THE KAITANGATA TRAGEDY".

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11922, 21 December 1900, Page 6

THE KAITANGATA TRAGEDY".

THE INQUEST CONCLUDED.

The inqueßt on the body of Edward Edwards, who committed suicide at Kaitangata. after attempting to murder his wife on November 3, was resuujed beforo Mr P. T. Poole, coroner, on December 3.

The only remaining witness was Mrs Edwards, who hud recovered sufficiently to be able to give evidence. Her statement of what she knew of the affair was as follows:—My husband came home at 10 o'clock on the night of November 2. Ho appeared to be right enough when he came in. I was in bed reading, and ha said: "Ain't you soing to get tip and make a bit of supper?" He then washed himself, and sat down to have his supper. When I spread a piece for him he frightened mo; he picked it up and threw it at the window, and appeared to be in a hurry to go to bed. He went to bed, but would not lie on the outside, aa be said some one was going to shoot him through the window. Ho always used to sleep on the outside of the bed. After hiv was in bod he would not go to sleep, and asked me several times to nut down the paper I was reading. I lay reading rtnnprs until about 3 a.m.. and then dropped off to sleep. When I awoke I found my throat cut. I remember dropping the baby out of bod. and I fell out mv ton of it. The baby started to cry, and T picked it up and lay down with it across the bottom of the bed. The child then seemed to cry harder. I seemed to get more strength, and I took the boby nn and carried her out and brought the other children out with me. I think they were .iwnko, but frightonocl. I took them to Mrs Sc.urr's. Beforo 1 left our bouse I noticed my husband on the bed with bis legs drawn up, and with his head hanging down on the pillow. I knocked at Mr Snnrr's door, and Mr Scurr came. He went back into the hens?, and Miss

fecurr came. I was on my way back tb my own house and Mrs Seurr tried to pull me inside with her, but I wanted her to come with me. I then went into Mrs Scurr's, and sat down in the arm chair.

There were no other witnesses, and the jury returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor while of unsound mind. A rider-was added stating that in the opinion of the jury great credit was due to Mrs Edwards for the way she protected her children.