SUICIDE ON A DAUGHTER’S GRAVE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4142, 30 June 1874, Page 3

SUICIDE ON A DAUGHTER’S GRAVE.

Our Sydney telegrams some days ago announced that Mr. Weaver had been found lying dead on his daughter’s grave in the cemetery at Annidale, New South Wales. From the Armidtde -Express we condense the following account of the sad event, and the inquest ;—On Tuesday, the 2nd June, Annidale was shocked by a report that Mr. Charles Thomas Weaver (formerly police magistrate at Annidale, and subsequently for some time a member of the Assembly for New England) had been found dead on grave of his daughter, in the Church of England Cemetery. Mr. Weaver’s umbrella was lying at a grave, but his body was found in another part of. the Wesleyan Cemetery, adjoining the other, with the throat cut. The body was immediately removed to a room in the Court-house. A post-mortem examination was held on Wednesday morning, and was followed by a magisterial inquiry by Mr. Buchan, when the following evidence was given :—Seniorconstable Kafferty deposed that, from information received yesterday, in company with another mounted constable, he went in search of Mr. Charles T. Weaver, the deceased. About 3 p.m. he found him lying dead in the Wesleyan burial ground, amongst some saplings. Deceased lay east and west, his head being to the west. He was partly on his left side and partly on his face. His left arm was extended, and under his head ; the right arm was slightly contracted. He held'in his right hand an office knife. The knife and fingers were covered with blood. On turning over the body he found a wound, about three inches in length, under the ear on the right side of the neck, and partly under the jaw. There was no appearance of a struggle. He found, on searching the body, a pocketknife, a toothpick, a pencil, sixpence in silver loose, four half-sovereigns, ss. fid. in silver in a small box, a pocket hankerchief marked “C. T. Weaver,” a razor case, spectacles in case, two N.S.W. Bank deposit slips (produced)—one for £225 11s. 3d., the other for a like amount—two letters without stamps (unopened) addressed “0. T. Weaver,” and a gold-keeper ring on the little finger of the left hand. He now produced all the articles he had specified. He had just seen the body lying in another room. It was that of Mr. Charles Thomas Weaver, deceased, and the same he found in the graveyard yesterday. Henry G-. Mallam deposed : He was a chemist and druggist. On Wednesday morning, about eight o’clock, Mr. Weaver came into his shop, and purchased from hia son a small bottle of chlorodync. His sou, wanting change, witness was sent for, and upon his handing Mr. Weaver the change Mr. Weaver spoke about his children getting the whooping cough, and asked if chlorodyne was good for that complaint. Witness replied no. Mr. Weaver described’ sensibly enough, how the children were affected, but he seemed dull, and not in his usual spirits. A few days previously he spoke to -witness about a child he had lost some time ago, and also of Mr, Blythe’s children that had died. He said he carried their photographs with him. W. 11. Spasshatt deposed that on Saturday morning, 30th May, as ho was walking between the police magistrate’s private house and the deceased’s house, he saw deceased coming towards him. He was alone, but was talking audibly to himself. His left hand held a piece 'of prickly rosebush, about three yards long, and he was dragging it along the ground. He said, “ Good morning, Mr, Weaver.” Mr. Weaver started, as if astonished to see any one there. Witness then said, “A fine morning.” Mr. Weaver replied, seemed confused, suddenly looked up at the sky, and said, “Is it, is it?” He seemed suffering from aberration of mind. He knew Mr. Weaver was subject to fits, and he thought it probable, from hia manner, that one was not far off then. Witness passed on. He heard Mr. Weaver muttering incoherently, and then he said, “People’s curiosity must not be satisfied.” His singularity of manner with the rosebush remained, and eventually he put it over the fence, looking about as if to see if anybody was watching him. Evidently his mind was wandering. Mr. Weaver then walked off very fast. The impression left on witness’s mind was that deceased was not in his right senses. William H. Mutlow deposed : He was a chemist and druggist. He knew the deceased Charles Thomas Weaver very well. He last saw him alive on Monday, about 11 a.m., when he wanted to arrange with him for a meeting of the Building Society. Mr. Weaver seemed much depressed and out of sorts, more so than usual. On the day after hia wife had a child Mr. Weaver appeared very much excited. Witness had known liim on previous occasions, when greatly disturbed, to become partially insane. Three years and a-half ago, when his daughter died, on his arrival at Annidale, he told witness that ho did not wish to see him. They had been as intimate as brothers, therefore his speaking to him in that way was quite a proof his mind was not right. John Moore, J.P., and Mayor, deposed that at the time of Mrs. Starr’s death (about a fortnight ago) Mr. Weaver was talking to him, when he seemed to be very much grieved by the death of his daughter. He saw and spoke to him yesterday morning, about seven, when deceased had a very wild appearance. Mr. Buchanan closed the proceedings, and recorded the following, attached to the depositions : —“ From the foregoing evidence, and from the appearance of the body, I am of opinion the deceased, Charles Thomas Weaver, met with his death by a wound in the neck, inflicted by himself, and that the said wound was so inflicted whilst the deceased was laboring under a fit of temporary insanity.”