MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4706, 30 April 1894, Page 3

MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Monthly Meeting, The ordinary monthly meeting of the Maaterton Road Board was held on Saturday at the Counoil office, There were present: Messrs W.H. Beetham (in the chair), McKenzie, Harris, Cameron and Holmes. GENERAL,

The action of the engineer in dealing with .tenders on 11th April, was approved. On the motion of Mr Harris, seconded by Mr Holmes, it was decided that Mr R, E. Horablow's name should be substituted as occupier of section 9, block IV., Mikimiki. It was resolved, on the motion of

the chairman concerning Mr Haughton's application re, gravel reserve on > Dorset's Road, that Mr Haughton be advised the Board has no power to let the reserve, but that if he still wishes to ocoupy the reserve be had better interview the Board. Mr G. A, Bruce waited on the Board with reference to repairing the .road leading to the property in his occupation. It was decided on the motion of Mr Harris that the sum of £lO be voted out of subdivision No. 1 to repair Bruce'a Road, FINANCE,

-""? hi report "of the finance comwas read and adopted, and icoo'ntß pnesed for payment. ■< report. PtNlwfjolved that the sums recommenood for expenditure be approved, The Engineer advised that; the contractor for the Kaka-amu Valley Eoad, contract No. 4, having commiysd certain irregularities and cefasiog'to rectify them, the cost of so doing be deducted from his bc« count, the balance paid him, and the contract taken off his hands. MTIBEMENT OF CHAIRMAN,

' The Chairman announced his intention of retiring from the Board, and made a short valedictory address, expressing bis regret at parting with s body with which he had been so long connected, but the pressure of private business and engagements was so great that he was unable to continue giving so much time to public business. He regretted that he had not been able to see more toads taken as he felt convinced that the want of them in many instances would in the future be severely felt. The Board was not to be blamed for this, but it was really the fault of the Surrey Department and the Government,who bad sadly neglected their duty in this respect. Large blocks of excellent; land for dairying purposes, close around Maaterton, were absolutely without necessary roads. ' 'The members'generally expressed their' regret' at Mr 'Beethaa being compelled to 'sever his connection with the Board. ' *■ •■'

y The hour of doling Kngliah mail, per \ Coptic,'hasbeen'oitend'ea to|U6a,m, jMßpn Wednesday, 2nd May,

we pirinoa mmi i The Inquest (From Our Own Correspondent.) ' Fsatherbion, Monday, ■ An inquest upon the body of Herbert Edmonds, late eohool master of Pirinoa school; was held at Mr James Wood's'residence, Turanganui, on Saturday, before the District Coroner, Mr T, Hutchison, and the fallowing jury;-B. Barton (Foreman), D. MoKemie, T. Harvey, J. Qopde, 0. Kont-JohnstoD, and W. Boyd. ■ After viewing the body, which was in an out house, the jury examined the bedroom of the deceased and his wife, and the spare bedroom in which the lamentable act waa performed. The first witness called waa James Wood, eioolraatv for Mr J. P. Russell, who identified the body as that of Herbert Edmonds, late sohool maßter of Pirinoa soliool, who had been residing at his rssidonoo since last September, He had noticed nothing peculiar about the deceased, who with his wife lived happily enough together, He last saw the deceased alive on Thursday night last, when he was in perfeot health except for a cold, whiob caused him to retire earlier than usual. Mrs Edmonds did nut retire till Inter, and she Btopped down while witness played cards, Edmonds was of a morose temperament, being very jealous if bis wife took notice or spoke to any one but himself. When he first beard the report ho thought the deceased had fallen out of bed, but when he got into the passage he smelt smoke and powder, so he ran up thinking deceased | had hurt MrsEdmondß. He rushed into the bedroom Mrs Edmonds was in bed, He asked her where the deceased was and she said " She did not know. He had gone out somewhere," Witness went to the door of the spare room and Bftw the deceased lying on his back nitb a gun by his Bide and his brains all over the place, Did not go into the room at first but afterwards went in and opened the window, be went back and in reply to Mis Edmonds enquiries he replied " I:s right enough now, ho has shot himself allright." Tried to pacify Mrs Edmonds, then went down and sent his wife up, Ho knew that the deceased was in debt all round the place to the extent of £6O, but he knew of no reason why he should have taken his life. He sent W. Rowe off to Martiaboro', 20 miles distant, to inform Constable Bowden.

Mary J. sopbine Edmonds, being duly sworn, deposed that she was the wife of the deceased, Herbt. Edmonds. Slio was married to him on 30th March last. He was schoolmaster at Pirinoa School, and he was US years of age. They nere living at Mr James Wood's, at Turanganui. On Thursday night the dtoeased retired to bed earlier than usual, as he hid a odd. Bho did not go to bed so soon, a3 she was not tired, She took some gruel up to deceased but he did not want to take it at first, but sho pursuaded him, Ho wanted her to take some but she refused, He said he was only troubled in mind, He was continually saying that Bhe cared more for other people than for' him. She had not been to sleep very long when she awoke and found the deceased out of bed and withhiß trousers 00. He had tbo gun in one hand and two cartridges in the other, Witness said: " Ob, Herbert, what are you going to do ?" and he replied: "Preparefor death|" Sho jumped up and threw her arms round his neck, and after a little struggle she got the gun, He said: " I am stronger than you ?" The gun was loaded and the breech was open. There was a cartridge in each barrel. She unloaded the gun and went out and hid it a box of clothes on the landing, Just as she got back to the door deceased was coming out. Bhe pacified him and they went to bed again, Next morning deceased got up and loaded tho gun, He must have got up in the night, for she saw it by the door. She screamed, but deceased said: " Don's make a scene, love, for you will be my ruin." Witaaaa laid.: " What are you going to do ?" He replied, " Nothing," Just then Mrs Wood called, and deceased dropped the gun and took i cup of coffee and a cup of cocoa from Mrs Wood, aud (banked her for it. He put his own on the dreising table and placed bis wife's on the bed. As ho did so he kissed witness and said:" Good-bye darling." Deceased then kissed the rings on her fingers, and laid I " Don't take those off til! you die." He (hen asked her if Mrs Wood had gone, and she said she did not know. As deceased left tho room ehe tekad him to tell Mrs Wood ehe wanted her, He replied, " Yes," and immediately she heard the report of a gun in the room adjoining their bedroom. She did not see the deceased take the gun, he must have bad it by the door, She screamed and Mr Wood came upstairs and asked her where her husband waß, She replied that she did not know, as be had gone somewhere, Wood then went into the next room, and .c&me back end told her that the deceased had shot himself, She djd not think it was bo, as she had not heard him fall, Her husband was of a Very excitable and jealous nature. The letter produced was in the handwriting of the deceased, but had never been received bjf to.

The letter was as follows i Wellington, Febrnary 2nd, 1894. "My Dearest Love,—How om I describe the agony and temoißi that 1 your coldness of yosterday has caused me. Ob, why did I ever learn to loye you, if it's all to end like this! But turn spin my love, my Darling, aod breathe healing to the wounded heart of your heartbroken and devoted lover,"

She often got such letters from deceased, if she talked longer than he thought she should to anyone. Once while at his father's, he had taken out a revolver and had threatened {o shoot her, because she had told him she did not care for him enough to marry Mm, she promised in fear, but not in earnest. She had known him for yean, but had only been formally engaged to him two years. Her father had consented, but not her mother. The marriage had been poitponed several tirq.es by deceased. On the morning of the 29th Marob she told the deceased that she felt that she ought not to go to church with him, as she did not care for him enough, but he said the would learn to do so afterwards. Went to ohoroh and refused him there. Did not speak to him there. The minister advised us to talk it over, so next day he got her to go to the minister's. His father and brother wore there. Do not know b'ow it was but (bey went from the ministers's to the ohutoh and were married, and on to' Turanganoi next day; Had not been long up when she had to retain to, Wellington to noise bo'r father, whi wis ill, 'Last Saturday (21st April) the 'Oeceai'ed came down ami (bey bame back on luesdayV'OrJjfco'flisday' h'oteeued s bit, I

strange and Bbe aßkod him if be was in monetary difficulties,, but ho replied "that he had none, that she waß iris only trouble," and that he was" always thinking of her,", He bad on more ocoassions frightened her with the guo, and suggested that they should both die together, , Mrs James Wood gave ovidenoe corroborating her husband's, and said that she know of no cause whatever for deceased taking his own life, He was of a cheerful disposition and seemed all right when he took the coffee and coooa from her. Constable Bowden deposed that on Friday morning at 11 o'clock he was informed by W, Rowe that Herbert Edmonfa had ahot himself at Mr Wood's, Turanganui, He proceeded there, arriving shortly after four. He found the deceased lying on hie back, and his brains scattered all over tbe floor. About two feet from the body wasa double barrelled breach loader, one barrel being discharged, the other empty. Both hammers were down, He eiamined tbe body, and found that the left jaw and backot the skull were,completely blown away. The gun must have been held close to the mouth, as the mouth and chin were all blackened with the powder, and aa the deceased was a tall man and the Run a short barrelled one, it is .probable that the deceasid held it in front of him and pulled the trigger. He found no letters from deceased amongst his papers, except the one produced and identified by his wife, Alter a short deliberation the jury returned a verdict that the deceased committed snioide while of unsound mind,

■ The deceased was born at Peoge, Surrey, England, and has been twenty yean in the colony. His father, I mother acd brother proceeded to WeirongemaionSatnrdaytfteranonto take the body as far as Martinborough and then to Wellington on Monday. The room in which the deceased did away with himself contained only a bed and a small table, on wbicHpre two books, entitled,« Running it off," and " The Catastrophe." This room the deaeassd was going to use as a fltuJy.' We are sorry to say that the deceased's widow is left totally unprovided for,