Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1898-11-25 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

THE ATTEMPTED 8111CIDE.  FATAL TERMINATION.  Mr. Thomas Cook, who attempted to take his own life on Thursday morning a week yesterday died at the Union Workhouse on Tuesday Morning. So far as the injury was concerned, it might not have proved fatal in the case of a younger man, as the wound was healing, but exhaustion consequent upon the loss of blood and shock to the system, ended fatally. An inquest was held by Mr. White, coroner for the East Riding in the new committee room, M:. W. Milner being foreman of the jury. After they had viewed the body in the mortuary, the following evidence was given. Mr. Luke Burrell, butcher, 12, Promenade, Bridlington Quay, said the body viewed was that of Thomas Cook, 78 years of age. He was by occupation a gardener. He first lodged with witness's wife's mother, and continued to reside with him till the 17th inst. A little before ten in the morning of that day his wife came and said Mr. Cook had cut his throat. Witness ran upstairs and found deceased in bed with his clothes on, and the bedclothes covered over him. He was fully dressed. Witness saw he had cat his throat, and noticed a razor open and also a knife on the dressi table. Both were produced besmeared with 131.... Witness sent for a doctor, and asked deceased why he had done it and he said he felt depressed. Dr. Thompson came, and the deceased, who walked downstairs, was taken to the Union. Up to the morning of the occurrence witness never saw anything unusual about him. He used to pay witness for his lodgings when he liked and was told it did not matter if he did not pay. By the Foreman: Deceased did not say why he was depressed. Witness told him he need not be, as he always had plenty to eat and drink. By the Coroner: The razor belonged to dece3aed. The knife was shut. . _  Mary Colley, of Nafferton, servant to the last witness, said about a quarter to ten o'clock in the morning in question she went upstairs and found Mr. Cook lying on the bed with his throat cut. She asked him if he was going to get up, when he replied that he had cut his throat. She came down stairs and told Mrs. BurrelL Witness had noticed him looking queer about the eyes the day before he did it. He had not had his breakfast, and usually took it between half-past eight and nine; that was the reason she went upstairs to enquire about him. Mr. Joseph Carter, Workhouse master, said the deceased was admitted on the 17th, and remained till that morning when he died about nine o'clock. He could scarcely speak and never referred to what he bad done.  -Dr. Thmstoson said he was called in to see the deceased at Mr. Burrell's about five minutes to 10 on the morning of the 17th. His throat was cut, the wound being about four inches long. Witness sewed up the wound, and later on in the day he was removed to the Workhouse. It was s long wound, but not very deep, extending to the trachea. There was also another wound, showing that he had made two attempts. He said he had been depressed. Witness believed that he had died from sheer exhaustion consequent on loss of blood, as the wound was healing nicely. By a Juryman: He might have had some organic disease, but only a post mortem examination would reveal that.  The Coroner briefly summed up, remarking that the only question for the jury was whether there was sufficient evidence to enable them to return a verdict that deceased committed suicide while of unsound mind, and with regard to that they had the evidence of all the witnesses eo whom the deceased had said he was depressed. The jury at once found a verdict of suicide during temporary insanity.