INQUEST.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2479, 21 March 1893, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest touching the death of John Wallace, was held in the Bush Hotel, Geraldine, on Saturday, at 1 p.m.; before Mr H. W. Moore, J.P., and a jury of six, of whom Mr N. Dunlop was chosen forman.

Joseph Wallace, farmer, Waitohi, deposed: lam the father of the deceased. He is 34 years of age. Had not seen him for 8 days before his death. Never knew of his having any peculiar habits about him. He was steady and quiet. Was never drunk, and have never known him to drink, Am well acquainted with his business affairs and do not know of his having any financial difficulties. Can give no accountable reason for his death. To the Jury: He has been living continually by himself for two years and eleven months. Ho had three or four falls from a hack, bnt he never complained of any injury received. Tb,ero was nothing peculiar in his manner when I saw him eight days ago. Richard Perry Wells, farmer, Gapes' Valley, deposed: On Thursday, March IGth, deceased waß working for me. It was wet in the morning and he did not come down till dinner" time, and then helped to cart in corn. He worked till five o'clock, when he had lunch. Saw nothing wrong with him then. He worked till 6.30; when I had my stack about finished. It commenced to rain heavily then, and as there was no chance to start early the next morning he said would go home that night to see after his pigs and sheep. I said all right," and told him to go then, as he had about four miles to go. He altered his mind wb,en he got his horse, and said lie, tftquglit h,e, had better and fillip and pauie up to the top of j;he stapk to help. Required about "half a load more stuff to finish when he changed his mind again } and said he had better go as. it wad getting dark. Ho went away and I did not see any more of him. t During the afternoon he told me that he had got a spill from a mare, and had fallen on his head. I noticed nothing strange in him except when he changed hig mjud to giv He said to that ha f9.lt funny, and giddy in tjie Ji'eac{ from his fall. Abo.ut six weeks ago he got a spijl, a, ijew days ago he had another. The. may.g \h bad with b'loqd in the t 0 fafefc frd, Vf&S muiM **•' roi|g|} £lsH6S_> M, * H ** " -*e usual ~ ~ .vork.

.~,/ jjysaght, sou of Andrew Lysaght, farmer, Pleasant Valley, deposed :I am fifteen years of age. While Mr Wallace was away, I usually went to feed his pigs and look after things. Went up yesterday about one o'clock. When I got to the gate I saw deceased hanging to the branch of a tree in the garden, about nine chains from where I was. I then came to Geraldine and told my father. Was present when deceased was cut down. He was hanging quite still when I first saw him. Could not tell whether he was dead or alive.

To the Jury : Did not see deceased on Thursday. Was in the habit of going to his place, and never noticed anything strange about him. He was always quiet. Dr. Fish deposed : Last evening, between six and seven o'clock, I was called by Constable Willoughby to see deceased. Went to the conveyance and saw the body with a rope round the neck. Life \vn.« "xtirict. Examined the body more f aref illy this morning, and could see no marks of violence, except where the rope Juki oeen. The face was particularly calm and placid. The neck was not dislocated. I have nu doubt the cause o death was by hanging,

To the Jury : There were no marks on the skull. If a fall from a horse had affected his brain I should have expected to see some symptoms, such as headache, convulsions, etc., but no law can be laid down as to how far a fall on t'ie head can effect the brain. Such a fall would not necessarily leave a mark. Constable Willoughby, deposed : I was informed yesterday evening that John Wallace was hanging on a tree at his place, Pleasant Valley. On arrival there, I first felt the body for signs of animation. The body was perfectly cold, the arms and legs rigid, and it was suspended with a cord by the neck to a gum tree. The length of the rope from the branch to the neck was seven feet; the noose being under the right ear. The feet were about eighteen inches from the ground. Against the trunk of the tree, reaching as high as the first branch, was a ladder. The J ope was fastened very securely to the third branch of the tree, about thirteen or fourteen feet from the ground. There were no signs of convulsions about the limbs and the face was perfectly calm. It would appear that deceased had hung himself, and had a drop of eight feet. I searched the premises and deceased's clothes for letters showing reason for his action, but could find none. His watch was going and had evidently been wound up the night before. Inside the house, on the floor, were the clothes he had worn while working at Mr Wells. The body was dressed in tweed clothes when I saw it. From appearances I fancy deceased must have gone to bed on Thursday night and got up very early on Friday morning; the candle was in another room on the table. Should think that he had been dead about 12 hours. Cut him down at ten minutes to six. Loosened the bight of the rope, and left it in position for the doctor to see. There was money in the deceased's pockets and plenty of food in the house. I brought the body to Geraldine. The ladder was on the side of the tree opposite to the branch, so that deceased must have swung off the branch andnot off the ladder. • After a few minutes deliberation the jury retturned a verdict of " Death from hanging, during a fit of temporary insanity, supposed to be brought about by a fall from a horse." Deceased was the man who some time ago met with an accident while discing at Pleasant Valley, when he was imprisoned in a machine for several hours before being rescued.