Runcorn and Widnes Examiner. — 1876-05-20 (Runcorn, Cheshire, England)

SUICIDE OF MR. BALSTONE, AT WOODLANDS PARK, TIMPERLEY.  THE INQUEST.  The inquest on the body of Remy Kenwav Dalstono, fustian manufacturer, of York-street, Iklanchf-st.sr, who committed suicide on Friday morning, was held at bin residence, Woodlands Pik, Timperley, on Sattu day, befose Mr. W. J. R. Dunstan coroner. M. L. Ashworth, solicitor, Ma.uchester, watched the inquiry on behalf of the relatives of the deceased. The first witness called was  Phcebe Candling, housekeeper to the deceased, who said that about a quarter to six o'clock on Friday morning she heard Mr. Balstone leave his bedroom and go downstairs, but did not hear him return. In about five minutes afterwards she heard the report of a gun, and she then went to the deceased's bedroom, where she saw him lying on his back, partly on the bed and partly on the fiJor. He was alive, but dying. Blood was flowing from his throat. She ran downstairs' and informed her idece, Mary Caudliug, of what had happened. Mary went in,stairs but did not enter the room. On Sunday last witness removed the deceased's pistols from the ante-room adjoining his bedroom, because he had been greatly depressed in spirits for several weeks, and she was afraid he might do something at himself. The deceased had told her he was depressed because he had had losses. The line was kept downstairs, He was about 52 years of age, and unmarried. _  By Mr. Ashworth: She asked the deceased when he came home on Thursday evening, if there was any. thing worse than usual with him, and he replied— " Nothing more ,than usual." She told him she hoped he would not bewandering about the house all night. He had been in the habit of going down stairs at night. Mary Candling, housemaid, said at the time named on Friday morning, she heard the deceased go down stairs and return to his bedroom about five minutes afterwards. She did not know where he had been, and she did not see him. She heard the report of the rifle. The rifle was kept in the storeroom, and she went in the room afterwards and found the weapon was not there. In consequence of what her aunt told her she called Samuel Wild, the coachman, and he went into toe room. She had. not noticed any depression in the spirits of the deceased, but he would not have spoken to her on the subject. Samuel Wild, coachman in the employ of the deceased, stated that at five minutes past six o'clock on Friday morning he went into the deceased's bedroom. He was off the bed, lying on the floor. blood was flowing from his throat, and the head was nearly severed from the body. He was quite dead, and witness did not touch the body. Witness saw the razor produced in the deceased's right hand. The rifle was reared up against the bed, near his left hand. Witness at once went for Mr. Jones, surgeon, and eventually the police were sent for. The ueceased had not appeared to him any different from usual. He had seemed quiet. By Mr. Ashworth: Witness had been over eight years in the deceased's employ, and could say that he was a pertec,ly sober man. He had been yacutiug for some time, and only returned in March. The Forewaa remarked that the deceased had not enjoyeu good health of late. Police-constable East wood was called to prove the existence of a wound on the left cheek, which appeareu to nave been caused by a rifle bullet. The jury, replying to ta , Coroner by their Foreman, said that they aid not require nay further evidence.  The Coroner, in summing up, said the wound on the cheek was a matter of secondary importance in an iuquiry of that kind, because there cud be no doubt about it that death resulted from the wound in the throat. The inference to be drawn from the evidence was that the deceased first shot himself with the rifle, but finding he was not wounded so seriously as he thought he would be, he then took a razor and completed the act by cutting his throat. There were two questions for the jury to consider—first, how did the deceased meet with his death P and, second, what was the state of mind at the time he so destroyed himself ? The evidence upon the first point was clear that he mm elf lotto:nett the wound in the throat with the raz)r after having tired toe shot, but the second was more important, and would require a little more conorderatum. They had it in eviuenoe that the deceased had been ,epressed in spirits for some weeks; and a very remaikable circumstance occurred toe Kovious Suuday in toe removal by the first witness ot his pistols from tie cute-room adjoining his bedroom. She did so because else was afraid he might do something at himself. Upon that evidence he thought thejury would be satizfied that the deceased was not in his sound mind at the time he so destroyed himself, The fact of a man destroying himself with coolness, or deliberation, or determination, was no evidence of sound mind, and in proof of this he reminded the jury of the craftiness and ingenuity of lunatics. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide by cutting his throat whilst in an unsound state of mind.