SUICIDE OF A SOLICITOR.
(By Telegraph.) Dunedin, April 20.
Mr E. Hay, the solicitor, committed suicide this afternoon by cutting his throat.
LATFR. The suicide of Ebenezer Hay appears to have been most determined. He was living with his sister, who left him in the house. On returning she found that he had taken a basin to hold the blood and then hacked away at his throat, with a blunt knife, the basin being full of blood. He appears then to have gone to the bathroom, where the bath was found with blood and water mixed. His sister at once procured medical aid, and though when the doctor arrived Hay was pulseless, he tore away at the wound with his nails. He died shortly afterwards. He was a single man and had been indulging rather freely. It is supposed he committed the rash act while suffering under some strong delusion. -Timaru Herald, 21/4/1887.
Ebenezeer S. Hay, the well-known solicitor, committed suicide yesterday by cutting his throat with a knife. He was a single man, and had published some sonnets which were highly spoken of. -Lake County Press, 21/4/1887.
SUICIDE OF A BARRISTER.
We are sorry to have to record the death of Mr E. S. Hay, barrister and solicitor, from suicide yesterday afternoon. He had been in very depressed spirits for some time past, and since Tuesday was confined to the house. Hehwent to bed yesterday afternoon, and about half-past three o’clock it was found that he had cut his throat with a table knife. Drs Coughtrey and Stirling were immediately sent for; but, although the deceased was not dead, they were unable to save his life, as he had lost such a quantity of blood.
THE INQUEST.
An inquest was held by Mr Coroner Carew at the deceased’s residence, George street, this afternoon at three o’clock.
David Rennie Hay, tailor, identified the deceased, who was thirty-seven years of age. He had been about twenty-two years in New Zealand. Witness last saw him alive at twenty minutes to twelve o’clock yesterday. He was suffering from want of sleep, and said he was mesmerised. Witness had brought a sleeping-draught for him, but could not persuade him to take it. Witness conversed with the deceased, but he was too exhausted to talk in his usual manner. He gave foolish answers to some of witness’s questions, and witness concluded that he was not compos mentis. Witness had not seen him for some days previously. It was owing to one of his sisters being out of town that the deceased was left by himself in the house. Witness had not the slightest idea that it was unsafe to leave him alone.
Isabella Hay, school-teacher, deposed that the deceased came home on Tuesday morning in rather an excited state. He appeared to have been drinking, and was under several delusions. Yesterday when witness came home from school for lunch she persuaded him to go to bed. She did not like leaving him, but did not think there was the slightest danger in doing so. He was very quiet. Witness went back to school, and returned home about twenty minutes past three. She immediately went to the deceased’s bedroom, and, finding the state he was in, went for Drs Stirling and Coughtrey.
Dr Robert Stirling gave evidence as to finding the deceased in bed with a wound in his throat. The wind-pipe was severed, but the large blood-vessels were untouched. Witness found the table-knife (produced) in the bedroom. Witness sent to Dr Coughtrey, and they put a silver tube in his throat. The deceased lived for some time, but finally succumbed to hemorrhage.
The jury returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity. -Evening Star, 21/4/1887.
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