Post by nzbc on Mar 29, 2016 22:09:10 GMT 12
Near midnight on Thursday it was discovered that a Chinaman named Lim Chung had committed suickle by strangling himself in a Chinese cook .shop in Stafford street, at the coiner of Hope street, formerly occupied by the New Zealand Fruit Preserving Company. The deceased was a recent arrival from Invercargill. He had been in ill-health, and was under treatment, by Dr Brown. On Thursday evening he went to his bedroom, and later on a fel:ow countryman of his discovered that Lim Chung was kneeling on hio bunk with a linen rope round his neck, the other end of which was fastened round a slight rafter! The police were called in, and also Dr Macdonald, when it was discovered that life was extinct;.
AN INQUEST was held yesterday afternoon before Mr E. H. Carew, coroner, and a jury of six, of which Mr Elson was chosen foreman.
Dr Macdonald deposed that he was called to seethe body of deceased about' 11.30 on the' previous evening. The door of the room was locked, and a Chinaman burst it open. Witness found deceased on his knees on. a bunk, with, a tape round his neck and fastened to a cross beam in the temporary ceiling. The man was dead and the body cold. Witness undid the tope. Deceased had probably been dead for some time—say four or five hours. There was a livid mark on the front of deceased's throat. The body was not hanging, but kneeliog on the bed, with the head leaning against the adjacent wall. Only the strongest determination would enable a maa to die in the position in which deceased was found. The cause of death'was strangulation.
John Ah Tong, interpreter, deposed that he lived in the house where the body was found. He identified the body as that of Lim Chung Witness knew deceased for 10 years. He had been working for his uncle in a garden at Waikiwi. He came .to Dunedia two weeks ago last Wednesday. Deceased said his heart had been bad for seven weeks, and the doctor in Invecoargill could not cure him. Witness took him to Dr Brown, who pre:cribed for him, but deceased refused to continue taking the medicine When walking about d; ceased was all right, but when he slept he had alternate fits of cold and heat._ Last Monday he said if he was going to die in less than four months he would go back to China in the steamer. Witness said he would have to wait for the tea ship next year.' The steamer would not take him, and he went to bed crying. On Thursday he seemed more cheerful, and said if he was no better in a week or two he would return to Invercargill. About 5 o'clock on the previous evening witness knocked at deceased's room door, but got no answer. Witness thought deceased was out until the cook, Lew Car, said he must ba in. About 11 o'clock witness knocked again and got no answer. Lew Car then let down a candle throngh a hole in the ceiling while witness looked through a crack in the wall, and saw deceased kneeling up as if hanging. Witness went forDr Macdonald and the. police. Deceased came from.Canton. He was five years in Melbourne and 19 in New Zealand. He was 42 years of age, aid a single man. Lew Car,.cook to Koon Lee,the keeper of the boarding house, deposed to seeing deceased gointo his room f.nd lock the door about 3.300n Thursday afternoon. Witness broke in thedoor for the doctor.: His other evidence corroborated John Ah Tong. Unimportant evidence having been given by Gwa Hung, Kong Lee, and Constable Green, the jury brought in. a verdict of Suicide while temporarily insane." Otago Daily Times , Issue 8337, 10 November 1888, Page 3
AN INQUEST was held yesterday afternoon before Mr E. H. Carew, coroner, and a jury of six, of which Mr Elson was chosen foreman.
Dr Macdonald deposed that he was called to seethe body of deceased about' 11.30 on the' previous evening. The door of the room was locked, and a Chinaman burst it open. Witness found deceased on his knees on. a bunk, with, a tape round his neck and fastened to a cross beam in the temporary ceiling. The man was dead and the body cold. Witness undid the tope. Deceased had probably been dead for some time—say four or five hours. There was a livid mark on the front of deceased's throat. The body was not hanging, but kneeliog on the bed, with the head leaning against the adjacent wall. Only the strongest determination would enable a maa to die in the position in which deceased was found. The cause of death'was strangulation.
John Ah Tong, interpreter, deposed that he lived in the house where the body was found. He identified the body as that of Lim Chung Witness knew deceased for 10 years. He had been working for his uncle in a garden at Waikiwi. He came .to Dunedia two weeks ago last Wednesday. Deceased said his heart had been bad for seven weeks, and the doctor in Invecoargill could not cure him. Witness took him to Dr Brown, who pre:cribed for him, but deceased refused to continue taking the medicine When walking about d; ceased was all right, but when he slept he had alternate fits of cold and heat._ Last Monday he said if he was going to die in less than four months he would go back to China in the steamer. Witness said he would have to wait for the tea ship next year.' The steamer would not take him, and he went to bed crying. On Thursday he seemed more cheerful, and said if he was no better in a week or two he would return to Invercargill. About 5 o'clock on the previous evening witness knocked at deceased's room door, but got no answer. Witness thought deceased was out until the cook, Lew Car, said he must ba in. About 11 o'clock witness knocked again and got no answer. Lew Car then let down a candle throngh a hole in the ceiling while witness looked through a crack in the wall, and saw deceased kneeling up as if hanging. Witness went forDr Macdonald and the. police. Deceased came from.Canton. He was five years in Melbourne and 19 in New Zealand. He was 42 years of age, aid a single man. Lew Car,.cook to Koon Lee,the keeper of the boarding house, deposed to seeing deceased gointo his room f.nd lock the door about 3.300n Thursday afternoon. Witness broke in thedoor for the doctor.: His other evidence corroborated John Ah Tong. Unimportant evidence having been given by Gwa Hung, Kong Lee, and Constable Green, the jury brought in. a verdict of Suicide while temporarily insane." Otago Daily Times , Issue 8337, 10 November 1888, Page 3