CORONER'S INQUEST.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 19 December 1916, Page 4

CORONER'S INQUEST.

VERDICT OF TEMPORARY INSANITY. An inquest on the remains oftfeevid Walsh, aged about 30 years, who was. found hanging at the residence of Mr David McKay, Ngarikihu Valley, on Saturday morning held before Mr J. P. Aldridge, coroner, at Taihape on Saturday afternoon. Mr David McKay, farmer, identified the body as that of David Walsh, who he last saw alive about 7 p.m. on the 15th instant, in front of his whare. The deceased was not in his employ,, having left to go to work for Mr Hintz. He came back and was going’ to work for witness again, but complained of being ill, and said he would not start work until he was better. There did not appear to be anything strange about Walsh, and he was the last man in the world he would have expected to commit suicide. Witness said lie had been away mustering on the morning of the 15th, and when he returned he was told that Walsh had hung himself. The police had breu notified, but he knew nothin<r of the / deceased’s people. Donald McDonald, labourer, said hisacquaintance with deceased was only for a few days. He saw him on theevening of the loth, about p.m. There was nothing strange in his manner except questions he asked. He slept in the next room to witness; he heard deceased cough once in the night, and the next he heard of him was when Miss Streeter told him Walsh had hanged himself. I went over and saw the man was quite dead. The police were notified and he then cut the body down.

Miss Gladys Streeter, help at Mrs McKay’s, testified that she knew the deceased, and last saw him about 5.30 p.m. on the 15th inst. She knew T the deceased when he previously worked for Mr McKay. He came back on the 13th inst. He seemed much quieter than he used to be: that was all that was different about, him. Walsh had promised to milk the cows that morning, and witness said she went over to see how the milking was getting on. Mr McDonald asked witness where Walsh was. McDonald knocked at the door of deceased’s room but got no reply. He then weut In and found Walsh’s boots and suspected something was wrong. Witness went to look for Walsh, and when she went to the shed she found him hanging. She immediately felt -him and found that he was quite cold. She then called McDonald. The body was quite rigid when let down. The verdict was that deceased mitted suicide while temporarily insane.