INQUEST AT FEILDING.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 83, 27 October 1880, Page 3

INQUEST AT FEILDING.

TPieM E. Warbtwton, Esq., the District Porcper, h*}d mn inquest on. Monday mornfaig,«t BeTLveY Empire Hotel, Feilding, on. *ha Uodj of Henry. WtathtrUj, wbo met . frit death by drowning on the previous, ■afcarday. The following Jury was empannelled :->rMeisn. Etrlß (foreman), Pipard, Yojjnf, lowley, Blaekmore, Fowlei, BQderSedc, Pollock, Stinger, Shapr, S, J. %jDhqi)f j»oa, W. Whisker, Elliot*, and Ealph Collins. Messrs. Fairfield. Thompson, and freeman jrejra summoned, but no,tuiswering to their names, a fine of 4sl Is. each was inflicted ; however, both jurors put m an appearance before the proceedings comutdced, and the Coroner, after cautioning the delinquents, remitted the five.' After viewing the body, the following evidence was taken :— Sarah Weatherley deposed « I am the widow of *ac deceased. I last saw him alive oa Saturday morning, at about halfpast six o'clock. He was then m the arhare,: stooping to.. l .igh.t.,his pipe, and I fioticed notMngunusual with him. He had bees speaking over night about giving some directions for ..the, cutting of a track £o the fteek, and as lie left to go m tie* direction, I thought that was his objeefc m leaving. A'i sevea o'clock, . becoming somewhat ala\ined,'and thinkiaf h« was longer away than usual, I followed towards the creek. Upon appi-oaching it, the first thing I saw ,mi, his hat, and on going to the edge I saw tim i<a tbe creek head downwards. He was lying on his face, with his arms straight :by bis side. His hands we're not tied, but there was a white rag orlppckethandkerchief on one^of his arms— l cannot recollect which. There was a knot and loop upon it, as if it had been on bin other hand. For the hut five years he has been <jueer m . hi» Ji^d; bat baa had two rer/ bad attacks sinfce theni His name waj Henry Wea-the-ley, was forty six years of age on the - 6th: of August, and was a native of TJx» ' bridge, Middlesex, England. He was the father of eight children. For some eonaideiab!* time past, he was nervous arid Jlrjihtened, always complaining '. that : all persons war* patching him, and, wished to do him haim. He said there was a plot to have him arrested on a certain charge,- and and for that, reason he would scarcely even feature out of the house. His would not go to bed at night until the room was darkeo«d,;a»d repeatedly; fancied that there was some one under the House watching him. There was ao possibility of any pereon saving ""him from 'drowning, as there jjras no one new him, neither is tb ere tae •lightest tincture of suspicion of foiil-play. John Henry Weatherley deposed : I am tie eldest son ef the deceased, I was away f/om iiOB»j»-at the tint* of his death, and tr»« lalt time I saw him alive was on the £rd of June. He was then very eccentric, and had been for a long time m a state that; required watching; He has been l ; gbt-he«dfd for, the past five years, and I bad to take car* $f him oh several occas»ns. _Xhe. jas£ tiwjl WtSpi bid was about the middle of May. He had an idea that every had a down on hi». He generally had p:-?uli*r ideas, and thought that every one was going to kil) bfflf r buj; never threatened to do way with himself, aq4 I dfd not think lie wonld.conjmit suicide. lam not awave "that business matters i were, preying upon hjs fsfocL .., ■. .. .*'■"'. . ;" '.-''. ■'.':". ,; ... * James Ewing examined : I work at the aawmill, near Taonui. * On Saturday mornfflj, about eight o'clock, one of deceased's asns came .running from, his .residence witb tjeVeport that bis father wa» drowned. I went back with him 'in company of Mr. Adredt, and found deceased m the creek, on ilia left side, .with his. head and ore hand out of the water. His, body was lying partly oia the bank, but t believe deceased jbjjd hjaen so slaoed by his son, when 'first discovered. He was quite dead. His hands were not tied, but when the body was taken pip I noticed a white handkerchief -on fcbe right band. I knew the deceased, but although I have spoken to him, I wsj '»o»| pe."»-ij»Jly acquainted with hi^j. Fsom {%& lftite I saw of him I did not t'imk bfea *sff war odd. The plaoe from which the bosfp wai taken wm: not-more than two fat or two feet _sjx. .inohjM, deep... . .There . was . no •'in of a straggle, nor aothing to denote tatfc a struggle bad taken place.. The creek ;s about four chains from deceased's bouse. Ther# Is merely a track through the bush to it. -From the surrounding circumstances I tave not tbe least doubt that the decexstd /committed suicide. ' ", " Thomas Price deposed : lam a member of the Armed Constabulary stationed at ' About noon, on Saturday I recrved isfo.i mat'ion tbat the deceased, Henry WeatbevW, ,ha 4 drowned himself, and I forth wrth went to tl»e scene of tbe occurpine*. Wbea I arrived I found deceased'! bod 5 on lip baqfc to whence it hxd been rexnoyed after being taken from the water. P : s hands we:* not JJed, bift there was a jrfyjt* i^»dkerx:b'^f on bu rij^fc band, with • slip jtrot,' whiett had apparently beam fibv&dtb* qfiaroQf, Jt w«s sucH a knot as he m'jht easily bafe made himself. I JDspested the pptek^ aa,d found it to be from fcwo to tbsee f«et df»f, with a gravel bottom, fri|ih the. bank i»i*«d about three feet above iiie waterl My opinion is that deceased mutt have jumpsd m head foremost. The ' frtjik was' about four feet wide, and m order .' to; jump into,, the. deep portion, deceased : mvi» have turned In ije spring and plunged fl«Dgthwar«. . After taking fbe. bo^j to _. c house I searched the, pockets, and found > a pi oa.", upon which was written something <ja panel!. [Letter produced end banded to fc>e jury, wbich proved to je a rambling, <3'seonnected sfcafcenient, evidently the ema■tl'on ef a disordered mind.] I also found Sd'scaerge irom the Qohistream Guards, ated at "Vyindsor, December 14, 18C4. The ■ dce?sed bad eigbtclii|dFea. ' ': ' Tl's was th# wljp!eof tb« evidence, and a'ter a short delifa|«ri|tjoß ? Jjibj returned j following ver4icti-r-'. ,- i" ,: , "Tat tbe deceased, He.ni j..We.a>berley, «omn)!tted suie'da by drowoiag himself .- wl'fle of unsound m''nd, on tbe 23td of Chi ober, 1830, m a creek near |>be Feilding jpoad, al|out eight miles from Feeding." .