SUICIDE OF DEELEY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2117, 20 April 1920, Page 3

SUICIDE OF DEELEY.

THE CORONER’S VKRDICT

' At Wellington on Saturday, Mr A . (I. Riddell, S.At., held an inquiry into the death of Harry Ueeley, a- prisoner at the Terrace Gaol on remand from Palmerston North on a charge of having mnrdered Mary El helm Webbey on 17th March.

Senior-Sergeant Cox repn.sealed

the police. Herbert Wallace Todd, warder, said that Doeley gave no indication that he intended to commit suicide when witness locked his cell door at (i. 50 a.m. on Friday, after the prisoner had been served with breakfast.

Finlay M'Lennan, another warder, described finding the body hanging to a bar in the cell window by a twisted strip torn front one of the bed sheets.

The gaol .surgeon, Dr. oiliner, gave formal evidence that death was due to hanging. AVilliam James Colwell, who had acted as reserve ollicer ai the gaol on Friday morning, said that as Dceloy was (o be kept under special observation he had examined his cell through the peep-hole in the door at about 7.15 a.m. Deeley was then sitting- at his table eating his breakfast, and everything was in order.

Mr George Crooke, chief gaoler, said that Deeley laid hmi kept under special observation, and had been placed in a cell which the patrol ollicer passed every hali-honr. The hammock and rope were removed from the cell, and a heal and mattress were substituted. The cell knife was also remo'ved. Witness had no reason to believe that Deeley would take his life as he did. A verdict was.returned that deceased committed suicide, the Coroner adding that the gaol ollicials had apparently taken all reasonable precautions to prevent such an occurrence.