The
coroner’s inquest into the death of James N. Gow was conducted on Monday March
23, 1914. The jury had been hastily assembled within a few hours after Gow’s
body had been discovered at the Terminal the previous Friday afternoon.
The jury viewed Gow’s body at the city
morgue before it was transferred to the Blachford funeral home. During the
public viewing hours, very few people chose to pay their respects to the
deceased man.
There had been some question whether
A. B. Mackay would agree to testify at the inquest. Although Mackay himself was
willing to testify, it was felt by Mackay’s lawyer that his client might be
asked to give evidence at the inquest which might be prejudicial to him at the
upcoming trial :
“Coroner Griffin, who was presiding,
explained that all he wanted to question Mr. Mackay on was the actions of the
deceased prior to the afternoon of the tragedy. That satisfied the lawyer, and
Mr. Mackay was sworn.
There had been many rumors that Gow
and Mackay had been together during the afternoon of Gow’s suicide :
“ ‘ You were acquainted with the
deceased,’ asked the coroner.
‘ Yes.’
‘ When did you last
see him alive?’
‘ Friday morning.’
‘ What was his condition?’
‘ I thought I left
him in excellent spirits.’
‘ You had breakfast
with him?’
‘ Yes.’
‘ Had you any
suspicions he contemplated taking his life?’
‘ I knew he was
worried for a number of years.’
‘ Do you think his
worries could have led to such a condition of despondency which would cause
such an act/’
“ I couldn’t say as
to that. I knew he was worried for some years.’1
1 “Burned
His Papers Before Ending Life : Hotel Porter Told of Gow’s Last Actions :
Nothing New Was Brought out at Inquest.”
Hamilton
Spectator. March 24, 1914.
Generally the inquest was
anti-climatic. For the most part the evidence given repeated what the reporters
with the local newspapers had discovered already.
One additional item, however, came
from Percy Bird, night porter at the Terminal Hotel. Mr. Bird testified that,
Friday morning, Mr. Gow summoned him to Room 18. Gow handed the nightporter
some papers and ordered that they be burned
in the furnace. Bird had complied with the request.
It was also put into the record that
Gow had not been drinking during the day of his suicide.
In summoning up the evidence, the
coroner charged the jury as follows:
“It seems to me, gentlemen of the
jury, that the deceased, Mr. James N. Gow, had considerable trouble. He
appeared in police court on the day preceeding his death, and followed that by
a consultation with his lawyers. On Friday morning, he had breakfast, after
which he went upstairs and collected some paperswhich he gave to the porter to
destroy. From then on, he walked up and down the hall, staying upstairs until 2
o’clock when he went downstairs for dinner. After this he apparently went
upstairs, locked the door, drew down the blinds, and to all appearances
committed the dreadful deed which caused his death. The housemaid heard him
groaning, and notified Mrs. Mullen, who looked over the transom and saw his
hand move. He was apparently dying then. Mr. Thomas Mullen then gained entrance
to the room and found him dead, sending immediately for the police. The
deceased was a right-handed man, and in this manner he severed the principal
organs of the right side of his neck. Death was caused by loss of blood. I
don’t think you will have any difficulty in arriving at a verdict that death
was due to self-inflicted wounds, the result of despondency over financial and
other troubles.”2
2“Gow
Burned His Letters Before His Suicide : A. B. Mackay Saw His Dead Friend on
Morning of Tragedy : Jury Last Night Declared Gow Killed Himself While
Despondent.”
Hamilton Times. March 24, 1914.
The jury then retired and about ten
minutes later, delivered a verdict as the coroner had advised, only adding the
following sentence:
“That no other persons in any way are to be
blamed or held responsible.”
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