INQUEST.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 762, 17 February 1870, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at Petane yesterday, at the late residence of the deceased, before fl. S. Tiffen, Esq., J.P., on the body of Alexander Stuart Aiken, who was found dead in his house on the evening of Tuesday, the 15th iust. The following was the evidence:— Robert Kirkpatrick, being sworn, deposed : On the evening of the 15th Feb., about dusk, Mr Tuxford sent me to Mr Aiken's house to return an axe. He told me that he had heard Mr Aiken was very poorly, and that I might stop with him for nalf-an-hour, I opened the door and looked into his bedroom, but could see no one there. I looked at the head of the table in the kitchen, and saw Mr Aiken leaning back in the chair with a rifle, the butt on the ground and the barrel against his-chest. I looked for a match ; not finding one I went back to Mr Tuxford and told him .that there was something up. I then returned to Aiken's house accompanied by Mr Tuxford, Mr El win, and Mr Scott. We opened the door and struck a match and lit a candle. We then saw deceased leaning back in the chair with the top of the scull blown off. Mr Elwin then locked up the door, and Mr Tuxford proceeded to Napier to give notice to the authorities. When I first entered the house I thought I smelt gunpowder. James iVl'Kain, being sworn, deposed : Yesterday afternoon (Feb. 15), at about 5 or half-past 5, Mr Mitton came to me and told me Mr Aiken was very ill. At half* past 6 I went to see him, accompanied by ray little boy. I brought a few peaches for him. He ate one or two while I stayed. Ho said that he was very ill, and that he had sent Br Scott on Monday morning to Napier for some powerful medicine, for he knew that his liver was bad. He said Scott knew it was four days since his bowels had been relieved; and that it would be two days more. I asked him whether he had no medicine by him, and he said be had only some common pills, and they were of no use. I offered to make him some tea; he said it was no good, for anything he took made him sick. When I first saw him he was sitting on the chair with bis legs on the corner of the table. 1 noticed his chest heaving, and he was breathing heavily. He removed his legs from the table and laid his head on his arms on the table. Ho then leaned back in his chair and said he was very ill, and he knew he should have a hard winter of it. I shook hands with him and bade him good night. It was then about sunset. He was very low spirited and melancholy when I saw him. I did not see him again until I saw him just now. William Elwin, being sworn, deposed: Last evening (Feb. 15) I accoompanied Mr Tuxford at his request to Aiken's. On the road we met Kirkpatrick and Scott. We went to Aiken's house together. 1 knocked at the door, then opened it, and spoke, saying, " Aiken, are jov in ?" Receiving no answer, we entered the house, I struck a match, and Scott went into the bedroom with it, and afterwards into the kitchen, where we saw the deceased. In the meantime I lit a candle, and then we could see that Mr Aiken was dead. He was precisely in the same position as he is now—-lying back in his chair with the roof of his skull blown off. I then suggested that we should at once lock up the house and communicate with the authorities. I locked the front door and took the key home with me, and retained it until a.polioeman called for it this morning. '

Matthew Scott, being sworn, deposed; I have been working for Mr Aiken for (he last three or four months. I left him at his own house on Monday morning, 14th Feb. He was complaining, and had been for a week before that. He had taken some Cockle’s pills, which did him no good. I therefore went into Napier on Monday morning to get him some medicine. I left Daniel Hoare with Mr Aiken. I returned on Tuesday evening, at about 7 or 8 o’clock. I accompanied Kirkpatrick, Tuxford, and Elwin to ( Aiken’s house. After looking in the kitchen and bedroom and not finding him there, I went into the sitting room and found him sitting in his usual place at the head of the table. I took bis hand and found it pulseless. I then put my hand over the region of the heart and found he was still warm. I put my hand up to bis forehead, and my fingers went into his head. I saw a rifle between h's legs, with the butt resting on the ground, and the barrel resting against his chest. We then locked up the house and left the body in the state in which we had found it, and in which it is now. William Churchill, being s ,yorn, deposed : I am a policeman $ I was ordered between 10 and 11 o’clock last night (16th Feb.; to come from Napier to Aiken’s bouse to take charge of his body and effects. I obtained the key from Mr Elwin, and proceeded to the house at about 1 this morning. On opening the front door I saw deceased sitting in the chair with a rifle between his legs, the butt on the ground and the barrel on his chest. I found a string attached to the trigger, and the other on the ground alongside of his foot. I then looked up and found a mark, as if of a bullet iu the ceiling. I examined the rifle and found it had been discharged. I saw part of the skull lying on the floor, and portions of blood on the partition. I then looked into the bedroom and found the muzzle stopper on his bed, and the paper of the cartridge on the floor. I then locked the door and came out. The body is now in the same position as when I first entered the house. The following verdict was returned by the jury “We find that the deceased, Alexander Stuart Aiken, came to his death by a gunshot wound in the head, inflicted by himself while in a state of temporary insanity.”