ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES
Dunedin, January 19. Intimation has been received that a married woman named Elisabeth Ellen Mayhead drowned her baby in a bath, and then committed suicide by lying on the top of the boy in the bath. The affair occurred at North East Valley, but particulars are, so far, meagre. Later particulars attribute the tragedy to insomnia, the unfortunate woman suffering from delusions and insomnia. -Taranaki Daily News, 20/1/1903.
TRAGEDY NEAR DUNEDIN.
(per press association.) Dunedin, Jan 18. Intimation has been received that a married woman named Mayhead drowned her baby in a bath and committed suicide herself by lying on top of she child in the bath. The affair occurred at Northeast Valley.
Later. The particulars concerning the tragedy at North Valley show Mrs Mayhead was 36 years of age. She is the wife of a carpenter, who was formerly a contractor, a superior woman and well spoken of by the neighbours, and was on the best of terms with her husband. A church of England clergyman had visited the house, and shortly afterwards she told her little girl to go out and play with the baby while she did some work. Some time later the girl returned, but could not find her mother. She noticed that the bathroom door was locked. The girl went to a neighbor and asked for her mother. On mentioning about the bathroom door being locked, the neighbour went to the house. The door was forced open, and the woman and her little boy five years old were found dead in the bath. Medical aid was at once sent for, but without avail. It is understood that since her last child was born, the unfortunate woman has suffered from delusions and insomnia, and was being medically attended. It is supposed that insomnia led her to her mind becoming unhinged. The husband, who works in a sawmill, was a little late in getting home, otherwise he might have arrived in time to avert the tragedy. -Greymouth Evening Star, 20/1/1903.
Death.
MAYHEAD. — On the 19th inst., at Selwyn, North-east Valley, Eliza Ellen, the beloved wife of Walter Mayhead; aged 35 years. Also, at the same time and place, William, son of the above, aged 5 years. Private interment. -Evening Star, 20/1/1903.
THE TRAGEDY IN THE VALLEY.
THE INQUEST.
Mr Coroner Graham held an inquest yesterday afternoon at Selwyn street, North-east Valley, into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Mrs Eliza Ellen Mayhead, aged thirty-five years, and her son William Mayhead, aged five years, who were found drowned in the bath at their home, Selwyn road, on Monday night. Mr William Mitchell was chosen foreman of the jury, and Inspector O'Brien watched the proceedings on behalf of the police.
Walter Mayhead, carpenter and joiner, said that the bodies shown to the jury were those of his wife and son. His wife had not been very well mentally for the last month, and had been under the care of Dr Fulton, who had seen her frequently lately. She had shown suicidal tendencies, and he had been warned to take particular care of her, and to watch her carefully. When witness was away at work Mrs Strong looked after her. Witness last saw his wife alive at about a quarter to one on Monday afternoon. She said she was all right then. Witness left at a quarter to one, leaving Mrs Mayhead in charge of the little girl Dorothy, aged ten. Mrs Strong could not stay. Witness had been staying with his wife, but she requested him to go to work. Mrs Strong left three days before. Witness was arranging for someone else to look after her. On Saturday night witness took his wife to the opera, and during their absence the other person whom he had engaged called at the house. He thought she would call again, and waited with his wife for the next few days. She said she would not have another woman if she came, that she felt right as ever she was.
Dr Fulton said that he attended Mayhead for about ten days subsequent to her confinement in August last. She did not show then to him any signs of mental aberration, but seemed perfectly clear and collected in every way. She telephoned on the 11th of this month, asking him to come down and see her. He accordingly arrived at the house, and Mrs Mayhead spoke to him in the sitting room. She was in an excited condition, and melancholy, talked incoherently, and was afraid people were going to come and take her baby. He saw her four or five times subsequently up till last Thursday. In the interval between the first visit and last Thursday she seemed perfectly reasonable and rational, except on the subject of fear. She said she was afraid to stop in the house by herself. The last time he saw her was in Mr Begg's wool shed, where Miss Begg was kindly looking after her. She never suggested suicide to him, but she threatened to drink a bottle of some stuff which was in the cupboard. She said quite quietly: "You had better take it away," and it was taken away. She also said that day that she was sorry she had not said good-bye to her husband; that he would not see her again. Witness warned the husband and friends that she might become suicidal, that she must be carefully watched, and that if there was no improvement in a few days she would have to be sent to to the asylum. Witness had not the slightest doubt that she was in unsound mind at the time of her death. The cause of death in both cases was drowning.
To Inspector O'Brien: She never at any time expressed any desire to inflict violence on the boy. She was a meek and gentle woman, very kind and affectionate, and had a pleasant and cheerful home. Mr Begg and his son did everything that was possible in their efforts to try and resuscitate life before he arrived.
John Begg, fellmonger, said that he did not see much of Mrs Mayhead lately, but he had been told that she was demented. At about twenty minutes to seven on Monday evening he was told that the girl had been asking for her mother. The girl said that she could not find her, and that the bathroom door was locked. Hearing this, witness became suspicious, and with Mrs Begg went to the house. Witness waited outside while Mrs Begg went inside. The latter returned, saying that she could not find Mrs Mayhead, but that the water was running in the bath. Mrs Begg then looked through the bathroom window, and saw Mrs Mayhead in the bath. Witness at once burst in the door with an axe and found deceased lying in the bath, fully clothed. She was floating with her face downward. He lifted her body and head out of the water, and was then astonished to see the boy, around whom the mother's arms were clasped. They were both quite dead. Mrs Begg assisted witness to lift the bodies out of the bath and with the assistance of his son (who arrived five minutes afterwards) witness did all that he possibly could to try to restore life. The tap was running when witness went into the bathroom, but the bath had not over-flowed.
George William Henry Harding, vicar of St. Martin's, said that he first saw Mrs Mayhead ten days ago, and had since called to see her almost daily. When he first saw her she was very excited, and appeared to be bordering on religious mania. Later on the religious mania passed away, and she seemed to think that some terrible disaster was going to happen to her. Witness considered that she was insane. He suspected that she had suicidal tendencies. She seemed infinitely fond of her husband and children.
To Inspector O'Brien: She seemed much better when he called at six o'clock on Monday evening than she had been previously. She was in a very distracted state when he saw her on the Saturday.
The jury, without retiring, brought in a verdict "That the deceased William Mayhead was murdered by his mother when she was in an unsound state of mind, and that the deceased Eliza Ellen Mayhead committed suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind."
Mr Graham added the remark that in these cases it seemed harsh to make use of the word murder, but the sting was taken away from it by the fact that the woman was not accountable for her actions. -Evening Star, 21/1/1903.
DEATHS
MAYHEAD. — On November 29, 1929 (suddenly), at Dunedin Hospital, Walter, beloved husband of the late H. E. Mayhead, in his sixty-ninth year. "At rest." -Otago Daily Times, 30/11/1929.
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