The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1847-09-14 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

LAMENTABLE SUICIDE IN CHESTER. —With deep regret we record (by abridgment from the Chester Courant), the suicide of a young gentleman named Rowland Jones, son of Lieut.-Colonel Jones. of the Royal Engineers, now at Malta, and nephew of Capt. Jones, of Bryntirion, near Wrexham. The act was committed at the Green Dragon Inn, Chester, yesterday morning week. The deceased, who was about 27 years of age, had held a commission in the 67th Regiment of Foot, but sold out some time ago. In company with Mr. H. Melling, the respected secretary of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club, deceased arrived at the inn on Sunday evening week from Bangor, and purposed to proceed by the ten o'clock tain next morning to Wrexham. The deceased spent the evening with his friend in the most hearty and lively manner, and retired to bed about eleven o'clock. Mr. Melling and the deceased occupied separate rooms. On Monday morning, Mr. Melling arose about eight o'clock, and between that hour and half-past eleven, he several times went up stairs to his friends chamber door to call him up. On the last occasion Mr. Jones was on the floor, and he directed Mr. Melling to order some breakfast for him, and promised to be down immediately. Not making his appearance, however, Mr. Melling went up stairs shortly after eleven o'clock, and on receiving no answer, after knocking at the door, he opened it, when, to his horror, he beheld his friend stretched lifeless by his bedside, with a pair of duelling pistols lying near him, with which he had accomplished the act of self-destruction, his head being perforated through by one of the balls. Surgical aid was immediately obtained, but it was of no avail, as life was quite extinct before the body was found. The inquest was held on the same day, and Mr.. Melling was the principal witness. He stated that he had known Mr. Jones for about twelve months, during which he was a member of the yacht club. On the 15th August, he and deceased went in the yacht Seagull, to Beaumaris, to honour the Queen, and be present at the regatta. Deceased had purchased the yacht from witness, but had not paid for it.. On the Ist September deceased gave him a check for £350, on the North and South Wales Bank, at Bangor, in settlement of the account between them. The money was not paid at Bangor, as deceased expected, and they went to Chester on their way to Wrexham, where deceased expected it would be paid. Witness went with deceased as his guest, but deceased had not sufficient money to pay their fare, and witness lent him a sovereign. Witness never pressed densetavteer of observed in mind_ deceased for the money he owed him, but deceased had offifnreqdueeeneatlsyedpuatny a indicationsettlement.an rio h unsoundad Witness intimated his belief, grounded upon what he had attachment for a young lady in London, which was disap. p sometimes heard Mr. Jones say, that he had formed an roved of by his friends ; and whom he had only been prevented from marrying for fear of the consequences. A police officer who was called into the inn said, that a pistol case (which deceased had brought with him front the yacht) lay open on the bed, and on the dressing-table was a daguerotye miniature portrait of a young From the position in which the body lay, it would appear that the deceased had stood opposite the likeness when the pistols were discharged. The balls from the pistols had perforated the walls on either side. The coroner requested Mr. Melling to obtain further information, relative to the young lady alluded to, if practicable ; and with the consent of the jury the incsuest was Sb,en ad. iourned Sill yesterday.