The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1880-10-02 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

DETERMINED SUICIDE IN  COVENTRY.  An inquest was held on Monday evening at then "Plough Inn," Spon-street, before T. Dewes, Esq. coroner, on view of the body of William Bowran, watchmaker, 32 years of age, who resided in the Plough-yard, Spon-street, and who committed suicide by hanging himself early on that morning in a most determined manner.  The first witness called was Joshua Bowran, who said: I live in Coventry, and am the father of the deceased, and a watchmaker. He was thirty-two years of age, and was married. I have seen the body since he died, and I have not the slightest doubt that he committed the act himself. I have seen him often lately. Sometime ago his wife and himself disagreed, and tie result of it was that his wife took out a Summons for assault, and ,he absconded, whereupon a warrant was obtained. The next thing I hoard was that deceased was with a nephew of mine, who keeps a public-house at Dudley. Some few days alter that I received information that he had made a most determined attempt to commit suicide in the canal between Brierleyt Hill and Dudley, and that when he failed in that he had attempted to knock his brains out with a flagstone, weighing over 16 lbs. I visited him in Stourbridge Workhouse, and remained with him some days. He was then in a most frightful state, both mentally and bodily. He had inflicted such injuries upon himself that I could lay three fingers in one of the wounds on his head. Since that time he had never been what he was, and often wandered. Not many weeks ago he called at my house and said people were writing articles in the newspapers about him, which were not true. He would also say he could see writing about him on the wall, and he would wipe the paper with a wet cloth to remove, as he fancied, the writing. I saw him last on Friday last, when he appeared to me to be better and more rational than he had been before. He complained bitterly to me of the shortness of work, and said he did not know what he should do. When I heard of his having committed this act I was not at all surprised although I was very much shocked. I do not believe he was responsible for his actions at the time. When he got better of his wounds at Stourbridge he was taken before the Magistrates, who handed him over to me. Mr. Norris also held over the warrant which he held for some time, and when he was taken before the Bench at Coventry they did the same as at Stourbridge, and delivared him to my care. Mary Ann, wife of the deceased, said: I have been living with deceased, but not always happily. We were sometimes unhappy—when he was in drink, but he has been very much better lately. Deceased was at home all day yesterday and Saturday. There has been something very peculiar about deceased for the last two months. He got up several times last night, beoanse be suffered from diarrhota. The last time he went down was about ' haltpitst three, and soon after I heard a great crash t a window. The eat had gone through the window Several times, and I at first thought it was the. eat. :I. willed to my his:band, and he not answering, I 'went into the- yard, but could not see him. I then 'went into the shop in the upper part of the house, and I then saw a clothes line fastened to the bannisters. As soon as I saw that I ran down and called assistance directly. The window was at the back, and looked upon a garden. I saw deceased after be was cut down, but did not see him hanging. William Goddard, engraver, living near the deceased's house, said 1 heard an alarm this morning, and in consequence I went to the back of the deceased's house, where I saw deceased hanging out of the window. I got on the top of some railings, and, with the help of a companion, managed to cut the rope, when I fell with him about eight feet. Hs was quite dead when we got him down. • Inspector Coombes took charge of the body, and produced the clothes line with which deceased hung himself, which be received from the last witness. Dr. Brown's assistant was sent for, and attended. William Carnegie Brown, M.8.C.M., said he was called to deceased about a quarter to five. He had then been cat down, and was lying in the garden. He was quite dead. The cause of death was dislocation of the second vertebrae. The length of the drop was from 12 to 15 feet. Death had been instantaneous. The Coroner thought the jury would not have much doubt as to their verdict, and they would have no hesitation in saying that he was not in a proper state of mind at the time. The jury returned a verdict that deceased destroyed himself while in an unsound state of mind The Coroner observed that the number of suicides in the County of Warwick, lately, was perfectly shocking.  jin earthquake happened at Valparaiso on the 13th August, and another at 'Harrel, in the interior of Chili. Altogether 200 persons are said to have perished. On Saturday forty-seven men, residing in Oldham, Sheffield, Staleybridge, Stockport, and other places, were charged, at the Manchester City Police Court, with assembling together for an immoral purpose. All the prisoners were apprehended at a fancy dress ball the previous evening, many of them being in female costume, in which dress some of them appeared in court. They were remanded until Thursday.