SUPPOSED SUICIDE

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2126, 15 January 1880, Page 2

SUPPOSED SUICIDE

TOWN EDITION.

A case of supposed suicide was reported early this morning. On Friday last a man named William Willis, wellknown in Timaru, came into town from Albury, where he has lately been employed at farm and station work, and took up his lodgings in the Old Bank Hotel. The last seen of him alive was on Monday night. Earl}’ in the evening he seemed to he in excellent spirits, ami after purchasing a conger eel from a lisherman, and swallowing a glass of gin and hitters, he retired to his bedroom. Nothing more was seen of him, and the landlord supposed lie had left the house, till last night at a late hour, a visitor requiring slcepingaccommodation was taken to room No. 10. To the astonishment of Mr Cole, the proprietor, the door was found to be locked, and his surprise was increased when the servant girl infoimed him that she had been unable to gain admittance for two days. The police were immediately communicated with, and Detective Kirby arriving shortly afterwards, hurst the door open. On entering the room Willis was found with his knees on the floor leaning with his elbow on the bed. He had apparently been dead for a considerable time, for there was a disagreeable smell in the room as if decomposition had set in. The deceased was dressed, and his hat lay on the bed beside him. Near the hod}' on the floor was a two-ounce phial of chlorodyne. The buttle was empty, and the inference is that the deceased must have swallowed the contents immediately after leaving his friends on Monday night, Willis was a very temperate man, so that the rash act cannot he attributed to excessive drinking ; and as he enjoyed excellent health, it is hardly presumable that the chlorodyne was taken for medicinal purposes. There is a rumour that the deceased, who is a single man, was the victim of slighted love, and it is just possible that this affords an intelligible clue to the mystery that surrounds his fate. Willis was about 38 years of age, and be was well known as a steady industrious farm and station hand, being an expert both as a shearer and a harvest laborer. An inquest was held this afternoon in the Clarendon Hotel before 11. Beetham, Esq., coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr John Kellagher was chosen foreman. The evidence was in accordance with the facts narrated above.

The most important evidence was that of Clement Turner, a laborer, who said he had known deceased for 12 or 14 years. Last saw him alive on the Monday. This was at Green’s Hotel. Then asked him when he was going out to the Point again. He replied, “Never no more,” and added that on the morrow they would find him a dead man. He was not sober at the time. He told witness he had been on “the beer” since Friday night. Witness did not believe deceased when he said they would find him dead. David Popplewell, assistant to Mr Watkins, chemist, said he last saw deceased alive on Monday. He came into Mr Watkin’s shop between five and sick in the evening, and purchased a bottle of chlorodyne. He appeared to be quite sober. Tlie jury returned a verdict that the deceesed died from an overdose of chlorodyne.