The Late Suicide.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3042, 14 November 1878, Page 2

The Late Suicide.

INQUEST.

A coroner's inquest on the body of Patrick McQuilkin, who committed suicide at Punga Fiat yesterday, was held at the Golden Age Hotel, Waiotahi Creek, at 11 o'clock tq-day, before Dr. Kilgour, coroner, and the following jury:—M. Vaughan (Foreman), E. Hoskins, W. Martin, W. Inns. Jas. Wilson, W. Waddell, J. Merchant, W. Boxall, W. Drew, Eichard Taylor, C. Fugill and A. Williams.

The jury proceeded to view the body, and on returning the following evidence was taken:—

Hugh Mcllhone, sworn, deposed—l am Inspector of Miners' Eights for Hauraki Goldfield. I have known the deceased for eight years, he having resided in my house a good deal of that time. He was an unmarried man, and aged about 40. He was a man of peculiar habits for the last three years, and was addicted to liquor. He was not in embarrassed circumstances, to any great extent, so far as I can learn. He owes several people money, but he was never pressed. He owes me £35. Neither I nor any of his other creditors pressed him for payment. I saw him last Sunday in company with his mate McMaster. From his manner my impression was that there was something the matter with him mentally. This strangeness of manner could hardly be observed except by those acquainted with him. I saw him last yesterday morning, between 7.30 and 8 o'clock in Shortland, but had no conversation with him. About eleven o'clock I beard of his death, and went and saw his body. By a juror—When I saw him on Sunday he looked like a man recovering from drink. On Monday he did not look as if he had been drinking the night before. David McMaster, sworn, deposed—l am a miner residing at Shortland. Deceased was my mate, working at the Yale of Avoca claim, close to Punga Flat. We bare worked together since June last. We lately had a trial crushing, which was satisfactory enough to me but not to the deceased; he expected it would have went more. The deceased lived in the house at the claim' where the body now lies since June last, occasionally stopping at my place. Since Thursday last he had been living at my house. He was drinking freely on Wednesday and Thursday last, but did not get drunk. Since Thursday I have not observed him to be the worse of liquor. Deceased was very eccentric, sometimes never speaking. He never complained of any troubles he had. The result of the crushing seeemed to depress him. On Tuesday last he slept at my house, and we had breakfast together yesterday morning, after which we walked to the place were our quartz was on the Waiotahi Boad—about a quarter of a* mile from his hut. Going up he appeared to be more free in his conversation than usual, and spoke about the work being done in the mine. He was talking quite sensibly. When he reached the quartz heap he sat on it, while I went to fetch the tools. In about 20 minutes I returned ! with the tools, and .found deceased wasn't there. I remained till about 11 o'clock, alone, and saw a man named Donnelly, who lives near deceased's house, going in the direction of his own hut. I asked Donnelly if he had seen deceased down the creek, and he said he had seen him going towards his hut at half-past eight, while I was away for the tools. I asked Donnelly to tell Pat that I was waiting, and he went in the direction of his hut, and returned shortly. He told me something, in comequence of which I returned with Donnelly to deceased's hut. On getting there we found the hut door fastened, and also the window. We looked through the window, and saw the deceased lying on the floor. We burst open the door, and found deceased with a cut across his throat, and a large quantity of blood on the floor, dead. We did .not move the body, and it was lying in the same position to-day as when I found it. I reported the matter to the police, and Constable Jeffrey returned with me to the hut. I then saw a razor strop on the table, and the razor produced in a tub on a stool near where the body lay. I did not see any blood on the razor. My opinion is that the deceased has not lately been in his right mind. He once told me he had fallen down a winze, and from the wounds he had erysipelas, and that had touched his head, and if he lay on his right side something in it would crack like a pistol. No one could have cut the man's throat and closed the house as I found it;

Constable Jeffrey, sworn, deposed—l was stationed at Thames, and was on duty in Waiotahi Creek yesterday. la consequence of information given to me by the last witness, I accompanied him back to deceased's hut. On entering the hut I found deceased lying on his left side, dead, and quite cold. There was a large cut on his throat. On looking round the house I found the razor produced in a tub, about three feet from deceased. There was blood on the tub, and deceased must have inflicted the wound and then put the razor in- the tub. The jury then returned the following verdict;—" That the deceased took his life by cutting his throat with a razor while laboring under temporary in« sanity."