Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1893-06-09 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

THE COITY SUICIDE.  THE INQUEST.  A CRITICAL JURYMAN.  Mr E. B. Reece, coroner, held an inquest at the Police-station, Bridgend, on Saturday, over the death of Thomas John, who hung himself at Coity on Wednesday night. The Rev Gilbert Evans was foreman of the jury. Mr S. H. Stockwood watched the proceedings on behalf of the relatives. Wm John, father of the deceased, was the first witness. He said deceased was 34 years of age and formerly worked as a collier. He met with an accident at the Cribbwr Main Colliery, Brynwith, about 1886, by which he fractured his skull, and he had been unable to work since. A change of weather always affected his head, and he was put into the Asylum in 1891, and was there for about 14 or 15 months, when he came out better. He had never shown any suicidal symptoms before, and he appeared to be all right when he was discharged from the Asylum. He first showed signs of ''his mind again going wrong about five or six weeks ago, when he became rather quiet and low-spirited. He showed a disinclination to speak to anybody, and used to look savage at witness when he spoke to him. They lived next door to one another, and witness frequently saw him during the last six weeks. Deceased was married, but his wife did not live with him since he had been to the Asylum. He had been violent and his wife was afraid of him. She lived near in the village. He first noticed that deceased was getting into a bad state and required looking after again at the end of the previous week, on Saturday night. He noticed that he was worse, and he sent a message to the relieving officer at Laleston, Mr Jones, to the effect that he ought to visit him. He did not inform him that it was dangerous for him to be out. Dr Randall accordingly visited him on the following Monday. After the first interview with him Dr Randall stated he could not find anything wrong with him, but be examined de?eased a second time and he then said he found  something the matter with him; but not very much; that he had talked some nonsense. Dr Randall did not say that he ought to go to the Asylum; he did not say he was very dangerous. Dr Randall did not seem to think much of it. Mr Jones. the relieving officer, visited deceased on Wednesday, and told witness he would come the following day to fetch his son betore the Magistrates. He did not believe deceased knew of this. He did not seem very bad when Mr Jones visited him. Witness did not think there was any danger, deceased appearing quiet. Witness last saw him alive shortly before nine o'clock on Wednesday night, when deceasea was walking in his slippers in front of his house. He did not ;disturb him. Deceased went indoors and witness went into his own garden and watched the premises. He heard deceased chopping some sticks in the kitchen with a hatchet, which he  appeared to put on the fire. The light then went out, and he did not hear or see anything more. About ten o'clock deceased's little boy, about eight years of age, who lived with his father, and who was very fond of him, was crying 'Father' at the front door of the house, but got no answer. Deceased's wife and a man named John Richards tried to enter, but found the door locked. They afterwards sent to the Police-station at Bridgend and Sergeant Row arrived at quarter-past twelve. Sergeant Row stated he broke open the door and found deceased hanging from a joist in the kitchen by a cord from where it appeared they used to hang bacon. He was hanging about a foot or 18 inches from the floor He was cut down, and Police-constable Brown and himself, who were members of the local Ambulance Class,tried to restore breathing according to the approved method, but deceased appeared to be dead. Wm John, the witness, in reply to a question by the Foreman (Rev Gilbert Evans) said he not aware that deceased was particularly in the habit of walking towards the river; he rambled about generally. On Tuesday evening witness had left the house saying he was going to the Asylum. Dr Thomas Jones, of Aberkenfig called on behalf of the relatives, said he attended deceased for some years after the accident he received. He sustained a very severe fracture of the skull, and he had to remove a part of the frontal bone, which was depressed and caused considerable pressure on the brain. Deceased then suffered a good deal from _ _  intense head-ache, giddiness, and -partial loss of sight due to the injury. At the time he thought he • would become permanently insane. There could be no doubt that the insanity was due to the injury. The Coroner said it was a very sad case, but a very plain one. There could be no doubt that the poor fellow committed suicide by hanging while in a state of insanity. The only question was whether or not his relatives ought to have' got him looked after before, but according to the evidence of the father every proper step appeared to have been taken. But, he asked, why wasn't the man taken to the Asylum on Wednesday. Witness: I believe there happened to be no magistrate in town. The Coroner: Are not there any resident magistrates here? Mr Stockwood : Mr Charles Price Davis is the Lunacy Magistrate, isn't he? Sergeant Row: Yes, sir. The Coroner remarked that if the Relieving Officer had thought there was any real danger it might be assumed he would have seen that the necessary precautions were taken for the man's safety; and he therefore did not think the point called for any remark, He considered he had acted to the best of his knowledge and belief. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased committed suicide while insane.