THE LATE MR JOHN HARTMANN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7945, 22 January 1906, Page 6

THE LATE MR JOHN HARTMANN.

THE INQUEST. 'Ttee body of the rsan found in the Matabiwi Cieek, on Friday afternoon, was brought to the Masterton morgue ou Saturday morning, aud identified as that of the late Mr John Hartmaun, who disappeared from his home* on November 21st, 1905. On Saturday afternoon an inquest was held, before Mr W. P. James, Coroner, and tho following jury:— Messrs Edward Egan (foreman), Alfred Phillip Fielding, Harry Dyer Bennett, Charles O'Malley, Robert Carpenter and Thomas Moor. Ellen Chapman said she was housekeeper for tho late John Hartmaun. She had identified the body at the morgue oy the clothing and the boots as that of debased. On the night of November 21st, 1905, witness and decease'] were talking together at the lat ter's house from 10.30 o'cock till 10.45 o'clock. Witness then retired to bod, aud deceased retired to his bedroom at about 10.45 o'clock. Witness w*s reading in her room and heard deceased get into bod, and shortly afterwards go out of the house. She did not hear him come in again, and found him missing from his room in the morning. The bed appeared as if the deceased had been in it Ha suffered from insomnia, and complained fof want of slse,;. On the Sunday following do ceasod'a disappearance witness searuhert his clothes, aud found £lO in one of tho pockets of a pair of trousers. Sergeant O'Malley then handed witness a note (which contained the followiug writing: "I wish Miss Chapman to take possession of all my belongings as they stand. May God have mercy on' ray poor children.—John Barttuann, November 21st, 1905.") Witness identified the writing as that of deceased. Witness recognised tho spectacles and case produced as belonging to deceased. . The other articles found with the body, viz., a knife, footrule and pencil witness could uot identify.

James Henry Payton said that ou the night of November 21st, at about 11.30 o'clock, he was riding a bicycle along the road from the Upper Plain to Akura, when he saw" a man walking in front of him. On reaching the latter witness recognised him as deceased. The deceased was walking fairly fast, and by continuing on would get into the road leading to Matahiwi. Alfred Charles Hoar deposed that he was a member of the firm of Hartmann, Hoar and Fermain. Witness found the note produced (the one shown to Miss Chapman) in a private drawer in deceased's bedoom. The note was in deceased's handwriting. Deceased was in no financial difficulty.

Thomas Fermain, also, a member o* the Ann of Hartmann, Hoar and i'ermain, stated that the deceased had complained of bad health, and witness had advised him to take a holiday. He had complained of insomnia. Witness last saw deceased on the afternoon of November 21st, and caahed a cheque for £lO for deceased. The money was for a holiday trip to Wanganui. Deceased had arranged to go on the Wednesday morning (November 22nd) by the 6.30 o'clock train. Witness went up to the station to see deceased off, but the latter waß not there. Deceased was not in any financial difficulty, but only complained of bad health. Witness recognised the body as that of John Hartmann by the clothing. Constable Learmouth deposed that he proceeded to Matabiwi oh Saturday morning, and saw deceased's bpdy in a hole about nine feet deep in the Matahiwi Creek. The body was in an upright position, and the feet appeared to be caught in a tree in the stream. The body was removed to the morgue. Witness and Constable Bgan searched the body at the morgue, and found a pair of spectacles and case, a pocket knife, pencil, foot rule and sixpence in deceased's clothes. After a few minutes' deliberation the jury returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide by drowning himself while temporarily insane, on or about November 21st.