Capt. George Compton

The two cases of sudden death which we, recorded in our last issue, were followed almost immediately by a third, whose circumstances throw a still darker shadow over this week. We' allude to the suicide of Mr. George Compton, many years landlord of.the Mitre Hotel in this town, who destroyed himself by hanging about mid-day on Wednesday last. An inquest was held on the following day before Dr. Donald, coroner, and a jury of twelve, of whom Mr. A. J. Alport was foreman. From the evidence there given, the facts of the case appear to be as follows. About twelve o'clock on Wednesday, the unfortunate man left his son William in the bar, and went up stairs, as he said to cut some tobacco ; it ,had been his custom to lie down in the middle of the day, and on this day he asked to be called about half-past one o'clock. Shortly; afterwards, the cook of the Hotel, Morley by name, went up; stairs to speak to Mr. Compton about some domestic matter, and knocked at the door of the room where he was supposed to be lying, down, but receiving no answer, the cook believed him to .be asleep, and refrained from awaking him, going down stairs again to the kitchen: Shortly afterwards the boy heard a noise upstairs as of-some-thing falling, and begged Morley to go up stairs, stating his fear that something was the matter.- The boys suspicions were confirmed on looking into a. cupboard up' stairs, where a rope had been left, and missing it. "The door of the room where deceased was being locked, Morley .opened.- an adjoining window and passed along the1 verandah roof" to look into the room, while the boy went out into the street with the same object. Both saw the unfortunate man hanging, and Morley broke a pane and unfastened the-window, and at once caught the body in his arms, and proceeded to cut it down, William Compton and Mr. Bruce, whom he had met in the street, coming up immediately and assisting; Dr. McCheane was sent for, but without a chance of success. From the appearance of things the unfortunate man had gone about his dreadful deed in the most deliberate manner. Taking a small dinner knife with him, which he had caused his son to look for below, he must have gone, up stairs, found the rope, locked himself into 'the bedroom, taken off his coat, waistcoat, and cravat; cut a sufficient length of rope, mounted a chair; and cut the canvas of the ceiling on each side of a rafter, round which he fastened the rope securely, tucking one of the. ends up out of the way. He must then have put a portmanteau on a chair, and proceeded to the act of self-destruction with remarkable deliberateness and precision. ' The noise of the portmanteau and chair falling was no doubt what the boy heard in the room beneath-... Further evidence was taken as to the state of the deceased s mind at the time, and all; tended to'the opinion that, there existed a severe derangement of the intellect, though symptoms of.-insanity.;were notralways. apparent. Mr. Bruce spoke of conversations in which deceased had told him that his troubles were enough, to make a man destroy himself, and he (Bruce) had lately entertained the opinion that it was really possible such a catastrophe might occuiv Mi-. Cameron, -/.landlprd ,of the Robiu, Hood Inn, hacl called upon deceased the samei morning for payment of a sum of money,'aridiiad been told that ■if he ■went to the Church on Sunday arid gave him a receipt under'the pulpit, lie would pay Him! Cameron could get no sensible-.answer,, and left him,; telling Bruce (the last witness), that the deceased was mad. This was an hour before the occurrence. Mr. Genet's; evidence was 7fully corroborative. He had . been repeatedly pressed, by deceased to sit up with him at different times. The previous day he had been sent for and called into a private room by deceased and had then drawn out a sort, of will at his request, which was signed and witnessed. Deceased's .eldest son, George, to whom the property was left, was summoned to be made aware of: the transaction, and Genet recommended the latter privately to; keep a strict eye on his father,'as he (Genet) believed him to be insane. This assertion: came to deceased's knowledge,- and.-he vehemently assented to it, declaring that he knew. he. was-mad. Genet stayed a few hours with him the same evening at. his request, and left him tolerably collected and in a good humor. He saw him again the next morning, but remarked no change in his demeanor He further stated that he had been very intimate with deceased, and had often heard Hm speak of his affairs, of his pecuniary difficulties arid domestic troubles. For months he had been rambling and incoherent in his manner, and on; walking round the town with him (the witness) last- Sunday morning, had told: him that it was for the last time. Expressions to the same effect, uttered on the morning of the event, were put in evidence. At the close of the examination, the coroner briefly addressed the jury, who, after a short.consultation; returned a verdict of Temporary Insanity." Source: Lyttelton Times (22 January 1879, p. 5).