INQUESTS HELD

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 22991, 7 September 1944, Page 6

INQUESTS HELD

Deaths Of A Farmer And a Baby A verdict that Patrick Collins, aged 60, died at his farm at Sutherlands between August 24 and August 26, 1944, from a gunshot wound in the head, self-inflicted while temporarily insane, was returned by the Coroner, Mr H. Morgan, at the conclusion of the adjourned inquest yesterday. Constable T. W. ParkeT, of Pleasant Point, gave evidence of receiving a message on August 26 from H. R. Barrett, a neighbour - of Collins, to the effect that Barrett had found Collins dead in a shed on his (Collins’) property, and of accompanying Barrett there. From the nature of the injury death must have been instantaneous. Witness said he found a note, written unintelligibly on the back of a letter, in the house. Francis Albert Sim, of Sutherlands, said that he had known Collins for many years and had at times worked for him. Collins owed him money for work done some considerable time ago, and on August 17, 1944, he called on him and asked him to settle the account. This Collins refused to do and acted strangely, this being different from his usual behaviour. Collins lived alone and had no comforts in the house.

The Coroner recalled that at the opening of the inquest at Sutherlands Barrett had given evidence that he had noticed Collins acting jn a peculiar manner, and that he had last seen him alive on August 23. A newspaper of August 24 had been brought in from the mail box at the roadside. The Coroner found that death occurred sometime between August 24 and August 26 and that, as Barrett’s evidence stated that Collins was not normal on August 23, he had committed suicide. Infant Suffocated Medical evidence given by Dr. J. L. Mclver and supported by the report of the pathologist, Dr. ,A. B. Pearson, Christchurch, was accepted by the Coroner at the inquest into the death of Janice Wood, aged four weeks, twin daughter of Mr and Mrs R. T. Wood, Timaru, and he returned a verdict accordingly—that the child died on April 26 from suffocation due to inhalation of milky secretion. The mother said that the baby had been fed twice on the morning of August 26 and laid in a cot half on her side and half on her back for about 10 minutes. There were no blankets or other obstructions about the face. The child was alive at 10.50 a.m. when she noticed she was not looking as well as usual, and when Dr. Mclver arrived shortly after mid-day he found the baby was dead.

Giving his opinion that the child had suffocated. Dr. Mclver said that small infants were best laid on their sides with no pillow under the head. Senior-Sergeant King conducted both inquests.