Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1892-01-30 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

SUICIDE OF MR. HUME WEBSTER.  Mr. Hume Webster, well known in the City as an accountant and company promoter, amongst politicians ma Liberal candidate who had fought plucky fights at Romford and Smith-West Ham, and amongst lovers of sport as a breeder Of thoroughbreds and a controversialist with Mr. Chaplin about the merits of Ormonde, put an end to his life on Friday morning 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 accountanta,Abchurch-bme, and lived in Aldford-street. Park-lane. He by no means confined himself to the ordinary run of an accountant's business, but embarked in many commercial schemes of diverse character and various fortune. From the worries of these he sought relief by retiring occasionally to his farms at Marden-park, about two miles from Caterham. There he had a large horse-breeding establishment, with a holm, so small that the gardener's wife alone was able to look after the grOnage. On Thursday afternoon of last week Mr. Webster arrived from London, calm in manner but dejected in spirite. He complained that be was suffering from a cold in his throat and chest, and told his housekeeper that no caller was to be informed of his arrival, as be wished to spend the evening quietly, and would go to bed early in order to rid himself of this cold. Next morning he was upend 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 the circumstance that one hand was kept continually in hie top-coat pocket as if grasping something. Having sent the head groom for the carpenter, he set off towards the hill beyond the valley in which the stables are situated. The head 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 wood on the kill; but this caused him no surprise, because Mr. Webster had given a neighbouring farmer liberty to shoot rabbits there, and this farmer frequently availed himself of the privilege. Mr. Webster himself was never known to handle firearms, at least there. About half-past eleven a clerk from the office in 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 one way and some another. At last a boy, peering through some underwood, saw Mr. Webster's body. The lad ran to the gardener who was near and told him of his discovery. A shout brought other men to the spot, and then, having penetrated the bushes, themen found Mr. Webster lying dead and quite cold. He lay on one side with an arm across his stomach and a resolver in the hand of the other arm. Blood was trickling from a corner of his mouth. It was now nearly three o'clock. A messenger was despatched to Waldingham, 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 the muscle 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 of the deceased's pockets. Fearing the results of a telegram despatched 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. Mr. Webster only recently renewed his lease of the farms for 21 years from Sir William Clayton. On what is known as the Bottom Farm be had some 36 brood mares, 24 foals, four stallions, and 9:1 Suffolk punches, besides about 50 Highland cattle, of which he was also a breeder, and about a score of sheep. On the Hill farm his stock was much smaller, but added to the foregoing it made the thoroughbred etud one of the largest in England. The deceased leaves, besides his widow, five children, mostly grown up. Mr. Web' eter was a native of Montrose. Hia 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 had been engaged in finance. CORONZWB lxgrEST.  An inquest was held on Monday as to the death of Mr. James Hume Webster, accountant, of London, who, according to the evidence, shot himself in a wood near his residence at Maiden-park. Several witnesses spoke to his bad state of health of late years, and it was etated that recently he had been depressed and suffering from influenza. He had large ilusinees transactions, which caused him some unesainese, but he wee happy in his domestic relations. The jury returned a verdict "That be cornnutted suicide while temporarily insane."