INQUEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1478, 22 November 1872, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquiry into the cause of tho death of Nelson Bell, who was found dead in his house on Tuesday night with his throat; cut, took place yesterday afternoon at the Canterbury Hotel, Lyttelton, before J. W. S. Coward, Esq., Coroner. A jury having been empannelled, Captain W. H. Kiddey was chosen foreman. Sergeant Major Barsham conducted the inquiry. The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was adduced : — Charles William Brown said : I reside in Salt's gully. On Tuesday night, about a quarter past nine, I went up from town to my I home. My wife asked me if I had stopped afc J Kelson ' 3 (meaning deceased's). I said I had I not done bo, as there was no light in the j house, and I thought he might have gone ; down into fche town. She said you had better go '' 1 down to him and get hira up to our house, as j he was very ill. 1 took a lighted lantern and j went with a boy named John Haydon, I to tho deceased's houso. When I got there I found the front door open and one of , j tho deceased's feet sticking out over tho stretcher on which he was lying. I saw some ' blood on his foot. On going further into the ! room I saw a lot of blood on the floor, and I : thought deceased had broken a blood vessel, I but when I looked on the stretcher I saw de- ' ceased's throat cut. I was frightened, and van \ homo and told my wife, and I then informed the police. When I saw deceased on the! stretcher he was lying on his back, the body inclining slightly to his left side, his right ' i hand was on his breast. T told my wife to go j down to deceased's house, aud I went for fche police. I By Coroner : I have known the deceased between 6 aud 7 years. He told ms he had been drinking last week. I have not seen him intoxicated lately. He was on good terms with his neighbours. I'do not know of any one thafc bore him any malice. By Eoremau : The door was open when 1 went to the house ; I wenb down because my wife asked me to go. Deceased's back was slightly towards the window. I have not seen deceased since Saturday night. A little girl sa?v deceased about 6 o'clock on Tuesday night. Ido not think any ono was with him on Tuesday evening. By police : He used to take chlorodync, ho did so one time thafc he stayed afc my house ; afc that time he was on the drunk. By a juror: Could not say how far the legs were over the stretcher ; both feet were slightly off the stretcher, but not much. I Sergeant-Major Barsham said :On Tuesday i night, about ten o'clock, it was reported to jme by the last witness thafc a man named Nelson Bell had cut his throat in Salt's Gully. ; Li company with Constable O'Shaunnessy, I went with witness to deceased's house. I found the street door open. On going inside, I saw deceased lying on a stretcher on an opossum rug. 1 examined the body, and j found the throat cut. On the left-hand side of the stretcher I saw a largo pool of blood, and a large quantity was also on the stretcher, j The right arm was lying on the chesfc, and j there was a clot of blood on the right hand. Deceased was lying fair on his back, his left arm afc right-angles from the body, and resting on the stretcher. Tho left leg was contracted, the right one straight out ; fche feet were bare. There was a sprinkling of blood on one of them, on the left side, and near to the stretcher there was a table ; ifc had an oilcloth cover on it. I noticed blood on tho ' cover. I noticed on the floor a largo table j knife ; it wr.s lying in a pool of blood. I now produce ifc — (produced) — ifc has been newly.! ground, and is exceedingly sharp. On the handle the letter Nis marked (fche deceased's initials). On the mantelpiece I fouivi a sharpening stone, which has evidently been lately used — (produced). I also foundi an empty chlorodyne bottle and two wine glasses. One smelt of spirit, tho other of chlorodyne. In deceased's right hand pocket; I fpuncl £4 7s 2d, and in his chesfc, which was. open, I found bank receipts to tho amount of £80. j I left a constable in charge of, the body. ' and on visiting the house next morning the constable handed me two scarves.from the appearance of which I presutae the deceased attempted to commit suicido by hanging. By tx juror : There w&s not any appearance of a struggle cither oii fche stretcher or in tho room. My opinion is, fcho deceased cut his throat whilst sitting up on the stretcher. Tbe body was.somoved to the hospital ward for convenience^ In case of »post mortem examination being required there was no convenience at the house ta perform any operation. Mary Ann Brown said: I am, the wife of Charles. William Brown. On Tuesday morning the deceased sent for me between 9 and 10 o'clock. He sent a boy named Benjamin Eowles for me, saying ho was very bad. I went down to him and found him sitting on a stretcher. Ho told me ho was very bad, and put his hand to his chesfc. He asked me if I should go down to the town and get him some brandy, and also a bottle of ohJorodyne. I went and got him what he wanted. I left him half the bottle of brandy, taking a portion, at hi 3 request, to my house. He drauk a little brandy and water whilst I remained, and was sick. I remained in the houso about a quarter of an hour, aud then went homo. Afc 11 o'clock I went down again to his house, and took him a jug of tea. I gave him two cups, and remained about a quarter of an hour in fche house. He was sick again before I left. I did not see him take any chlorodyne. I went again fco fche house between 3 and 4 in the afternoon. He was lying on the stretcher. He had no boots on j his feet were naked, I

thought he was asleep, and made a remark to that effect, and was leaving, but he spoke-, and said "Polly, lam not; asleep," and he got up. He said he wanted to speak to me. He asked me if I would go to Mr Packard and ask him for his wages. He said he wanted his money for he was very ill, and he did not think .he shoidd go to work any more. I said I would go^ to Mr Packard if he would give me an order, but he said he was too weak to give it me. He made some remarks about;. Mr Meade's funeral, and said — " poor Meade, it will not be long before I follow." He said he wanted to get his money together so that when he died it might be sent to his blind father, and also that he might not be buried like a dog. By a juror : I have known deceased between six aud seven years.- Deceased was at the late races. He told me he had lost £10. I have seen him iv liquor, but not lately. He has not been at work since the. races. One day he went fco work, but had to come home. The knife and stone produced 1 1 recognise as deceased's property. On Moni day afternoon last I saw deceased comin<* up the gully. He saw me, and beckoned nfc to coraetohim. I went. He said he was very ill. I told him he ought not to drink so much, he said you always say it is the drink when I am Dr Hugh Macdonald said : I was called on Tuesday evening to see deceased. I found him in his house, lying on his back on a! stretcher. His right arm was across his body ; I his right hand partly shut, with a clot of blood on ifc. There was a largo pool of blood on the floor, and also on tho stretcher. There was a largo wound in fche neck, fcho deepest, cut being on the left side. All the vessels on the left side were divided. The left arm was stretched out afc right angles. Tho appearance of the wound was gaping, the edges everted. Near to the stretcher was a tabic, and on the oilcloth cover were soino spots of blood. They appeared aa . :if they had spirted out from an : artery. [ There were some spot 3 of blood on the feet aud ; on the top of tho left; foot; was some opossum iur. The wound in the throat was the cause of death. By Foreman : I consider thafc the deceased with the knife produced could have made the wound. The scratch on the neck I think was occasioned by the knife. The stretcher was . quite wide enough for the deceased ,to have full use of his arms. The jury, afterashort deliberation, returned a verdict; that the deceased committed suipide whilst in a state of temporary .insanity.