SHOCKING SUICIDE AT GREY TOWN

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2344, 12 July 1886, Page 2

SHOCKING SUICIDE AT GREY TOWN

Thursday afternoon afc five o'clcwk information was given to the police that Mary Ann Brmighn, tho housekeeper at tiammerioh's hotel, Greytown, had cornmitted suicide by suspending herself from a beam across the roof of a dairy in' the hotel. It appears from the information .given to our reparter that the young woman wu missing about the time when it was necessity to prepare tho evening meal, and had not been seen for about an hour and a half prior to that time. It was at first thought that possibly she had retired to her own room, and consequently the barmaid proceeded thither to call heiy but not finding her in that room she (the barmaid, Miss Smith) informed Mr Hammorich of the fact .when search was made throughout the premises until it to ultimately found that the door of the dairy was locked and .a piees 0 f newspaper pinned across the wiudow. Mr Hammerioh with tho assistance of his cousin, Mr Lesser, then proceed (id to break open tho door with an axe, when to their lnorror they found the housekeeper, as already explained, suspended from the beam by a rope, and although tho body was w&rin, life was quite extinct. Mr Lesser immediately cut down tho body, and the coachman, F, Hayes, was dispatched to Constable Ecoleton who was soon on the premises. An inquost will be held to day at 1.30 p. m. before Dr Spratt, ooroner, and prior to the enquiry a post mortem examination will take placo. In connection with this sad case it is reported that the deceased sent by a girl under seventeen years of age on Wednesday to Mr St George, chemist, and endeavored to purchase somo laudanum but as she did not send sufficient reasons to satisfy Mr St George that the poison would be in safe hands, that gentleman refused to supply her with what she desired. It also appears that yesterday soon after dinner she suddenly informed Mr Hammerioh that she wishod to loave' his service within about an hour, and proceed by tho bus to the railway station to take the train. to Wellington. Mr Hammerioh refused to take such a short notice, and would not settle wich her, but endeavoured to persuade her to give him at loast one week's notice, as he explained that it would be exceedingly inconvenient for him to be without a person in for position as housekeeper; he asked her to give him a chance of gotting another in her stead, and gave her until the next morning to reflect, This to all appearance at the time satisfied her. Sno then disappeared,- and wm not seen again alive. It is supposed that she stood on a shelf iR the dairy arid throw hersolf off. Mr Bammerich is a widower, and has always been held in high esteem among his fellow settlers in the Wairarapa, having resided in Greytown for many years. Muoh sympathy is felt for him urtder the distressing circumstances. No oause has been shown yet which might have led to the perpetration ; of the sad act. Deceased has friends at Kaikoura, —Standard.

At an inquest hold, on the body. the following day, a verdict was returned to tho effeot that deceased committed suicide whilst in a state of temporary; insauity.