The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1881-05-03 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

THE SUICIDE OF THE WARRIOR'S STEWARD. On Fri lay afternoon the inquest was held, at Portsmouth, on the body of John William B:unning, late a resid..nt in Poi:land, and ship's steward on b aril the Warrior. Mr. E. J. Harvey, Admiralty law a.:ent, appeared I. r the Admiralta . and Mr. Usurp Felthanx for the widow of deceased. From the eel len«, of Mr. J tines May. schoolmaster of the Ward, r, it appeared tha: the deceased was 42 ve tr.; tt, age, of a nervous temperament, and liable to depression of spirits. But, though fond of a glass of grog, he had never, during the eight months which witness had known him been peen incapabl of performing his work. Witness was with the deceased from half.p eizht on Tuesday morning, and they cme astnne to4ether between two and three in the aftr main, when they went to "T. therdell's" Hotel, in t. George's Square, Pottsea, and remained there until after five, the deceased during that time haviog but one glass of ale. They then we •t to the hottest of witness's aunt in S-mer's-road, Southses, and partook of tea. The deceased seemed low-spirited, and declined going to the theatre; but they went for a short walk, and, as the deceased complained of being tired, they returned in a tramcar to the hotel at Por.sea. • Price in the afternoon, and again in the evening, the accessed exhibited a confused manner, and on witness leaving the hotel he telt some anxiety about the deceased, and consequently requested Mr. Crossland, the proprietor, to look after him until be (witness) called for the deceased at balf-psst seven in the morning to go on board his ship. By Mr. Harvey: The deceased never made any complaint on board his ship, but he seemed to have a groundless i4ea or delusion that both afloat and ashore people were endeavouring to take aivantage of him. By Mr. Pelthatn : About/ month since the decemed bad a strain upon him, by the making up of his clothing accounts, and a month before that he complained of havinr to pay money for clothing lost by those serving under him. Mr. G. D. I 'roosiand, the keeper of Totterdell's Hotel, deposed that he had known the deceased for twenty years, and for three yeas he had exhibited a depression of spirits, which he had attributed to circumstances connected with his duties., some of which were friv dons, and other witness believed were true. in Tuesday night the deceased remained in witneas's aitting-mon until be went to bed, about half past 10, but about is qi.rter before 12 the .leceased was heard calling " Murder," and witness went to him, when he tfund him partly undressed, standing in the room, and ' In • very excited state. Deceased alleged that the whole of the chip's company were around the hotel, and were waiting to murder him, and he was shaking slightly. Witness got him about half a wine-glass of brandy, which he drank with water, and in the course of half-an-boor he became pacified, and promised to go to bed. At 20 minutes after two in the morning the cook went to witness, told him that deceased was again making a great noise, and that several gentlemen whs had been sleeping at the hotel were in an alarmed condition at his bedroom door. Witness went to the room, found the door fastened inside, and broke it open, when deceased, who had not been to bed, declared there were men at the door waiting to murder him. Witness then took him down to the sitting-room, and remained up with him Op whole of the night, and before daylight he talked and raved a good deal, and wanted to fasten the door. He was permitted to have a class of soda water and a glass of ale at intervals, and while witness was gone into the kitchen, about a quarter after six, the deceased left, the door having previously been opened to cive a key to workmen and for the porters. After that witness's son, a man pervant, and witness himself, went in search of the dectemed, hut no trace could be found of him. The enquiry lasted three Lours, but the remainder of the evidence was to the effect that shortly before seven o'clock on Wednesday morning the body of the dece eel was found floating about a hundred yards to the south of the Clarence Eaplanale Pier, by Mr. Richard Ross, a commercial traveller, who had been out boating, and whose attention hill,l been drawn to the body by Robert More, labourer, 9, Chapel-street, Golwrt. it was landed at the beach, and taken to the mortuary for Penny-stieet. . . . .  • -- • . ...... . ViiiiTHT was held on Wedneedvy ight, ST. Mr. F. Morley, surgeon, High-street, deposed that PETER'S n the Rev. W. Appleford, icar, re-appointing Mr. the body present. t all the appearances of death from v drownin,,, and the Jury returned a verdict of "Suicide Glen his churchwarilee, snd the parish unanimously while of unsound mind." \Yemen. In the rd.., tory and ecilhu7cihx ngboNiers . during .. : the year was found Mins. 5i 1. . Great interest in the melancholy event is exhibited the church expenses amounted to £5O 9s. 7i I, and in Portland, where the deceased resided a long time. 433 lls. 10d. was distributed to charitiee and avian- I its:jell' foe:ef-iee, leaving lls. in band. Mr. Brady I Aft/t/