The Blackpool Herald. — 1884-01-04 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS YEAR.  PAINFUL SUICIDE AT SOUTH SHORE.  On Tuesday afternoon, a painful case of suicide happened at South Shore. It appears that John Marriott (aged 60), his wife and daughter,have been living at the house of Mrs. Feather, No. 3, Eaves. terrace, for some considerable time. On Tuesday afternoon, Marriott went in home about three o'clock, apparently in his usual health, but his wife was rather surprised to hear him ask her to make the bed ready for him. Not suspecting anything she did as be wished her, and he went into the bedroom, closing the door behind hum. Mrs. Marriott decided not to disturb him until tea-time, and when the evening meal was ready, her daughter went upstairs on purpose to tell her father to come to tea. She opened the door and went in, but instead of finding her father in bed she found him lying ia the middle of the bedroom floor. Frightened that sometihng serious had happened to him, she did not stop to enquire the cause, but immediately rushed downstairs and acquainted the other members of the household with what she had seen. A loght was procured, and on Mrs. Marriott going upstairs, she was horrified to find her husband lying with his head in a large pool of blood. There was a deep gash in the ttroat, nearly three inches in length, from which the blood had flowed very freely. A penknife was found close by on the floor besmeared with blood, and it was then very evident that the unfortunate man had committed suicide by its agency. That the man was very determined on putting an end to himself is very plainly shown by the fact that he inflicted such a gash in his throat, that when his body was found it was quite cold, showing that death mast have ensued almost immediately. This is not the first time Marriott has attempted to commit suicide. Before he came to Blackpool he resided at Dewsbury. While there he managed to secure a competence sufficient to keep him and his family comfortably. A considerable sum of money was left to his children, and he, being the trustee, thought the safest way to make use of the money would be to invest it in some manufacturing concern. This he did, and for some time matters went well. Then a change came. He was mixed up in a law suit, and the affair going into the Chancery Court, the trial went against him, and he lost almost every penny he had. Naturally this sudden reverse of fortune was a great blow to him, and he became so affected by his losses that he made an attempt upon his life, but which was, however, not. attended with a fatal termination. Soon-afterwards, he removed to Blackpool, where he has had no regular occupation, simply doing work here and there. For a short time last season he acted as gate-keeper at the Hornby-road entrance to the Raikes Hall Gardens, and it has been stated that he intended going on Wednesday to Haiku Hall to endeavour to find employment. Marriott, however, never seems to have got over his previous misfortune, and it has preyed upon his mind so continually that at last he has given way, and made a second, and this time a fatal, attempt on his life. The inquest was held yesterday, at the Manchester Hotel, South Shore, before the coroner, Mr. Gilbertson. A verdict was come to by the Jury that Marriott had committed suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind.