Widnes Examiner. — 1904-09-10 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

CLERK'S TRAGIC DEATH. Found Shot in his Home.  A sensation was caused in the neighbourhood of Merseystreet about noon on Monday, when it became known that James Henry Houghton, son of Mrs. Houghton, of Mersey-street, had been found shot dead in the dining room of his home. The circumstances were inquired into by Mr. Coroner Brighouse and a jury on Tuesday. Joseph Harry Houghton was the first witness called and said the deceased was his brother and resided with his mother at the pawnshop in Mersey-street. Deceased was 29 years of age. He came home to dinner shortly after one on Monday and appeared as usual. He had dinner in the kitchen, and then went into the diningroom. At about two o'clock witness was in the shop Ewhen he heard a loud report and rushed to the dining room. There he saw his brother lying on the floor bleeding from the head. A double-barrelled gun was by his side, and on exantination he found in the right barrel a discharged cartridge. He sent for Dr. Langdale, who pronounced life extinct. The deceasedhad been suffering from indigestion for some time and had been rather depressed, but had never threatened in any way to take his life. The gun in question was one of twelve bought for sale, and he and deceased had been cleaning and examining them. Eleven were taken into the shop, but the one in question was found to be a little stiff and was left in the dining-room for further examination. On the sideboard was a box of cartridges purchased for sporting purposes, and the discharged lone was one of them. Witness had been trying the gun with a cartridge to see how it fit, but he had taken the cartridge out. The deceased was brushing his hat as though preparing to return to business when he last saw him alive. Deceased was probably trying the gun with a cartridge when it went off. The Coroner: May I take it that you have no suspicion that he took his own life. Witness: Absolutely none. He was quite happy, was in a good position, and there was nothing whatever to do sueh a thing for. In fact I think he had his cycling clips on ready to return to work. P.C. Rylatt stated that at a quarter to two on Monday afteroon he was called to 28, Mersey-street. The deceased was lying on the dining-room floor, bleeding from a wound on the head. An empty cartridge was taken from the gun. He examined the pockets and found cash, keys, ttc. There were no letters or correspondence of any kind. , Mr. J. Fulton Smith, manager for Messrs, Peter Walker and Son, by whom the deceased was employed as a clerk, said the deceased had nothing whatever to trouble him so far as he knew. He came to the brewery a boy fresh from school and had been under his (Mr. Smith's) supervision ever since. He proved to be most trustworthy and painstaking in all his duties and could be relied upon that his work was conscientiously carried out. He was a steady, well-conducted young man and his quiet and affable manner made him very popular with the staff with whom he was on the best of terms. He had left his books and papers on the desk ready to go on with them in the afternoon. There was nothing to arouse the slightest suspicion that he had any intention of taking his own life. The Coroner pointed out that the question for the jury was whether there was any evidence to show how the unfortunate young man liad met his death. He had no trouble and nothing to upset him, andcame home to dinner and went about in the usual way. Then he was found shot. It might be said that it was suspicious that there should be a cartridge in the gun, but when they considered the matter they would see that the deceased might have been trying the gun, and fitted a 1 cartridge to see if it slipped in easily. The brother had examined it the same way before, and it would have been possible for an accident to have happened then. Of course it mightbe possible that he could Nave shot himself, but personally he thought the evidence was not such as any jury ought to commit themselves upon. Nobody saw the occurence, but it was for the jury to say whether it was an accident or not. The jury retired, and on returning the Foreman (Mr. T. Walsh) said they were unanimous in deciding to return an open verdict, there being no evidence to show whether death was caused by accident or suicide. Mr. J. Fulton Smith said he wished to express on behalf of the directors of the firm their senso of the great loss they had sustained in the death of so faithful a servant: and to convey to the widowed mother and relatives their sympathy with them in their great trouble. The Coroner added that both the jury and himself were honestly sorry for Mr. Houghton and the family in their loss. Mr. Houghton said he could only thank them all for their sympathy and the police for their great courtesy