Widnes Examiner. — 1894-04-21 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

TRAGEDY.  INQUEST AND VERDICT.  biTRA.ORDINABX ENTR, ES IN A POCKETBOOK  1 At St Helens Town Hall on Tuesday. Mr. BrigUse, county coroner, resumed his inquiry into t lie .'irelleastances at tenoing the death of Joseph Picka°ahuce, aged seventeen, of Boundary-ro‘.l,St. Helens 'W 0, atter shooting and injuring Elizabeth JohnOn, shottimself -n the 20th March. b The girl, from whos,e head a bullet was extracted, was tought from the providence Hospital in a cab. She nPeared to be very we k ard ill, and her head was uandaged. She was accommodated with a seat near the bench. She said the deefrased was the father of her hild reeided at 131, Frederick-strert. ail he lived b'et4o,l3,)ondary-road. On Tuesday, the 20:h M dm!), ho Zeee_n twelve and one o'clock,ehe went to his mceher's him what. lie intended to do towards mainle child. She saw him there, and in reply to Sill es''''n lieseid he did not know what he could do. ande tll.eati arranged to.,neet him near Sr.. Mark's Cherch asee,„` 'Lerner. him ateight o'clock as arranged. She again you'lunil what h 3 - would do. end he askei, " What do a. ^ant me •todo e" She replied, "I want you to do --" riline towards keeping this child." He then said, do.„eli, I have nothing, and I don't know what we can 1 Bt. TheY walked ahout talking a bit, and then they Irsul"' 'leer Langley's Glassworks. He there said he •,,,.. go and tell his mates, and come back to her. He raie..„%down an entry opposiee. aid she wiiited a 'few eici.l'L's• When he camehack he said," Have you conbill',!.d What we can du 2" to which she said, "if you 'lst 6rive the a hit I will b-. satisfied." They then walked titt he corner of the ehercleend as the clock struck go told him she must go, as her beep wanted to He said, " I think my best plaa will he to aisTY father," (his fat hr had been dead about two C"s)• There was then a short. silence, arid headd, lailui°°ight." She walked away, and tie stayed brier, . "nen she had got a few yards she heard him try..revolver, hut it did not go 'if, She shouted batii" f" and "murder I.' and "Oh, Joe, don't'!" He, 41, ler, fired again, and she put, up her right hand to eia,t? nerself. The billet passed flintier' her hand and, .447 ed her head. He then ran fifteen or twenty yards, se,kl.the heard the revolver fired again, bet she did not inn afterwards. vrast„.l/°BePh H. Houghton, of 147, North-road., said he erketo"ianding opposite his own door and lajne the tase- 'and, when he was somewhat startled ny seeing a that pi and hearing the sound of firearms. It was•so taint ,stohe th 1 : ..oug.it it was some lads playing with a t•y th".• /3e heard screams, and almost immediately eolitlnusvas a Second report anti a flash. The screams kap', ed, and he went across the ground, and saw a the ,b"o]ding the girl Johnson by the left arm. Heasked 4 Ilse hi what was the matter, Red she said.." Oli,he ai nt My child ,as, A man who was near asked h i tier f P4l:new who it Was and she replied, " Y teeit's Joe .Thibav -6,..vanco, 01 33' Boundary-road?" Picks entice -must lee ise.-vcil lying on the ground then, but witness did not ' e,. • The night WAS very dark. tOe talit William Strong said information was brought .Of l Police station by Mr. C Sharpies, J P., a resident ' ILl4l•°ttil'll'ad, who reported having heard firearm.. ells. *eried, • Accompanied by Sergeant Sis witnessson, itness he 0,0 the rear ot North-road, and found the =body of ~,,bakiecCa'sed. The body lay on its back, and the right grasping,, sia-chamhered revolver (pr trluced). was bleeding Iron a wound in the Tight t but he was quite dead. They .&,ardhein the and found two pock, tdcnives (produced) and 1514171 t Other small things. In the jecket pocket they , a Inetnorandum-book, and on the second page in Is izz;;el.re,written the words " Murder on March. 2041894, , llst sl- "cnneon. Signed, Joseph PickaYaNce." On the Piekvage they found, also in ink, the words "Joseph 33, Boundary-road, st. Helens. murderer." ~ had . first libL„, Paee were some numbers of books which he Itrienaf,:"rently been getting from the library. The aei),,r-. on the two pares differed considerably, lent hal tI7 been written at different times. ',.. thrili; Coroner said that was ail the evidence upon which . Th,r,v had to fled their verdict. a aczerY retired, and in five minutes . returned with ~ 1,/a8 th.it deceased committed suicide andtthat, he ' '', a Sta'e of temporary insanity at the time.  . ,  " • • e 5•541 t,. 7Y• Igt.st.tlHnis • , 7.4 4 <l4-:144:7. • , , t 5 .4 0-7 • • 4* , . ge,' toSsi 1 4 , );.• t ' •