Inou-ssl.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11494, 22 June 1900, Page 2

Inou-ssl.

TIIES DA> Ay inquost ioucltip:'- l'^ J.>\itb of .Tamos Benneit \>.-s i>»-'<l at iU 1-ii.- ivs'd-noo of the decease! O.i Friday, before Mr Stanford (coroner) and the folio wing jury: — H. Ilaru-.nond (foreman), J. Birch, J. Searlc, J. Abbott, M. J. Jones and M. \i.'i>v.-» r 2 -rie int Staupoole conducted' the enquiry . John Bennett, brother ot the duu msjcl, stated that shortly hi t-.-r 6 o'clock on tho morning of tho 10M), his eister-in-Liw sot for him. Ho went down and was told that h it husband had got up cirly thatiiiorning»a=i ha was going to Stratford, lie went out and s.tid lie would bs back before starii.jg. As he did not return siu went to look for liiin. bur could not lind lrm. \i"i!ili:ss Junkiu iiiouud ,ti;u 'l. .■"U.'j k.l<>l.kll.;; .11 <l jil' '. nil till' .'d/.i'l is.; |)iu[ior;y lio ivni over mi<! ',iv ' i^ brother standing up looking out, of llic door. Thora was a wound in his thr.jf.t, and blood was running from it. A r.uor Wi s lying on the ground. His brother could not speak. Witness sat Lim down, and obtained a wet towel, which he put round his neck. He then obtained assistance. Drs. Walker and Leatham were called in. D^ath occurred on Thursday morning. His brother had been ail.ng for the past twelve months and was depressed in spirits. He had no financial or domestic worries whatever. Before deceased died on Thursday he told wit ness th it he never remembered anything of what occurred, or how he got in the shed ; that he thought he had been shot. ' Ann Bennett, widow of deceased, corroborated the above statement. She did not notice anj thing peculiar about her husband ■when he arose on the morning in question. Dr. Leatham stated when he was called in he gave deceased chloroform, and, with Dr. Wa'ker, dressed the wound, which was a severe and extensive gash in the throat, such as would have besn caused by a sharp instrument. The upper part of the wind-pipe was cut, just above th 3 vocal chords, aiid the gullet was severed from front to back. There had been considerable bleeding. Death must have resulted from exluustion consequent on hemorrhage, shock to the system, and subsequent inflammatory action. From the beginning neither Di\ Walker nor himself had very little hope of dsceassd recovering. The wound couloThave been self-inflicted The jury returned a verdict that the deceased came by his death from injuries self-inflicted while in a state of temporary insanity.