The Queen-st. Tragedy.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4766, 6 July 1894, Page 2

The Queen-st. Tragedy.

B Sergeant,McAi'dle.eonduetdtl the "„; nquiry.- ■■,■;' ,-■•:;:;;'■;"":;'".77 : :l'. ' : ( 'Dr Willifim Butomout deposed: I j ras called.this morning at about -g wenty minutes' to ten to go to the £ 'csidoncoof the deceased in. Queen- j treet, Sergeant MoCardle : haying nformed me ho was dead. On r xamining tlio body I found fi wound j, if about 6 inches in longth, and ; arying in depth from half an inch 0 two inches, extending across the j i;#nt of the neck, Trhi«li severed two 8 iirgo veins, and an artery on the fl eft side, and also the windpipe. The „ vound was deepor on tho left side ( ban on : the right, indicating that ; ho incision had been coinmoncod [ roiri tho'loft side, and was probably i nflicted by some instrument- which j lad been ■ held in the light hand, j This wound was'quite sufficient to ( oauso death. Tho knifo (produced.) ! ; was quite capablo of inflicting the , wound. I was attending tho de-. ; ceased, off and on, for about three , months before his death. Ho had s been suffering from a poisoned finger _ by which he was very weak and de- - pressed., An eruption had'broken , out over the body, and particularly ■ affected tho face and head. The.ro- j suit of the eruption on the face, was , a severe inflammation of tho right eye. The pain and annoyance owing to the inflamed oyo, caused con-, siderablo loss of sleep, and further depression. I did all I could to keop him confined to his rooiii, in ordertb treat him for his eye. : Ho appeared I to bo extremely restless and would not remniu in his room.',' Finding him in tbis.state, I gavo him a line to Dr McKonzie, of Wellington, thinking that perhaps tho further opinion and tho change, might help to remove his depression. After I three days in Wellington, he returned J saying that Dr MoKensuo had told \ him the same as-I had, and advised !i him to be patient, and continue the i' treainiontas prescribed. Tho next $ I heard of him was three days later, " by letter from deceased in Wellington, asking for an order to bo ad.j mitted to the Hospital, This I wrote j addressing it to DrMcKen&ie. That 3j was on Saturday, 23rd June. ' In the afternoon I received a tele- | gram, asking for an ordor. by wire, J This I sent. The next time I saw } Mm was Tuesday, 3rd July. He told 2i mo that his eyes wero considerably sij'bettor, after niue or ten days in the ■I Hospital, He expressed anxiety as 1 to whether his business would .con- " tinue lucrative as formerly. By Sergt, McArdlo: I never knew a him once under the influence-'''of; c ! drink. He seemed to be quite free ■ from such influence on Tuesday. In thonata.to Dr McKcnzie, I told him deceased-.was hypochondriacal and had formerly attempted suicido. By the jury: Ho seemed quite rational on Tuesday morning, and much improved in spirits, i MaryJohrisou,wifoof thedeceased, deposed: Deceased got up this morning about 7 o'clock. Ho was as right as lat tho time. He went up to the Royal Hotol,- and to the Star Hotel. He came home and'said-ho'had had two drinks, After he camo homo ho suddenly took tho knife (produced) i out of the drawer.- I endeavoured to tako.it-froni him, but in doing so I cut my hand badly. Then I managed to take thokuife from liim, but tlio harm was already done. Ho tkon rose to get another knife, audi called out■.-"Murder!"' Then. I ran:next door to get assistance, but by. this time ho had fallen on the floor, and had died iii that position, Deceased was a- bootmaker by trade, and in fairly good: circumstances! Ho was • By the jury': Deceased .has often threatened to kill hinisclfj biit'l did not attach any importance to it. Before he rose, this morning he said "I will bo a corpse beforethe sun sets to-night," This was before he went out for the'drink,, .- Sergeant McArdlo stated that there was no prohibition order against deceased. An application had been made to get an order out, by Mrs Johnston, but had-been withdrawn, Alan Harford deposed: I was working in tho employ of deceased, but have been absent for a week until this morning,' I saw deceased at about nine o'clock this morning, Ho was very melancholy.. I was well acquainted with his habits and manner, I never saw him so .dopressed as lie was to-day. Ho just said" Good morning," and asked' if 1 was, going to work. I went to Snll -down tho shutters, when Mrs olinson sang out to mo ho was cutting his throat.-When'l got in, it was done, Deceased was sitting on the sofa. He was dead, At the request of Mrs Jphnson, I at once went for the police. I believe that during tho last 18 piontlis, he was not a temperate man, Do not know for certain whether deceased had drink this morning, but thought by his face, that ho had had sorno, The jury then retired, and after about ten minutes deliberation, brought in the following verdict:— "The,jury finds that John Johnson, tho deceased, came to his death, by his own hand, while temporarily insane." ■