THE MOUNT ALBERT TRAGEDY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 29 January 1908, Page 31

THE MOUNT ALBERT TRAGEDY.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST

(Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, January 23.

A sad state of affaire was revealed in connection with Mrs Ada Lydia Skeet, who committed suicide at Mount Albert the other day. \

At the inquest Frederick William Skeet, the husband, stated that deceased was about 26 years of age and a native of Carterton (Wairarapa). Witness was not in house at the time of the occurrence, Taut he saw, the deceased a short time before the act. She appeared as well as usual on Tuesdaj forenoon.

The Coroner: Had the deceased at any time made any threat that she would dq away with herself ?— Witness : Well, yes, ai times, but I never thought she meant it. and she would not have done it if she haa been in her own mind. No, lam sur« she would not.

Was there anything to depress her, oi any reason you can a.ssign for tie act? — No.

Did she have any trouble? — Only doctor** troubles. '

Continuing, Witness said the deceased had resided .at Te Puke for four years, and had lived for one year in England. Whils* at Te Puke she complained of being lonely, and for that reason they sold the farai they had there and came to Auckland to reside. Deceased had passed a bad night on Monday. t - • ~ i Dr H. O. Jones said Jie had been attending the deceased for -the laßt^ja^nonths, first for influenza, yhkib. oftenTJSft traces'^! mental' depression. Tn November the aeceased was in a. run-down condition-, and, ' suffering from mental depression. The Coroner-: Did you consider she was a person likely to take her life?-i-I did while those attacks were on her. I -warned those near her to keep an eye on her. Of course they were only temporary attacks.

Continuing, the Doctor said that he saw deceased about 3 o'clock on Tuesday after* noon. She was dead, lying on her fact on the floor. There was a "pool of blood on the floor, "and a razor was lying alongt side her. He was certain the wound war 6elf inflicted.

The Coroner: In your opinion was sin m a sound state of mind at the time of th* occurrence?— Witness: She was mentally deranged

That is your opinion, based on your previous observations of the deceased ?—Yeg, during her previous illnesses. v To the jury: The deceased was a higSlyetrung nervous woman.

.Jennie Oliver, -wife of the Rev. W. 0. Oliver of Mount Albert, who was with Mrs Skeet on Tuesday Brior to and at the time of the. occurrence, said the deceased was very excited. ' Witness induced the deceased to he down on her bed. After a .time she got up and after searching some drawers sha procured a prayer book and knelt by tha side of the bed and prayed for about 10 minutes. Then she again 'up and picked up something which witness at first thought was ' a comb or a pen, -but «ha realised a moment la J^. that it 'was -a razor. She had only a hazy recollection of the subsequent events. 'Witness had visited the deceased frequently beeausa deceased appeared to want a friend. This was all the ;evidence. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide whilst temporarily of unsound; mind. They also expressed appreciation / of the efforts made by Mrs Oliver for tin benefit of the deceased. ,