Middlesbrough & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1874-05-28 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE INQUEST. The first witness called was Mr William Hunter, soa of the deceased. lam a schoolmaster, deceased was my father. I last saw him on Saturday afternoon between one and two o'clock. I was sitting in the parlour at home. Deceased came in and asked me if I was better, but di a not stay in tlie room many minutes. I did not then notice anything particular irt his taunter. I oily came home the day before. I iMticed my father was kinder to us than usual. thought it was on account a my illness. I httve never heard that insanity existed in my father's family. I knew him to be of a very excitable temperment, he would sometimes sleep very soundly for several hours, and it was with great difficulty we were able to reuse him when in those sound sleeps. Deceased left the house immediately after quitting my room. I sat up until ten o'clock. When I retired I left my mother sitting up. We were not much alarmed at his absence. He sometimes left home and forgot to mention that be did not intend to return. My mother came to my room at six in the morning, and told me he had not returned. I got up and made some inquiries, and found deceased had met with a friend on Saturday afternoon ; we then thought he had gone to Saltburn with his friend, and had,missed the return train, therefore, wel were not so uneasy. Di Cumming was my father's medical man ; be called upon me yesterday morning, and said that knowing what he did of deceased's state of health, be was not so much surprised to find what had happened. Dr Cumming said that those long, drowsey , sleeps my father was subject to were symtoms of an unsound state of the brain.  James Smith said: lam a quarryman. ',left work on Saturday afternoon; all was right in the cabin on Morday morningl I was returning ta work. When I got near to the cabin my dog went on and barked in the doorway. I went into the cabin, which was then partly dark inside ; Iran against the body of deceased. James Parker, a fellow workman, was about 50 yards behind me. I called to him, and he came. I then held up the body, the feet of which were touching the ground, and Parker cut the rope. I then ran to Ayton for the policeman, who returned with me. We found that a great qua atity of writing paper had been burnt in the cabin grate. The policeman took from the pocket of deceased some money, and the watch and knife now produced. The knife had been recently used for cutting tarred rope. The rope used was one we used in the quarry. , There was also some tarred rope close to the body. A noose had been made in it, bat the rope had broken. The beam to which the rope was tied was about six feet from the ground. !'here was a low stool just under the body which, had a man stood upon, he would have have been able to fasten the rope round the beam and to have put his neck into the noose at the other end. Deceased's legs were , drawn up, but his toes rested upo,. the ground. The next witness called was John Wilson. He said: On Saturday afternoon I was working in the gardens at Mr Jones' new house. About four o'clock deceased came into the garden. He simply passed the time of day to me. I thought he seemed low. Mr Jones' garden is aboot a mile from Ayton, and two from the quarry, where deceased was found. When he left me he went in the direction of the quarry. In answer to some question from the coroner, Mr. lioxwell Millwright, said I know there was a sum of money deceased was to have paid on Saturday at Stokesley. Ido not believe that deceased was in any way legally bound to pay the said sum, bat I think he thought himself morally bound to do so. The medical evidence of Dr. Joy went to show that there was no marks of violence upon the body, except those caused by the rope round the neck. The verdict returned by the jury was that he committed suicide while suffering from a fit of insanity. The body was interred at Great Ayton Church Yard by the Rev. Jos. Ibbitson, Vicar of the parish, and the large crowd of people who assembled to witness the ceremony, showed the great esteem in which Mr. Hunter was held.