The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1892-01-30 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

TRAGIC DEATH' OF MK NUMB WEBSTER.  Mr. Hume Webster; well known in the City of London as an accountant and company promoter, amongst politicians as a Liberal candidate who had fought plucky tights at Rom( rd and South-West Ham; and amongst lovers of sport as a breeder of thoroughbreds and controversialist with Mr. Chaplin about the merits of the racehorse Ormonde, has put an end to his life by a pistol shot. The circumstances of the tragedy appear to indicate deliberate premeditation and prearrangement. Mr. Webster was a member of the firm of Hume Webster, Hoare, and Co., chartered accountants. He by mo means confined himself to the ordinary run of an accountant's business, but embarked in many commercial schemes of diverse character and various fortune. Front the worries of these he sought relief by retiring occasionally to his farms at Marden Park, about two miles from Caterham, on the borders of Kent. There ha had a large horse-hteeding establishment, with a small house. Mr. Webster arrived from London, calm in manner but dej cted in spirits. He complained that he WAII suffering from a cold in his throat and chest, awl to d his housekeeper that no caller was to be informed of his arrival, as he wished to spend the evening quietly, and would go to bed early in order to rid himself of this cold. Next morning he was up and about the homestead early. He talked with his farm bailiff about the felling of a tree. and with his head groom about his horses. These persons noticed that his manner was different from what it was usually, and they now remember tie circumstance that one hand was kept continually in his top-coat pocket as if grasping something. Having sent the head groom for the carpenter, he set off towarls the hill, but the groom and carpenter did not follow, as they concluded he had gone to what is known as the Hill Farm, where he had other thoroughbred stables. This was about ' 9.30 in the morning. Some time afterwards the groom heard three shots fired in the vrood on the hill; but this caused him no surprise, because Mr. Webster had given a neighbouring farmer liberty to shoot rabits there, and this farmer frequently availed himself of the privilege. Mr. Webster himself was never known to handle firearms, at leaf t there. About half-past eleven a clerk from the City arrived, wanting to see Mr. Webster, and some of the men about the place began, therefore, to search for him. He was not found at the Hill Farm, and could not be seen anywhere in the neighbourhood. The clerk was obliged to leave at half. past two without having fulfilled his mission. The grooms and workmen, fearing that their master had been taken ill, commenced a thorough search of the wood. Some went some way and some another. At last a bey, peering through some underwood, saw Mr. Webster's body. The lad ran to toe gardener, who was near, and told him of his discovery. A shout brought other men to the spot, and then, having penetrated the bushes, the men found Mr. Webster lying dead and quite cold. He lay on one side with an arm across his stomach and a revolver in the hand of the other arm. Blood was trickling from a corner of his mouth. It was now nearly 3 o'clock. A messenger was dispatched to Waldingliam, a neighbouring village, for a constable, the body lying untouched until he arrived. A surgeon having also been sent for, the body was slung in a blanket and carried down the hill to the farmhouse. The policeman, when he took the revolver out of the dead man's hand, found that of its five chambers three had been fired, and two remained still charged. It was concluded that two of the chambers had been fired as trial shots before Mr. Webster actually shot himself. It was found that .he muzzle of the pistol had been put in his mouth and the shot fired up through the brain. The revolver was not a large one, but its calibre was wide, and the bullet, though it did not pass through the skull, must have penetrated far into the brain. Five more cartridges were found in one ef the deceased's pockets. Fearing the results of a telegram despatehed to Mr. Webster's house in London, his men resolved to telegraph to the deceased's solicitor, that he might break the news to Mrs. Webster. The deceased leaves, besides his widow, five children, mostly grown up. Mr. Webster was native of Montrose, in Scotland. His full name was Joseph Hume Webster, and he was a nephew of the great Reformer whose name he bore. He was also related to Sir George Balfour, M.P. for Kincardineshire. He began life as a clerk in a bank in Scotland. In 1868 he removed to London, and ever since has been engaged in finance. His thoroughbred stud was one of the largest in England. At the inquest no evidence beyond the fact that he was deeply engaged in vast business trans actions and that deceased was anxious in connection with the proposed re-transfer of Ormonde was forthcoming to show the state of the deceased gentleman's mind at the time of committing the fatal act, and the jury returned a verdict of "Suicide while temporarily insane."