The Express. — 1866-07-25 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE FROM LONDON  BRIDGE.  Lest evening Mr. Serjeant Payne, the City 3 ooroner, held an inquest at the Coal Exchange Tavern, St. I Mary-at-Hill, on the body of John Henry Whitehead, aged I 2f, who destroyed himself by jumping off London-bridge into the river. The case was one of a very painful character, and excited much interest. James blacken, a labourer, living in Angel-alley, Whitechapel, said that on Monday, about noon, he was in the recess on the left hand side of London-bridge, nearest to the City side, looking at the steamboats, when he ob-erv:d 1 the deceased get up on the seat in the same recess, and placing his knees on the rrapet, he turned his bead slightly round, and said, Good bye, Pincher, I am off," as if to some man beli'ud him, and then precipitated himself into the river. He saw the deceased for several moments straviling on the surface of the water, and he called to the men in the steamers at Fresh-whart and boats to put off ,but he unfortunatelyeank before they could could get up to him. In about half-anhour or so the body was dragged up and taken ashore. By the Coroner—When the deceased got up on the parepet, he (witness) thought the man wanted to have a better view of the steamboats. Joseph Whitehead, of Brook-street, Bermondsey, a respectable looking elderly man, said the deceased was his son, and lie followed the occupation of a coal porter. He could not account for the deceased committing the rash act except that he had been out of employment for some time, and had suffered considerable privation. Witness also thought that his mind might have been affected by seem a man jump out of a window in Bethnal-green, on Saturday. Witness understood that the deceased assisted to pick the man up, and the scene might have operated on his mind. His son was married, and had left two children. He was a very kind and affectionate husband, and of sober habits. Phoebe Whitehead, a delicate looking young woman, neatly but poorly clad, having an infant in her arms, sled she was the wife of the deceased, and resided at No. 2, Edward-street, Horton. She noticed a peculiar change in his conduct and on Sunday night he did what he had never done before since they had been married—he would not sleep nith her, but went and slept with their little girl. She had heard that he had seen a man throw himself out of window, and she believed that it had affected him. He had also t aen often out of work, and they had suffered much from hunger and deep distress. (The poor woman burst into tears.) He VAS an affectionate husband and father, and she feared that what he had recently seen, and the distrees they had gone through, bad so preyed upon his mind as to lead him to destroy himself. A juryman asked why they not obtain relief from the parish. The widow replied that they had applied to the parish, but the authorities required them to go into the house. As they did not wish to break up their little home they d alined to go in. They paid 3s. a week for rent. The father of the deceased said he had relieved them with meat and bread, and other provisions, as far as be was able. The person whom the deco .sed called " Pincher" was a person named hf`Lood, who was with his son, when he suddenly left him and went into the recess and jumped off the bridge. The Coroner, in summing up, remarked upon the melancholy nature of the ease, and the jury returned a verdict " That the deceased destroyed himself whilst in a sate of  temporary insanity." The Coroner and jury made up s subscription for the relief of the poor widow, who appeared to be very grateful for the assistance rendered her.