The Slaithwaite Guardian and Colne Valley News. — 1904-02-12 (Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, England)

VERDICT OF UNSOUND MIND.  The suicide of Amos Shaw Sykes (38), warehouseman, of Crimble, who drowned himself in the canal near the Slaithwaite Baths, on Wednesday, morning last week, was the sole topic of converse- : Lion in the little hamlet last week-end. On Friday afternoon, when the inquest was held at the Primitive Methodist Bethel Chapel, little knots of people stood here and there discussing the peculiar circumstances surrounding the case, and no little curiosity was evinced as to what verdict the local juiy would return. Mr. E. It. Hill, the district coroner, whose services have been all,:too* often requited in the Valley for the past few weeks, presiiied over the enquiry. Samuel Sykes father of the deceased, was the first witness, and after giving formal evidence of identification, said that he lest saw Lis son alive 011 Tuesday evening. Deceased went to bed about 3.23, and on the Wednesday morning witness awoke at 8 o'clock. As far as lie was informed deceased had gene to his work. The Coroner: Had he ever made threats of suicide? Witness No. Ilea he over said that he would drown himself —No. _Not so far as you know, of course ?-ICo.  Had he ever. said he 'would be dead when he sister got married.—No. llow did he seem the day before ?-01i, be wee very flat and unneived. he'd never eaten much for e. fortnight. What about ?--ALuut her going to be married. Did she look after the house ?—ies. \Vas it because lie did not know who would take her place? —Yes, lie thought that all the work would fall upon if she went. lie lied told her so. John Jitter Taylor, teeter, of Waterside, Waite, said that he was going along the canal bank to his work as usual on Wednesday morning just before breakfast time, when he saw the body of the deceased in the water in the Spa rood. The Coronet: Did you know hiui? Witness: No, not until lie WaS got out. Continuing, witness said deceased was in the middle of the pond. "1 went for someone to help," said the witness, " and we gut an iron firo lir with which we Wel hmitu to the side and gut Min out. he Coroner : Was lie quite dcad ?  WilllC6B : its.  The body KM quite cold and had begun to. stiffen," continued the witness. " I then went and informed the police." The Coroner: Would deceased have to go along the canal bank to his work? Witness : No. Do you know bow deep the water is thele - I should think he could wade across. A juror: It will be about four or rive feet deep. The Coroner: Do you remember what sort of a morning it was? Witness : It was raining a little. You could not say if it was very dark earlier pei haps ?—No. Sarah Anti Sykes was iy.:ll called. She said that she was the half-sister of the deceased, and looked after the house for him and his father. She WM to have been married on Wednesday. The Coroner: Did he object to it .' Witness : lie said it would never come off On Wednesday.  Did he iay how he would prevent it ? —No, only that lie would. When did he say that ?-11e said it many a time since he knew.  Had he said so a day or two before ?—He amid it on the Satunla,y. Now when did you last bee hiau alive ?-0n Tuesday night. .  „ Did Ike nay anything shout it then No, nothing.  Dia ou see an; thing of law on the Wednesday inorning?—No.  nil you hear anything ?--No, no: until they brought . . . . . .  7in't you Lox him getting up ?—No, I didn't sleep.el home. . .  he say tan) thing about his food on Tuesday night I was packing up his meals for the eiinesday, and 1 asked if what I had put in was He said that it didn't matter for anything, becauso he could not eat it. Has he ever said to you that he would be dead bet-ire your marriage ?—No. Hare you lies.rd of him sayius so? —Nu. ).1 as anything of that son said when the constable was in the iIOIIIIC —I wasn't in.  Mary Ann flat side, who laid out the body of the deceased, said that there were no marks of violence o it. lhete was a slight scratch on the nose and over the right eye, which were perhaps caused by gel in the body out of the water. 1 he Coroner, in summing up, said that as far as could he perceived, the deceased was not seen by alipme. The jury had heard that the place where tile body was found was not 011 the way to hie work. It was for them to say whether there was us evidence to show that it was his own act, ulicther they would simply roturu a verdict of lowed drowned. There was no doubt that he had rusubled about his sister getting married, and that he had troubled about the extra work that would fall upon him. The Foreman (Mr. G. 11. Whiteley) : It seems to be unsound mind.  The Coroner : Aie you .atisfied that it was his own act ?—Yes.  Yes. Are you catiefieit that his mind was unhinged ?  _ _ A verdict was cutored accordingly, that deceasea hid drowned himself whilst of unsound mind.  " The Forbidden City of Lhassa," by M. Tysbikur, is an article of exceptional interest in this month's Strand Maga tine. This is the Mut aecount of the city written by a visitor since the French missionary Abbi• Hue spent a few months there in 1845. A• number of illustrations from photos add to the int.erest of an adventurous journey in a mysterious land. Lister the title "The Mystery of the Crossmarked Trail" the Wide IForbl.lhow.ine publishes a fascinating story which holds the reader to the .cry end, when the meaning of the strange " cross marks "is explained. Another striking eontribu• thou is " How L became a Lion Tamer," by Miss Lila, the well known lion tamer.  " The Problem of t.,Lurch Attendance," in the "homloy Strand Symposium, has drawn a most tienchaut paper [tom 31r. Frank T. Millen, the fatuous author of " With Christ at Sea," and • capital article is contributed by Canon Talbot of I.lerhy. Bishop of Ripon' "Bible Talk' this euonal is entitled " The Ladder betwixt Earth and I leaven," cud is quite up to hie own standard of eloquence.  Ihe C'aptaiza fur Febrile* is replete with artieloa dud stories of est:optional interest. Foremost timingst the liction is a stmts. entitled " flow Number Four vies Saved," which describes the ex. citing experience of a lady-telegraphist at a road. 'talc goods clerk and telegraph office on an Amen. can railway.