- Details
- Transcribed by unknown author unknown author
- Edition: Sat 24th July 1897 Sat 24th July 1897
Mr Gordon Falcon, Coroner for the division held an inquest at the
Crosthwaite National (Girls) School on Monday noon touching the death of
Joseph Akitt aged 80 years, who had succumbed the previous Saturday to self
inflicted injury : Mr J F Hope was foreman of the jury.
Joseph Akitt, son of the deceased said his father had lived retired with him
at High Hill Keswick for about 71/2 years and had complained for sometime of
pains in the head. He had been under the care of the doctor for the last six
weeks for influenza and pains in the head. On Wednesday and Thursday nights
he seemed more cheerful than he had been during the previous ten days. He
went to bed between 8-30 and 9 o'clock on Thursday night and there was
nothing unusual till 5-45 on Friday morning when witness heard a sound as
someone having fallen. On going to the bedroom he found his
father on the floor bleeding from a wound on the left side of his throat.
The knife produced (a gardeners)
was near him. Witness asked why he had done the act and he replied " My head
was so bad I could not bide it any longer," Dr Knight was sent for at once.
Deceased lived til 10am on Saturday. The deceased met with a bad accident in
the teens of years ago at Threlkeld. He fell from a ladder while
whitewashing
and injured his head. During hot weather especially he always complained of
pain , but he had never threatened to do anything of this kind. The jury
returned a verdict of "suicide while temporarily insane," They gave their
fees to the Mary Hewetson Hospital .