THE WAIPARE FATALITY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12584, 14 October 1911, Page 5

THE WAIPARE FATALITY.

From the evidence given at the inquest, held before Mr W. Oates, J.P., regaining the death of Jesse Russell WilHam Sharp, who committed suicide ai Waipare last Saturday, the following further- deails are gleaned : — Deceased had been employed at Waipare since March last as a carpenter. I On October 1 he went to Tolaga Bay,, ' and returned last Saturday morning, walking from Tokomaru to Waipare. On his arrival he appeared, to be tired, and complained of his head, and aftei having breakfast he told Mr J. Ferris that he could see and hear people, and wanted to know what they were doing there ; but there was no one about ai j all. He was wandering m his mind. i Decased had dinner, and also tea about 5.30 p.m. Mr Ferris advised him to go and lie down. About 20 minutes later Mr Ferris sent the cook to get a paper out of deceased's room. The cook called to him, ahd he thought something was wrong. When the cook got to deceased's door he heard a gurgling noise, and when deceased opened the door. the cook saw a wound m his throat and the blood running from it. Mr Ferris called to his brother, and then ran to deceased, and caught hold of him by tho hands. He pushed Mr Ferris off, and the latter fell out of the doorway. Before he could get un he saw deceased pick up the razor and make a cut at his throat. Mr Ferris rushed m, pushed him over, caught hold of the razor, and threw it out of the room. With the assistance of his brother, . MiFerris tied deceased's hands and feet together. Mr Ferris left his brother to look after the man, while he ran to Mr Williams' place to ring up for the police. Tlie cook also went to Mr Bremner's for assistance. Before deceased was bound he struggled to ;( the door and, leaned against the wall, and gradually sank to the floor. DeceaseU had been drinking, but he had no liquor with him when He returned. Deceased lay still for some time, and Mi" Ferris' brother, who was left to look after him. ■went to see if anyone was coming. When he returned deceased was out of the room and Ferris saw him staggering towards the beach. Ferris said he was very much afraid and as he did not see anyone coming he got a gun and fired four shots, with the object of getting assistance. After putting the gun away he followed deceased, and saw him go into the sea. It was then getting dark. He saw deceased fall down, and- he got hold of him by the legs and pulled him out of the water. Deceased did not move again. One of the station hands helped him to get deceased above high water mark. Mr Ferris did not hear him speak, but he appeared to try to, there was a hissing noise coming from the wound. When ne last saw deceased m the room he was still tied up with the rope. It was stated deceased was an expert at getting out of tied ropes, and that had been forgotten m tlie excitement. Deceased told Mr Ferris he had done that sort of thing on the stage. The knots m the rope were still intact when Mr Ferris examined it. Deceased had told Mr Ferris that his bad state of health was due to excessive drinking and he wished a prohibition order taken out against him. He had not been m the habit of going away at week ends on drinking bouts.

The jury, of whom Mr F. J. Williams was foreman, returned a verdict : "That deceased met his death by his own hand by cutting his throat, when m a state of; mind m which he was not responsible for his actions."