The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-02 00:00:00

A DEATH CONFESSION.

An Inquiry has been held at the Town of Ramsgate Tavern,
Wapping, Dmdon, relative to the suicide, under the: ollowing
circumstances, of David Hodges, aged 26 years :

John Walker said that deceased lodged with him.
He had been a soldier in the East Indies, where he
served in 11. M's 109th Regiment. After ins or seven
years' service he was discharged for palpitation of the
heart, with a pension of 7d. a day for eighteen months.
When the time was out he petitioned to have it con-
tinued but was refused. He was not able to work,
though for a time the dock people gave him light work
to do. He said that he would sooner die than be an

" imposition" on any tate. A brother of his was
drowned two years ago, and though he had an uncle,
the latter would not own him, because his branch of
the family was illegitimate. On the 6th April he left
home, and never returned again.
One of the Thames police-constables said that hear-
ing that the body of the deceased was found floating in
the Thames on the previous 'Monday, he searched his
lodgings. On the flyleaf of a Bible he found written
the following note :
Oh I brother, it is my Intention to drown, the same as
you; but I could not believe you were drowned. Now my
time has come, and I must join you. There is nobody left
now. I have seen all off this earth before me, se now I come
to-night.

Continuing his search, the officer discovered between
the bed and mattress the following singular document,
which was read by the Coroner :

MY DEyry. CONFESSION.

I entered the dockyard thinking —that-;Vvould end my life
pension would not be renewed after serving six yeaa and
seven months in 11.51. 109th, and discharged with 7d a day
for a short time of 18 months •, and after it was up, I applied
again and was heartlessly refused. So what can! do? To
apply to the workhouse, I should do work or be turned out,
or be brought before a magistrate and get three months; so
I made away with myself in the ;name of the river left
blank in consequence. My friends know nothing of this
before they hear of it. It is a resolution of my own, as I
have been discharged from the dockyard. I waist no man to
alter this, for is is irons my own band.
What need has a poor man to live to steal and get put Into
prison for it? No, I would not do It The rich eau walk
about and don't know what to spend their money on, they
have so much, where the poor man has not a penny to lay
aside. If a poor man ask a rich one for a few coppers, the
gentleman calls a policeman and gives him in charge. At
the same time the gentleman might have £OO thereabout
on bins. It is no use speaking to me abont the Bible, for I
don't believe in it. There is a Gil, hut bets too good to do
anyone harm, lie might he in the clouds, and I say it is a
good way to frighten the money out of people's pockets.
Why don't the rich stick up for it better If this is true? No,
they do not believe in it, but pay men to preach to the poor
I to frighten them from stealing from the rich. Also
• iii fell-
ing lies and other things, and also make them go to church
every Sunday, after being at work hard all the week. Why
not make the rich go three times a week, as they have no-
Untie to do? No, it is only the poor man they want to look
after, to stop him from stealing from the rich.
I mean to make away with myself. It will be only a short
time before my :me conies, but to wait till then would be
great sufferance so I might as well be dead at once, fort
will then rot into dust.

• -
The letter concluded with the remark that "when
healthy men could not get work a sickly one could not
expect it; and so he said ' Farewell' to this starving
world, where there are more rats than cats, and the
rats eat up the food."
The Coroner having summed up, the jury returned
a verdict that deceased drowned himself while of
unsound mind.