SUICIDE AT THE NORTH-EAST VALLEY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9337, 30 January 1892, Page 6 (Supplement)

SUICIDE AT THE NORTH-EAST VALLEY

llKVl'll UY HAN'S!

An inuuivy into thu circmr.-CiMc.s :,.i,'ii.liir. the death of Win. Cook, who was f.»iiii.l han;:in: in mi outhouse tit the roar .if hi.; i.lti.-oi.f roswlenc

on the Main road, Xorth-.ist Valley, jvstovuav luuriiiir,'. wai held in 'ho atternouu of the si"."' ihiv beioiv Mr Coroner Carow an-\ A J»-y »t mn of "whom K. .1. Sehlotel was oho^'ii toreman. !),- Uohwt liordon .Manloi.ald n.c.wi.i^d t'u body shown to the jury as thai ut \ jii. »>>U lWca.-vd had been a patient of h^ or a -n t U o Vi-n-i Witness was called t.. tile h.ni:.e ut deceased at about half-past 7 thj.t. moniuij,'. . Ho foiiii.l the lio.ly of deceased .1. bed on h.s arrival and mado.au external examination of '?• U'oie was :i in.'l-k r.ntinl the nek such as mi;;ht i;i\e l.een prodmvd by a pov.l. Thu faro j.vcso-.iil-.I tinusiril •iip'i-ir.vu-i; of s(.ran;.'ii!:iti.i!i. lliat ai>i>wii--•lii.v \vU iMiisistent. with «K-at.h from lian-in-. Tln> lio.lv hail a;>;-ari;ntly lmcn diM'l thvuu or i..nv linnv-i "Noirlv'li monllis :i^> ikreasud an.l his wifc'i-aini; to consult witno^. At that time ilorc-i«i'il was siU'torinj; frum mental depression and insomnia, which he siHrilnitol to some responsibility thrown upon him while in business in London. "'Hie state of mind he was then m iiii-'ht acrount fur suii-ido. Witness had seen him several times since, wlu'U h«- was sultei-in- from depression. His iiiontal condition was a tvpe ot '"Mary Ann Cook, wife of the deceased, deposed that her husband wa; born m London on Uie 4tli of October, ISSD. lie had been in the colony 11 years. While at Hume he occupied the position of a jeweller's assistant, and latterly he had. been keepi..' a store in the Xoitli-east Valley. Jle had been in his usual state of healtli tiU'lhursday week last, lie was a delicate man and soon knocked on. He never slept well. On lhursday week la<t h.: sot a cahU",'ram froin Melbourne, which upset him. At ali.v.it live, minutes past 1 1 on Thursday nkht he went to bc,l. retired shortly afterwards. After ben.;,'a,!-;, lor .some time-she did not know hoyv lon {-she wakunml un uud asked her husband it he li-.i-.t been to sloop, lie replied th.il h-s had not. Slie went otf to sleep i«piiu, and awo'.-.e at about 20 minute; past 7 in the mornin-. Her husiiand was not then in bed, but she was not surprised as he was accustomed to get u;> b-fore her to feed the fowls. As alie w-xs ilvo-ssiii" she l.eard the chil.lren i-allms out: " Father! father!" Her little boy then came into the house and told her not to be frHitened. She went to the outhouse and found the door locked. She then knew that soin-jtluns wis wroii" < 'onstable Walker .?aine up soon and Mv Lock,-.'ton, and the lattev forced the door open. Al'urr fon-im- the .Ir.or u|,en. Mr 1.0-kston told her *-o "0 inside. She went in and telephoned for l)r ila'cdonald. She never thou-ht that li.jr.luisband would have taken his life, us he was a very nervous man, and very lYmlitened about ilyiiu;. Willinm Cook, a lad of 111 years of a.-e, ,\uposed that the deceased was his father. At about 20 oiiiuiles past 7 that morniusj lie -,'ot u;i and wont into the yard. He vvui.t to the .!0..r ol the uutlniuse and tried to open it, but could not do so a- i!. was locked. He went to tin; outhouse because his motliertold him to «oand «<-(t whereliis father was. H- called to his father, buv -.ot 110 answer. lie then looked through a crack in the door and and saw his fathers hand and part of liisLodv. \s the hand did not move when he railed lii-: father, and appeared to !„■ vory white, he Ui..ii-ht .-..metliinic wi-.s wr ; .n-. Me told his mofhei- and afterwards wi-ut tor (.oiistahlu SValker. When he returned the J-.iur of the out-iUCons"-vMe'Walker ,1«i.0.-.e.l th-.a he arrive 1 at the deceased's lionse that moriiin.-;- ai about hail-past 7. He went into the yard and saw f:u deeeaseil lidiiLtiiin frnni a lieam in the oatliou.-ie by a rord wliidi he produced. With the as.astance of ft 1 Cowellhe cut the body doivji. It was 'li^htlj warm about the chest, but llu other part of li was cold. The cord had sunk well into the neck, "Witness remained with tha body till the doetoi came. He found the key of the outhouse lying 01 the floor inside. J le had known deceased for ove nine years. He was a very nervous man, and was worried a good deal by the telephone lieinj,' in the The jury returned a verdict to the effect thai the deceased handed himself while in a state oi temporary insanity.