Bridport, Beaminster, and Lyme Regis Telegram and Dorset, Somerset, and Devon Advertiser. — 1878-03-08 (Bridport, Dorset, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE.  An inquest was held on Friday afternoon at the Kingsland Tavern, South Front, 'Southampton, by the borough coroner, Mr. E. Coxwell, on the body of Thomas Hurding, aged 31, of 80, Bevois-street, when Honour }Larding. wife of deceased (who was very much affected), said her husband was an engine-driver on the South-Western Railway. A fortnight ago he came out of a siding at Dorchester where they were making up a train for goods and passengers, and met with an accident, by smashing some trucks, for which he had now been suspended for a week. He had been under the impression that he would be prosecuted, and had kept he door fastened the last two days. He would not let witness go to the door without seeing there was not a policeman. He was very low and dispirited, and she had tried the day before to cheer him up a bit. He went to the engine shed to try if he could hear anything, and asked Mr. Hunter about it. The previous day deceased had a razor, and said rather than be imprisoned and laughed at he would do what he had now done. It NVJA an hour and twenty minutes before she could get him to give up the razor. He said be would not do anything with it, but he gave it up at last. It was about 20 minutes to six the previous night when she got it away. After .six o'clock he went to the shed to get his money. H 8 would not go at the proper time as he was afraid there would be a policeman there to take him. He came back shortly afterwards, and sat down and would not speak. She asked him why he was so dull, and he then went out and was absent about an hour. When he came back he sat d )vrn with witness. She wanted him to post a letter, but he would not get up to go. He remained with her all the evening, not saying anything, and seeming low in spirits. They went upstairs to go to bed just before 11 o'clock. Then he took the light and went down stairs, leaving her in the dark. She heard a noise, and thinking he was sick she called out "Tom," but he did not answer. She then went downstairs, and found him leaning over Ihe sink bleeding from the throat. She did not see the knife at first, but pulled him back and laid him down, and then called the neighbours. She held him till almost his last breAth. He died about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour afterwards.—By the jury: They sent for several doctor., but only Dr. Benoraft came, and death had taken Owe. Deceased had not been threatened with prosecution, but had the idea that he would be prosecuted, though she begged him not to think of it and tried to dissuade him from the thought.  'W7Arto:„...-51  Eliza Cole, wife of William Henry Cole, of 81, Bevois-street, said that about 11 o'clock on Thursday night, as she and her daughter were sitting indoors, they heard a noise, and witness went out to the door, and heard Mrs. Hurding say "Oh dear, Tom, how came you to do this? I never thought it would come to his." Witness went in to deceased's house, and found Mrs. Hurding holding him. He was bleeding very much from the throat, and witness handed a towel to Mrs. Hurding. Deceased died in a few minutes, and before a doctor came. Witness saw a knife d ,wn by the sink. (The knife was produced. It was an ordinary small table knife, with a black handle). The brother of deceased, who was present, asked if he might be allowed to ask some questions of this witness, and the Coroner having answered in the affirmative, he interrogated Mts. Cole, who said, in reply to his enquiries, that she did not remember deceased going by her house on Wednesday. She was a next door neighbour. When she saw him in the week he seemed low spirited, and to take no notice at all. She had seen deceased in the back yard. and he always rppeared to be cheerful till last week. She had not seen him over the wall to speak to him during the last week.  William Early, signeman in the employ of the Railway Company, said he knew deceased. He last saw him alive on Wednesday. He was then very low. They talked together, and he seemed lost on account of his having been suspended. He told witness that he thought the Company would prosecute him. Witness asked deceased if he bad heard from London about going to work again. "rut he said he had not. He had always been a cheerful and quiet man. Witness had only heard of what he had done.—By the jury: He had not heard on the previous evening whether deceased had been finally discharged from the Company's employ. P.C. William Smith (60) saifl about a quarter-past eleven. o'clock the previous night he was on duty in Bevois-street, and was called to No. 80. He there saw urs. Hurding holding the head of decease° in her lap. He moaned twice. Witness felt his pulse, but there was no action. He then went for Dr. Bencraft. He examined the throat, and found it was very badly cut. He enquired of Mrs. Hurding what deceased had done it with, and she said "With that old knife." He found it on the mantelpiece, covered with blood.— The Coroner addressed the jury, pointing out that they must first say, from the evidence they had heard, whether deceased had died by his own hand only, and then whether he was in a sound state of mind at the time.—The jury, of which Mr. R. E. Harris was foreman, returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide while in an unsound state of mind. Deceased leave& a wife and three young children.