THE INVERCARGILL TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 98, 14 April 1908, Page 2

THE INVERCARGILL TRAGEDY.

INQUEST CONCLUDED. iII'BDEIIEU'S INSANITY. Per I'ress Association, •. Inverearyill, Last Niylit. An inquest concerning the death oi the. victims of the Crinan Street traced;' was concluded this evening. ' Archibald ilel.ean, city missionary, said he had daily opportunity of observing Baxter's relations with his fainI ily, and would say l.hev were a llajipy family. Uaxter was not hasty temjjered, and witness had never heard angry words. Baxter had been ill for about a month.

Dr. Ewart described the wounds, and added that insane people were liable to impulses .which may sometimes be of sucli force as to be irresistible. There may or may not be signs oi intellectual aberration. The chief feature oi disorder was impulse Lo destroy, and may j not be controlled by a person.

nui lie cuw.ivui.il uj yv....—. Cieorge .McCarter, employed m Muxter's shop and nursery, said that on .Monday preceding the tragedy liaMe, was pale and very quiet, and seemed m < a low and weak state, lie seemed de- i pressed lor about a fortnight. At S I p-m. on Tuesday (the night of the tra- I jjedy) he went to Baxter's house lor ' instructions, lie saw Jlrs. Baxter, w/.o took his message to Baxter and brought 1 back replies. .She said Baxter's head was bad. . Margaret" ilcltobie, who hail nursed ill's. Baxter through her recent illness, said that Baxter was kind to his family, but for a fortnight before witness left j the house he had been complaining oi pains in the head. Witness thought liiiu far from sane. He would lie in bed al.l. day, .sometimes go out for a part of the day and then come home and go to bed. During this fortnight he seemed miserable and ate little- One night he took a bottle of laudanum from witness room, and when asked to return it he said the bottle had been broken. Tile jury found that .James Reid Baxter committed suicide while sulVcring from impulsive insanity, and that the other victims met their death at his hands while so suffering. The police were specially commended for their action in dealing with the emergency. DEATiI OF THE BABY. Invej'cargill, Monday, Phyllis Baxter shows a slight improvement, and at times is conscious. The baby died on Sunday afternoon.