The Recent Sensational Suicide.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 303, 2 May 1894, Page 2

The Recent Sensational Suicide.

A TKAOIC HONEYMOON. THE EVIDENCE AT THE INQUESI. THE BRIDE'S STRANGE STORY. ! The particulars given at the, inquest on the body of Herbert J. Edmonds, who shot himself at Pirinoa, and whose marriage a month ago to Miss. Hare, at St. Peter's Church, caused so much sensation, disclose an extraordinary story of insane jealousy, ending in suicide. The inquest took place on Saturday at Turanganui, at the house where the tragedy occurred, the residence of Mr Jas. Wood. • The first witness was James jjWpod, stockman for Mr Russell, '.who' stated that deceased and his wife had been staying in his (witness 1 ) house, and they appeared to live affectionately together. About seven o'clock next morning witness told Mrs Wood to take them a cup of tea and a cup of cocoa. Shortly afterwards he heard the report of a gun v from upstairs. He ran upstairs to de- ; ceased's bedroom, where he found that Mrs Edmonds was in bed alone, and screaming. He asked what was the : matter, and Mrs Edmonds replied that Mr Edmonds had shot himself.: Witness said " Where is he?" She said she did not know. She was terribly excited. Witness went into the next room, and saw the deceased lying on bis back with ; a gun by his side. His brains were on the floor and his head was lying in a mess of blood. Witness at once sent Mr W. Roe to Maryborough to report the matter to Constable Bowden. After finding the body witness went back to Mrs Edmonds and told her "It's all: up now. He has shot himself right enough." He tried to quieten her, and afterwards sent Mrs- Wood to her.; Witness knew that deceased was in debt all round the neighbourhood to the amount of £60. He knew this front statements made by the creditors, and not from any statement made by deceased -„.-: ■./'/"' r In reply to the Coroner, witness said he knew of no reason for the deceased taking his life except jealousy. He seemed to be jealous of bis wife .talking to any man. He was morose, and of an evening would not join in tiie conversation, but kept bis eye on his wife. ■ MBS EDMONDS TELLS HEB BTOHY. , The evidence of Mary Josephine Edmonds, widow of the, deceased, was then taken. She said:— l am the wife of Herbert Edmonds, now deceftWd. We Were married on the 30th March at S&* Peter's Church, Wellington. We came to Featherston on the day we were mar. r|ed, and came to this place on the following day, and since then I have liyed here with- my husband, with the exception- of a fortnight, when I west to Wellington in consequence of my father being ill and my being sent for My husband came to Wellington last Saturday, and we returned here on Tuesday last. We have been Jiving happily since our marriage, nevertheless he was very jealous. Deceased seemed rather strange when he went to school on Wednesday morning. He seemed to have something on his mind, and when 1 asked him what it was he said, "Thinking' of you, my love, and you will be my ruin." He was of a peculiar temperament, and I thought so before I was married. I tried my pest to love him, but he would not let me. If I caressed him he rebuked me, and told me not be childish. He was always cross with me, and yet seemed to be fond of me THE STORY OF A STRANGE COURTSHIP. I had known deceased some years be* lore our marriage, and kept company with him for about two years before we married. During that time he showed the same peculiar temper. If any friends called me by my Christian name he flew at them and objected. On one occasion at his farther's place at Karori he took out a revolver, and told me if I did not think enough of him, to marry him he would shoot me. Before this, I had told him I did not think enough of him to marry him. In fear I promised to marry him, but not seriously. The marriage was arranged by him to take place on Tuesday, the 27th March, without consulting me. It was postponed by him till the 29th. WHY SHE SAID " NO ! " He called at my father's house on the morning of the 29th. I told him I felt I mustn't go to church, and that I didn't care enough for him. He said I would learn to care for him and through his per* suasion I went to church In the church I refused him. I didn't speak to him in church. I went into the vestry with my father, and the minister advised me to see the deceased and talk the matter over with him. We met at my father's house and bad a talk in the presence of my mother. He went on so that I took compassion on him, and consented to go . and see the minister. I went with him. His father and brother were there. I don't know how it happened, but I went from the minister's straight to the Church and was married. None of my people were there. My father had consented, but my mother never gave her consent to the marriage. THEIR LAST QUABBEL. On the Thursday, 26th April, when deceased came home from school he complained of his cold. I recommended him to go to bed, and I said I would fetch him some gruel. He went to bed about 7.25 p.m. I took him the gruel, but he said he did not want it, and refused to take it. He said his mind was bad. I asked him what lie meant. He said " Thinking of you." Then I persuaded him to take the gruel. He offered me some, but I did not take any. After taking the gruel he jumped up out of bed, and went to a gun which was hanging on the wall, and took it down. This gun he had brought to the room & day or two before, after we came back from Wellington. I said "Oh! Herbert don't briug firearms into the bedroom. You know how I fear them." He said " I've oiled this for more than one purpose" — quite coolly. I jumped up and took the gun from him. He then went to bed without saying anything. About 8 I woke up, and turning round I saw the deceased standing by the bedside with the gun in one hand and two cartridges in the other. I jumped up, threw my arms about his neck, and screamed out and said, " Oh ! Herbert, what are you going to do," He said, " Let us both die! " He looked strange, and said, " Prepare yourself for death." He said, " Let us die t " I took the gun from liim after a little resistance, he saying, " I'm stronger than you." I put the gun in a box on the landing, aha covered it with clothes. I think while I was asleep ho must have got up and found the gun, for after he dressed he picked it up from just behind the door. He then came to the beside with the gun. Just as he stood there Mrs Wood came upstairs with a cup of coffee and a cup of cocoa. He put the cup of cocoa for me on the bed, and the cup of coffee on the dress-ing-table. When placing the cup of cocoa qii the bed he leant over me and kissed "' me and said •' Good-by darling ! " and kissed the rings on my finger. He then said, " Has Mrs Wood gone downstairs ?" I said, " I don't know." He then left the room, but I did not notice whether he took the gun or not, THE TERRIBLE CLIMAX. I had my elbow on the pillow, and was just going to drink nay cocoa when I heard the report of a gun. I screamed, and Mr Wood camo up. Ho asked, "Whore is Mr Edmonds?'! I said I didn't kuow where he had gqne ; I was quite distracted. He went out, and

when he came back I said, " Oh ! what's the matter," and he replied, "He's gone." I heard no fall and no sound ut the report, and I did not think my husband was dead. EDMONDS' LAST LETTER. This letter, which was found by Constable Bowden in the bedroom, is as follows : — " Wellington, February 2nd, 1894. " My Dearest Love, — How can I describe the agony and remorse that your coldness of yesterday has caused me. Oh, why did I ever learn to love you, if its all to end like this ! But turn away my love, my darling, and breathe healing to the wounded heart of 11 Your heart-broken and devoted " Lovek." Continuing her evidence, Mrs Edmonds said : I never received this letter, but I have received similarly-worded letters from him after he got into a " tiff " in • consequence of my speaking to others. Lilian Wood, wife of James Wood, stated that the deceased was always of a cheerful disposition. She noticed, however, that he was very jealous. Constable Bowden stated that when he examined the body he found the back of the head at the left side completely blown away. There was a double-bar-relled gun lying on the right side of the body, about a foot away. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity.