THE NEWTOWN TRAGEDY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5182, 15 November 1895, Page 3

THE NEWTOWN TRAGEDY.

THE INQUEST ON ISAIAH

FAKE.

The District Coroner held ,111 inquest fit the Morgue 011 Thursday afternoon on the body of Isaiah Fake, bricklayer, who committed suicide on Wednesday, after attemptin,!,' to mnrder his wife. Mr Jas. Doyle was foreman of the jury. Sergeant Shirley, after describing the position the body was iu when he reached the house, deposed that about three months ago lie was presentattheMountCook Police Station when Jlr Martin S.M., attended in connection with a complaint by Mrs Fake that she was afraid her husband would shoot her. She produced some cartridges* similar to those used by Fake yesterday. Mr Martin drew up an information but after talking to her husband who was in an adjoining room, Mrs Fake declined to sign it. A fow days afterwards, witness saw the couple at their own house. Fake told him that they were reconciled, but that he wanted her to stay more at home than she had been doing, adding that unless she was more in the house, he would take his life. Mrs Fake said that she did not intend to stay at home, as she did not want to be tied to any man. Fake was of a very jealous disposition, and strongly objected to his wife visiting her children by her marriage with Mr Skinner, from whom she had been divorced.

Dr. Alexander deposed that he was satislied the deceased committed suicide, and that tho shot which wounded the woman was tired at her from a little distance.

Una Fake,daughterof thedeceased, stated that Iter father had frequently threatened her step-mother's life. Yesterday morning an altercation look place in the front bedroom between her father and step-mother. Deceased said something about taking her step-mother's life. Mrs Fake said," Well, take it then," and then a shot was lired. Her stepmother ran over to Mrs M'Faddin's house, and then another shot was lired in the bedroom. Witness had often said her father was mad.

Isaiah Joseph Fake. I'almerslon North, eldest son of the deceased, stated that for the last ten years he had noticed a peculiarity in his father's mental condition, Deceased would talk at random and get yeiy excited, About twenty-live years ago lie fell a distance of 50 feet, and on that occasion was hit on the head with a brick. Since then ho had been out of his mind on two occasions for '2' i hours at a time. He was a very sober man.

A verdict of suicide while ternporarilv insane was returned.