The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1893-08-05 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SUICIDE IN IN OLD FOUNDRY..  FORTUNATE DISCOVERY OF THE BODY.  At about eight o'clock en Tharsdiay m—orni-74-0 startling discovery was made at what is known BA Soott's Old Foundry, on the north aide of Trimmers Ferry, in Chester-street. At the hour mention-d, • man named George Platt, who was engaged im breaking up a ship on the adjacent beach, climbed on the top of the wall of the dismed foundry, and was horrified to observe a man, suspended by the neck from one of the rafters of a shed, close to the old building. Platt did not cross the will, but concluded at once that the man was dead, for his face was quite black, his tongue was protruded, and his body hung limply and to every appearance lifeless. A police constable was summoned to the spot by Platt. The latter then out down the man, whom he recognised as an old acquaintance named Thomas Grier, of 27, Farm-reed, Tranmere, bat whom he had not seen for a long period. The body was wait, cold, •nd it was evident that death had occurred some hours previously. Had not Plitt attempted to cross the out foundry wall, the probability is that the dead body would not have been found for a considerable time, because it is very rarely anyone enters the place. After the remains were removed to the Watson street Mortuary, the district coroner, Mr. Henry Charm% was communicated with, and an inquest was ordered for three o'clock on Thursday afternoon. The deceased's widow was taken to the dead house, and identified the body as that of her late husdand. On Thursday afternoon at four o'o'ock, the, coroner opened an inquiry into the Girona:memos surrounding the death of the deceased. _  The lirst"witneas called was Catherine Grier, who deposed that the demised war-her husband. lie was • labourer, and used to work, at Laird 's yard,. At a quarter-past nine on Wednesday he went out, looking rather strange, withous saying where 1* was going. He was • steady, sober man, and was sober et this time. He never returned to the house. She waited up for him until five o'clock that mornina., when she Ur down for • short while. Subsequently, she wee Informed of what had happened, and saw the deceased's body at the mortuary. Be had been idle for eighteen weeks, and this seemed to weigh heavily on his mind. He had tried many places to obtain employment, but had failed, and lately he looked as if very much depressed in spirits. The Coroner: Is trade so snob in Birkenhasd ? Witness: Yea, sir. He went everywhere trying to get work, but couldn't get it. Continuing, witness said that deceased washer second husband, and was forty.three years of ups. George Platt gave evidence auto finding the body. He said he knew the deceased. was dead when he saw him, on account of the colour of the face, the protrusion of the tongue,land the limp way in which the body hung. He had seen scores of dead men In his time. The demeaned was suspended by a. clothes-line, which was fastened by a double hitch round the beam, and twice round the neck, with .he knot behind the right ear. In the pockets of the deceased's clothes were found twopence-halpenny. and several small articles.  Mr. Churton said he thought the evidence wee conclusive that the man had oommitted suicide. The widow's idea was that it was the want of work which caused the man to act MI he had done. That would be a question for the jury to decide. The case was one of those in which he thought the jury could reasonably believe that when the demised hung himself he watt not in his right stave of mindIf they decided so, they could return a verdict that the deceased committed suicide whilst labouring under a fit of inssnity. After the jury had conferred for a few moments, the foreman, Mr. W. E. Meson, stated that one of their number only bad disagreed with the Coroner in the opinion he had expressed, but this one had afterwards fallen in with the view of the majority of the jury, who wished to record the verdiot suggested by Mr. (Marton... . . . .  'The Coroner: It is the only rational verdict pos. could have arrived se.