Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1877-01-19 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

EVERSHOT. SUICIDE  An inquest was held at the County Prison on Friday on the body of Joseph Davis, who had committed suicide. It was held before Mr. Alderman Lock (deputy-coroner), and Mr. J. It. Taylor was the foreman of the jury, who were—Messrs. J. P. Soundy, H. Lewis, J. Harrington, H. Legg, T. Rondall, W. Garland, H. W. Rigler, T. Hawker, T. Rogers, C. Parsons, and R. Hunt. On being sworn a juryman objected that he was eligible on the ground that he was not a householder. The coroner asked him if he was of age, and a resident of Dorchester. Being answered in the affirmative, he told lihn that was quite sufficient. The body of the deceased presented a very placid appearance. The throat was bound round, but it was apparent he had been pall starved  A son of deceased, a labourer, of Rampisharn, stated his father had been living in that parish by himself— under the same roof, but in a separate apartment. He hail lived there about seven or eight years, awl he had witnessed nothing peculiar in him until within the last fortnight or three weeks, when they could see there was a difference. He seemed in a low condition, and they acquainted Mr. Payne, the relieving officer, with it. On the previous Thursday deceased told his son he should not live long ; but they paid no attention to this, as they did not know he had anything about him with which to commit suicide. Deceased had been twice confined in the Asylum, and had also been in the Beatuinster workhouse. He had received help from his brother, and also from the union; hut that, said the witness, it was "took up"—he was obliged to go to the "public' to get his food, and some said it was to get drink, and that was the reason it was "took up." He was 64 years of age. On the Friday morning the deceased commenced beating the door which separated the bedrooms of himself and his son, who sent up for his brother as he thoaght there was "something different." Before, however, he arrived the deceased came out of the house with his throat cut, and fell down. His son assisted him, and carried him into their own dwelling, and then Dr. Clapcott was sent for. He was generally distracted in his conversation. In reply to the Foreman, the son said he never would have anyone to do for him ; he never had nothing cooked. He helped him what lay in his power; but he had a family, and there was a great deal of sickness in the place. He had often "stuck" in his room for two or three days at a time. The relieving officer knew as well as he did what state he was in, and never offered to relieve him. He was offered to go into the "house," but refused to do so.  Dr. tlapcott, in his evidence, said the deceased had a most frightful wound in his throat—the windpipe and the gullett being both largely open. He poured a little water into the throat, which came out again through the wound in the throat "like a broken pitcher." He sewed it up and dressed it. He was lying on a miserable floor. The bed was composed of chaff dust. There was no change of linen. He (the doctor) wanted a blanket from the son and a pillow, but there was none to be had. He had only one suit of clothes, very dirty, and no change of linen. He gave him some brandy and  water, and in the evening saw hint again. On that morning he sent a messenger to Croscombe to acquaint the relieving officer with the state he was in. He did not see hint afterwards until the next morning, when he was in the hands of the police. He was very stubborn, and said he wanted to lie; and being asked if he thaught he was tit after trying to commit suicide, he sail it didn't matter, as he was told to do to, and he felt he ought to, and continually day and night something had told him he must. The doctor had not the slightest doubt that the deceased was out of his naind. The wound had evidently been inflicted by a razor, and the deceased had said that was the instrument with which he had done it. On the Monday, as he seemed better, the doctir thought he hit better he removed out of the miserable place in which he was lying. There was no acute disease. On the previous Tuesday he was in the saute state as ho had been fir years. Mr. Lawrence, governor of the gaol, deposed to the admission of the deceased into the prison on Wednesday. He died at six on that day. He (the governor) felt ha should not be doing what was just were he not to bear witness to the exceeding anxiety exhibited by the Sergeant La the case, and the kind and great attention he had pail to the deceased. _ . . .  Dr. Good, the surgeon of the gaol, spAce to the extreme state of emaciation and exhaustion in which he found him. The wound in his throat was large enough for him to put his four fingers in. Everything was done to rally him. Undoubtedly he died from the wound accelerated by starvation; he had been a lunatic for years—whom some one ought to have looked after. If he had not been half starved Dr. Good did not believe he would have died, or, at all events, so soon. He ought not to have been left in a, house with himself, and no one to look after him (no matter whose duty it was.) The Coroner, in summing up, dwelt briefly upon the distressing nature of the case, as bad a one as there could be in so far as human misery was concerned. To him it appeared the relieving odicer had somewhat neglected his duty, for he ought to have gone to the medical officer and given him the necessary certificate, which would have thrown the responsibility upon him. The Jury found that the deceased cut his throat in a lit of temporary insanity, and that death had been accelerated by starvation. They also expressed an opinion the relieving officer ought to have paid a little more attention.  With this the Coroner said he quite a:treed. [Moral of the case—Allow a man t, die of starvation in England, and send several thousands to help a bloodthirsty lot of wretched Turks