Hastings Tragedy

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 112, 28 May 1937, Page 6

Hastings Tragedy

DEATHS OF MOTHER AND. CHILD Evidence Heard At The Inquest CORONER'S VERDICT ; The Inquiry into the cixcumftaacee sarrounding the deaths of Mrs Kathleen McLeod and her 2£ybax old son, Ian Breac Stirling McLeod, whose bodies were found in ihe "bathroom of their residence on Wednesday evening, was coucluded this morning when the Dis-t trict Coroner. Mr.. Geo. Ebbett, J.P., condncted the inquest. He returned a verdict that Mrs McLeod, yrhile under very severe nervous distress, fied from poisoning selfinflicted, hnt found that there was insufficient evidence to prove how the child came about its death and accordingly returned a verdict that it was found drowned in a bath, there being insufficient evidence to ahow how it came to he there. Ian Stirling McLeod, stock agent, #aid that his wifo about two months ago gave birth to a daughter. Before the confinement her health was quite jiormal, but since she had suffered from her nerves. Otherwise her geueral /health was normal. On oue occasion since the birth of the daughter she had made the remark to witness that she thought that she would do away with herself and her son. "Witness pass«d this iemark off lightly and hhd not since headl her pass any similar eomment. Witness detaile'd -the arrangementa made about n picture party and the last-minute decision of his wife to stay at home. Begarding a bottle of poison. found in the bathroom, witness sald that this was purchased last summer for sprayiag purposes and had noi been used. It was usually standing on the mantelshelf in the kitchen. He had never heard his wife make auy remark about this poison. There was no domestic trouble, and she was always on quite good; terms with the rest of witneBs's family, She had no financial difficulties. Nurse's Evidence Euphemia Nancy Robertson, Karitane nurse attached to the Plunket Society, sald she was engaged by Mr and Mra McLeod to attend their infant girL Before the birth of the child Mrs McLeod waB suffering from • nervous disability, and her condition did not improve after the birth of the chiid. She never intimated to witness that she intended taking her life, and witness said she had no reason to be* lll'j* j'.» JjJtJ JL I'I hJi Jh * ' Every thing was as usual about the home on Wednesday evening," said witness. "At about eight o'clock I got scme sewing and went into the living-room. Mrs McLeod was reading there. The two children had been put to bed prior to this and were asleep. Mrs McLeod and I talked for about 10 or 15 minutes; theu she said she would have a bath and go to bed. She loft tne room and returned about five minutes lattsr for her book, remarking that after Jier bath she would have a xead in betL "lt is my usual practice to have a bath at 8.40 o'clock, after which I tt-tend to the baby ancl make it comfortable -for -the night," continued witness, who said that at that hour she left .the living-room to prepare the bath.- She noted that the light was on in Mra McLeod 's room but that tho bed was untouched and. also that the light was on in the boy's room. After knockang and questioning at the bathroom witness said she called Mr McLeod, senr., and he later arrived wijh J)r. Cashmore. - . i Greatly Attached to Children. ••There was nothing unueual about" Jfrs McLood's manner during the evening, and nothing occurred to create the alightest guspicion in my-mind that she intended taking her own life or the life of her t'hild," said witness. "Slie was greatly attached to Jier children," Dr. Rowland Cashmore said that he was summoned by Mr McLeod, senr., and on arrival at the hoase he found the bathroom door lo^ked. He forced a window to gain entrance. Witness xound the bath full of water, and in it were the bodies of Mrs McLeo'd and her son. They-werc lying face downwards, and the mother's left arm was arouhd ihe child. On the table near the bath was an empty bottle of spray. . •'She was suffering from au anxiety aeurosis, a condition which is accompanied by attaeks of r.Xv.-l depression," said witness. "1 suggested that she should go away for a holiday, and srrangements were an the process of being made. Upon her last visit to ino the previous day she showed no indication of suicidal tendencies."