FUNERAL NOTICE.
THE Friends of Mrs Alfred Snow are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of her late Husband, which will leave her residence, Elm row (above Brown street), on Wednesday, the 12th inst., at 2 o'clock, for the Northern Cemetery.
CRAIG AND GILLIES, Undertakers, 18 George street, and 11 Great King street. -Evening Star, 10/9/1883.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held at the Auld Scotland Hotel yesterday, by Dr Hocken and a jury of 12, upon the body of Alfred Snow, who was found drowned in the harbour on Saturday.
Mr Fitchett appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of the relatives of the deceased.
The Coroner, in his opening remarks, said that the deceased was last seen on the night of August 21 going down the jetty in the direction of the harbour, and nothing more was known of him until the body was found on Saturday. There seemed no doubt that something was wrong about his accounts, and Mr Patrick (his employer) had found it necessary to take out a warrant for his arrest for embezzlement. The presumption, therefore, was that the deceased had committed suicide by drowning, and it would be for the jury to say whether this was confirmed or not, after the evidence. The wife of the deceased was not in attendance, as she had been very ill since he was first missed. It seemed she had entertained fears for some time, and had lately told Inspector Weldon that she was afraid something was wrong with her husband. Of course, the jury considered her presence indispensable, the inquiry could be adjourned. After the jury had viewed the body, the following evidence was taken: —
Simeon Snow, carpenter, residing at Maori Hill, deposed that the deceased was his son, and was 20 years of age at the time of his death. He was married, was a clerk by occupation, and had been in the Colony for about six years. His health was generally good, but he suffered in his head when excited, and at such times would talk at random. At one time when at school, after over-study, he was so much affected mentally that he had to be removed for a term. He then attempted to jump out of his bedroom window. His manner was always afterwards excited when anything troubled him. Witness saw him last alive on the 19th August, and he was then very strange in his manner, and very excited. Witness was not aware that he was in any trouble, but they knew his wife was ill, and that he complained of losing rest, and attributed it to that cause. He said he thought he should give up his occupation and take to manual labour or something of that sort, but they had heard him talk in that way so often that they took little notice of it.
William Patrick, butcher, Maclaggan street, deposed that the deceased had been in his employment as clerk for about a year and 10 months. Witness had been absent from the Colony, and had not seen him since April. He used occasionally to complain of pains in his head, and was sometimes allowed to leave off work for half a day or so in consequence. Since witness returned he had found that something was wrong in deceased's accounts, and had laid an information. This was on the morning of the 23rd, and as he had not come down to his work the previous day; witness went and searched the books, and found some defalcations.
To a Juryman: The defalcation upon which I took out the warrant was a recent one. Deceased was receiving a salary of £3 a week.
Mr Fitchett: I suppose if he had come to the shop there would have been some explanation before such proceedings were taken.
Witness: Yes. There would have been no warrant taken out. I should simply have turned him away.
Mr Fitchett: Is it not possible, then, that what you noticed were merely irregularities which might have been explained — by his forgetting to enter something, for instance?
Witness: No, I do not think so.
To the Coroner: Deceased must have known that I was coming back on the 22nd.
William Patrick, jun., had last seen the deceased at about 9 o'clock on the night of August 21, working at his books in the office. He was m an excited state, and was complaining about his head, which he said was painful and stupefied him. He would start talking a lot of rubbish in a rambling style; but was quite sober. He said that he was going outside for a few minutes, as he felt a little sick and his head was sore. He went out by the side door, taking his hat with him, and never came back again. He left the books open, and witness and his brother thought he was coming back. Deceased had often been in this excited state before. He used to go down to the jetty and got orders from boats when they came in at all hours of the day, but not so late us 9 or 10 o'clock. There was no boat for him to go down to that night, so far as witness knew. It was generally in the morning or afternoon that he went down.
Mr Fitchett: Do you think he was competent to keep books correctly in that excited state?
Witness: Yes; I have seen him in the same state before, and he never made any mistakes. I never had reason to doubt his honesty.
James West deposed that he kept a coffeestall at the corner of Rattray street, and saw the deceased at about a quarter to 12 on the night of the 21st walking down Rattray street as though going towards the jetty. He was walking leisurely along in his usual style.
Thomas Primate, dredge-master, deposed as to the finding of the body at about 1 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. They were dredging about 30ft from the Cross Wharf, 45ft from the Rattray street Wharf, and 20ft from the lower portion of the steps. The bucket brought the body up by the left arm. Deceased was fully dressed, save as regarded his hat. The water would be about 14ft deep at the spot at high tide, and 8 or 9ft at low tide. The bottom there was all soft mud, and that would prevent the body from floating. It had probably been lying there sunk into the mud since death occurred. The clothes were quite heavy and sodden with mud. Witness knew the deceased, and always found him a very quiet, nice young man.
John Williamson, carpenter, residing in Elm row, said the deceased was his son-in-law. Witness last saw him on the 20th August. He lived very happily with his wife.
Other evidence was taken, tending to show that the deceased had been in an excited state of mind.
Constable Young, who conveyed the body to the Morgue, deposed that he found on it 3d in silver, and a pocket-book containing a number of letters and testimonials from former employers. There were two receipts from the Government Insurance Office.
This concluded the evidence.
The Coroner said it would be for the jury to decide whether the deceased accidentally fell into the water, or whether he committed suicide. There was no evidence to prove the latter theory, but the presumption was in that direction, as he was shown to have been in an excited state of mini, especially on the night in question. The evidence of Mr Patrick, which he (the Coroner) had felt it his duty to take, showed that there was money missing, and there might be some inducement, perhaps, to a sensitive-minded man to get out of his difficulties in the only way that seemed open to him. If the jury were of this opinion, it would be for them to say what was the state of the deceased's mind at the time. He thought there was no doubt that they would be able to find it was one of temporary insanity. Another verdict was open to them, that of "Found drowned," and it was quite possible that the deceased might, in the fevered condition of his mind, have gone down to the jetty and fallen into the water. If, however, they thought there was a reasonable presumption that he committed suicide, they were quite entitled to say so. It was not necessary to have positive or direct evidence.
The Jury after a short retirement, returned a verdict of "Found drowned." -Otago Daily Times, 11/9/1883.
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