TERRIBLE DEATH.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 448, 1 April 1875, Page 2

TERRIBLE DEATH.

The "Goulbourn Herald" of the 13th ult. gives the particulars of a terrible death :— " On Wednesday afternoon the coroner, Mr Beggs, held an inquest at the residence of Mr W. M. Wright, Invemry, on the body of John Harris, a laborer, aged about 54, and unmarried, and who came by his death under the following circumstances : It seems that deceased came to live at Wrights on ihe previous Monday week ; on Sunday afternoon he went out with a tomahawk, saying he would get a native bear for the dogs; he did not, however^ return; and Wrightbeing away from home, and his wife having two 4 young children, no search was made for him . until Tuesday, when Mr Clark having called at Wrights honse, and being told that he was missing, went in Bearch of him, but without success ; the same afternoon Mr (J. Styles and Glennie called, and they went in search ; and, not far from Wrights hous? f but not within call, they found the dead body of deceased on the ground, with the limb of a tree recently cut down lying .across one of his knees ; the treewhs of sufficient wfei^ht to fasten the deceased to the , ground so that n« <cou4d not get away, but Mr Styles believes that from the softness of the soil he might, had he made ah effort, have removed sufficient to release himself. v Constable Tracey went and examined the body, arid found that tb« tree rested on the inside of the left knee ; it took three »en to* remove it. There was a wound on the inside of each aim at the elbow-joint, and also in the throat under the chin, and tLtre was a quantity of blcod where the dtceafed lay, ar.d a knife with the tB»all blade open, and stained with llccd, was ljiig cltse by. Witness said there was no dcubt tlie Gectawd had cut down the tree, aiid Lad leen knocked dcvin. by the lelcund ; and he lelitved that finding he could not extricate himself, he bled himself , to death, to end his misery. The jmy ietuir>fd a veidict tLat the deceased died partly frtm injuries icceived by the falling of a tiee, and partly from injuries wilfully inflicted by himself.