"An inquest was opened at the Courthouse this morning, before Mr E. Pago, S.M., District Coroner, concerning the death of Thomas Parker,  whose body was found hanging to a tree on the bank of the Oroua river, near Kairanga, on Saturday last. Joseph Parker, farmer, of Taikatu, Otakeho, near Manaia, who had identified the body as that of his brother, Thomas Parker, stated that deceased returned from the front  about six months ago, and was discharged in January, 1919. He was a Main Body man, and had seen 41/2  years' service. He lived with witness for about four months, but was unable to do hard work on account of wounds received, and was unsettled because of his experiences at the war. Witness last saw him on 19th April, when he was in good health and spirits. He was addicted to drinking, and once after he had been drinking had threatened to blow out his brains. He was 33 years of age and a single man, and was in receipt of a pension of 33s per week. He was born in England, and had been in the colony about 13 years. Constable Gow stated that when the body was pointed out to him by Mr William Thompson it was hanging from a tree, about half a chain in the hush. Deceased wore a shirt and trousers, and part of his singlet had been tied around his neck, and passed through a belt, which was fastened to a branch of a tree. The position of the body pointed to suicide. Apparently deceased had been dead for a week or ten days. Besides his military papers, a race card for the Feilding races was found on deceased, and also some money. The locality was ten miles from Feilding, and witness could not suggest what took deceased out there."

MANAWATU STANDARD, VOLUME XLIII, ISSUE 1527, 7 MAY 1919, PAGE 5