FOUND DROWNED.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 41, 4 November 1871, Page 16

FOUND DROWNED.

Our late files of Christchurch papers give the following particulars of the circumstances attending the drowning of Mrs Howroyd, which was reported by telegraph on Monday : —Yesterday morning, the body of a woman ■ was observed by Mr Wm. Walls to be floating down the river in the neighborhood of the eemetery. The body was brought to the bank, and it proved to be that of Mrs Martha Howroyd, wife of Mr Jesse Howrowd, who is at work at Wellington. Mrs Howroyd left her house about one o’clock yesterday morning, and it is presumed that she threw herself in the river, as she had been known to be in a desponding state of mind for some time past. The body was conveyed to Mills’ Hotel, wdiere an inquest was held in the afternoon.. Mr J. White was chosen foreman of the jury, and, after the body had been viewed, evidence was taken in connection with the sad occurrence. Sergeant Horniman, after stating how the discovery of the body was reported at the Police Depot, said when the body had been taken to the hotel, he examined it, but found no marks of violence. There were two gold rings on the third finger of the left hand. He removed one of them (produced), but could not get the other off. Harry Howroyd, son of deceased (about 14 years of age) said his father had been working at Wellington, about a year and nine months. He had only been home once during that time, but was to return again on Tuesday (to-day). Deceased was ill on Sunday, and kept her bed all day. She had been drinking for some past, but had not had any drink since Thursday last, or at least very little. About one o’clock that (Monday) morning he was awoke by his mother getting up for a drink, but shortly afterwards he fell asleep again. At two o clock was again awoke by his sister crying tor her mother. He got up and found that his mother had left the house. He did not see her again until after the body was taken out of the river.—Mrs Jackson said she resided next door to deceased, and had done so during the past three years. Deceased had been very low spirited tor some time, and been drinking for abont nine weeks. The reason why deceased was so low-spirited was that she was afraid to meet her husband because of the way she had been going on. The jury returned a verdict of—“ Found Drowned, but nothing to show how deceased came by her death.”