SUICIDE AT ROSLYN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13106, 17 October 1904, Page 2

SUICIDE AT ROSLYN.

Mrs Helen "Watson, a widen - , aged about 60 years, who lived at Selkirk street, Roslyn, was found (load in ■ a washhotiso attached to her residence at'7.3o on-Saturday momins, with her throat cut under circumstances pointing to suicide.

An inquest was held on the body on Saturday afternoon at Roslyn before Mr C. C. Graham (coroner) and a jury of six, of whom Daniel Ross was chosen foreman.

Mary Hay Law said slio was a. friend of the deceased, whoso body sho identified. Witness had been staying at deceased's hoyse at Roslyn for the last fortnight. Deceased had, at the recommendation of her doctor, beon away at Invercargill for a ,chaiigo of air, and returned oil October 13. Deceased was then very quiet and depressed, and' on Friday night yiid sho could not speak. Witness and deoeased slept together, and witnees had beon in bed for half an hour before deceased came. Deceased said little then, except to remark how kind her daughter-in-law, Mrs Robert Watson, had been to her. The latter had come in that evening to visit deceased. Deceased woke and got up at. daybreak. Witness asked her as sho was going out of the room if she had been disturbed by witness coughing, and elie said she had not. Witness did not notice then that deceased was not dressed, and went otf- -to sleep again. Witness woke about half-past 7, and seeing that deceased vmb still away, thought she must have gone to another loom to sleep. Witness heard her son .Stanley calling for her, and hot hearing any reply, witness got up. Sho looked in the other room, and not finding deceased" there witness told the boys. Stanley went out and found her dead in tlio washliouse. He called to Ins brother Walter, and they removed tlio body to tlio bedroom, Deceased never spoke to witness in such a. way as to give any idea of licr having suicidal intentions.

Arthur Stanley Watson said ho was a-sou of deceased, and lived with her at Roslyn. Latterly she had ken worrying a good deal, and was in depressed spirits, brought on, in witness's opinion, by illness, as she had no other causo for worry. She seemed better after her trig to Invercargill, and said sho had enjoyed her holiday.. Witness noticed nothing the matter with her on Friday night, except- that she was very quiet. Witness called her alraut half-past 7 in the morning but got no reply, and thought she was asleep. Miss Law came and asked him if ho knew whero his mother was! Witum went out the back door, and going into the wa!hhouse_ found deceased lying over tlio boiler. Witness noticed tlio wound on her arm, and ran in for his brothel. They both returned, ajid found- that deceased was dead. He carried her into the bedroom, and tent for the doctor. There was a razor, covered with blond, in tho boiler.

Dr Miller said ho was called oil Saturday morning to the' deceased's house, and on arriving there- about 8 o'clock found tho body of deceased lying on-tho floor in a bedroom, to which it liad been conveyed Deceased was .then quite dead, and-to all annearancr'S death had occurred. about nn hour previously. Tho left forearm r and tho back cf the left hand were deeply lacoratod, in an attempt, apparently, to sever tho blood vessels. There was also a- deep wound across the lower part of tho throat.' In that wound in onoparfc tho windpino" was completely severed, and immediately above that there was another deon cut in tho windpips. There were no marks of (violence on tho body. Witness attended deceased professiona ly, and sow her fivo weeks 050, when she was suffering from melancholia, lho cause of death was suicide by'cutting tn* fnrnat. • , •

Tho Jury returned a verdict of .suicido whilst temporarily insane. '