The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-15 00:00:00

Xi

r ~
`.~ ~ :n,
ry~
~f~~~~.

EV_ENING- EDITION.

- -
EXTRAORDINARY AND DETER-
MINED SUICIDE.

On Monday afternoon last, an inquest was held at the
Red Lion Inn, at «orsbrough Bridge, before Thomas
Badger, Esq.,Coroner, and a highly respectable jury. on
view of the body of John Perks, only eighteen years of
age, son of Mr. Perks, (of the firm of Wood and
Perks) glass manufacturers, Worsbrcugh, who had
come to his death by his own hands, under the follow-
ing melancholy circumstances. It appeared from the
evidence adduced on the inquest, that the deceased was
seen by his sister to leave his father's house on the pre-
vious Friday evening, about seven o'clock, and in conse-
quence of his not returning home the same night as usual,
the family became alarmed, and search and inquiry
were immediately made after the deceased ; but no
tidings could be learned of him till his father, on Satur-
day afternoon, accidentally opened his box in his bed
room, wherein he found a letter written by his son, of
which the following is a copy
" Friday, Oct. 4, 1839.

" Dear Father, Mother, and Friends,—When you
ead this, I shall be no more, for feeling a disease
from which I shall never be freed, I am resolved to put
a period to my existence. You will find my body at the
low side of the bridge at the reservoir leading to Mr.
Attenborough's. Dear father, do not grieve for mg, I
pray you, for you would not have had me much longer if
I not committed this act. You will find twelve
shillings in my purse which you will please to pay to
the writing master ; two and sixpence for my mother
which 1 owe, and one of my watches for Richard, and
the other for Thomas, my brothers. My books, &c.
at
your disposal. So conclude and remain, your unfortu-
nate son,

"JOHN PERKS.
" I now trust my soul to the disposal of Heaven—l
now go to commit the direful deed of self destruction
—toren o'clock at night.
" My last prayers arc for your welfare, which 1 hope
will be accepted at the hand of God, if not, those for
myself, but I hope and trust to meet you in another
wocld."
Search was instantly made in the Worsborough re-
servoir, near the place described in the letter. A large
crow; with chalk was made on the bridge, and in the
water many feet deep near the bridge the body of the
deceased was found, with a dreadful pistol wound im-
mediately under the right ear. In the pocket of the
deceased was found by Mr. Cooper, of the Worsbrough
works, another pistol loaded with ball. The witness,
who took the body out of the water, stated his opinion
to be, that the deceased, at the time he committed the
dreadful act, must have sat on the bridge wall, and,
on the pistol being discharged, must have instantly
fallen into the reservoir, as he found some marks
of blood on the centre of the bridge wall. Several
witnesses were examined on the inquest as to the
state of mind of the deceased. His parents de-
posed, that, from a child lie had been subject to low-
ness of spirits, and was nervous and melancholy, often
sitting up studying over his books and papers ; that
when they resided at Dudley they were obliged to call
medical aid to their son ; and, since he came to Wore-
brough, he had been attended by Mr. Smith, surgeon,
of Barnsley, who was particularly examined by the Co-
roner and Jury as to the state of mind of the deceased.
Ile stated that he had frequently attended the deceased
during the last four years. At times he could scarcely
gat any answer from him, and, at other times found him
quite hypochrondriac, melancholy, and not himseif, and
he felt persuaded that the deceased, at the time he
committed self-destruction, was not of sound mind.
The Jury, after hearing all the evidence adduced on
this painful inquiry, returned a verdict, " that the de-
ceased destroyed himself while labouring under tem-
porary insanity."—Doncasler Gazette.: