Extraordinary Occurrence at Richmond.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 188, 9 August 1859, Page 2

Extraordinary Occurrence at Richmond.

Last. Friday evening,, the inhabitant of Richmond were thrown'-1 into a slate of excitement, through a report that one of their residents had met his deaih.by. violent .means. A short space of time suHked to confirm this; and to prove that a person named Thomas Gibbs had been found d<ad in. the well in his garden,-with his throat cut.' It will be seen, by the examination of witnesses, that the first person who discovered the fearful circumstance was a Mr. ■Malcolm';-and he was prompted to do so by a ■remark from o c of his children, who, seeing a hat lying on the-'well top, told her father, that she was afraid Mr. Gibbs was in the well; proceeding upon this remark, it was found to be too true. The well in question is within three or four feet of a public road, only separated from it by a rail fence, without any hedge. The house is of mud,: .wiihjn view of the main road, the approach (o which coiiimetieeH nearly opposite the Plough Inn; it runs towards Wensley Hill, and is much used. ; Some years ago, the place was known by the name of-Destruction Hill, in consequence of some surveyors whares having been destroyed.by fire there. On the morning following the discovery, the Coroner,'J. Connell, E?q., proceeded to the Star and Garter Inn, Kichmo;jd, where the following jurymen were sworn in :■ —C. B. 'Withers, Esq., foreman; Messrs. T. E. Plodder, Thomas Hooper, J. P. Horn, J. Young, H G. Crocker, W, L. Lyle, A. Paterson, 0. Say well, E. Dartnall, J. W. Baruicoat, W. Harkuess, and Charles Munfz. .; : "'. The Coroner then proceeded with the jury to the house of the deceased, to view the body and examine the premises. The body presented a ■ most melancholy, spectacle, the blood that had flowed from the wound in the throat, had saturated the- blue shirt and flannel with which he wr-s clothed, and a large rent or cut was visible in the shoulder of.the blue shis t, caused■ either by a razor-cut, or the hook with which he was; pulled to the surface of the well. •'The saturation above spokeu of had, however, been much removed by the immersion in the well, the features were placid, and the limbs naturally disposed; No ;trace of; violence of: struggling could be at all observed.- The bed had evidently been lain in ; there was a'large pool of blood nearly in the centre, by the pillows, and a smallerlpatch/ towards the-middle._ ; The deceased had laid down with his clothes and boots ' on. A necktie was found on the left ladder, and a pair of stockings were afterwaids found in the room. It would appear that after the wound was inflicted, and ihe razor laid oarefully on the side of the bed, that the wounded man passed by the bedroom door, his shoulder touching it, and leaving a large stain on the hand, thence through the back door, having first procured the hat before mentiom-d, then jassed a distance of little less than thirty yards to the well, ami" there the deplorable act was completed by subraejs'on. After due examination, the jury returned to their room, and the Coroner proceeded to examine the witnesses. Andrew Malcolm sworn: 1 knew Thomas Ginbs;- he-was my nearest neighbor. That was his body 1 saw at his residence. I last saw him I alive about a week ago." One of my children saw ! a hat, on the evening of Friday, the fith Augusf,

lying on the'well, which she- recognised as the hat of deceased; this was about dusk, but not darlc. When she came home she said, " I am afraid Mr. Gibbs is in the woll." She h about eight years ofage. After tea the thought struck'me that I' would go and sop. I went to the well, which',is about1100 yards from my house. I went alone' the first time. I looked into the well, but could see nothing. The well is within one yard of the fence; .the1 month is contracted by timber laid across?, leaving an opening something less than two feet square. I then got a stick to examine the well with, and found something that I could stirabout with it, and I thought all was not right. I then went to my house, and informed my wife ami son, and sent for M>. Fussell. I tu'ld him what I wanted, and we went down together; my yon John, about 20 years of- age, went also. Mr. Jlmnniond came up, and others. We got a crook and tied it to a stick, and with it Mr. Hammond caught what was iii the water, and pulled it up. The heart of a man then appeared above the water, which I recognised to be that of deceased: Hammond went for the constable, while I took hold of the stick. IJe returned iv a few minutes with the constable Stanton, and we all together pulled the body out of the well ;,I held one arm in doing so. The body was'laid oiv the grass; it was quite stiff; it was not bent; it was straight, just as I felt it in the well—upright, against one side-of the well. We did not observe any appearance of a wound or blood ; we had noUght but the moon. We took the body up to the house, which stands on a rising ground, something like thirty yards from,the well; we then had a light from my own house. We did not examine the body closely. We laid the body on the frame of the sofa in the kitchen, and I left, the house to.go home, but waß called back by Hammond, who.".said that'some-i thing h;ul been found out. I returned, and, saw Dr. Laking examining the neck. I then" saw a wound in the neck, which he was examining; it appeared a very severe wound. The doctor went into the bedroom, and I'follo\ved,'anfl saw a quantity of blood in the bod whore the neck of a person lying in bed would'be. The-bed ■appeared to have been Jam in, and that the deceased had been under the clothes, and they had been turned up again: after he had left; it. I saw Dr. Laking turn down; the clothes a little, and put them back again ;' there was no,impression, of any one. lying outside the-clothes. I then went home. The road adjoining the well is a public one, and .much used.; I think the hat. that-was. found there mis;ht have lain there the whole day, and not have attracted notice. By the Jury : The hat was lying near thn.well when we found the body. I did not observe a necktie on the body.; his clothes were close up about his neck. I cannot' identify that razor as being his. His boots were on, and laced up, when we took him out of the water, but he had no stockings on. He was a heavy man, There were four persons assisted in carrying him up, but I think one person might carry him a short way. I do uof know .whether tho deceased was a right or left-handed man. Dr. Laking swovn. —I last saw the deceased, alive 1 a few days ago; at half-past six on Friday evening James Sullivan said, Yon must come with me, for Thomas Gibbs has been found drowned .in his well. | I.immediately'went■and saw the deceased on a I sofa, he was qujte dead. There, is a wound extending from, the napo of the neck on the left side to the thyroid cartilage, or-sutnmit of the windpipe, about live inches.;in extent, but no great depth; The wound was then closed. The carotid, or main artery, had not been severed, the extile jugular vein had been : the wound in the throat was not sufficient to cause death immediately, but it would do so if the effusion was prolonged. The body was quite rigid; there was a purple state of the countenance, and foam about the mouth and nostrils bespeaking asphyxia. I consider the cause of death was from submersion rather than from the wound, the hemorrhage being inconsiderable. I examined the bed, and saw a pool of blood and an ! open razor (that now produced) lying on"the edge of the bed. I replaced the clothes, and told the constable not to alkrv anyone to disturb anything, and to lock the door till I advised the coroner of the circumstance. Saw him do so, and leave the key with Joseph Hammoud. I believe that a living .-body submerged as described by £ha first witness would become rigid when submerged in an upright position, under the circumstances in which ihe deceased was found. 'There were no other marks of violence about the body that I could detect. By a Juror: It is such a wound as I should think the deceased had inflicted himself. 1 think from the appearance of the bed that deceased had been lying on his back; the majority'of the blood was on the left side of that impression. It is possible, but highly improbable, tliat such a wound has been inflicted by at^ other person than himself. The situation of the blood indicates the position in which the body probably lay when the wound was inflicted. If a post mortem examination was made, I could more certainly decide whether the death was caused by the wound or from asphyxia.; but I certainly think that after the infliction of such a wound, deceased would be able to walk from his house to the well or beyond it. I think he had been in the water several hours; it might have been eight or ten hours. Joseph Hammond sworn : I live at Richmond ; last saw the deceased alive on Thursday, about 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon. About G o'clock I saw Mr. Malcolm's boy, who said his father had gone to see into Tom Gibbs' well, as his sister. had stum the hat by. the side of it. I went there and saw persons standing beside the well. Malcolm said he thought Gibbs was in the well, and (old me to try myself with a stick ; I did so, and felt something there; a hook was sent for, and I tied it with flax to a piece of wood ; I caught the body by the slop on the right shoulder and found it to be Gibbs. I then let him down again and went for Stanton. Upon returning, I, took the hook and caught him again by the slop, and then with our hands we lifted him out. of the well. I saw no blood; the body was cold and stiff; we piit him on the sofa;' saw. neither wound nor blood." I took off his boots and found no stockings on his feet, which surprised me, as I have heard him say that he could not do without stockings on account, of having, bad feet. Stanton went into the bedroom and presently called out, "Come here! Come here!" I saw the bed very much covered with blood ; the clothes "Were turned down like a .half, handkerchief, shape from: the corner where the blood was, about one.fourth turned down. The bed appeared to have been laid on sideways, undisturbed and clean at the bottom as though the :ft et had been projected over the side of the bed. I then came out, leaving Dr. Laking "there; "I saw. no razor. Dr. Laking then examined the -body^ and found a wound in the neck. The house was then locked up by Stanton, and we carae away. There is about six or seven feet of wafer in. the well. Deceased -was. not.an habitual drunkard, but I have seen him the worse for liquor. .When Stanton:first went into the. house-the bedroom door was shut,or very nearly so.; the door, will remain as you place it. The body appeared-to have gone straight.into, the well, feel forward, and it did not* seem that ho had struggled. The well is 4ft; Gin. or sft. in diameter at the top. On Monday last I conversed with him for; about an hour and a.-half, and; he appeared. in :very, good 'health', arid spirits. When we took him out. of the well his slop was buttoned up,close. , " : The" Coroner said that the inquest must./ now stand adjourned till Monday,.at.lo a.m., and if the jury-was of unanimous opinion that a post mortem exaininaliqn should take : place, he.would: arrange; so that it should take place during that, adjourn-. merit.''"' The Jury having decided that such anexamination was necessary, they.separated till the following Monday morning. •. , --,/. ;.••■;:.;■., Monday,"August 8. v;:At;half-paßtt:eh ainr.1, the;ijury assembled again at the' Star and Garter Hotel,: to! proceed "with the further examination of witnesses,- more having been sub- :-. ; pained since;the;adjournment on Saturday.: '.: ',' < G. Williams, surgeon, sworn : I was called Jn': to - ■ examine the ■body, of Thomas Gibbs, aged 44,; on Sunday last; I had no previous knowledge of him; I, procpeded with Dr;;Laking: to imake a post mortemexamination of the body. I minutely inspected the bqc|y before commencing any.operation,HPQn,it. ; : -\ The external aspect of the body was healthy. The cuticle,

or scarf skin, on the armi arid thighs was slightly raised, giving the appearance of outis ancerina, or goose skin.. The limbs were rigid, with livid patches upon them, and the Bkin generally., pallid, with that exception just described; face pale, and countenance placid; lip 3 purple; mouth and eyeß closed, and on raising the lids the pupils' were found slightly dilated. On the left side of the'neck there was an incised wound 5$ inches in length, passing obliquely from above downwards, commencing just below the ma^toid process, und reaching as far as the thyroid cartilage in front. The depth of the. wound at the deepest part was five-eighths of an inch. By this the sternocleido ma'stoideus muscle, which moves the head from side to side, was severed, and the external jugular vein also; by this wound theinternal jugular and the carotid artery were both uninjured. Three slight shallow incisions were observed by us passing just through the cuticle, in a line parallel with the wound, and almost close to, but below it. They were several'y about half-an-inch, one inch, and three inches in length; but all these were very slight, and apparently made by a very sharp instrument;, they appeared as though made by a trembling hand. We could not perceive any mark whatever of recent injuries The razor produced would_ inflict the wounds described. There were no marks of contusion on the head Wa tlrn opened the head, examining the scalp skin, which was free, from injury; the skull the same. The brain was healthy in structure, but highly congested with blood, and a small quantity of ..pale,-fluid was found in the lateral ventricles. We then examined the larynx, or upper part of the windpipe, which was healthy in structure, but its lining membrane was covered with mucus froth, and the same kind of froth kept oozing out of the nose and mouth.' As we proceeded examining the cheat, the lungs were highly congested with blood, and the right one wholly adherent to, the ribs, and containing a considerable "quantity of air, as the adhesion prevented its collapsing; on dividing the trachea n small quantity of water-flowed out; the heart healthy in. structure, the right cavities full, of/very, dark fluid blood, left cavities "contained, a small quantity. We then opened tlie':abdomen. The stomach was healthy in appearance, containing about a pint of pale fluid, without smell; Some of this was paced in a bottle, i sealed, and given to the constable,' William White. i The other'viscera/ofthe■■body appaared healthy. The vessels were very full of fluid, dark blood. The result of that examination' enables iisto stkte positively the causa of death, -which was asphyxia by drowning, and not from loss of blond. I saw the bed' and bedclothes; there was not a pint of blood on them, perhaps not more than 8 or 10 ounces; )md the quantity I saw would not be sufficient to produce faintness or stupor in such a man as deceased, who, I 'think; could lose a pint or pint-and-a-half before feeling faint, The bleeding from such-a wound, after the first gush, would be comparatively slow and small, the vein ..having, been severed ; but it would take several hours to cause death from such a wound. The effect on the wound when immersed in ..cold water, would be to check the bleeding ; and 1 do not think the quantity of blond-issuing:from tha wound would cause any'discoloration' of the wViter. ...The time that the blood in the bed would take to flow.from thitfc wound would be about half a minute, ?i It was coagulated, and shewed that it had'been drawn during life. A man would be able to walk the: distance from his bed to the well ; he would be able to struggle-' against violence, and give an alarm, and his body presented no marks of violence whatever. I should think there were from 600 to 800 gallons of-water in the well. From the nature of the wound I think that it was more probably inflicted by ; himself than anyone else. F. A. Laking, surgeon, sworn,.said: He had heard tha evidence given by Dr Williams,■ He assisted him in the examination of tlm body of Thomas Gibbs, deceased; the same that was viewed by the jury on Saturday last; and he concurred entirely with the opinions given, and'statements made by Dr. Williams in reference to that, examination, and had nothing to add to the "details given.' Charlotte Kite, being sworn, stated as follows: I am twelve years of age on the 81st August. I live in Richmond; am the daughter of Thomas Kite, storekeeper. I know Thomas Gibbs; he is'• dead. I know his house; there is a public road passing by it. I know the well in his ground below the house ; it is about two yards from the fence. On Friday morning last, I passsd down the road between 9 and 10 o'clock. I saw a hat on the grass near the well. The hat produced is the one I saw,*and tiut Thomas Gibbs frequently wore, I did not-mention'this to anybody till 1 heard of his-djaath, though I thought it strange the hat was theve. Tthen told Mrs. Bonnington and Mi\ Pet'uvrick of it. I did not look at the house-door. William Stanton sworn : I jam constable at Richmond. I knew deceased; ,1 saw him alive last Thursday evening, between cix and- so van o'clock, in-the Star and Garter Hotel. He was about half tipsy.' We finished a pint of beer together, und then he went away, saying he was going home, and .left the house. I was sent, for on Friday evening. Joseph Hammond came about hnlf-past six to my house, and told me that Tom Gibbs wns drowned in his own Will. I followed immediately to Gfibbs',house. I went to the house before I went to the well, and the door was "shut, "but not locked..; I told Hammond and others that wore carrying up the body to come to the house with it. I opened, the door, and. took the mattrass off the sof-i, and told them to. lay him. on the sofa. He had his usual clothes .'on. "They had a lantern with them, and the candle being nearly out, I went into the bedroom to look for another piece. The door of-the bedroom was closed, but'l cannotsay ■whether it was latched. • I saw a great quantity of blood in the bed, and [ exiled to the others,to come in, and they did so. The bed stood opposite the door. The head was on the right hand side as you enter; the bed was close to the opposite side, and close to the wall at the head ; the blood whs just where a person would lie in the bed, and there was some on the pillow. I saw a small razor on the outside of the bed towards the door; there was blood on it. T believe.: the one produced to be the same. I looked to see if there w«s any wou nd, and discovered one about five or six inches long in the .neck. After .the others went* away, I locked np the j house, and kept possession of the key til next riiornI ing. There is only one exit door to the house. In the*morning 1 saw a pair of stockings there, on a box or table by the bed; there were.no marks of blood on them When Mr. Fugan came up next morning the razor was stiil'there. 1 looked about for blood marks, and saw one on the.bedroom door, about the'height of a person's shoulrW, an 1 one on the gmund iv the Outer room ; it appeared to be a clot of blood, which had been trodden-on by some person going into the bedroom. There were no other marks about the house. I examined the walk from the house to the well, but couldjiiot'discover a shadow of any blood marks around, neither was there any on the well-top. There was no appearance of, any stmggle having occurred; When. I wciit in with the lantern, I did not at first observe anything unusual about the house; I knew it perfectly well. The deceased was about 44 years of a<;e. The clothes were quite smooth and level;'although' quietly ussd. On Thursday night last I had some conversation with deceased. He told me his wife had Ie t him, and asked me for my opinion, saying he would not have "anything more to do with her. He did not appear depressed ; I never saw him more ch«tty and comfortable in my life. Thomas Fagan sworn : The razor produced is the one I took possession of. There was an empty case found in the house. I made a thorough search of the premises, but 1-found no other instrutnant-with-marks of blood on them, neither was'a'knife'or sharp'instrument (bund hidden away/" There were no marks of a struggle having tak oil place.; There ,waV arazor in a [ case in the room, and in-the sitting-room, on the shelf, was an empty black", ease, with the cover ofF, lying near it. ■ ; ,; Richard Wallis sworn: I knew the deceased; I last saw him alone on Thursday morning, at nine o'clock, at the end' of the" road, close to my house.. He apipeare'd excited;■dancing and-throwing his arms about. He spoke to me saying, he wished to see me oil important business.; He appeared perfectly sober. I wished to go at once with him, but he deferred it to a future time. He is a married man. .He.said nothing about his wife.; ; When I next saw him he was dead; tha.t was about halfpasjt • six ;! qn.. Friday evening. Having heard that-he was found in his well,-I went to the spot;- and; saW'several-persons standing round the well. I saw a hat-lying beside the well. I sent for Dr. Xaking, and helped the others to get the body .out of the ; well. He appeared to have, touched the sides, of the well;Vliyiha head and feet being bent a little, .as 'though lie had laye'd crosswise..' He had a slop 'and pairjVf trousers On.;* .He"was laidori the side" of the well, Wd; appeared stiff, UI then left. I live in view of his house; anddid not'see'any light there oh tlie: Thursday-night. He came with me on Wednesday in my cart from Nelson. I was 'at home from "eight;o'clock" that night. " Heard".no alarm on that Pevenvhg-iil live within hearing * distance.' ..The slop •was rent, in drawing .deceased: out,of the. water.- , < . i F:.;? J., Fussell sworn: 1 live" ; near Gibbs' house, I was at home on Friday alight last, before dark, and re- [ mained there tilUnext morning. ;l;iheard nojnoisa or ■ disturbance atr,his-3iouse(;duiing.,that itime; if there [ had been I think I should have heard it. >--He walked tipiohimowahous^to about half-an-hour after I saw him returning again.

William Harper, constable;, sworn, said: By direction of the Coroner I searched the well. I used a hook and a rake. The water is between seven and eight feet deep. I did not empty it. I found some pieces c>f old sacks and rags, that appeared to have been there some time. I could not find- any vessel in it; I think I must have done so had there been anything there. I searched for about ten minutes. Tha rugs'could not have been portions of the clothing of the deceased. Robert Dishcr sworn, deposed as follows: I nm an innkeoper, residing at Richmond. 1 knew Thomas Gibbs, the deceased; I saw him nearly every day. I had some conversation with him last week—on Tuesday—at my house, about half-past seven a.in. When I came into the bar 1 found the deceased crying. He said that his wife had been drowned, and that some parties he knew had thrown her into the well; and that on the evening previous, when he went home, he had seen George and William Kite at his place, and that they were chasing liis wife about, and one of them hud drawn a hkirt off her; but told me never to mind, for he should be on the jury himself", and would swear to all this. He had said that he understood that her father had come thu night before, and taken her body to his house. I told him to go and see, because L thought his wife had gone to town on the y, o iday. !J c went towards the hous-e of Henry Brown, and returned with his sister-in-law, who said they had not seen her. The)' went away, and returned afterwards, saying they were goinij to town after her. I saw him on Wednesday evening, and lie asked me to give him a bed, saying, " J will not sleep in that house any longer," betwen ten and eleven. Before he went to bed he repeated his story about, his wife being drowned, but said he never would mention who had told iiini of it; he appeared in £»ood spirits, rather over high.iv ikct. He siid he had seen his wife in town, but had not spoken to her. lie left my house next movniug, and returned to dinner. He appeared to have been drinking a good deal, but was not intoxicAted. At four o'clock he appeared well ag,%in, and he]pod me to unharness-iiflw'.., Eiiking's horge. '.c md been asleep for an' hour or"ah hoar and alulf. lie had a conversation with Jourdan about dinner time, who said, •' Mr. Gibbs. I have sixpence to give to you, as I could not get that article in town." Gibbs replied, '• Never mind the sixpence, keep it, I don't want-it now; and God Almighty bless you." Again, at about seven o'clock, he left, saying he was going to feed th'o pig. I expected him back, and waited up about an hour for him; but he did not return. He gave no reason for saying he would not sleep in that house any more On both occasions that he was crying and making the assertion about his wifo being drowned, he was not tipsy. On the last occasion, he said he did not know why she wished to leave him, for she had plenty to cat and d-rink, and had everything she wanted. The Coroner asked Dr. Williams whether if was possible that the wound inflicted in the throat of deceased had been done by anyone else but himself. Dr. Williams said, considering the position ofihe bed in the bedroom, unless the person knelt on the bed, it could not have been done by anyone else. j George Jourdan sworn: I knew Thomas-Gibbs;.l | saw him about 1 p.m. on Thursday last at;the bar of the Star and Garter. I then offered him sixpence that he gave mo about a month or five weeks ago to buy some strychnine to destroy mice or rats with. He said, (i fn& money is no use to me, keep it." He seemed to me in trouble, but did not seem to be in drink. He stood with his back against the wall and his he.id hanging down; lie would scarcely look up; he looked as though he had been crying, and he said he couldn't work or do anything. I then went awa}-. The Coroner then addressed the jury, which retired for about three quarters of an hour, when the following verdict was returned: —" We find that the deceased, Thomas Gibbs, died between the hours of seven o'clock on Thursday evening, the fourth day of August, and 10 o'clock on Friday morning, the fifth day of August, by drowning, caused by his throwing himself into a well, after having ineffectually attempted to deprive himself of life by cutting his throat with a razor; he, the said deceased, being of sound mind at the time." ' , The verdict being »iven, the Coroner issued a warrant to the churchwardens and constables at Richmond, commanding that the funeral should take place in the cemetery, between the hours of 9 and 12 the same night (Monday).