INVERCARGILL TRAGEDY.

Bush Advocate, Volume XX, Issue 1002, 14 April 1908, Page 5

INVERCARGILL TRAGEDY.

•r _ ■■ , m_ . -. f [PRESS ASSOCIATION.] INVERCAR4GULL, last night. The inquest concerning the deaths of the victims of . the Criixan street tragedy was concluded this evening. (Archibald McLean, city missionary, said he had daily opportunity of observing Baxter's relations with his. family, and woiild say they were a very happy family. Baxter was not hasty tempered, and witness had lijeyer heard angry words, Baxter heing- ill about a month. ''■.■• Dr. Ewart described the woitnd and added that insane people are liable to impulses which may sometimes be of such force as to be irresistible, and there may. or may not be signs of intellectual aberration. The chief feature of disorder is the impulse to destroy and may not be controlled by. the person. :- George McCarter, employed! in Baxter's shop and nursery, said that oh Monday preceding the . tragedy Baxter was pale and very quiet, and he seemed in a low and weak state in the head. He seemed depressed for about a fortnight. At 8 p.m^ Oh Tuesday, the night of the tragedy, he went to Baxter's house for instruction, and saw Mrs Baxter, who took his message to Baxter and brought bapk replies. She said Baxter's head was bad. Margaret McKobie, who had nursr ed Mrs Baxter through her recent illness, said that Baxter Mas a kind '"man" to his family, but for' a fortnight before -witness ' left .the hxwse heivad'lteen complaining A& pain's in theJUead. Witness thought him far from' sane. He would lie in bed all day, sometimes go out- for lyart of the day. a-nd. then f corner home, .and go to bed. During . this. fortnight he seemed miserable, and "'"'ate l>t"tle. fiOne *B*^t«he«*ook*a?sbo*tle <*©fe laiuMium from witness's room and when asked to/return .it-, .saad the. bottle, hade-been broken." * If.-' '*' "' I's r v The -jury, jFgiJAd, that. Jaines~Reid '" Balxjteii* cb^nftttecT suicide: while'siiffering^ impulse* ! ihsdiiity, ■ and that other victims- met Jtheir death at his hands while .he was so suffering. : The police, were specially conimend- , t edj-foi*" action deafing; with emefT *geriey. r -';' '"-'-'■■"■ '■•• v'^-- 1 - -^