The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1886-07-16 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

SHOCKING SUICIDE IN A GAOL. Mr. Hawkee, coromws held an inquest at the Gaol, Winsou Green, near Biriti nirFam, on Tuesday afternoon, touching the deash of James Southall, aged 41. The deceased was committed to gaol for two months, on the 6th inst., for the nonpayment of bastardy arrears, amounting te over £6.—Mary Clarke said she was the mother. in-law of the d ceased, who was a widower, and the father of four children. Deceased was by trade a jeweller, and hid, previous to his being sent to prison, lived in Latimer Street South. He had been very poor for a long while, and in November last he incurred debts of £26 Is. Bd. through • bettiog transaction. Judgment for th. money was given in the Cambridge Court y Court. un the Coroner remarking that beta were not recoverable, tbe witness explained that the deceased and another man set up as bookmakers, and oommissioned some mau to send them tufcemation. The debts were incurted for arrears due to this man. Deceased would I lave been committed to prison then had not witness paid the money for him. Since that time deceased had not had work, and he had pawned everything that he unuld. H. had been partly supported by witueas, but had lately been half-starved. Witness had taken oars of the children. Witness knew that deoessed had to pay 4e. a week for an illegitimate child, and he bad paid the money as long as he mould. When the summons came for deceased to appear before the magistrates witness tried to persuade him to go before the magistrates and explain how he was situated, but he was a very self-willed man and refused. On Tuesday the others cams and arrested him on a war:Aut.—William Brow; principal warder at the ga 1, said he received this prisoner with a warrant ou the afternoon of the 6th inst. He was not condemned to hard labour, but he would have oakum to pick. Deoeased was placed in cell B 46, wig& was situated in the top flight of cells in the oorridor.—Wm. Cool, wurd r n charge of oell B 46, said that on Friday, at 5.15 p.m., he took deceased his supper. Deceased took in his supper, and witness ord. red lion to close his cell door. Witness then went on to the next cell, and deceased trutnediately dashed out ot his cell, and jumped OM the railings into the I astineut, a distance of about 40ft. VI hen deci-aied was picked up by a warder named Henry Gill, it was found that the left side of his sku.l was smashed. lie was not, however, quite dad. A doctor was sent for, but upon the later's arrival death bad taken puttee. —A jurpnait uske.l how it was that the door of the cell was lea open—The Coroner recalled the principal warder, wh in answer to the question, said that the lock on the d or was a spring look, and the pHs ners w. re expected to shut them after they had received their atlowanoe.—The Coroner: It is a matter of discipline that he has to take in the food and shut the door? Witness answers I that it was.—The Coroner: You don't think of suicide, but only of escapes.—The Coroner afterwards remarked that Its did not remember many cases of the game kind.—The principal warder remarked that On re hail been one or two previonely.—The jury returned a lerdiet of "Salad* whilst in a state of temporsry iostinity."