A WOULD-BE SUICIDE AT LARGE.
William Lindsay, of Strath Taieri, farmer, attempted to commit suicide on Friday morning last by shooting himself on the right side of his neck. Dr Christie, of Outram, attended him, and found that the wound inflicted was not dangerous, but that he was suffering from loss of blood. As he was still afflicted with suicidal intentions, the doctor ordered his removal to the Dunedin Hospital. Accordingly he was placed in a trap on Saturday morning, and a start was made towards Outram. Dr Christie was of opinion that Lindsay was too weak to get out of the trap if he felt so inclined, and, with Constable Gray, rode a considerable distance behind. When the Lee Stream School (which is about ten miles from Outram) was reached, Lindsay surprised the driver of the trap, Thomas Watkins, by exclaiming “I’m off!” and with remarkable celerity he jumped out and ran along a ridge and disappeared in a gully. When Dr Christie and the constable came up and learnt what had occurred they commenced a very careful search for Lindsay, but without avail. Search parties have been organised since, and are scouring the country round for the fugitive. -Evening Star, 4/7/1887.
LOVELLS FLAT (excerpt)
Missing — Much concern is felt here about the fate of William Lindsay, who, after making an attempt to commit suicide at the Strath-Taieri, escaped from custody, and had not since been heard of. Lindsay lived in this district for many years. He was of a genial temperament, and well liked. He was a well informed man, and an enthusiastic student of Shakespeare. He was also very hard working and industrious, and had scraped together fully £2000. It is strongly suspected that his aberration was only very temporary, and his unfortunate escape is much deplored. — Occasional Correspondents. -Otago Witness, 12/8/1887.
Peculiar Death.
(By Telegraph.) DUNEDIN, Sept. 24. Early in July William Lindsay, a farmer of Strath Taieri, attempted suicide by discharging a pistol at his head. While being conveyed to the Dunedin hospital he escaped into the bush and was never discovered till Saturday, when his body was found in a creek a thousand yards from where he effected his escape. -South Canterbury Times, 24/9/1887.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held before Mr Coroner Carew at the Terminus Hotel, Outram, yesterday, on the body of William Lindsay.
Andrew Lindsay stated that he had no doubt that the body shown to the jury was that of his brother, William Lindsay. He was a farmer at Strath Taieri. Witness last saw him alive in May, 1888 — six or eight weeks before he heard of his being missing. He was born in Linlithgowshire, in Scotland, and had been in New Zealand about twenty-six years. He was a single man. John Lindsay stated that about two months after the deceased was last seen alive by the last witness he went up from Dunedin to fetch the deceased to town, and he passed an express between the Lee and Deep streams driven by a man named Thomas Watkins. He saw a man in the trap lying down and covered with blankets. He asked the driver to stop, thinking it was an accident case, but the driver would not stop. He went a mile further along the road, and when he got to Clark's Hotel he found it was his brother who was in the trap. He had tea at the hotel, and after going about a mile and a-half along the road Dr Christie and Constable Gray overtook him, but he did not speak to them. He next saw Mr Nichol coming from an opposite direction, and he told him that his brother had escaped. He continued along the road, and met the constable and Dr Christie and a few more people who were in search of his brother. He joined them in the search, and the place indicated to him as where the body was found was well searched about. He asked Watkins, the driver, how the deceased had got away, and Watkins told him that he had a bottle of brandy and water in the trap, and the deceased asked for a drink. He gave him the bottle, and he drank all the contents, and afterwards got up and got out of the trap, saying to Watkins "Now I'm off." He then walked away from the road, and Watkins turned the trap round and went to look for assistance.
George Nichol, who took part in the search for the deceased, stated that the place where the deceased's body was found was such that the deceased might easily have escaped observation. There was a hole between two rocks, and on one side of the hole there were two large bushes of long snow grass almost covering up the hole. There was not more than nine or ten inches of water in the hole when witness saw it. The body was lying face downwards, and the water did not quite cover the head. He thought it was a possible place for a person to be drowned, but even in the weak state that deceased was in when witness saw him in the express, he could not have been drowned unless he was determined to commit suicide.
Constable Gray stated that on the night of July 1, 1888, a report was sent to him that William Lindsay, of the Strath Taieri, had attempted to commit suicide, He went to his residence, and found Dr Christie in attendance on Lindsay. The doctor said Lindsay was in a very weak condition from loss of blood, as he had been over twelve hours without anyone to stop the bleeding. The doctor also told witness to procure a trap to take Lindsay to the Dunedin Hospital. He procured a trap, and the driver, Thomas Watkins, had to assist witness and others to put Lindsay into the trap, as he was so weak. They started for Outram at 10 a.m. Watkins was driving, and there was no one else in the trap but Watkins and Lindsay, Dr Christie and witness rode behind on horseback. When they reached Deep Stream the doctor asked Lindsay how he felt, and he said "Middling." The doctor gave him a drink from a bottle, which witness thought contained brandy and water. After proceeding along the road about two miles further they came to a farm house belonging to Mr Peats. The doctor suggested to witness that they should go in and have some refreshment. He asked the doctor if he thought the man would be all right, and he said he thought so, as Watkins could give him a drink if he wanted one. He also said it was no use detaining the trap, as it would take them all their time to catch the last train from Mosgiel. They then went into the farm, the trap continuing on. They were at the farm, he supposed, pretty nearly an hour. They then made a start, and when within a mile of the Lee Stream schoolhouse Nichol shouted out that Lindsay had escaped. On arriving at the place where Watkins and Lindsay got out of the trap, Dr Christie remarked that he could not be more than 100 yards away, as he had no strength to go further. He also expressed surprise at his being able to get out of the trap. When witness got to Strath Taieri and first saw Dr Christie, he said: "You may term him," meaning Lindsay, "a helpless maniac." Witness joined in the search, but could see no signs of Lindsay. He supposed he was in his custody. From what the doctor told him he thought Lindsay was helpless from weakness. He was very pale, and appeared to witness to be very weak. What the doctor said to him influenced him in letting Lindsay go on in the trap. If the doctor had not been with him he would not have left Lindsay.
Constable Mackenzie and Duncan McDonald also gave evidence.
The Coroner said he must remark as to the conduct of Constable Gray. If the jury wished, he would take evidence from Inspector Weldon as to a constable's duty when in charge of a prisoner, but it seemed to him unnecessary, as common sense would say it was his duty to keep with the prisoner. If that was his duty under ordinary circumstances, it would be even more so when the prisoner was a lunatic and weak from loss of blood.
The foreman subsequently intimated that the jury had come to the conclusion that the deceased had killed himself, but whether by drowning or by what means the evidence did not show. After further consideration, however, the jury brought in the following verdict: — "We find that William Lindsay, when last seen alive, was of unsound mind, and that he was found dead on Saturday last, but the evidence is not sufficient to show how he came to his death." -Evening Star, 26/9/1887.
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