The Telegram. — 1895-09-03 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

DETIMHINED SUICIDE AT WINTUN.—Au inquest was held at the Cemetery house on Frid,y evening, on the body of Jesse Dennis Sims, 20 years of age, a mills carrier, in the employ of Mr. Groves, dairyman, Winton, who Was found dead at Minchington Villa, Gordon Road, Winton, on Wednesday night. —Evidence of identification was given by the father of deceased, Jesse Sims, of Verwood, Dursetsbire, a dealer in pottery, who added that deceased was always cheerful and there was no in. sanity in the fawilv.—Ydward Scott, milk carrier in the employ of 1.1 r. Groves, stated that deceased lodged with him and he last saw him alive on the previous Saturday evening, when he Was all right. Witness and his wife went for a holiday but he came back on Wednesday night about ten o'clock in consequence of a telegram from his master telling him that deceased had not been to his work. In company with Mr. Groves witness went to the house, and finding the doors locked with the keys inside, got throligh the front-room window, and then found deceased sitting on the stairs with a cord round his neck. He was sitting on the second step in an upright position, and was quite dead. There were no signs of any struggle having taken place. Witness fetched a policeman. He knew of no reason why deceased should have contemplated suicide, and had only once known him the worse for liquor.—P.C. Rodway said that when he arrived he found a piece of window cord tied tightly round deceased neck, while a loop of curd Was over a knob at the commencement of the balustrade at the foot of the staircase. Flom the knob to the stairs was 24 inches, and to deceased's head about six or eight inches. In the cord was a running noose and deceased appeared to have sat on the stairs and strangled himself. There was no "drop." He searched the deceased and found a number of his master's bills made out to customers. There was half-a-sovereign in deceased's pocket. In deceased's bedroom he Mend a razor lying open. On the floor by the side of the bed he found a pint stout bottle. It was full of some liquor, which witness took to Dr. Davidson for analysis. He also found about 200 more bills made out to Mr. Groves' customers. There were several copies of the Sporting Life lying about.—Dr. Wm. Davidson, of Mar Lodge, Winton, said that when he SAW the body on Wednesday evening decease] had been dead for about two days. Death was due to strangulation. The stout bottle contained a solution of sulphate of zinc, which, however, would not poison a man. Mr. Groves, deceased's employer. stated that on the Monday before the Wednesday in question he changed deceased's round, not with any iuteution of finding out any defalcations, but the man who went on the round did find that the accounts were wrong. The changing of the toutad might have made deceased muspem that his defalca.iuns had been discovered. Witness thought deceased was trustworthy up to the time of his death. Had be known of the trouble with the act:molts lie would gladly have assisted Mni and given hi mo.tuer chance.— Toe jury returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide whilst temporsrily IMITIFIST ON ANTi t,mi civ