Death by Suicide.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 634, 24 February 1879, Page 2

Death by Suicide.

An inquest on the body of James Baker, before H. Kenrick, Esq., (Coroner f for the district), was held at the Orm'ond Hotel, with a jury, of which Mr. j. VUlers, was foreman. ; The following evidence was calledj^ Daniel Egan, being sworn said : ]^H a carter residing in Ormond. I the deceased. James Baker. We .working together, and slept in the s^H house together. Deceased was in^^| house on Saturday, and was unwell. the afternoon of the 22nd inst. (S^^H day), I went to bed at half-pa^^B o'clock. Deceased was in bed then. did not speak. I generally, sleep my head co\ ered with the clothes. about 5 on Sunday morning, I hea^^f noise like choking, and pulled the cl(^^H off my head, and there I saw dece^^f covered all over with blood. He^^H lying in the bunk, on the flat o^^H back. I immediately without dre^^H ran out to Bidgood's, and told him Jim Baker had his throat cut. Wl^^H first saw deceased covered with b^^| his eyes were open. He was alive,^^| did not speak. I did not notice any w^^H on his throat, being at time very f >'^^fl ened. Duverney and Turton wer^H the hut in their beds when I went t(^^| at night, but had gone when I n^^H up and saw deceased in the mnri^^f Deceased and I were at Buchanan's l^^f on Saturday, about 12 o'clock. He^^| then very weak, and he had been ur^^H for some time. I noticed nothing str^^H in his manner, and he had not drinking. He drank nothing what^^J on Saturday at Buchanans. Dece^^f had of late complained of being w^^| 1 have known him for about six moH^^J He was a single man. - By a juror : The sight of the b^H made me think that he had cut throat. Henry Pollen, deposed : lam a o^^J certified medical practitioner, residin^H Gisborne, I knew deceased, Ja^H Baker, by appearance, and by name, some months. The body now ly^H here is that of James Baker. I called on yesterday, about 7 a.m.,^H see a man at Ormond, who had cut throat. When I reached Ormon^H found it was James Baker. He -^M dead when I saw htm, and the b(^H cold. He had a wound on the left s^H of the throat, jusb above the wind-pi^H on the corner of the jaw. It was an cised wound, and had severed the ext^H nal jugular vein and several branch e^H the cartoid artery. I considered wound a fatal one. The belly greatly swollen — this being a sympt^B of the prevailing fever. The body \^M lying on its back, with a great deal|^| blood about it. The fever now prevflj lent generally induces lowness of spirOT and despondency, the nervous system being nearly always affected. James Turton, deposed : I am a laborer, and knew the deceased. I slept in the same hut with him. I went to bed at about half-past 7 o'clock on Saturday night. Egan and Baker were both in bed then. Durverney went with me to the hut. I gave Baker a little gruel before going to bed, which he took, and then lay down again. A short time afterwards, he asked me for a drink. I gave him a drink of water. During the night I supplied him with more water. Deceased spoke to us in the usual manner. Durveney gave him a drink about 4 o'clock in the morning. It was just getting light. Durverney then said he would go to the Kaiteratana for a walk, as he had been

disturbed ftp during the night. He went put about hjpj|f-an-hour or a* afterwards. . I got^dpf It was then light. Baker spoke to me as I was getting, up. He asked for mure water, which I gave him. I advised him to lay down and rest for |an hour. He did so. ; He asked me for the looking-glass to Bee himself. I went out at a quarter to 5 o'clock, leaving Egan asleep and...Baker „ with him in the hut. Deceased had been complaining pf weakness . for a fortnight or three weeks previous. By the jury: When Duvernejrleft, " the deceased spoke to, him quietly and sensibly. Sydney Duverney, a carter in the employ of Bidgood, deposed that he loft the hut that morning about half -past 4- ; o'clock. Deceased was talking to me'' in the usual manner all the time I was dressing. It did not occur to me that he was likely to attempt suicide. I heard Ryan knocking at Bidgood's, and after* wards saw Bidgood running, up to, our • hut. At Bidgood's request I ran up for a constable. The rest of his evidence . corroborated previous witnesses. ■ '„. George Hill, a shepherd, deposed : On Sunday morning, about live o'clock, I * heard Mr. Bidgood say some one had cut his throat. . I went up with Bidgood to James Baker's hut, and found him lying in bed with his throat cut. ..He was not dead. Deceased said " I did not do this," repeatedly. Constable Villars came up, and gave the man in charge to me, while he went to Gisborne for the doctor. The next thtng^Baker said was : " My father and mother, brothers and sisters will die to-day, and I shall be dead tomorrow morning. " I bathed deceased's head with cold water, and gave him weak cold spirits with water. Constable Clements was there present, standing behind me. Deceased JooTcea " up at me, and said "You are the mat* ' that did this. He then said, " No, you . are not the man ; then again, "Yes, yes, you are the man," then repeated his former denial ; after which he didjnot again speak. He died in a short' time after this. Deceased once said every one . in the Bay had a down on him. He did] not recognise me though he knew mewell. Deceased had been working 'while , unfit for work, being quite ill. .j-i ''•;* Edwin Villers, said: I am a constable of the A.O. force, stationed at Ormond; On Sunday morning, at about half-past • 5, Mr. Duverney told: me 1 tlijit a man named James Baker had cut his throat. I went to the house at once, and found } deceased lying in his bunk with a wound ' in his throat. He was not dead. G." Hill was washing the wound. There w> s a pool of blood on the floor. I saw the razor now produced lying in the blood on the floor close to the bunk, and it appeared to have dropped out of deceased's hand. I left him in charge . of Hill while I went for a doctor, t asked deceased how he came to do it..' He replied that he did not do it. I asked who did it ; he said he did not know. He appeared to be delirious while saying this. I believe deceased's parents live at Tararu at the Thameß. I found the letters and photo's produced on deceased.- He has no money; nor property. I could not find any tele-, gram amongst his clothes. The asaswr! ", was open when I found it. ■••'■;■ VERDICT. The jury returned ine following verdict .-—That the deceased, while of an unsound mind, and distracted through illness, committed suicide. _ At a meeting of the above, heid " on ' Friday evening, at the conclusion of the 1 Borough and County Conference, there were present : Councillors Johnson (in thechair), Locke. Graham, McKay, Wi Pere, and Villers. Correction of Minutes. The minutes of the previous meeting were corrected, so as to include the followidg motion made by Councillor Locke, and carried thereat — That all matters under the control of the Council affecting the natives be published in Maori ; and also that pound notices be posted in the ujmal way in Maori. ; After the confirmation of the minutes, the following outgoing correspondence was read. To the Minister of Public Works re-

lative to the removal of the Constabulary from Ormond. To T. U'Ren requesting payment of back rents of the Patutalii block. To Gibbons & Kennedy, authorising them to proceed with the discharging of per Victor. Albert, the price wallowed being 8s per ton. With reference to the lightering, the Council were informed that the contractors were put to great' inconvenience, owing to the captain <>f the vessel rigidly adhering to : the working Irours between 8 and- 5 o'clock-, and that: in one instance the lighter was out at 5 a.m., but was not permitted alongside until . late in the evening. As they had to study the tides, the contractors thought if they wanted the boat discharged within the specified time, that, the Captain should be asked to relax this rule. The Chairman- instructed the Secretary to attend to the matter. - . Incoming Correspondence. From the Chairman of the Waikohu Road Board, relative to refund of £100. From Cargo, Gibbs, and Co. , informing the Council that 6nly 15 days were allowed by oharter. for the discharge of the Albert Victor, and advising them of the sailing of the Maggie Patteson arid Wanganui, with a further shipment of rails j the balance to be forwarded by steamer. From Hepefa Maitai, stating that he hrtd received a document printed in English which was quite.incomprehensible to hiin. He was informed that it was a notice to pay rates. How did he know what' it ; was ? t They might as well talk to the winds as send him a paper that was quite unintelligible. The Ch;ii: man said that 'Councillor Locke's mot ion ? carried*, at 'last meeting, would; just mee't'lhc present case^'and that a' tianslatiotfwouldbefrirnishedliim. From E, Williams, Secretary of the Hospital Committee, requesting a donation for the Poverty Bay' Hospital, The committee, oh account of the increasing call for accommodation, intend erecting a new 'Hospital, 'to coßt £1,200, £600 of which was promised by the General Government, and now apply to tlie Council, entertaining the hope that th'eir request will be favourably met. From' the Minister of- 'Public Works, Btating'his inability to pay the sum of £1,000 promised the Council, as' the money "was required for more urgent work. Petition. ' A petition was presented 'by'. Wi Pere, from Hepeta, requesting that the Mnories be allowed to work the boat ferry at Tologa Bay. The reason he neked for this, was that tenders were hot called for in Maori ; and another reason was, that the land, on both banks of the river was Maori land. "'•',' Tl:e. Chairman said that it. would riot be right for the Council to interfere, as. a public tender had been called for the service, and he requested ' Wi : Pere to inform the l . petitioner' to that effect. Wi Pere promised to comply with the Chairman s request. Engineer's Report. The Engineer submitted a lengthy report to the Council, detailing all the works now in course of construction, and recommended several new and very important works. Among these, the first in importance is a bridge over the TeArai River, i ; TeArai Bridge.. i^lie Council decided to call fortenders forthwith for this structure, and on the motion of Councillor McKay, it was deoided that tenders for this work be also called at Auckland and Napier. ' The PATTTAHrRoAi). The Engineer stated that this was a work much needed, and .that it was his intention to carry it over the flat along the right hand bank of the Waikakariki Creek. On the proposition of. Councillor McKay, seconded by Councillor Locke, it was resolved that tenders 'be' -called for the The 'Engineer was 'also instructed to call tenders for the following works-:*. For a 'Truss Bridge at Scott's Creek' on 'the ' Ormond-Opotiki Road; for the -cleaning oil t of the side drains otrmain rorids, 'and tlie deepening of the Kohe Creek. The Council also recommended that tlie • County Road through the' PipiWaka be widened before the approaching 1 winter, and instructed the Engineer to make nn estimate, rind report by next meeting. •;.■'--'.> ; Tenders. „ ■','■' . For painting the Waipawa Bridge : \V. E. Davis, ' £259 ; C D. Berry, £277 ; R. Joyce, £96 10s ; Olsen informal. The lowest tender, that of R. , Joyce, waa accepted. 3?6r conveyance of rails ; H. Tarr, at 13s per ton (accepted) • W. Stevenson, 15s ; G. D. Berry/ 13s 9d. The tenders of -C. W. Flexman, Bidgood, and A. Robb, were 'informal: ■ i • ;:.-■».:■.-; For Quarrying metal : C. D. Berry, at 2s 8d per cubic yard (accepted). Bam* tree, informal. :. AccoWrg Passed tioi. Payment. , ' F. J. Piesse, £8 Bs. :' C. Hubble, £40 16s: Bd. ; C. Young, £30 Bs. ; C.W. Berry, £89 ss. 6d. ;,J. R. Morgan, £1 ]6s. 3il. ; Cargo, Gibbs, and Co. (acceptance), £10 7s. 9d. , Notice of Motion. The motion by Wi, Pere, deferred from last meeting, was 'discussed. He said he wished the bye-laws to be translated in Maori for his guidance, and printed. He would then have a better knowledge how to act. Councillors thought that if Wi Pere would be satisfied with a manuscriptcopy that it would be furnished him,, by the Secretary. Councillor Wi Pere said a plainly written copy would be sufficient for his purposes, and he was informed that he would be supplied with one. <\ ■■■■■ BUSIWEBS.., .!,':; ; ; «*■"• Be Hospital. Councillor Graham said, with reference to tlie communication received from the Secretary of Hospital Committee, he ;thought , that « the County authorities should .favorably entertain the request made for assistance. They had - applied to the Borough Council, and obtained a grant of £50. A sum of £600 was required to be raised, when the Government would supplement it by a like amount. It was proposed to spend the money in erecting a building suitable to present wants,- and ' future contingencies. He would like to see the Council make' a liberal grant.' - " 1 "~ All, the Councillors recognised the importance .of sufficient Hospital provision, ' Gouucillor McKay proposed, and Councillor i Locke , seconded, that the sum of £150 be donated to tlie: Hospital — carried unanimously.: ,7,.-. i It was resolved to call for tenders for a slaughter-house Inspector.

Grant to Waikohu Road Boad. Councillor Locke said, that he had not known wtietlW a provision of any nature had been made to that Board to refund the amount, now asked, but he 'thought in equity and good conscience, they were entitled to it, as they had opened two. very important, County roads. They had done a great deal with the limited amount at their disposal, jaind now) are altogether without funds. • , . The Chairman said that the Waikohu Board had been energetic in carrying out works. Other Councillors complimented them in like manner, Councillor M'Kay mentioning that they had struck the highest rate of any board in the district. , . . Itwas proposed by Councillor Graham, seconded by Councillor Locke, and carried, that the sum of £100 be refunded 'to the Waikohu Road Board. Councillor Locke, in accordance with notice of motion, now brought forward the subject of formally voting the salaries of Council's officers. It had not yet been done, and it was required by the that it should. Before making the motion Councillor Locke said that as the work of the secretary had greatly increased, and tliat as in future he would 'be required to devote himself exclusively to the work of the Council, he thought his salary should be augmented. He would move that the Engineer's salary be £400, and the Secretary's £300 per annum. Carried. The Secretary will after this date attend at the County Council Office daily (Saturdays excepted) from 10 to 4, and on .Saturdays from 10 to 1. Notices oe Motion for Next Meeting. By Councillor Villers : That tenders be called for metalling the OrmondKaiteratahe Road, and (2) That the Council erect a slaughter-house within the County; and appoint an inspector. The Council then adjourned. j