INQUEST AT GREYTOWN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4211, 6 September 1892, Page 2

INQUEST AT GREYTOWN.

The Late Walter Dunn.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

• An inquest on the remaius of the late Walter Dunn was held in the K.M, Courtlioueo, Greytown, at 7 o'clock on Saturday evening lust. Mr R. A Wakelin, the Mayor, acted as Coroner. Tho jurymen were Messrs T. M. Drummond (Foreman), G. J. Jackson, E.O.Harris, T.Taylor, and Geo, Terry, Edward Dunn, settler, of Greytown, sworn, deposed: lam a brother of the deceased. I saw him last on Wednesday evening at about eight o'clock at my bouso in Main-street, He seemed very well and quite oheerful, is a rule he visited my house daily, but missed a day occasionally. He got his supplies such as bread and newspapers from myplacß. I saw him going away on that evening and he said _" Good night," This was the last time 1 saw him alive. He used to change his boots at my house before going home. He did not oall at my house on Thursday. This was nothing very unusual. On Friday some of i my family remarked, "He ba3 not been up to-day even," This morning! I did not notice any smoke issuing from tho chimney of his house. I reside within about a quarter of a mile of his house and am in a line of view with it. I thought he was "nwell, mid went to his house about a quarter past eight this morning, When 1 got opposite I saw that both the blinds were rolled up. I then looked through the bed--room window, and saw his bedclothes turned back, as if a poison had just got out of them. I twd the front door and found it locked. I next looked through the sitting-room win(low, and saw no person in the room. I saw from the window that the door leading from the sitting room to the kitchen was open, and saw what I thought to be the deceased standing on a box opposito the door as if reaching for something on the shelf, I then went to the hack door and found it wide open, and saw deceased hanging, suspended from the ceiling, with a rope around his neck, with his fret touching a box. The rope as shown to the jury is the samo and nearly in the same position as when he was hanging. I went up and spoke to him and put my hand on his arms, which wero hare and looked black. He was cold, and I could seo that he had been dead for some time, I left him as he was, locked up tho houso and went buck to my own residence. I then went to report to the police. After this I went to Dr, Bey, as the constable was absent from the towiiship at the time, I got my brother John and went to the house of deceased and took him down, and remained there for about twenty minutes, wb.en l)r Bey came. In company with tho doctor I made an examination of the remains, My impression was that be was dead since about Thursday. I have no suspicion that there was any foul play. At the lime of the Eimutaka railway accident he received a severe wound iu the head. At times since then his mind did not seem right. Ho used to complain that he had bad pains in the head, and was not able to sleep at night. I think he was in a melancholy mood when he com* milled the deed, He had ample means of support at the time of his death. Everything in the house appeared to be in order. I was present when some money and deposit receipts were found among bis effects. Also found a document labeilod" Walter Dunn's Will," I- Lave taken temporary possession of hia effects. I found a closed letter addressed to my brother Henry, which I do not care about opening. I would rather wait until he arrives, (The Coroner ruled that the letter Bhould be opened, as it might give some olue to the reason of the act... It was consequently ouened by the Coroner and and read " Should anything happen to me, I wish to be allowed a little for mourning, k, k") Tho letter is in the handwriting of the deceased, and appears to have been written in his usual style, Deceased would have been 57 years of ago on the 22nd of this month, Ho was a single man, W.- Bey, medical practitioner of Greytown, sworn, stated: I was called this morning by Mr Edward Dunn to visit the deceased, whom he told me was dead, He told me that in his opinion he had been so since Thursday last, and that it was evidently a case of suicide, I visited the deceased at his house, and on, examination I concluded that death had resulted from hanging, and from the post mortem appearances that he had bom dead for over twenty-four hours, There were no marks on bis body indicating a struggle, nor were his clothes disarranged. I found that his neck was fractured. Tho drop would have been four inches, He had evidently been standing on a box which he kicked away and his feet were resting on another, I think this was sufficient to fracture 1113 neck, From wbac Mr E. Dunn has said about sleepless nights and his accident, I should think he was in a flt of insanity when committing the act,

John Dunn, carrier, of Greytown, sworn, stated; lam a brother of the deceased. I saw him Inst alive about a week ago, Shortly after 8 o'clock this morning my brother Edward came to me at my residence, and from what was 3aid 1 accompanied him to the residence of tho deceased, On reaching there I saw him hanging by a lope round his neck from a nfter in the kitchen, His feet vere resting on a box aboutfifteen inches in height, There was another box close by on the floor. Howisin his waistcoat and

, shirt with the sleeves rolled up, He appeared to have been dend for one or more daye. I helped my brother to take him down and remove him to the sofa where thejury viewed the body. I corroborate the evidence generally of my brother Edward concerning the deceased. I notice that lie seemed depressed at intervals for some lime back. I think that he might have bren in an unsound mind atthe time of committing the act. I have no suspicion of foul play. The writing on the letter" produced was not his usual style of writing. He usually wrote a rounder hand. I should have thought under any other circumstances that this was not his writing, although I hare not seen his writing for years, 1 jaw the letter taken from his effects. I do not doubt that this is his handwriting. William Thomas Dunn, baker, of Featherstop, sworn: 1 was a warder in a liuuatip Asylum for a period of three years. In my experience in lunacy I think that at times the deceased, my brother, was in a melancholy mood'such as I noticed in the Asylum, and knowing that he had met with a nasty severe scalp wound in tho fiimutaka accident, 1 think it would have a great tendency to ■! affect his mind. Murk Maxton, sworn: I am a storekeeper residing at Greytown, I '

urn a nephew of the deceased, I have known him for a number of years and know his handwriting. The letter produced is the handwriting of Walter Dunn, 1 was present when the letter was found among his effects, and recognised the writing on the envelope at once. I corroborate the evidence of the former witnesses. The Jury, after retiring, returned tho following verdict:—"The Jury are unanimously agreed, and aro of opinion that the deceased Walter, Dunn look his own life while in a state of temporary insanity."