The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1893-09-09 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

TRAGIC DEATH.  PATHILTIC LEI'Tg}I.  An inquest was held at Market Harborough, on the bady of John Alexander Nunneley, of 7, Mount Edgcumbe.gardens, London, • spioe agent, who committed suicide by shooting himself with a revolver in • local botel.—Mr. C. M. Nunneley, deceased's brother, deposed that the deceased, who had fortherly carried on business in Harborough as • wholesale grooer, had been much troubled about business matters for some menthe. On leaving Harberough he had said that if things did not improve it would be enough to make him put an end to himself. Evidence having been given as to the Cause of death, the Coroner read a letter addressed to him by deceased as follow,: Aug. '29, 1893.4 am about to end mylife because I believe that in the cruel oircumstances in which I am placed it is the best thing I can do not only for myself, but for others, in fact, I am in honour bound to do it. I have no money left, and without it I can carry on no business, and I know that at my time of life it is almost impossible to get employment of any kind. If I succeeded in doing so it would be at such a small salary that I could not possibly keep up my life policies. The premiums on these are due very shortly, and I cannot pay them. The policies have been in existence many years, and I dare not let them lapse. If I did, there would be nothing at all in case of my death for my wife and family, and moreover, I should never be able to I make good a sum of money placed in my hands long ago by a relative whose sole source of income I almost it is. Through various causes profits so diminished, while expenses increased rather than otherwise, and the business in which I was engaged for many years ceased to pay (as I know is the case throughout the eountry in similar ones), and as I could not dispose of it as • going concern, I wound it up at a heavy less in order that I might, if possible, pay everyone what I owed them. 1 Another lucrative business to which I might have reasonably expected to succeed I was deprived of under circumstances about which it is useless saying anything further. Whether or not you and the jury will find me to be of unsound mind I cannot tell. Possibly I cannot say myself. I know what anxiety I have had for months and years past; it may well be so, though lam not conscious of it. As publicity will probably be given to this letter, I will add that I trust that if any of my old friends, or anyone who has any regard for me, has any opportunity they will net forget to do anything they can for my poor wife and family by finding something for the boys to do, or in any other way they can. I daresay it will be said by some who had never known what it is to be in such • dee. perate dilemma, and to whom life is easy and pleasant, that it is a cowardly act which I have clone. Perhaps so. I dare not live and know that my last chance of leaving anything whatever for my wife (it is very little as it is) had gone, and that the lady to whom I have referred was reduced to perhaps the workhouse through my default. At the same time it will, I think, require some courage and resolution to do the deed which will separate me from the best of wives, from children whom I love, and which will out me off for 'ever from • life which, in spite of anxieties, I have much enjoyed.—l am, sir, yours faithfully, J. A.