The Sun. — 1858-01-14 (London, England)

SUICIDE OE A BANK MANAGER AT BOLTON.  +Obb.  A painful sensation was created at Bolton, on Monday, by the intelligence that Mr. R. S. Bar. low, of Snow-hill, manager of the bank of Messrs. Hardcastle, Cross, and Co., Bolton, and a gentle. man highly respezted in the neighbourhood, had committed suicide. It appears that Mr. Hard. castle bad arisen early in the morning and gone into his bath-room, where he had blown out his brains by discharging a gun at his head. He had fixed the gun between his knees and moved the trigger, it is supposed, with one of his toes. The probable motive of the unfortunate gentleman was disclosed in the following evidence, given at an in' quest held. by Mr. W. S. Rutter, county coroner, on Tuesday. Mr. Thos. Lever Rushton said he was connected with the deceased as a partner in the banking firm of Hardcastle, Cross, and Co., of Bolton. Mr. Barlow was managing partner, and had been so since the death of his father, in 1819. A few weeks ago the deceased came to his (Mr. Rushton's) office in a state of great agitation, and said that he had come to tell him of his unfortunate involvement with a person to whom he had lent a large sum of money. He also said that he had mentioned it to one of the other partners. This led the company to investigate the general affairs of the bank. The partners had a meeting on Saturday last, and they bad a conference with Mr. Barlow as to what he proposed to do with the account in question. The deceased expressed great regret at the state of the account, and said that he had been led into it little by little, and that nobody could tell the misery he had endured in consequence of it. This led his partners to ask how lie stood in his own personal affairs ; and he told them that he had borrowed a few thousands from a friend, which had to he paid back on the 15th January. He was told that he would not be allowed to pay this mony out of the bank, and that he ought to make good the other loss, as it had been shown to them that he had been warned against the party alluded to. He said that if there was a loss he would take it upon himself. He said, however, that he could not pay it then. He was asked if he had any proposal to make but he said he had not. He was in a state of extreme agitation and distress of mind. This was on Saturday afternoon, between two and five o'clock. No conclusion was come to at the meeting. When it was broken up Mr. Hardcastle and witness had an interview with the deceased immediately after. Witness said to him it was a pity he had not made some proposalth in g to thep thearmtneeeretio required qaus ti dhe he a d wouldoffered llietiwie I haveostosu dohltadod done i l nabaeny now,n Lim I would leave leniently dealt with, as it was a matter of great said,thoughthba' i fw doneß i un st yourso oßushton) would rseeg;reit thtoougahltl. He I had told l that communicate it to them. He said, " Oh, t • cer ' I will leave myso self entirely in their hands." hmyself di e entirely n ( t rWitness said he was glad of it, for lie was sure they would be lenient with him. This appeared to soothe him, for up to that time he had been quite hysterical. Mr. Hardcastle and witness then shook hands with him, and in parting witness made an arrangement with him to meet the party who owed the money to transfer some propertywhich he held as security to the bank. They were ta meet witness at his office at 10 o'clock on Monday morning. This was to transfer the property to the bank, that they might make the best of the  account. Mr. Rutter—Did he mention the person's name I Mr. Rushton—Oh, yes, the matter is well known, and I don't see any reason for concealment ; the person Mr. Joseph Holden, the builder. I don't think it was so much the loss of the money that affected the deceased as the feeling that he had lost the confidence of his partners. He was a man of a high sense of honour. (Mr. Rushton was much affected in speaking of the character of his friend.) He had the means of meeting the loss ultimately, but not then available. The loss on the account would be about 15,0001. ; but be felt, more than this, that he had lost the confidence of his partners. I never saw him after that evening. The jury found a verdict of " TemprasY insanity."  .--- - -.-----An application under the reeent Lunacy Ackuri i! presented to the Sheriff on Saturday by a retospec iv: looking man, for auth,,rity, in terms into and detain his wife in a lunatic, otiern'aii as abso• described by the certifyiog 0 ~n; /rear, To the statutory lutely frantic, and a dangetW the supposed cause of her query in the ecbec'ule bass le answer was—" The failure of insanity, the remart _tavow Daily Mail. the WeeterF 23Ank I u °amyl thle;tl she being