The finding of "temporary insanity" in inquests on suicides was traditionally and historically use to overcome the tradition that people who had committed "self murder" cold not be buried on consecrated ground.
That tradition had mostly faded by 1906 but the verdict was still a common one. In the case of Joseph Sargent, it is my opinion that the deduction was factually correct.
EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.
STRANGE CONFLICT OF TESTIMONY.
Just after the Otago Daily Times had gone to press yesterday a small party of anxious people went into Messrs Thomson, Bridger, and Co.'s shop, and there discovered the dead body of Joseph Ernest Sargent, who had been employed by the company as bookkeeper. The body lay on the floor of the office, against the telephone, the head in a pool of blood, a bullet-track from the right temple piercing the brain. A revolver loaded in two chambers, with one cartridge fired, lay on the floor by his side. Sargent had been trusted by the firm, in whose employ he held a responsible position. He was quiet and unobtrusive in his manner, notably steady in his habits. He was 42 years of age, and leaves a widow and three young children.
THE INQUEST. An inquest was held yesterday afternoon before Mr C. C. Graham, the coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr John McConnell was chairman. Station-sergeant King conducted the proceedings for the police.
Frederick Williams was first called and sworn: I am a retired newsagent, I reside at the house of the deceased, at 19 Cargill street. Deceased, whose body I identify, was my nephew. He was employed as bookkeeper by Messrs Thomson, Bridgcr, and Co. He was a married man. I last saw him alive at about 8 o'clock last night — the 15th. He was in middling spirits, but in his usual condition so far as I know. He was not in good health. He suffered from nervousness — nothing more than that that I am aware of. He was in low spirits, and had been for some time - many months. The only thing I know of that could account for his depressed state is that he had been overworked at the office. He worked too many hours. It is difficult to say exactly what his hours were. He was there generally from 9 in the morning till 11 or 12 at night; sometimes on Saturday afternoons, and sometimes, I am sorry to say, on Sundays. He was constantly employed such hours as those. I think that undoubtedly it was overwork that was worrying him. I have complained to him myself, and told him he was foolish to keep on working in that manner. He said: "Well, the work was there, and it had to be done." He had no monetary troubles, and no domestic or other troubles. Last night he did not return home as usual. My daughter, who is his wife, and myself went to seek him early this morning. We went to Thomson, Bridger's office. We started for the office about 3 a.m. We found the iron gates unfastened, but the door locked. I knocked loudly, but got no answer. We could see a slight light inside at a distance. We presumed he was there. I got a constable, who said the only way to get in would be to get a key. We got Mr Melton to come down with his key. In company with him and the constable we opened the door, and found deceased lying quite dead in a pool of blood near Mr Melton's office. He was lying very calmly on his back, with his right hand on his chest. A revolver was lying on the floor near him. He never threatened suicide to me. I did not know that he had a revolver in his possession.
Dr William Evans, duly qualified medical practitioner: This morning, about five minutes to 4, I was called, and proceeded to Thomson, Bridger's premises, where I found the deceased lying on his back. The head was lying in a pool of blood. The right arm was across the chest. His left hand was in his trouser pocket. On the right temple there was a circular wound, roughly about a quarter of an inch in diameter. At the bottom of this wound there was a corresponding hole through the skull. In the left temple the scalp was torn for about an inch and a-quarter, and there was a corresponding hole in the skull. I probed both wounds. Both holes perforated the brain. I concluded that the wound in the right temple was the place where the bullet entered — injuries being evidently inflicted by a bullet, fired at very close range. The edges of the wound on the right side were blackened by powder. The temporal artery on the left side was severed, which accounted for the severe haemorrhage. Death was caused by the shock, and haemorrhage following. The wound could have been self-inflicted. I never attended deceased, and only knew him casually. I can say nothing as to the state of his mind or health. I examined the revolver. It was five-chambered and held two cartridges, one of which had been discharged. Rigor mortis was well marked, and deceased had evidently been dead some hours.
Dr Robert Valpy Fulton: Deceased called on me about six weeks ago to consult me about his health. I found him a physical wreck. His nervous system was shattered. He was evidently worrying very much about trifles — seemed in a constant state of worry about trifling matters. There was evidence of organic disease of the nervous system having set in. He was in a condition bordering on insanity, and I told him that he needed at least three months' absolute rest, and change of scene, and advised him to apply for three months' leave of absence right away. He seemed to think his work was very hard, and seemed to be unnecesarily worried about his work. I understood that he did a great deal of night work. I took no special note beyond that the man was over-working and overworrying. He did not seem inclined to follow my suggestion as to his stopping work. Seeing that he did not apply for leave, I am not the least astonished that he has shot himself. It is just what I should expect. I don't know that he has not applied for leave.
Adela Kate Sargent: I was the wife of the deceased. I resided with him and my father at 19 Cargill street. My husband had been in a very bad nervous condition since August. His nerves were shattered. I did not know that there was any organic disease. Dr Macpherson saw him last August, before he consulted Dr Fulton. Dr Macpherson said it was nervous prostration, and he must take a rest. My husband thought, he would get better without that. He did not give up work. He got no better. He thought that if he took a holiday be would "get the sack." He did not apply for leave. He had no domestic or monetary troubles, but he fancied that if he lost, his place at Thomson, Bridger's he would never get another. He lost most of his savings in gold-dredging a few years back. I corroborate the evidence given by my father. My husband has taken it into his head lately that I should he better off without him. He fancied that if he was gone my father would look after me. The three children worried him a great deal, they were rather delicate, and he worried over it. Lately he said that he had made some mistake in his work, and he said that Thomson, Bridger might take some proceedings against him, and he would land either in goal or in the lunatic asylum. He had a good deal of night work, but lately I don't think he would have needed to do it if he had been in good health. He could not get through his work in time. We have always lived on the most affectionate terms. Indeed, I think that if he had not cared so much for me he might, have been alive now. He has alwavs done a good deal of night work, but lately particularly so.
William Henry Melton, salesman with Thomson. Bridger and Co., who said he could add nothing to what has been said by other witnesses. I knew the deceased. He was bookkeeper to the firm. I have heard the evidence of Mr Williams. I confirm it, except in some particulars. Mr Williams says deceased worked from nine in the morning till twelve at night, that, is hardly correct. Several nights I have been there and he has not been at the shop at all. In the morning he used to come about nine. He would leave about, halfpast five or six o'clock. He would not come back till half-past nine or ten o'clock. Sometimes he would only come in, put down his books, and go out again. Deceased did not work back every night. I can't say whether he ever applied for leave. He would apply to Mr Thomson direct.
By Mrs Sargent: The hours worked are not entered in any book. No record of time is kept.
By Sergeant King: The revolver found with the body is one of a make we import. It was a new one, but I cannot identify it as taken from our stock. I have not yet looked at the stock to see.
By Mr J. C. Thomson: Every 'Frisco mail we go back altogether three or four evenings to make up the indent. I should know whether anyone was upstairs working or not. I have seen deceased come in occasionally as we were locking up. He had a key, and could admit himself to the shop.
James Cox Thomson: I am the managing director of Thomson, Bridger and Co., Ltd. I knew the deceased; he was our book-keeper. He was getting £4 10s a week.
Mrs Sargent: £4 10s?
The witness: Yes, £4 10s, and the office hours were from 9 to 5.30, with an hour's interval for dinner. With the exception of two or three days at the beginning of the month the staff are never back in the office after hours at all.
The Coroner: The question is: if he had a key, he could go back when he chose.
The Witness: Yes, I am coming to that. The deceased used to remain after the staff left till 6, and sometimes halfpast 6. There was no necessity for any extra night work. With the exception of hearing that he occasionally came back, I was not aware that he ever came back at all. I come back occasionally myself, and I have very seldom soon him there. He was a most accurate worker, and his work was always up to date. The fact that he states that he has made mistakes in the books is, I think, due to a hallucination. There was nothing in his appearance or manner to indicate that he was unwell. I had intercourse with him daily over office matters, and I could see no difference in him as late as yesterday. He never spoke to me about his health. Had he asked for a holiday he would have got it at once. I have have always given our staff a holiday whenever they have asked for it. We have no rule about holidays, but that is the custom.
By the Foreman: He had had no idea, that any of the firm's employees went back to work on Sundays nor on Saturday afternoons. When he had passed on Saturday afternoons the shop had always been locked up. He should certainly have stopped such work if he had known of it.
The Coroner said there was no doubt as to the cause and manner of death. Death was self-inflicted. The only question was: What was the deceased's state of mind at the time? After hearing Dr Fulton's evidence he did not think the jury could have any hesitation in coming to the conclusion that this poor fellow was out of his mind when he destroyed himself. That unsound state of mind was plainly due to nervous prostration, and that was possibly due to deceased's feeling worried about overwork. Mr Thomson said deceased was not overworked. The organic nervous disease from which deceased suffered might have caused him to imagine that he was overworked, instead of overwork setting up the nervous condition. The statement deceased made as to the condition of his books - as to the risk he ran of gaol and lunatic asylum — plainly showed that his mind was unhinged. Mr Thomson would certainly know if anything was wrong in the deceased's books, and Mr Thomson said the books were accurately kept. It was for the jury to say what the man's state of mind was, having regard to all the circumstances.
The jury returned a unanimous verdict that deceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity. -Otago Daily Times, 17/3/1906.
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