Weekly News. — 1891-09-03 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE BLANDFORD. A most determined suicide took plisse In " on Saturday morning, a man named Rossiter (55), residing in East Street, by cutting his throat with a piece of glass. was well known in the town as a quiet, • man, and there is no doubt but that the illneari suffering from brought on mental derangement, sad: a fit of desperation he committed the rash e; Various reports have been circulated with reapeCt-Z. deceased's actions of late, and much interest triscaused. Great sympathy is felt with the widow and family. THE INQUEST was held at the Fleur de Lis Inn on Saturday eve • before Dr. C. H. W. Parkinson, the come,. ag. Millard was chosen foreman of the jury. The first witness called was Matilda Mary Roust wile of the deceased, who said that her husband lug suffered from acute indigestion, and had been uassb to work for the past four or five months. She was nek aware that he had threatened to do away with Mr. Lance (the relieving officer) had keen to her hoes, on Friday, and had spoken of a report in the townie the effect that her husband had tried to conmst suicide. They had put all the knives. away from lino some days before. Seeing Mr. Lance through the window had made deceaseu upset. Dr. Spoouer and Dr. Watson both came to the house, the latter on les usual visit. Dr. Spooner did not, however, certify that the deceased was insane, and thought he might come round. That (Saturday) morning, her son, who gem with her husband, get up at six o'clock, and she got Re soon after. Her husband said he had had 4 goea night, and that he felt better. She was speaking to her son William a short time after, when the deceased came in and asked for a clean pair of stockings, and be seemed to think that Mr. Lance would be coining te take him to the asylum. She gave him the stockings, and he went back to his bedroom. Some minutes after, she casually glanced into the room and sem six husband knelt by the bedside and bleeding he called her sister-in-law (Mrs. Brown) and ran foe assistance, but it was Goo late. Lydia Ann &own said she was deceased's sister, sad was paying him a visit. Her brother was very uneasy, ani seemed to believe that he was to be taken awes, On Friday evening they walked in the garden togetker, and she could see he was in low spirits. On Saturday, she heard him ask for his stockings, end say " she, were after him." Soon after, she heard Mrs. Rowe scream that her husband had cut his throat, she esa and lifted him fro .n between the bed and the wall, and struggled to take the glass with which he was had* his throat away from him. She said he should not do it, but found it was no use, and she let him fall on the ground. Joseph William Rossiter, eldest son ef deceased, said he slept with his father on Friday, and they had quiet night. Deceased, when bidding him "good night," said he was afraid he would not have • good night's rest. He told him not to trouble about it, sad next morning deceased said he was all right.—By the jury: Deceased had said on Friday night, good night, Joe, this is the last time you will sleep with me, and he had told him not to speak like that. He had not heard him say he would take his life. Benjamin Lovell said he had known deceased a long time, and had noticed that he seemed strange during the past three weeks or a month, They had been in the allotments together, but deceased had not threatened to kill himself. Mrs. Rossiter had told him that deceased had cut his threat on Saturday morning, and he ran and saw him lying on the floor in a pool of blood. He lifted the deceased's head and closed up the wound. He found three pieces of glass covered with blood.—Cross-examined: Deceased had attempted to drown himself on Friday but was prevented. About 1145 a neighbour had said that Rossiter had run down the garden and was getting over the palings. He ran down and saw deceased look towards his house and then towards the river. He shouted to him and asked him what was the matter. Deceased looked round ad simply remarked," ! Mr. Lovell, is that you." Hs then climbed over the fence into the field, and went to him. Deceased's son came down, and they got him to go back. A man named Shave had been suspicious of deceased's action, and had got into the meadow and between deceased and the river. Joseph W. Rossiter was then re-called, and said he had seen Mr. Lovell and his father in the meadow on Friday. He was married, but had come home to sleep with his father because his younger brother was afraid.  Benjamin Lovell was also re-called, an said he had heard deceased some days before say if he did not do it one way he would do it another. He had tried to console deceased, and had told him not to destroy himself. Dr. Spooner was then sent for to find out if he had been told of deceased's attempt to drown himself. Superintendent Hazzard said he was sent for that morning a few minutes before seven o'clock, and saw deceased, with his shirt and stockings on, laid on his back on the floor, in a pool of blood, which had evidently come from a gash in the throat. He had found IN pieces of glass, all covered with blood. Dr. Spooner, on arriving, said he had not heard that deceased had made for the river on Friday. On Friday afternoon, on receipt of a magistrate's order, he examined the deceased, and was with him half-anhour. His report was —"I: find him suffering from depression of spirits and acute dyspepsia, but he answered all questions rationally, and, in my opinion, does not seem sufficiently bad to be put under restraint, but at the same time, I consider he requires careful watching, and I therefore postpone my decision for a few days." Deceased's wife said he was despondent, and his sister said she had come to take him away for a change. The wife had told him on Friday deceased had not attempted to cut his throat. Had he known what had been stated by Lovell, it would Shave had weight in his decision. The Coroner said that Dr. Spooner was perfectly free from blame, as also was Mr. Lance, who simply did his duty in causing a medical enquiry. The blame was on those who withheld the information. A 'verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane' was passed. The inquest closed at 10.30 p.m.  Widow lel 4