The Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times. — 1887-07-02 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

MYSTEROUS SHOOTING CASE AT LEAMINGTON.  THE MYSTERY SOLVED.  The adjmrned inquest on a man unknown, whose body was found in the river Learn, on the previou. Monday, with a pistol shot wound in the temple, was held at the old Town Hall, Lsarnington, on 8-turd.l afternoon. The evidence given attl first hearing as to the finding of the body, and the ...nit of the port mortena examination, was read over by the Coroner. Frank Melina, 5, Gunnery-terracP, gardener, said that he was fishing in the river Loam near to the Adelaide bridge, eta quarter-past eight on Sunday morning. He saw • man look over the bridge. The man directly after climbsd up on to the parapet of the bridge and sat on the top with Iva feet hanging over the water. Witness atayed there until nine o'clock and then walked away. The man was at that time sitting on the p•rapet of the bridge. Ile had since seen the body of deceased in the mortuary at the Town flail and identified it as that of the same man. In reply to the Cblef.constable, witnese said that deceased woe sitting on the bridge for three quarter. of an hour with his lege hanging over the bridgs. The man was on Mr. Eard's aide of the bridge. Police-conetable Edgerton, said he assisted to convey the body from the Adelaide bridge to the mortuary. He there searched the body mid found only a handkemhiet in the pockets. A etrip of linen, evidently tore from the pocket handkerchief Tr. found in the boot. There wao neither cap or  has on cumeaseo. Chief cenetable Brainier, ,id that on Wednesday afternoon, he went in • boat to the apot near the Adelaide bridge where the body wee found. After carotenes eearching the bottom of the river for some time with a rake he found • mix chambered revolver. It contained one nodiseharged cartridge, and & cartridge case upon which the hammer etas resting when he took the revolver from the water. There wee no ' maker's name on the cartridge. He had since obteined a similar cartridge. He had since obtained a similar cartriesse to the one found in the wester from Mr. Hobson, gun,mith, of Regente,treet. At ter taking out the bullet, Ire bad the gunpowder weighed. It weighed only 8 grains. He had circulated M thirty town, i• the Midland district • fulVdeecription of the man •nd hie clothing. Paragraphs had eleoapp,e,ediethcloOalfladmOvtOfttt London papers, but he bad received no information. The Coroner maid be had recoived• letter from Birmingham asking for a aleecriptmo of the dace...ed. He forwarded • dmcription of the body, and bad elate received • weaned letter, in which the reciter informed him that Rao deeerip. lion tallied, except aa to the colour of the hair. The writer further stated that the name of the maker would be on the revolver, and on the  muttons oi toe tr....vie. Mr. Nanl, one of tie jurors, examined the bottom of the Doom, and found them marked with the name of "Creby, Rugby." The Coroner asked Dr. Thurslield if he thought the wound couldiposeibly be self-inflicted without ecorching. Dr. Thorsfield mid although in the majority of cases there wan scorching Find burning of the akin he would not like to my the wound was not mlf inflicted. In reply to • juror D. Thurefield mid the weapon eppeared to him to be what ie known as an Ameritan Deringer revolver. . The Chief -constable maid that Mr. Habton, when he examined the revolver, remarked that it was n coy good one, and had been in me for some time. The Coroner, in askiog the jury to consider their verdiet,mid the queetion for them to consider was whether the life of deceued wan taken by anybody elm or whether he committed suicide. With regard to • verdict of wilful murder he did not think there wee the elightest evidence which pointed to anything of the kind. Although there was no searching of the ekin or burning of the , hair. which Tree oeued with mlf•inflicted wounds,it tem jett possible, and had occurred in other case, that the wound might be tell jot cted without naming either. Therefore he thought the only poevible verdict woe 000 01 euicide. The jury returned • verdict that deceated committed suicide, but there was no evidence to show hie etate of mind at the time he committed the act.