Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-02-23

IN VT OF Temporary Insanity he
Ntabs Htmsetf to the Heart with a
Pair og Sh~avs
Tacoma Neua

Ns~fs .NG"Es
This morning the report was rife rha'
H. ID. Durcin IA .d comuitted suicide a,
the residence IT Sheriff Win@er som,
time during last right. and, upon in
ves,ig stion, u vas found To be tue. Il,
iiad siabbed hiansalf to the heart with
Il pair Of shears. Coroner Post ick Al
once summoned p jury. consisting of j
y, acher, ihomas Forrest. ". Pollock
>. II. Garrison. 4. j Rsiney and yonai
.hGmxrn
lab dy was four q lying upon a sofs
Ia vi. Ninsev'- sltti ing room, dressed IN
,zsnta locus and shirt. ths latte of " whict
was red vits blood from ghastlv
wound in ii - left side. the right hand
was graspino pair of shears, with
whichsthe deed vas comtnift.d. Cor
oner Bo=tvick made an examination oi
The wound, and found it to consist oi
three stabs. two Of which were srpeYfi
ciai, while the third had penetrated a
oepth Of five inches, reaching the heart
The first witness examined was Sheriff
"inses. ne said:
Brought purgin to my house yester-
day. lie had been on big drunk IN
Tacoma for some time, coming here
from Olympia, where he had also been
drnnk, and got into trouble by disturb
ing a church meeting. Has had the
deiirlum treinens, but do not think for
q day or 81. have known him long
time. He was taken from the Cliff
House " sterday 10 the depot, to h. seat
to Puyallup, where he has three SONS;
bat. no trains running, he was rougbt
lack To the Central Hotel. His son
wanted him sent to the hospital. but
eatu the asylum was tn. place for him.
SO brought Judge Howes down TO the
hotel and an examination vas held, and
he WAS declared insane. ! took hun
home with me and intended 10 take him
(, the asylum tid ". He seemed quiet
enough, and | made hIm a bed in the
slttIng room on lounge. He ate better
than usnal and drank some milk. We
left him in bed at about 10 o'clock.
slept across the hall AID Iii Robinson
IN the adjoining roam tn Durgin's. Had
10 idea he contemplated suicide. Asked
the question at the examination, and
his son said there was no inclination TO
violence. The next | knew was when
Eli Robinson came to me in The morn
iag and said he believed Durgiu was
dead. The shears were on the table
when We left.
Eli Robinson testified in substance
the same ss Sheriff winser. About
o clock no heard a noise in Durgln's
room, sounding as il he was striking
his body To ease pain. Looked over
the transon, tut, seeing no movement.
concluded all right. Heard no
gruans or other alarming sounds. When
h.. went into Durgin's room, in tho
ha. bio. hrantH..
ralsea the window curtains and saw
that he was dead. Found the shears IN
his hand.
Durgin's nurse at the Cliff House tes-
tilted that he was insane aud had the
tremcns
Upon this evidence the jury rendered
the following verdict:
"We, the undersigned, the persons
to appear before IL. Z. Bos'-
wick, corouer of the county OF Pierce,
at Tacoma, on the 2lst day Of Februa-
~. 1884, tn inquire INTO the canse OF the
death OF a person found killed, have
been duly sworn according t. law, and
made such inquisition, inspecting the
bosy and hearing the testimony ad-
upon our oaths each and all DO
say thu We ind the deceased was named
l.. ID. Durgin, WAS native of the United
States Az, 4 about SO years; that he came
to his death on the 2lst day Of Februs-
~, 1884, by an incised wound, penetrat-
l,,g the heart, inflicted by his own hand
" ith a pair of shears, during temporary
Insanity brought on by protracted
l,bauch. All Of which We dul, certify
by this inquisition in whiting, by us
gned on this 2lst day Of February,
ioSi." \
Durgin's sons at Puvallup have been
for and his body will be
buried tomorrow.
Sheriff Winser, who has known Dur
gin for the past thirty years IN Oregon
and this Territory, says that he was a
good and useful nlau naturally. de
took deep interest In the horticulture
Df this scott III, introduced many varie
lies of plants and flowers fro a the East,
and utilized and cultivated some tie
native trees aud shrubs To good advan
iagv. His presence ia various parts Of
tie Sound was wed known for years AS
4 vendsr of horticultural stock. He
" Al long n respecied resident of Olym-
pia, and one OF her we'll to-do citizens.
1t is said til II he was a member of the
Territorial Council at one titue. For
several wears past he has resided at
Puyallup, where he has been engaged In
TIE nursery business. His wife was in
the insane asylum and died there.