THE SUICIDE AT THE OLD MEN'S REFUGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7344, 3 June 1885, Page 5

THE SUICIDE AT THE OLD MEN'S REFUGE.

» CORONER'S INQUEST. . A coroner's inquest on the body of John Nairn, who died at the Hospital on Monday afternoon from wounds indicted by his own hand, was held at the Hospital yesterday afternoon, before Dr. Philaon, coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr. Alex. Mclntyre was chosen foreman.—Constable Dews represented the police. After viewing the body the following evidence was adduced.— Brophy, matron of the old Hospital Refuge, deposed that deceased was an inmate of the above institution, having been admitted in January, 1882. He had been a militiaman, and bis age was 71 years. She was informed at half-past seven a.m. on Sunday that he had cut his throat. Dr. Bond was sent for, who attended to him, and dressed the wound on his neck. In the afternoon he asked for beef tea, which she gave him. He : was then very pale, and swallowed it with difficulty. She recognised the knife produced)—a short table knife, as having been found on deceased's pillow by a man named Webber, an inmate, . after the wound was dressed. The knife was given to him, as in the caße of the other old men, to keep in his locker for use at meals. The deceased was never considered sane, but he was quiet and tractable. He took to his bed about three days previous ; made no particular complaint, and said be would never rise again. She never thought of sending him to the Lunatic Asylum, regarding him an inoffensive.—Maurice Hurley, an inmate, deposed to finding the deceased, who slept in the next bed to him, lying with a quantity of blood on the bedclothing, and he ' raised an alarm. He never heard him threaten to take his life. There was no quarrelling among the old men and he never saw him the worse of liquor.—Dr. Bond deposed that he was called to ' visit the deceased at eight a.m. on Sunday/ There was a jagged wound 3J inches long extending from the middle of the neck to the right side, and there was a small opening on the cartilage of the larynx. No artery was cut, and the jugular vein was uninjured. There was a large cicatrix about an inch below the wound, which he learned was caused by a similar attempt made in February, 1878, and he was treated at the Hospital for it. He dressed the w6nnd, but deceased never rallied, and died on Monday at two p.m., in the Refuge where the cane was treated. The cause of death was shook and loss of blood. When under his treatment previously he did not suspect aberration of mind. The jury returned a verdict to the effect " That the deceased died from a wound inflicted by his own hand while labouring under aberration of mind."