The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-25 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE FROM LONDON

BRIDGE.

Lest evening Mr. Serjeant Payne, the City 3
ooroner, held an inquest at the Coal Exchange Tavern, St. I
Mary-at-Hill, on the body of John Henry Whitehead, aged I
2f, who destroyed himself by jumping off London-bridge
into the river.
The case was one of a very painful character, and ex-
cited much interest.
James blacken, a labourer, living in Angel-alley, White-
chapel, said that on Monday, about noon, he was in the
recess on the left hand side of London-bridge, nearest to
the City side, looking at the steamboats, when he ob-erv:d 1
the deceased get up on the seat in the same re-
cess, and placing his knees on the rrapet, he
turned his bead slightly round, and said, Good bye,
Pincher, I am off," as if to some man beli'ud him,
and then precipitated himself into the river. He saw
the deceased for several moments straviling on the surface
of the water, and he called to the men in the steamers at
Fresh-whart and boats to put off ,but he unfortunatelyeank
before they could could get up to him. In about half-an-
hour or so the body was dragged up and taken ashore.
By the Coroner—When the deceased got up on the pare-
pet, he (witness) thought the man wanted to have a better
view of the steamboats.
Joseph Whitehead, of Brook-street, Bermondsey, a re-
spectable looking elderly man, said the deceased was his
son, and lie followed the occupation of a coal porter. He
could not account for the deceased committing the rash act
except that he had been out of employment for some time,
and had suffered considerable privation. Witness also
thought that his mind might have been affected by seem
a man jump out of a window in Bethnal-green, on Satur-
day. Witness understood that the deceased assisted to
pick the man up, and the scene might have operated on his
mind. His son was married, and had left two children.
He was a very kind and affectionate husband, and of sober
habits.
Phoebe Whitehead, a delicate looking young woman,
neatly but poorly clad, having an infant in her arms, sled
she was the wife of the deceased, and resided at No. 2,
Edward-street, Horton. She noticed a peculiar change in
his conduct and on Sunday night he did what he had never
done before since they had been married—he would not
sleep nith her, but went and slept with their little girl.
She had heard that he had seen a man throw himself
out of window, and she believed that it had affected him.
He had also t aen often out of work, and they had suffered
much from hunger and deep distress. (The poor woman
burst into tears.) He VAS an affectionate husband and
father, and she feared that what he had recently seen, and
the distrees they had gone through, bad so preyed upon
his mind as to lead him to destroy himself.
A juryman asked why they not obtain relief from
the parish.
The widow replied that they had applied to the parish,
but the authorities required them to go into the house.
As they did not wish to break up their little home they
d alined to go in. They paid 3s. a week for rent.
The father of the deceased said he had relieved them
with meat and bread, and other provisions, as far as be
was able. The person whom the deco .sed called " Pincher"
was a person named hf`Lood, who was with his son, when
he suddenly left him and went into the recess and jumped
off the bridge.
The Coroner, in summing up, remarked upon the melan-
choly nature of the ease, and the jury returned a verdict
" That the deceased destroyed himself whilst in a sate of

temporary insanity."
The Coroner and jury made up s subscription for the
relief of the poor widow, who appeared to be very grateful
for the assistance rendered her.