CORONER'S INQUEST.

Dunstan Times, Issue 926, 16 January 1880, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An enquiry was held at .Stuart’s Victoria Hotel on Thursday, the Stli hist., before Major Kculell, district coroner, and a jury Mr James Marshall, foreman) into the death of James Taylor. The juiy being empanuclled and having viewed the body, evidence was taken, of which the following is a summary : James Heuchan deposed that he lived on the farm of Thomas Anderson, of Wanaka road. On Wednesday, 7th inst., deceased, James Taylor, sat down to supper in company with witness and Anderson. After supper noticed deceased walking about outside. Went to bed about nine o’clock. Know deceased’s name was James Taylor and that he was a carpenter. A few mantes after witness was in bed, Anderson called him out, saying, ‘‘Taylor's cut his throat.” Got up and went outside, when he saw deceased on his knees, and before him a pool of blood Deceased was 20 or SO yards from Anderson’s dwelling-house. Witness aud Anderson picked deceased up and carried him into the stable, laying him down on some old bags and a blauket. Deceased was breathing and bleeding from a cut in his throat. lie did not appear to bleed a great deal then, but there seemed to be a good deal of blood in the pool outside. Left decease.! in stable— witness to get ready himself and horse to go to Gromwell for a doctor, and Anderson to get a light. While witness was saddling the horse, deceased came out of the stable and went to the water-spout ami put his head under the water. Anderson and witness carried him hack to the stable. Witness then started off for Cromwell and left An-

dersou with deceased. Deceased never spoke after cutting his throat, but he made a gurgling sound, as if attempting to speak when tuey first earned him to the stable. Did not notice any knife in deceased’s hands or on the ground near him when first saw him.

By the Foreman—D ceased did not speak much at supper, and what he did say was

the same as usual. Anderson did not say he saw Taylor cut his throat. We did not in any way attempt to staunch the blood—we just laid him in the stable. I think deceased put his head under the water-spout to case the pain. I caught hold of him, and he tried to get his head under a second time. We carried him hack to the stable, and as soon as we did so I started for Cromwell. Deceased rushed right to the waterspout when he came out of the stable. By the .fury—-When Anderson said that Taylor had cut his throat, ho said something like, “ I wish the bloody pig had gone somewhere else to cut his throat.” Thomas Anderson, sworn, deposed that he was a farmer living on the Wanakaroad. Knew deceased, James Taylor, He came to witness’ place the previous d,.y on foot from the direction of Wanaka, He was stopping, by permiscion, at witness’ place for the night. Deceased sat down to supper about 7 o’clock with witness and Heuchan. Deceased’s manner struck witness as depressed or wild, although there was nothing unusual about his conversation. After supper they all went outside. Witness went-about his ordinary duties in the paddock until nearly dark. On returning to the house, deceased was outside the door. Spoke to him, and passed into the house. Deceased then walked away perhaps a couple fof hundred yards, and remained away about twenty minutes. Meantime it was getting dark, and witness went into his bedroom to go to bed. Then heard some one talking outside. On lifting the window blind, saw that it was deceased, who was some 50 yards away. He came up to the house then, and, having a pair of socks drying, he took off his boots and put them on, still talking, aud apparently very excited. His boots on, be walked round the house to the water-spout to get a drink. He was pulling his beard at a tremendous rate. He walked back again, and went out of sight. Witness then went te bed, telling bis wife she had better tell Mr Taylor to come into bed. She returned aud said she thought she saw Taylor lying down inside the fence with his coat off. Then jumped up, and sang out, “Taylor, are you coming to bed ?” Had an answer, “ Yes,” or something to that effect from him. When he answered, witness went up to him. Deceased was kneeling, with a pool of blood in front of him. Did not touch him then, but ran to the house of Heuchan, and both went back to Taylor. Deceased got up when witness put bis baud on him and walked three or four yards when he fell. Then carried him into the stable and laid him down. Deceased appeared to be pretty far gone, aud witness did not think he would get up again, so closed the stable door. Witness and Heuchan thought of tying deceased hands, but did not do so. While they were looking for a horse to go to Cromwell, deceased came bounding out of the stable and ran to the till) of water,

Which was thirty or forty yards away. We waited to see what he was going to do. Ha plunged his head in, and 1 thought he was going to drown himself, so we let him plunge his head in a second time. We took him out then, took him back to the stahle and laid him down again He (deceased) appeared determined to get out again, which I prevented. I was outside, and he was inside the stable. I did nothing to staunch the blood, and made no attempt to do so. Deceased tried to speak to me when I was outside the stable. He was muttering something—it might be for a drink of water -possibly it was. Heuehan went for the doctor, and spoke to me at the stable door before he went After he had gone deceaseil tried to get out again, and I barricaded the stable door to prevent him. I didn't know anything about him, and I thought he was too far gone 1 know nothing of patching wounds of that sort. He began to get quiet then, and I thought it best to leave him so—l thought he was either asleep or dead. I went back to the kitchen, and just sat up all night. I next saw deceased when the doctor came this morning, about half-past four o'clock. I went into the stable with the doctor and Mr MacKellar. Deceased was lying on the floor of the stable, and not on the couch we made for him. 1 didn't pay much attention to him—merely to see whether he was dead or alive -that's all. I think he was dead. By the Police—l noticed nothing in deceased's hands when I lifted him. I saw the knife produced for the first time this morning, when Mr MaeKeller had it. By the Jury—Deceased had no intoxicating drink at my place, and was not drunk. -1 am clear that it was his own act, and have no reason to suppose it was any body else. D. MaeKeller, builder, Cromwell deposed that he knew deceased, James Taylor, a carpenter, living at Clyde. Last saw him alive on Monday week, when he was leaving Cromwell for Hawea, where he was acting as inspector of the bridge. Saw him next that morning at Anderson's farm, in the stable. He was lying on his |face and stomach, with trousers, shirt and boots on. flis waistcoat and necktie were lying near him. On examination found Taylor was dead. On hearing Anderson's story, made search for some weapon that might have caused the gash in decaasel's throat. About 11 yards from the house found a pool of h!oo 1, partly dried, and by it a hat and the knife produced. About five yards further on, found a second pool of blood Collected the blanket, hat, knife and effects of deceased and put them, with the corpse, into Anderson's dray, and started them off for Cromwell. By the Foreman—There did not appe ir to be a very great quantity of blood on the ground.—The inside of the stable door wis marked with bloody finger marks. -The door was closed with two bars, and further barricaded with a bench and two coils of wire. Chas A. Staeponl, a legally qualified medical practitioner, residing in Cromwell, deposed that he was sent for by ihe police that morning, and told that a mac named

James Taylor had cut his throat. Started with Mr MaoKeller about 1 50. am. for Anderson’s farm, which they reached about 4 o’clock. Asked Anderson how the man was, and he said he didn’t know, but that he was in the stable, and witness could go in and see. Went into the stable, and there found Taylor on his face, dead. Assisted by Mr VlacKeller, turned him on his hack, and found that one of his hands was almost entirely in a gash in Ids throat. Removed it, aud then found a wound three or four inches across the thioat, severing the wind-pipe. The direction was evidently from left to right, and the wound could have been self billeted, and by such a knife as the one produced. Should think deceased must have been dead an hour or an hour aud a half. Did not think there would have been any chance of his recovery. Deceased appeared to have thrust his hand into the wound and his windpipe and so suffocated himself, hut in his (witness’) opinion decaased died from the wound in his throat. Thought if deceased had been watched and his hands tied, he might have been alive when witness arrived, and so life saved. He had read of cases where the windpipe had been severed aud yet life saved.

The jury after some consideration, returned verdict.—That the deceased, James Taylor, committed suicide while of unsound mind. The jury are of opinion that the witness Thomas Anderson displayed considerable inhumanity in the manner in which he dealt with deceased after discovering him with his throat cut.—Cromwell Argus.