DREADFUL SUICIDE OF A HUSBAND THROUGH JEALOUSY OF HIS WIFE.
A most distressing case of suicide occurred in a cottage at the upper end of High-street yesterday. A young man of the name of James Scotias, who came down here from Melbourne about three months ago, and married a young woman of eighteen about five weeks ago, shot himself in the right breast with a revolver, and fell dead, never speaking after the fatal act was committed. He was an American by birth, and twenty-eight years of age, a carpenter by trade, and his wife stated that he possessed several shares in a quartz reef on Inglewood, had money in the bank, and was earning good wages at his trade with Mr Hardy. A short time before committing the dreadful deed he went into his next-door neighbour, and had tea there. When going away he said he was going to Melbourne, and would never see them again. He then went into his own house and wrote two letters which when he came back he left on the window sill. One of them was addressed to his mother in Melbourne, and the other to a fellow workman, under a cover addressed "to be opened by the police and forwarded to the address."
In these letters he spoke of the dreadful action he was about to commit, and said that the reason of his determining to put an end to his existence was that his wife had proved unfaithful, and he could not bear to live as he was deeply attached to her. She was in the room when he shot himself, but says she did not see him do it. He had just said good-bye to her us he was going to Melbourne and gave her a purse containing £3 10s. 6d. Dr Wilson was promptly in attendance, but life was extinct before he arrived.
The body lies in the house where the act was committed, awaiting the coroner's inquest. The wife is an attractive-looking young female. The letters accuse her of very loose conduct.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held yesterday, at the Commercial Hotel, on the body of James Scott, the unfortunate man who died by his own hand, on Monday evening last. After the jury had been sworn in, they proceeded to view the body, and then adjourned to the residence of Mr. Nathan, where the enquiry was proceeded with.
Margaret Scott, the wife of the deceased, remembered being in her house, in High-street, on the evening of Monday, the 20th instant, at about 10 min. to 7 o'clock. Her husband was also there, and he told her he was going to Melbourne; he then shook hands with her, and said good bye. She covered her face with her hands after he said this, and immediately after, she heard the report of the pistol and his fall. She saw him lying on the floor, and she screamed out "murder," and ran to the door, calling for assistance. One of the men who lived next door, came and looked in and said that he had shot himself. A large number of people then came in and she sat down on a chair. He lay on the floor until the Doctor came. He groaned once, but did not speak after he fell. He was removed to the bed, by the Police, when they came. He had been down the town that day and had come home with her, about 5 o'clock. He had gone down about 10 o'clock in the forenoon, and had returned about 2, but went down again. They had some words, but she did not wish to state what about. He then went out, but said that he would make her speak when he came back. She then went down to her mother's, and while she was away he came back. He then followed her to her mother's, and asked her if she was not coming home. She went home with him, and when they arrived, he asked her for some paper and ink, which she got for him. He then sat down and wrote some letters. The Coroner here read the letters, charging her with being unfaithful, which had been found, and the witness stated that she believed them to be the letters which he had written. (The letters, three in number, are unfit for publication. They reflect in the strongest terms upon his wife's character, and one of them contains a fearful malediction upon her. One is addressed to Mr. Charles Rose, a fellow workman, in Dunedin, and another to his brother, Mr. William Scott, at Clunes, in Victoria. The third begins "My dear Brother," but is not finished or addressed. In all three he expresses his determination to put an end to his life, and the unfinished one breaks off with the words — "you must not think me out of my senses"), but she said that the charges contained in the letters were not true. He threatened that if she did not acknowledge that they were true, he would take her life. This was in the middle of the previous Saturday night. He said that he would do it with a razor, which he had in his coat pocket. She could not account for his suspicious of her. He had been in low spirits for the last fortnight, but he appeared quite rational before he committed the fatal act. He came here from Melbourne, about 4 months ago, and she had met him when he landed, and known him ever since, although she did not know him before.
By the Jury: They had been married six weeks last Saturday. He was a carpenter by trade, and always had plenty of work. He said that he had some quartz reefs at Inglewood, and was going to Melbourne to look after them, and that he would send for her. She did not ask him to take her with him. She did not know that he had a pistol. He had frequently threatened her and the only time she had seen him drunk was on New Year's day. He was a little excited by drink on the Saturday when he had threatened her. He had some drink on the Monday. She had her hands over her face for about two minutes. Her maiden name was Margaret Turnbull. The deceased was very fond of reading novels. He first began to show symptoms of jealousy about three weeks ago. He was perfectly sober and calm when he first accused her. She denied the charge, and asked who had informed him of it. This he refused to tell. lie was always affectionate to her except when he was in low spirits, or excited, and when he was in these fits he accused her of unfaithfulness. When he first landed, he came to lodge at the house next her mother's. He never found any man with her when he came home at night. She did not mention his having threatened her to any one. He fired a pistol loaded with powder at her twice on New Year's day. She was so frightened that she became insensible.
Dr. Wilson was then examined: and said that he had been called in on Monday evening to attend a man who, he was informed, had shot himself. He went, but life was extinct before he arrived. The man had a gunshot wound in the right breast, and he picked up a revolver in the fireplace. He had since made a post mortem examination of the body, and found that the bullet had traversed the right lung, and lodged in the spinal column. He produced the ball. Haemmorrage from the lungs was the immediate cause of death.
Henry Berridge, the next-door neighbour of the deceased, said, that he came into their house about a quarter-past six on the Monday evening, and had tea. He said that he was not going to work any more as he had saved as much money as he would ever want. He also said that he had given away his tools to a mate. He asked them if they wanted a little money, as he could let them have a few pounds if it was any use to them. There were about seven in the room, and he made the offer generally. He said he was going to Melbourne, and would like to see a fellow workman (Charley Rose), before he went. Rose's cousin offered to show him his house, but the deceased replied that he was not in a fit state and he would leave a letter for him. He then left the room to write the letters, and shortly afterwards returned and left the letters on the window sill. He said he was going away, and would never see them again. They said that he might, and he said that it might be so, but he did not think it likely, but that he hoped it would be so. He appeared rather affected, and shook hands with them all, and then went out. He immediately heard the shot, and the wife of the deceased calling out for help. He went in, and saw Scott lying on the floor. His clothes were on fire, and after putting them out he sent for the doctor, and went, himself for the mother of the deceased's wife. The revolver was lying on the door. He knew the deceased a short time before his marriage. Deceased and his wife always appeared very affectionate to each other. He never heard them quarrel, and never saw anything improper in her conduct. She was always modest and well behaved. Remembered hearing the deceased fire a pistol on New Year's night, and the deceased came into his house a minute afterwards, and said he had frightened the old woman to death. The pistol belonged to him. They were all rather drunk. He did not know to whom the revolver belonged. The deceased always appeared in very good spirits, and perfectly sane.
The jury, after some consideration, unanimously returned the following verdict: — "That the deceased, James Scott, committed suicide on the 20th instant, and was at the time in a state of temporary insanity." -Otago Witness, 25/1/1862.
James Scott was buried in Dunedin's Southern Cemetery. His grave is unmarked.
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