Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express, etc. — 1915-12-04 (Penistone, South Yorkshire, England)

WADSLI  IT BRIDGE GOLDEN WEDDING.  YOUNG MINER'S SUICIDE.  REFUSED AS A RECRUIT.  Rifle Found in Bed.  Some sensational evidence was given at the White Swan Inn, Maltby, on Tuesday at an inquest before Mr. J. Kenyon Parker, Coroner, relative to the death of Frank Town, a miner at Thurcroft Colliery, who committed suicide by shooting himself with a rifle whilst in bed at his lodgings at the house of Emily Parker, at Carr. William Town, of Ingbirchworth, near . ' •ae, said the deceased was his son, and ..--c.ars of age last Saturday. He usual. his home every four or five weeks, there three weeks ago last Sunday 1 • was cho.'irful and had no trouble.  Umily Parker, widow, said the deceased had lodged with her at Carr for three years, and hew: worlsiess-7 Main Colliery. On Monday at 44`s. lame asked another ',edger, Moses Griffiths Dickinson, to call the 'deceased to go to wozk, and intended to take his clothes upstairs to him. Dickinson called to deceased, but received no answer. He went to his room, shouting until he came down. When he did come down he told witness be was afraid Town was dead. '1 he witness thought the deceased might only he a little pale in the face through lying in bed all day Sunday, and she went to look at him, but found he was dead. She had heard it said when anyone died like that they ought to call the police, and she did so lat once. She knew the deceased had a gun, I but had never seen him use it except to I shoot sparrows off the top of the houses. The police came at about 7-30 o'clock. The last time she saw the deceased alive was between eleven and twelve o'clock on the Sanday. Dickinson had asked him if he was 'going to get up for breakfast, and he replied , that he would remain in bed. The deceased I had had some beer on the Saturday night, 'and she thought that had been making him Idrowsy. She took him a cup of tea and knocked at the door, and then put it where he could find it. He drank about half of the tea. She asked him if he was poorly and if it was through the beer, and be said it was through having beer; but he seemed to be quite cheerful. She did not bother with him any more as he seemed all right. She sent Diekin.son up to see if deceased would have anything at about six p.m.. and to ask if he would have some celery, of which he was very fond. The deceased said he did not want anything. He had some Wincesnis in his room, and the witness thought he might have had some of that. She was the last to go to bed, at 10-5 p.m. She did not hear any noise or the report of a gun. She did not know the deceased was shot until the policeman told her. She now thought the deceased had shot himself. The only trouble she had known him to have was about a month ago, when be seemed worried about enlisting. He had been told by a lot of his mates that he would be filmed to go to the front. His mates had told him that as he was unmarried he ought to m. She plagued heard him say that they plaged him awl said that they, would all have to go to the front. The deceased had tried to enlist once, but they would not have him as he had a finger-end off. Replying to Mr. Norman Gibbs. the foremalt of the jury, the witness said the demissed was not in arrears for his lodgings, and never owed her anything. She did not know of any financial trouble of his. She had heard of Lord Derby's scheme, but no one had' called at the house to ask for the deceased, and she understood that was lxcause the colliery company had got his name "starred." Alfred Parker. snn of the last witness, said he had slept in a room adjoining the deceased's on '.4unday. and heard no noise of a gun. He heard Dickinson shout lives times to the deceased to get lip on 11innday morning, but there was no desires. Dickin, soa went Into the mom and COMP out again salnin Town was dead, and seemed surprised  that the gun, when fired off, was not head  Police-constable Wade said he was called from his station at Maltby at 645 a.m. on Monday, and proceeded to Carr, in company with Dickinson. He arrived at the house at 740 a.m., and went into the bedroom. The deceased was on his left side with his head covered with the bad clothes, only a small part of the face being visible. There was blood on the face. The witness pulled the clothes down and saw a clot of blood on the right temple. He found a rifle in the bed, laid with the muzzle on the deceased's left arm, the stock being between his knees. His right hand was just a little above the trigger. The witness examined the gun and found in it a discharged cartridge. There were no aigns of foul play, and nothing in the room was disturbed.  Dr. Wood gave es-Ulm:ice as to the nature of this wound.  The jury returste4 a verdicrt that the deceased had committed suicide, but there was no evidence to show the state of his mind.  41  /  . ''t X :vL .N  ka. \ k.Stt 3 .0 1 t'4',il: ' k kl3i\ii,t44 §.;,.. kt,sl kl Y 1 I kt ,4.4.44 47, Likzl, \ / kli4 ~e...tamEst, ---1--,.-' W.' r:tr t'lrlsl•l4'  • •  •„'\ „ '4' • •1.8`.. 4 , , • , A , - • *4,,'1,411:4ft  4174 04 el -4 S., g fr. 4 1 ..,,,, 4 d F, 4 1 .4 P '=ilt 4.1. ____ P -41 1 i _ __ 1 4, r_ .... 0 r ISLD, BARNSLEY & ROTHERHAM , 412f2t,,,:?-.ow-rdzirffetwzr7...zr, ~.,,,,-,J,W*.e--4,41572re,ve-)Syderi‘k4r,, lify.rz7,77r A