THE SUICIDE OF PETER MATHESON.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 296, 9 October 1883, Page 3

THE SUICIDE OF PETER MATHESON.

; ; ''rirdtrfisx iir ! waimea. ''■ , if.;. hA« inquest was held at Waimea on Tuesday last before Mr SouneßS, J.P., M<Stothe btfdy of Peter ;Matheson, who committed suicide on Wednesday night. Mr P. Ford wa^-^ttosen foreman of the

Jr*J' p\t^' ■ ?H '< ' ■ Eobefff s^ler, blacksmith, Waimea, deposed that ttl>o^!>;ll.2s on Wednesday a night he was, awakened by deceased 1 breathing very Heavily. Called

his name, 'and getting no answer ApUßh.ed; hisubedroom doori'open and <( fcii'jjid him' lyiij^bti ; the -floor with no-. thing on but; his shirt.' 1 He was on* a blanket. .Called ..al^jhands., JB^aminar tion "ett (^)|a;]tnaV: hlind . ,^aa moving, and thai; he, had a razor in' it * '''.- with which he was sawing ftthis throat. •^-.'Jgoin^of- the hainds had 'by' tfiis time. ■ v .'V*ripiVed»/l Assisted ! f to .take ;th^ razor, '";'- wiicn,n© .£el«l tightly ; in his hand, from '-' * bufc'he 15 died immediately , f He '11 %^m|- covVr^d with' blood arid ' there' was ' a pool tinder 'iniri^ Witnesffhad given V, .■ Mm a diirife about 8 p.m., when he was

writing iv his pocket book. Did not • .•.#* him.agam until ' awakened as al,Ci deecriljecl y but had sieen him ,'•; about 5 p-ipii, whc>n he : came ih; by the train. He then appeared very shaky. * ' jfeikf d him if he had been drinking ' : andite replied—" Very little that day -■ '^dW&eV^ay beibsc." /The razor .-prddaced/ielonged tar-wltneasi from '^jbtefr toonx " deceased fa a d taketi, it 't&ft*' I . •■ ' ■ : -" : ' ■■•• • ■ - JbhiiDunldp gave evidence generally '"■* cotrob&rativeof 'that, of the pireyioii^ :^at.,he saw A* r ceawd about 0,40 .^.bof. ' .He t . was -lying.. ! s --' f ;wi!iijii'3^^W\9ii'>«?g.;.«*« d if ,. h 2 . felt any better wad-rr* Yea? ■* Httle. Witneiiiwit his hand on his head and ; * tl Wd-^^Y6ur headiß^vcry warm." The ■'•>* ffl^T <ss' •" ¥$*? ; - !Xf%edVii-libj wanted water ftf tea^ but ne nVade,. no jgpJK, .7/|Je?hadr*ater in his room/ He spoke but was very shaky; • that, on j_Jfond«ysey<sning, October 1, he^foun4 |p d^poased lying in the main ajireet, He appeared -to lhtvfd ( vj there, some. time. „f t, Took; hini to ■ »%t, a« ft. would b£ |ar bettefj^han yet, : %i A coat "was danip, and hei wa« >hn Weiflbliii^' 5 Gave' him a lot of beading, : ' s ' v; DuJ;^' moatied so' niuch' that witness "'^thp^^itifc'irecesEfary to gire -■ bim?f o?ae j»candy, after which he went to^leep. itj was irM ?^erT%ttießop f W a>kedifitf;;could . >»V It wtkn'eid from the paper, an* wit"v> r ni*S replied that he; feared not. ; On * w?^l&daybtoughthinl before Mr McOulr

'aruiflceniieifß. Th(j Htdney "war paidr He promised to . abstain from drink that day, land in due course left by train for Waimea. J?rw that he was suffering from t fc e effects oF drink, but he spoke quite sensibly. On examining his room at Waimea, witness found the following wri ten on a piece of paper: — "I am dead and gone, now, but I . had nothing to do with the stables," evidently refetring to ihe five there a short time ago. The jury, after a short; deliberation, returned a verdict of " Tempor ry Insanity,"