CORONER'S INQUEST.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1835, 9 June 1874, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday at the Salutation Hotel, Mary-street, on the body of Joshua Waterworth, who made an attempt to commit suicide on the 19 th of May, by cutting liig throat and stabbing himself on the breast, and who has been lying in the Hospital since that time till hetweon eleven and twelvo o'clock on Sunday night, when he sunk from the self-inflicted injuries. Dr. Kilgour was the Coroner, aud Mr John Phillips was chosen foreman of the jury. Mrßullen was present. John Granatty deposed: lam a hotelkeeper, on tho Karaka Creek. Deceased came to my hotel on the 18th of May, and asked me if he could have a bed. _ That was between four aud five o'clock in the j afternoon. I took him upstairs _ and showed him the beds, and he asked if ho could have a separate room, to be quiet by himself. He came down stairs, and sat for awhile in the bar reading the papers, and after that he went away. He camo back about seven o'clock, and asked me for something to eat. He had a good tea. After tea he sat down in the parlour. He was very quiet, and I wished to keep him company audio talk to him. I spoke to him about business aud work here, till I spoke about his brother. After that, he rested his head on his hands, and asked'me not to speak to him. On looking through tho glass door 1 saw hira drinking some water that was on tho table. He then came to the bar, and wanted to pay me for tho tea.. I said not to trouble himself, that he could pay me next day when he had bed and breakfast. He then went back into the room, aud I saw him kneel down at a chair. He came again to me aud said, " Don't disturb me; I want to be praying." I said, "Pray away." About 10 o'clock, I asked him to go to bed, as I thought he was sleepy. I lit the ciudle and took him upstairs to fclio bod-room. Ho sat down on the bed, and took off his boots, and undressed' himself. I then asked him if he was all right, and he said " Yes." I bade him good night, and went away. He bolted tho door after me. I sat in the room downstairs for sometime, without hearing anything, I I locked the front door,and on going to the backyard I saw a light in tho window. I went upstairs, but when I did> so, his room was dark. I tried his door, but it was bolted. My wife called me between two and three in the. morning.. She heard him struggling, and fall on to the floor. I came down stairs, and balled Mr lloskin, one of my neighbours. Whenhe came he went upstairs. ■ The door was still bolted. I called the deceased to unbolt the door, and let us in. Ho made some answer which I did not understand. He unbolted the door, and we put him on tlie'-bed. I saw blood on the bed and on the floor. I ran myself for Dr. Lefchbridge.' I left Mr Hoskin Mr Newson with deceased. 1 watched deceased because he looked as if he were in trouble. ' I had seen deceased about three timps before he came to my hotel. As far as I kiew of him,l believed him to be a sober man. I never saw anything peculiar about liim.

By a juryman: He did riot ask me for any drink.

By Mr Bullen: He had drunk soda water in my house before—never any liquor. He said that he was all night amongst the beer at Elirenfried's aud that he wished to keep, clear.

Josias tfoskin deposed to having been called by the previous witness, and going lo deceased's bed-room. He' thon continued: I saw deceased kneeling on the floor covered with blood. I said to him, " You had better get on to tho bed." I followed Mr Granatty, who went downstairs with the light, and I brought Mr Newson, who went up stairs with me. Deceased had the door bolted again. I knocked, and he again opened it. I went ia and found him sitting on the bed. I said," What havo you been doing ?" He said," Cut windpipe." I asked him to lie down on the bed, and mi to him " VV hy did you do this ?" I could understand him to say "Certain reports." I said, " About yourself?" He said " Yes." A little while after, he said drink was the cause of it. I asked him if he had any drink before he did it, when he said "No; not for twenty-four hours." I said,'' Did'nfc you have a glass of grog to nerve you up before you did it ?" He said, "No, only a cup of tea." I said, "Are you sorry for what you "have done?" He said, "Yes." I said, " Would you lib to get all right again?" He said "Yes." He said the knife was not long enough. He pulled up his shirt and showed me some wounds over his heart. I picked tho knife up from the flaor by the bed. Deceased said that was the knife he had usod.'

By the Foreman: When ho spoke about drink, I did not understand him to allude to others. I asked him if the reports he spoke of had anything to do with his brother, and he said no,

DrLethbridgo deposed: About 3 o'clock on the morning of May 19, I was called to the Claremont Hotel. I found deceased lying on a bed in a small room up stairs. The bed and the floor beside it were saturatod with blood. On examining the neck I found a large wound about eight inches in length extending from points about equal distance ou each aide, and crossing just above the larynx. The .larger vessels had not been cut through, although there had been a considerable amount of haemorrhage. The depth of the wound was such as half to divide the gullet. From the nature of the wound, and its jagged edge, I should judge it to have been produced by such an instrument as that shown me—the knife now produced. (Double-bladod penknife produced, covered with blood, the larger blade open). X also observed some wounds on the breast, evidently produced by tho point of the sanii. knife. Those were very shallow. I recommended that he should bo roraovod to the Hospital, and I have since treated him there. We have used various means to prolong life, and to heal tho injury. He diod last night. I attribute death to tho injury itself, and to tho absorption of impure matter into the system from tho wound. Deceased was told that he had very little chance of recovory, and he said it was for the best.

By the Foreman: He did not seem to bo suffering from delirium tromens. Ho was particularly calm and resolute. He became delirious when the wound began to tell upon hi* system. Previously, ho had boeu quite calm, and spoke collected, except that ho would not say anything about why ho attempted suicido. He seemed rather despondent in mind, rather than excited.

Constable Madill deposed to having gone to the Hotel, and having found deojased sitting on the bed. % found §», k W& ft wkfo

book, and a number of letters. Hooked over some of the letters, and found that he held correspondence with a sister in England. None of tbo letters threw light upon his attompted suicide, that witness could find out. There was also a Post-office Savings Bank book amongst his papers, showing £14 17s 3d'to his credit. On tho 18th of May he had drawn £5 of that sum. Ho did not ascertain what he had done with tho £5.

This concluded the evidence.

The Coroner said it was perfectly clear that deceased's statement that drink was the cause, was not true, and was said probably for the purposo of misleading. He (the Coroner) had seen him shortly after the occurrence, and there was then nothing like alcoholic excitement about him, nor any appearance of delirium. He had put an end to himself while suffering from mental despondency which had overturned tho balanoe of his mind. Although he was apparently calm and collected, there was something in his eye that showed ho was incapable of, reasoning upon his own case dispassionately. He (the Coroner) considered that he had committed the act while in a state of mental dospondency, which was a phase of mental aberration. After about a quarter of an hour's doliberation, the jury returned a verdict, '' That deceased committed suicido while labouring under a,fit of,mental,despondency '." ;