DEATH OF CONSTABLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 914, 6 March 1930, Page 1

DEATH OF CONSTABLE

COMMISSIONER PRODUCES LAST LETTER VERDICT OF SUICIDE Press Association ASHBURTON, Today. The inquest concerning the death of Constable David Ogilvy Brown, who shot himself at Rakaia on February IS, was resumed today. In consequence of allegations by Mr. W. J. Hunter, acting on behalf of the relatives, that Commissioner Mcllveney had suppressed a letter from Brown, the Commissioner attended and produced a letter in which Brown said he had been too long at routine office work to make a success of anything else. The letter added: "I must apologise to you, for it was not your fault that I did not remain in my good job in the ‘Gazette’ Office.” The Commissioner said the letter was a State document and its proper place was on the flies in Wellington. He could have refused to produce it, but he had brought it down to show that there was nothing in its to lead them to the cause of death. Brown was a thoroughly reliable, competent, strong-minded man and had been very favourably reported on by Inspector Cummings. Brown would have been placed in a better station had one been ready. He had passed his sergeant’s examination and would shortly have taken up that position. He had made no complaints to the Commissioner about the difficulty of the Rakaia work. He had applied foi assistance, but declined it when offered it. It was utter nonsense to say that a man would be dismissed if he applied for a transfer. The coroner returned a verdict of suicide during acute mental worry.