Weekly News. — 1890-10-02 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE WEEKLY NEWS. THURSDAY,  ARTHUR .ARNOLD. SAD SUICIDE NEAR BLAND.  WORD.  _ An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon at the Langton Arms Inn, Tarrant Monkton, before Mr. C. H. Watts Parkinson, coroner, on the body of James Henry Hunt (77), shepherd, of Tarrant Launceston, who committed suicide on the previous day. Mr. James Downton was chosen foreman of the jury. Jessie Sinton, a widow, said she was the eldest daughter of the deceased. She had been living a; home for the last seven months with her father and mother. The deceased had been ailing daring that time, and had been attended by Dr. Watson of Blandford. Deceased had said about three weArs ago he wished to be taken away as he thought he would go mad. He had never threatened to put an end to his life however. He had not been able to sleep for some time, although made as comfortable as possible. She and her mother had been obliged to watch him constantly. Deceased slept in a room with his (witness's) son. lip to within four days of the suicide she and her mother had taken turn at sitting up with him, but he seemed to be so much better that they relaxed their vigilance. He was an early riser, and must have got up about four o'clock on the morning in question. He went downstairs without her hearing him. She got up at about 6.30, and called her eon, and than saw her ether was not in the room. She went downstairs, and could not find him in the house. She then went into the woodhouse, and saw her father sitting on a heap of potatoes. She saw he was all covered with blood, and at first thought he had broken a blood vessel. She then sent her son for Mrs. Shadiock. • neighbour, and fetched some water to wash him. She then discovered the real state of the case. She spoke to her father, but he said, "Don't touch me." She ran to Mrs. Way's, and asked her to send for the doctor. Mrs. Shatidock had then come, and together they helped deceseed in the house. They could not stop the Sow of blood, and deceased expired at nine o'clock, before the arrival of the doctor. They had asked him why he had done it, and he replied, "'Cause he could not help it. He could bear it no longer.—By the Foreman : His mind was rather weak. Her mother always expected that deceased would put an end to himself, but she !never did. The first trouble that had serious) y affected him was when Squire Farquharson died, and he had to leave them—Mary Ann Shaddock aaid she was the wife of James John Shaddock, carter in the employ of Captai:i Watts. She had known the deceased for the past twelve months, and she noticed he was rather strange and low spirited. His breathing was very bad, and she always expected to hear of him dying suddenly. She was called on the day previous (Friday) at about 6.43 by Willie Sinton, who said his grandfather was very ill. She found deceased in the fuelhouse sitting on a heap of potatoes. Mrs. Sinton said " Oh, dear ! father's cut his throat, whatever ahall I do." Witness replied " better send for a doctor, and put a towel round his neck." This was done, although deceased wanted the towel taken off as it hurt him. She said to deceased •' Whatever have you done," and he repliod " I could not help it, may head." She asked what he had done it with. He said '• With a knife, it is in the garden in the little path by . the vegetable marrow bed." It was afterwards found there in a pool of blood. The blood flowed from his month and ears, and the wound, and deceased died about nine o'clock.—The Coroner here remarked that it was useless nutting a towel round the neck in a ease of that sort. The head should be pressed down on the chest to keep the edges of the wound together—P.C. Dewland said he wee stationed at Tarrant Hinton. He knew the deceased. From information received, he went, on the day in question (Friday), to deceased's house at Launceston, and arrived about 10 o'clock. Deceased was then dead. Be went to the fnel house and saws lot of blood, which he traced down to the garden, where he found a small table knife (produced) covered with blood.—ln summing up, the coroner said it was a most difficult matter for • man to cut his throat successfully, and there was no doubt, in his I mind, that the man was mad. He had evidently sharpened the knife before he committed the deed. The poor old man's health giving way, he scald not sleep, and that had evidently put him into a state of desperation, and in an insane moment he had cut his throat.—A verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane" was returned by the jury.