SUICIDE BY DROWNING.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4, 5 January 1900, Page 4

SUICIDE BY DROWNING.

THE CORONEK'3 INQUE3T.

— "N.

An inquest was held at the Tua Mariua Hotel yesterday afternoon touching the death of Richard Reid, an old man 73 years of age, whc ac body was found m the Tua Marina River yesterday morning. Mr J. Allen, Coroner, was on the Bench, and the following jury was empannplled :~F. W. Martin (Foremar), H. G. George, J. Healy, W, Tait, J. flarris, and J. G. Johnson. Angelo Brunetti deposed that deceased, who was his wife's uncle, resided with him at Tua Mariua. At 1.30 on Tuesday deceased went out lor a walk. He was strong m health, but childish. Witness did not ccc him again until that moming, when Mr Hodgoon called him and said a body was m the river a short distance away. They pulled the body oufc of the water at about 10 o'clock. Deceased had " said he wished he was dead, and would like to do away with bimoelf. That was abUt a fortuight ago, after beii g discharged from the Picton Hospital. He had been low m spirits, ard did not want to go back to the hospital. He did not diink, and had only one glass of b^er after leaving the hospital. Ihey agreed well. Deceased had been away from his house before m this way, and witness did not think anything was wrong,

Mrs Brunetti gave corroboratory evidence. Deceased was seven weeks m the hospital, and when he came back did not seem at all right. He said he tried to get laudanum at Picton, but could not get any. She wrote the letter (produced) asking Dr. OwVn to take deceased b?ck m the hospital as he required watching. Deceased wat quite willing to go.

Samuel Hodgson gave evidence as to . finding the body m the river. Knew deceased, and did not see anything wrong with him. Believed he was kitdlj treattd. The body was standing straight up m the water, with cap 6n, the tip n i ihe cap visible, and a ptick m tLo Land.

-Major Mason said that when Constable Price and he searched the body it was fully- and well clad. There were no marks of violence, and there were sure signs of death from drowning. In the pocke,'t they found a bag and a ha/*. .1 kerchief, which contained sir £i notes and some silver, sad two leather purses, containing a half sovereign, silver, a ring, and five £1 notes— £12 Is 9d altogether. There were no marks of any struggle on the bank. The letter produced (from Mrs Brunetti to Dr. Owen) was m one of the pockets, but the envelope had not been opened. The jury returned a verdict that deceased destroyed himself by drowning on or about the 2nd January, while m a temporary state of insanity. •