Widnes Examiner. — 1895-05-11 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

BRIDGES. SAD STORY.  An inquest was held last Friday at the Black Horse, Sankey Bridges, by Mr. S. Brighouse, unon the body of William Jowett, aged 19 years, son of Thomas Jowett, 295, Liverpool-road, Sankey Bridges, whose body was found in the Sankey Canal, on Thursday. Martha Ann Jowett, said that deceased w.,,s her son and was a whitesmith, employed at Mr.. Garland's shop. On Monday, he came home about a quarter to on. for his dinner. She told him that she was getting his little brother away for the good ot his health, and it was a great expense. At that, he looked anxiously at her and said " What about my tyre. I want it for the parade." She told him that he 'spoke harshly, and asked him to remember who she wa ,111111 he looked very wild. She told him he could not ' his tyre. He then said that he must have it, and repeated that three times. She told him to remember that she was his mother and he should not speak so harshly to her. She said that he had had a lot of trouble and that no doubt hurt him. He then got wildly on his legs, I and she told him to sit down but he Said ho would go out. She and her daughter down, held him in the house for half an hour, and another daughter went for his father. When his father came, he told deceased thst he must not kick up a bother like that. H. said he would go out and 11 would be out of that bother. He then went out. 11 and he never camo back alive.. He never said exactly that he would take away his life, although she was frightened at times he would do so. He had a scar on his head caused by being cut by a cart when he was seven years of age, and since then he soon lost his temper. He had had some trouble a short time ago, and that had preyed very heavily upon his mind. Thomas Jowett deceased's father, said that on Monslay he was sent for from his work and when he got home, his wife had fainted. He asked his son what he had been doing, and deceased then asked his mother t ) forgive him, hut sre could not speak. He then wanted to go out, and witness said, " Let him go out. He will soon be back." Deceased then went out, and witness saw his son go along the cabal bank towards Buttermilk bridge, and thought that he was perhaps going to a friend's house in Lovely-lane. Fle had been very excitable during the past few months. . .  Benjamin Welding, waterman, said that on Thursday afternoon the deceased's mother came to him,and a,•lre-d him to drag the canal for she was afraid her son WAS in it. He accordingly got assistance and dragged the canal as far as the railway arches over which the Cheshire lines went, and found deceased there at 7.50 p.m. He was fully dressed with the exception of his cap. P.S. Devlin informed the coroner and jury that he had had a conversation with Mr. Garland. the &ceased's employer' and he gave him a very good character. He said that he had much improved in his work of' late. _  The Coroner said that this was a very pad case to inquire into. There was no dount that the deceased had had some dispute before leaving the house, but so far as the evidence went, nothing, was known about him from then until he was found in the canal. It would be for the, jury to say whether it was sufficient to return a verdict of found drowned, as there was no evidence to show how he had got into the water. If they found a verdict of suicide, they would have to say what state of mind he was in at the time.  After a short consultation, the jury returned a verdict of "Found drown,A." as there was no direct evidence as to how decPased Rot into the water.