, I did not see the girl, and went into the passage. In an inner room,on the right-hand side,! saw deceased lying on a bed in his clothes, with his right hand close to his right side, so that, I could not see what ho had in it. I spoke to the deceased, and inquired after his wrist, which he had,sprained a day or two before/ He answered me Very abruptly, and ordered me out of the house, on the repetition of which I went into the passage. His manner was quite different to me than usual, and ‘he appeared in a distracted state, imagining see- . ing persons about the room (his wife in particular) who were not present. It struck me that he was quite out of his mind. Just after I reached the passage, I heard the report of firearms. I wheeled round, thinking, he had fired at me, and found that he had fallen back from the position I. last saw him in on the bed, and that his face appeared ghastly. I sprang , into the room, took the revolver, which I now, produce {revolver produced], and found a wound over his right ear. He was not dead, and I ran out and told, two carpenters working close by what had happened, and ran to Dr. Hitching’s house and told him the same. He returned with me immediately. The deceased just breathed his last as we went in. I have known the deceased 14 or 15 years. I have seen him very often during the last two years. His manner was always eccentric. I believe his de-

meanour lately has been such as to be dangerous to those abouti him. I believe differences had existed between-deceased and his wife, which preyed on bis mind. Tim jury, after a brief consultation, returned the following verdict:—“We find that the deceased destroyed himself with a pistol bullet while laboring under a fit of temporary insanity.”