The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1883-02-10 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

TRAGIC END OF A LIVERE 001.  MERCHANT.  ON Thursday last all inquest was held by lir. Churton, borough coroner, in the Talbot Hotel, Ozton, touching the death of Henry H. T.ovatt, a Liverpool broker, who was found dead on the previous day at his residence, Gowan Bree, 28, Devonshire-road, Clanghton. _ _  Margaret Barlow said she was in the service of the deceased as professional nurse. Deceased had been suffering from a complaint which required her attention, Dr. Harris being the medical adviser. He had recovered to a certain extent from his ailment, and was progressing favourably. On Wed uegday deceased went out for J. drive, this 'oeing the first time for about a fortnight that he had been out of doors. He left about twelve o'clock and returned at one. Witness did not notice any difference in deceased's manner; iu fact he WA4 bright, cheerful, and Hot in any way depressed. On returning Lovett partook of lunch, which consisted of a chop and two tablespoonfuls of brandy and water, and which he seemed to enjoy. About ten minutes to two o'clock deceased went up to the gun room, saying to witness he was going to put all his shooting things away. She accompanied him, and after staying with him a few minutes left him pulling a gun out of a case. Deceased made no remark as to whether the gun was loaded or unloaded. He then seemed to be as he had been during the whole of the day. Deceased had never said he would make away with himself, and witness thought he would be the last person that would do so. Deceased was, as a rule, calm, quiet, and collected; but when the doctors came be became excited, ae he did not like to be bothered by them. A' out three minutes after leaving she heard the report of a gun, upon which she rushed into the room and saw Mr. Lovett lying oi the floor dead. The head and face were vely much disfigured, and a gun was lying at his feet. She sent immediately for the doctor, who shortly afterwards arrived. Mrs. Lovett, his grand-daughter, housekeeper, and servant, vn-re in the house at the time, and the ordinary domestics. Deceased had been in the gun room three days before the occurrence with his daughter. He did not say he had been cleaning his guns. Edmonds Tregent, residing in Shrewsburyroad, said the deceased, who was his fatherin-law, had been confined to his house for some considerable time. Witnees saw deceased nearly every day, and he seemed to be all right mentally. At times his ailment gave him a great deal of pain. Witness never suspected deceased would commit suicide; he would be the last man to suspect of such a thiug. The state of his affairs gave him no anidety whatever. Deceased had been in the habit of cleaning his guns for years; he WAS very fond of doing so, and witness had frequently helped him. Shooting was his favourite amusement. Witness had seen the deceased put cartri ,gee into the gun to see if they would fit properly. The Coroner: Do you think, after what you have stated to me, that having known him to have inserted these cartridges in the barrels of the guns, that his death was not inconsistent with an accident? Witness: No; it was rather like an accident.  Coroner: It is your impression that his death might have been only accidental? Witness: Certainly; I ,think he was the last man in the world to. make away with himself. _  Dr. Harris said he had been attending the deceased during his illness. The deceased bore his pain fairly well. and he was courageous enough under it. The witness saw him at ten o'clock on the morning in question, and he was then in good spirits in anticipation of a drive. He had never heard him threaten to do away with his life. He saw the deceased shortly after his death, which was caused by a gunshot wound. The shot had entered his head, through his mouth and nose. Death must have been instantaneous. One of the barrels of the gun had been discharged and the other contained a cartridge. Replying to a juryman, the witness said that the anticipation of a painful operation did not prey on the deceased's mind, and added that there was no operation to perform. The Coroner, in summing up, said that the most painful duty of &coroner was to sit upon an old friend. He had known the deceased for 25 or 30 years, and it was always a great pleasure to meet him, for he WAS a man of great intelligence, and always calm, cool, and collected. When he iheard of his death he was '"ready shocked. The jury had heard the whele history of the case from the beginning to the end, tied they must feel great sympathy with those he had left behind him, He then went on to say, in reference to the cartridge found in the second barrel, that deceased knew that he could not explode two cartridges. One woald have been sufficient for all purposes. Taking this circumstance into consideration, and, combining it with all the antecedents of the deceased, he asked the jury if they did not think it possible that his death might have heed the result of accident and not caused from design? .  After twenty minutes' consultation, the jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."