SON CLIFFORD DID IT
WHILE IN A STATE OF INSANITY CAUSED BY EPILEPSY.
Coroner’s Jury Renders the Above Verdict in the Redpath Shooting Case – The Young Man Was a Law Student.
Montreal, June 14.—The coroner held an inquest this evening over the remains of Mrs. Redpath and her son Clifford Redpath, the victims of last night’s tragedy, and after hearing the evidence the jury declared that the shooting had been done by Clifford Redpath while in a state of insanity brought on by an epileptic fit.
The Montreal Herald last evening, writing of the tragedy, said: “Who was responsible for the tragedy is yet a mystery. For some years Mrs. Redpath has suffered greatly from insomnia, to such and extent that her mind was affected. Dr. Roddick had been in constant attendance upon her, but it was not imagined that her condition was at all likely to result in violence to herself or the members of her family. Mr. Clifford Redpath was a young man of 24, and had studied law in the office of Messrs, Campbell, Meredith, Allan & Hague. Only yesterday arrangements were being considered for his admission as a partner of the firm. He was a young man of agreeable manners, and with a bright prospect of success in life. Unfortunately, however, he was subject to epilepsy, and it is therefore possible that the fatal act was committed by him. It was observed in the morning that he acted somewhat strangely, but throughout the day there was no indication to create apprehension on the part of his friends.
“Mr. Harold M. Redpath, an elder brother of Clifford, was seen by a Herald representative this morning, but could throw no light on the tragedy. He said: ‘I left Clifford about 8 o’clock yesterday in good spirits, though somewhat unwell. In fact Clifford had been indisposed for some time owing to hard work preparing for his day examinations. No one knows just how the affair occurred. Clifford was particularly fond of his mother. There seems no other conclusion to come to but that, as a result of overwork, Clifford’s mind became affected, and in a moment of temporary aberration he committed the deed. I have no doubt that had he not died he would not have remembered this morning what had happened. Dr. T. G. Roddick and the other physicians who attended Clifford say he was subject to epilepsy, and that his nervous system was very much run down. Only yesterday before I left Clifford, we were speaking of a trip to Quebec or some other resort where he might be able to study quietly. Shortly before 6 o’clock a pistol shot was heard. Immediately the family ran to the room and found both mother and Clifford on the floor and the revolver beside them. Clifford had the wound in his right temple. Mother died almost instantaneously, but Clifford was still alive, and he was at once taken to the Royal Victoria hospital, there he passed away about 11 o’clock.’”
The Herald concludes:
“The double tragedy had evoked much sympathy among a very wide circle of relatives and friends, the deceased being members of one of the oldest and best known families in Montreal. Mrs. Redpath was a daughter of the late Hon. Major John Mills, one of the first mayors of Montreal. He took a prominent part in succoring the Irish immigrants stricken with ship fever. It was while doing this work that he himself contracted the disease and died. Mrs. Redpath was married some thirty-three years ago. Her husband was the late John James Redpath, who had retired from business many years previous to his demise.
“J. J. Redpath was the second son of John Redpath, of Terrace Bank, who was the founder of the Redpath Sugar Refinery, now the Canada Sugar Refinery. Mr. J. J. Redpath was for some years associated with his father, but, as already said, retired from active business life at an early date. He died 17 years ago. Mrs. Redpath had five children—Miss Redpath, Peter Redpath, John Reginald Redpath, Harold M. and Jocelyn Clifford, deceased. Reginald is in the Northwest, where he owns a ranch. When the second Canadian contingent went to South Africa he enlisted as a private and was in several engagements.”