A PALMERSTON TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17575, 17 March 1919, Page 2

A PALMERSTON TRAGEDY

BOEK WAE YETEtttAN'S SUICIDE, TEMPORARY INSA2OT3L

An iaqaast waa held; at P&lmerston on Saturday, before .Mr R. W. Wheeler, J.P. (acting- coroner), and a jury of six (Mr W. T. Pickett, foreman), touching tho death of William Joimston AT'.Am. Hoss, "who was found doad in bed at tho residence of hia father, Mr James Roes, at Mount Hampton, Bushey road, Paimetston, on last. Constable Pardy conducted tho proceedings for tho police. James Ross, sheep farmer, said he was tho father of the deceased, who was a single man, 46 yeans of ago. Deceased worked on the farm and Lived with witness. Witness last saw deoeased alive at 6.30 a.m. on March 14. Deoeased was in bed, and witness asked him if he could go to the yards, but deceased merely turned over in bod and made no iQply. Deceased was ruptured at birth, but otherwise ho was strong and healthy until he went to tho Boer war, after which he was never the same. Thero ho received an injury to his knee, and also had enteric fever. He was thrown from a horse about 12 years ago, and on that occasion was unconscious for aiino days. After that ho was always weak. He also had a growth behind the ear, for which ho •underwent an operation. Deceased was a reserved man, and one who would suffer in silence. On tho day before his death he was trucking sheep, and complained of feeling weak. Witness had not been a-wsiro that deoeased possessed a revolver. Itanald James Ross, brother of deceased, said that from his youth upwards deceased bad been of normal health, until he went to the Boer war, where ho had fever, and afterwards he was never the same. He also had an accident some years ago, and the least thing appeared to worry him He had suffered from adenoids and a growth behind the ear, and had been very doj pressed. Witness had never heed the j deceased threaten to take his l)fe, and [ had not been aware that he possessed a re- | volver. Annie Whyte, housekeeper for Mr James j lioes, said she had know the deceased, and i last saw him alive about 9 p.m. on March 13, the day before his death. Deceased never complained of feeling ill to witness, and on the evening mentioned he seemed' normal, and gave no indication of any inI frention to take his life. Witness had | access to deceased's belongings, but had not ! been aware that ho possessed a revolver. On the morning of March 14, while waiting for deceased to come out for breakfast, witness heard a shot fired in his bedroom, and, entering the room, found him in bed with blood pouring from a wound |in his face. Witness sent for Mr James i Ross, who summoned the doctor. ! Alexander M Kay, gardener in the employ of Mr James Roes, said he saw dei ceased practically every day up till his i death. Ho last saw deceased alive about j 7 p.m. on March 13, when he appeared to be in his usual state of health. Deceased had never given any indication of an intention to take his own life. Witness had not known that deceased possessed a revolver. On the morning of March 14, while in the garden, witness heard a khot. He did not enter the bedroom, but learnt afterwards what had occurred. Thomas T. Thomas, medical practitioner, of Palmerston, said that on March 14 ho was summoned to the residence of deceased, and found him reclining in bed with a bullet wound in the right temporal region. Tho bullet had traversed the. base of the skull, and could be felt just behind the left ear. Deceased was quite dead on the arrival of witness. Lying in tho bed. on the left side of deceased,, was a revolver, which witness thought would have caused the wound. For a year and 10 months witness had attended deceased at frmiirnt intervals for nervous debility, combined with stomach and intestinal disorders. Deceased was very deaf, and was subject to attacks of acnte mental depression. He had on'his head marks of old depressed fractures, such as might have been caused by a fall from a horse. There wore also signs of an old operation to the middle ear. Deceased ( had never told witness that he was likely to take his life. In witness's opinion, the cause of death was a bullet wound, self-inflicted, at a time when the deceased wns_ in a very morbid state of mind, was suffering from acute mental depression, and was not responsible for his acHnns. ' The iurv returned a verdict that the cause of death was a bullet wound. ?elfinfliotpd bv the deceased while suffering from temporary insanity.