SUICIDE AT DUNEDIN.
(By Telegraph — Press Association.)
DUNEDIN, this day.
Samuel Gibbs, accountant, in the employment of Messrs John Edmond and Co., ironmongers, committed suicide yesterday afternoon by shooting himself with a revolver behind the ear. It appears that ha had been suffering from diabetes and had been much troubled of late. by insomnia. He leaves a wife and two children. He was an active and prominent member of the Masonic fraternity. -Auckland Star, 13/8/1898.
SAD CASE OF SUICIDE.
About 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, Mr Samuel William Gibbs, who was well-known as an accountant in the employ of John Edmond and Co., committed suicide by shooting himself with a revolver at his residence in Cargill street. For some time past the deceased gentleman had been suffering from insomnia. He had lately been under the care, of Dr Ogston, who advised him to take a rest. He did so for a time, but seemed to be unable tp keep away from his office, and against the wish of his medical attendant he returned to work on Monday. He, however, was at home yesterday, and about 4 o'clock his wife and servant, hearing a report as of firearms in his bedroom, went to the room and found him lying on the floor with a revolver by his side. He was bleeding from a wound in the head, and had evidently shot himself behind the left ear. Dr Ogston was immediately sent for, but on arrival he found that life was extinct, and expressed his belief that death had been instantaneous. The deceased was about 37 years of age, and leaves a wife and four children, his wife being a daughter of the late Mr Isaac Martin, tailor, who for many years carried on business in Princes street. Deceased took an active interest in Masonry, being a member of Lodge Otago Kilwinning, of which he was auditor. His death has been reported to Mr. Coroner Carew, who will hold an inquest on the body this afternoon. -Otago Daily Times, 13/8/1898.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon by Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six, of whom Mr J. Connor was chosen foreman, concerning the death of Samuel William Gibbs, who shot himself on Friday afternoon. The inquest was, held at the residence of deceased, in Cargill. street, and the following, evidence was given: —
Alice Gibbs identified the body as that of her late husband, who was born in London, and had been about 20 years in this colony. He was 37 years of age, and was accountant in the firm of John Edmond and Son. He had not been well for the last three or four months, and had been attended by Dr Ogston. The doctor said his trouble was a sort of breakdown caused by sleeplessness. He had only been at work intermittently of late, having been at home on several occasions, once for a fortnight. He was only at work on Wednesday of that week. He kept his bed on Friday and the day before and on Tuesday. He constantly complained of his head. He took medicine, prescribed, by Dr Ogston, to induce sleep, and also got some laudanum. He was very much depressed on Friday morning, and complained very much of his head. On Thursday night, he took a sleeping draught and changed his usual bedroom for one which would be quieter. Witness last saw deceased alive at about 8 or 10 minutes to 4. She was in his bedroom, and deceased complained about his head, and said he thought he might get some rest if she went away and kept the children quiet. Witness went away to her own room. After she had left her husband about five minutes she heard a noise which she took to be the report of a gun, and she went at once to her husband's bedroom, where she saw that her husband had shot himself. Mr Ling came to the house within five minutes of the occurrence, and Dr Ogston was sent for. Witness did not know that her husband had a pistol in the house. She had never seen him with one. She had never noticed anything to indicate that her husband's mind was deranged, except that in his sleep he was continually adding up figures. That never happened when he was well. Deceased had had no regular sleep for three or four months, and that was the only thing to which she could attribute the deed.
Patrick Ling, butcher, residing in Cargill street, deposed that he knew deceased. On Friday afternoon Mrs Gibbs's servant came over to witness's place with the two children, and afterwards came again and told him that he was wanted at Mrs Gibbs's. Witness went over, and was told by Mrs Gibbs that Mr Gibbs had shot himself. She showed witness into the bedroom. Deceased was on the floor with his two arms extended. He was dressed in shirt, trousers and slippers. Witness saw deceased was lying on his stomach, and there was a great deal of blood under his head. The revolver was lying near the right hand. Witness raised deceased, and found a wound in the head at the back of the left temple. Witness felt the heart, and found the slightest pulsation, and said to Mrs Gibbs that deceased was dead. Nothing was done after that till the arrival of Dr. Ogston. Witness reported the matter to the police.
Dr Ogston deposed that he had known deceased for seven or eight years. Attended him on Monday, when he was suffering from sleeplessness and headache. Witness prescribed a sleeping draught for him, and advised him to rest for a day or two if he could. He said he could hardly do it, as it was balancing time. Witness had seen him in a similar condition twice before, and a couple of nights sleep had put him right. Deceased was very much upset at the fire at Edmonds's, and suffered a good deal. He said on the Monday, that he had not quite recovered from the effects of that fire He was a nervous man, who took things anxiously, and always seemed to have too much on his mind, which seemed to be overburdened. Witness came to the house of deceased on Friday about 20 minutes past 4 o'clock, and found the body lying in the back room.as described by last witness. There were no marks of any struggle. On the sheet at the end of the bed nearest the body there were a few drops of blood, just about where the revolver was lying. If deceased had been sitting on the bed, or leaning against it, he could have fallen as he was found. Witness found a wound on the left side of the head, about an inch above the left ear, and a little behind it. The scalp wound was very large, as if the scalp had been somewhat torn away from the skull. In contrast to this the bullet wound was very small, merely admitting the little finger. There was no exit wound, but the bones at the opposite, side of the head seemed to be shattered. There was bleeding from the right ear, and evidently into the eye sockets. From this witness judged that the weapon had been fired at point-blank distance — quite close. The bullet had blown up the skull instead of penetrating it. The wound could have been self-inflicted. Deceased was a very nervous man, and was easily upset and excited, and worried about his work. He was not insane from a medical point of view, but had, to a certain extent, lost command of himself. Witness knew that the took everything excitedly. It was not an uncommon thing for suicide to follow insomnia. The act was not the act of a man of sound mind. The mind was unhinged by sleeplessness to a certain extent at the time. One chamber of the revolver had been exploded; and the bullet from that would cause the wound.
William Fraser Edmond stated that deceased was employed with his firm as accountant. He had been irregular in attendance at the office lately, and witness understood that it was owing to his being unwell. He had been on the best of terms with witness. So far as witness knew, there was nothing wrong with his accounts.
To a juryman: Deceased practically made his own hours, and did his work well. He took an interest in his business. Witness mentioned that two competent accountants had given it as their opinion that an accountant could do deceased's work and have a couple of hours a day to himself.
The Coroner said the evidence went to show that the cause of death was a gunshot wound, and it was for the jury to say whether it was self-inflicted. There seemed to be no other way of accounting for it, and if the jury found that that was so, it was for them to say what state of mind deceased was in at the time.
After a few minutes' consultation, the jury returned a verdict that deceased died from a bullet wound self-inflicted while temporarily insane from sleeplessness. -Otago Daily Times, 15/8/1898.
Samuel Gibbs lies in Dunedin's Northern Cemetery.
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