INQUEST.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1549, 5 February 1879, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Tuesday at the Windmill road, before J. W. S. Coward, , Coroner of the district, on the body of Robert Scott, whoso death was recorded in Tuesday’s issue. Mr John Clark was chosen foreman of the jury. The jury haying viewed the body, the following evidence was taken : Robert Scott —1 am son of the deceased. Ho has been in good health lately. About 730 pan, yesterday I last saw him alive. He was then sitting in the kitchen smoking Ida pipe. He had been in town during the day. He sat for some little while in the kitchen—about fire minutes. He came into the parlor and had his tea, and then came back again into the kitchen. He filled his pipe and sat down opposite me at the table. In the meantime my brother John arrived on horseback. During the time my broth r was sitting on horseback outside, and bad his tea, my father wont out to my brother. He struck the pony, and my mother and sisters wont out and brought him in, knowing he was excitable. I went out too, hearing him getting excited. When I went cut rr.y brother had hold of my father, dragged him inside, and shut tiro cl ;or. 1 left my brother at the sate and told him to go home. When my father got liquor he fell out with everyone. T heard a noted inside—being outside myself—like my mother holding my hither, who had a stick in his hand, and 1 kicked at the door, which wis op oed. When X got in I saw my mother holding on to my father, who had a stick in Ids hand nrd vas in an excited star**, *<> much so (hat-. 1 was going to fetch a pob'ceman. I aiumd bi n for the stick, but he dccl'nod give il to icm. My father then le t the Htnben, w-dk- d into his bedroom whore he now lies, and locked the door. Knowing that ho was in the habit of doing this when ho got liquor or got excited, we

took uo notice. About, t*o minutes elapsed, find I lini’-d the report, of a pistol, a very loud report and a dull thud. My mother inother eiti i—" ile is at his old trieks again.” The meaning of this was that before leaving Ireland he used to fire off a pistol when he got excited just to frighten ns. We have had to break into a room and take the pistol from him. This is the fourth attempt ho has made on his life. I went to the window and looked in. My mother told me to take care, as he might fire off the pist/d again. I saw my father sitting with Ins back against the chair on the floor. I thought he was only wounded. I ultimately went into the room and found that, ho was dead. I felt that both pulse and heart wore stopped. I then went for the doctor, I never looked for the pistol, B >th his hands were by his side. There was a smell of gunpowder in the room. I afterwards discovered (ho track of a bullet which had gone through the house, coming from the room where he is now lying. This, I think, would he the loud report I hoard. I went to the hotel, and told my brother to go for a doctor, and I then went tor a constable. When the deceased got liquor lie was excitable, and thought that everyone was opposed to him, and that was the reason why ho got him out here, so as to prevent him getting liquor in the hotel. Once before he got a bottle of laudanum and took a portion of it. I t ook the laudanum from him and got the doctor who saved him. By Sergeant Moriee—l do not In ow who the revolver produced belongs to, 1 never saw it before last night. I believe he had the revolver in Ireland. lie used to fire off shots through the house when ho got excited. We did not think anything of it, as we had heard pistol shots before. No one else could have tired the shots but my father, as all the doors were locked, and I went round to the window at once. Patrick Doyle—l am a legally qualified medical practitioner. I was called shortly before eight o’clock last night to see the deceased. I found him quite dead. I made a post mortem examination to-day, and found a wound on the right temple through the skull. It had blackened considerably externally from the burning of the powder. The character of the wound on the scalp was slightly oblong, but in the bone perfectly circular. The bullet had passed through the bruin and also into the skull on the other side. I found the ball in the brain. It had rebounded from the skull into the brain again. It was flattened and jagged. There was no other wound or any other mark. It looked as if the pistol had been held close to the wound. If the pistol had been held in tire right hand of (he deceased it would have made such a wound as that I found.

To Sergeant Morice—The bullet produced is the one I found in the brain of deceased. Margaret Scott —I am the widow of the deceased. We had been married forty four years. Since my husband had a fever some ten years ago he has been a little gone out of his mind, especially when ho took liquor. Ho had not been drinking much lately, but yesterday he had been taking more than was good for him. Wo had no words together. My son John was outside on a horse, and my husband did not like the man who had bought the horse, and he had a sort of a spite against the horse for this reason. He struck the horse with a great big stick lie bad in his hand. I took him in my arms, and forced him into the house. The doors were then locked against him, and he could not get out. He then went into his own room, and locked the door. Then we heard the report of a pistol, and my son Robert went round to the window, after having tried to get in at the door. I went into the room after my sou Robert had got in, and I saw that the life was gone. I found the pistol under the bed. John Scott—l am son of the deceased. I was hero about 3 30 p.m,, first on horseback. My father was not here at that time. I went away for a ride and returned again just before 6 p.m. My father was here then, and after I had been some little time in the yard he came out and stood with his back against the side of the house. Ho then walked round behind mo. I then felt my father striking the pony, and looking buck caw him rising the stick again. I said, “ What a cowardly action to strike a poor animal like this.” My mother told me to go away as my father wots excited. I then went away, and my brother H hart then came rip to the hotel and told me that my faiher had shot himself, and to gtt the doctor quick. The jury returned a verdict, “That the deceased, Robert Scott, shot himself whilst in a state of temporary insanity.”