CORONIAL INQUEST.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 9 August 1920, Page 3

CORONIAL INQUEST.

<-' J MR P, A. GILLIES'- DEATH, it I I "Standard.") An'inquiry was held on Friday Palmerston North touching the dea ;'■'' of the late Mr Percy Archibald Gillii if-" whoscjbody was /oveied in the Man watu river... Sergeant Fitzpatrick co ducted the proceedings for the polic Hugh Gillies, farmer, of Eangitlki line, an uncle of deceased, deposed th; deceased was in good health when 1 saw him' last in February, though a (injury he had sustained to his ankl had caused him some "worry and deproi sion. Witness had seen the body am identified it as that of the late M Gillies. A fractured ankle bone on tin right foot as well as an amputate! linger had led him to the above con elusion, as Mr Gillies had suffered fron such disabilities. Witness also understood that Mr Gillies had harboured i belief that he was a financially ruinei I man. though deceased had nevei spoken much on the subject. The in • j jury to his ankle was sustained at Wai j pawa about ; three months prior to his disappearance while deceased was walking in his sleep. The right boot found on the body was cut on one side in an identically similar, manner to that in which Mr Gillies had been forced to cut his on account of his injured ankle. The* coat found near tho body and shown to witness by the police bore the words "P. Gillies, Otaki," in indelible ink ' on the maker's tag. Witness identified it as his nephew's coat. Harry John Taylor Hume, farmer, of Tokomaru, deposed that for a ff\v weeks prior to the.disappearance of dej ceased on February 25 last lie hau been staying with him at Tokomaru. On February 25 witness motored Mr Gillies into Palmerston North and at about 0.30 or 10 o'clock in tho morning deceased alighted from the car at itlie Bank of New Zealand corner.- An understanding then existed that witness should meet Mr Gillies again al a garage in town. Mr Gillies' first inj tention on leaving Tokomaru was to attend a sheep sale at Feilding with witness, but on the way'he changed his mind and said that he would prefer to visit his home at No. 2. Massey street. Accordingly witness drove him into Palmerston North and then went back to Feilding. lie returned in time to kecli the appointment at four o'clock, but Mr Gillies did not present himself. During his slay with witness deceased had been ia apparently normal health both mentally and physically. On one occasion he had mentioned that he was financially ruined, but witness had endeavoured 'to persuade him otherwise, and deceased had not again reverted to Ihe topic. Witness identified the boots I and coal found on the body as those worn by deceased. Kdward Palmer, residing at No. -I. ■ i Massey street, staled thai he was a. . no.xl -loor neighbour of Mr Gillies, and was on very intimate terms with him. '. Apart I'roiu-his injured ankle deceased I f bad been in xi'ry good health righl up i | to the lime of his disappearance. Wit- , j ness was able io identify the body by I the injured ankle bone and an ampu- j ! fated linger. The boots and coat found l! he identified as those worn by Mr Gil ~ lies. Witness had been in the company | id' Mr Gillies for months before hit. dis- jt appearance, and he hail never detected « any signs indicative of deceased liav- || ing been ul unsound mind. ; Evidence as to the finding of the I body in the Manawatu river on August j I. and its removal to the morgue during the day. was 'given by C. T. ICeeble, t farmer, of Fitzherbcrt West, and Con- i stable Gow. Dr. Uninett stated that hi- had ex- I aniined the remains and found that the-j right ankle bore evidence of" a recent I J fracture, and that part of a finger had I I been amputated. No marks of violence, j ! were apparent, and his assumption was j j that death had been due to drowning. | The doctor further stated that he had . treated deceased some time before his , disappearance for an united fracture ; Of The ankle, and that Mr Gillies had J suffered from the delusion that he was 1 I financially ruined. Also; he believed j ! thai no one liked to be seen speaking ! i to him and consequently he avoided , people. . , In reply to the Coroner. Dr. Barnctt 1 said thai anyone thik;,j;r to deceased | would never have noticed the.-e j peculiarities in his manner, and it was | only on occasions that he had these , delusions —perhaps once a week. They ■ would come on suddenly and later dis- [ appear. In a further reply to the ! | coroner, Dr. Barnett said he was of the i opinion that deceased was of unsound I mind. In accordance with" the medical tes- j timonv. a verdict was returned to the effect'that the deceased. Percy Archi- j i bald Gillies, disappeared on February ' 25 last, while of unsound mind, and .' ; was found drowned in the Manawatu , river on August 4. •