The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1902-08-02 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

THE INQIINOT.  Mr. J. C. Bate (West Cheshire coroner) opened an inquiry into the circumstanoes at te Lighthouse Hotel, Wallasey Village, lase ht. Mr. A. F. Cotton represented the ' The Coroner said it was only necessary to tit: out that from the evid oWli ence If ea:Tux"! were satisfied that le did shoot himself, they would have to eqnsider *hat was the state of hie mind at Ilie time, or whether there was any evidence to show what the state of his mind was. The first witness was Herbert William itc;soa of decimal, Ifrho identified the , 1 that of his lather, whose age be' the ' t was 40 years. He was a tauter leaf . His father called him at four o'clock on Thursday morning, and he was then lying on a sofa in the back parlour. Ho asked for a drink, and witness gave him a thh4 of a tumbler of whisky, which he drank with emus soda water. His father would not allow him to remain in the room, but gent him back to bed. He was called again at eight o'clock by the servant, and in the front room he found his father lying on the floor, quite dead. The stock of the gun was nailer him. Witness could not see the injuries hairdo his father was lying over. There was blood on the ceiling and on the fireplac.', and he was told he had only then i been found. The gun had been kept n the front room. To witness' knowledge there, wore no cartridges kept for the tun in the houte. The cartridges produced might have been for the gun, bat thew ere not in the I house to his knowledge. Witness heard no sound after going back to bed. He had once heard his father say he would take his life, but he did not know how long ago that was. He asked witnees. on the occasion referred to, to bring him the gun that he might shoot himse''. Thwitased was at times rather intemperate, but, though he might be under the influence of drink when he milled witness, demand was in his right mind, and spoke rattonaliy. By the Coroner i Retook the gun to pieces on 28th July, at his idater's request. He behead this was because they were afraid 1 his father would take his life. The pieces ' were kept in the parlour. By Mr. Cotton : His father did not fa to , busman on Tuesday, bat went round New Brighton. He did not go to work on Wednesday. Gertrude Shin, a servant in the employ of , deceased, said she had been with deceased 'since sth of February. She was housekeeper while his wife was away. His wife had been away a fortnight last Tuesday. Deceased went out on Wednesday for a ride on the trams. He was then under the influence of drink. He went to lie down on Wednesday night when he came in, and was under the *foams of drink. She heard no sound during the night. At fist minutes to sight she came down on Thursday wonting and found deafened lying in the'front room quite dead. He was on th• rug near the fireplace. His head was in a pool of blood. One put of the gun was under his head. She called both the ohikken end seal% for Robert Holmes, • butcher, who knew the family. Deceased had never threatened his life in ter heeplialt, ae had said his business was, tit. .k`g ‘3C,ltirtstltr°l4l',ltrXl *se asouwith bias.. and elothers lie did net esingeseiestehr illarteturligtrhr net .. .. Mr. Cotter: You know the cause of his wife being away I---011? Yee; te used t 44 take drink and then they quarrefled. By-the foreman : She slept in the room over the dining-room. She did not know of a neighbour having heard the sound of a shot in the night. Deceased had not been, to bed . glib Oe Sunday. P.C. Holland despoiled to finding the body in the condition described. There was a postal order for las. and some coppers .and keys in his pocket!, but no • letters of any kind. The Coroner intimated that .he did not think it necessary to call the widow, unless Mr. Cotton desired to do so. Mr. Cotton said he was there because there might be a suggestion that, as his wife was away, deceased had been driven to take his life, but as there had been no suggestion be did not think it necessary to call his client. Mr. Robert Holmes volunteered to give evident*. On being sworn, he described a visit be paid to the home of deceased On 13th April, at the request of the family. Deceased was then in a state of insanity, and did not i know witness, who was an old friend. He even fought with Witness. The Coroner, reviewing the evidence, said there wag. nothing to Slkfw the state of deceased's mind a the time. That he took his life there was no doubt. No man had a right to do that, and the fact that his wife was not living with him had nothing to do with them. The jury, after • brief conference in private, returned a verdict of suicide, and said there was not sufficient evidence to show the, state of deosasedfe mind at the time.