The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1870-04-09 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.  SOUTHAMPTON, April Bth.  The Ceyton, with a heavy portion of India and China mails, has arrived here. She brings 169 passengers, £55,650 in specie, and silk valued at £140,000.  The British Barque blinTvir, of Padstow, foundered on the 28th ult. Gibraltar Exchange on London, 50. ALEXANDRIA, April 7th.  The Pelage, with passengers and merchandise, ex- Impeottrice. left Port Said on the morning of the 6th mat, direct for Marseilles. The latter steamer having had an accident to her screw, was obliged to transfer her mails to the P. and 0 Stermer, of the 4th mat, from Alexmadria. SUEZ, April Bth. The Simla, from Calcntta, llith of March, arrived here at nine p.m., yesterday.  and deceased was cut down, and medical assistance sent for. Mr. R. L. Freer was soon in attendance, but deceased expired in a few minutes. There appears to be no reason why he should have committed suicide, beyond that for some time past he has been drinking rather freely. Deceased leaves a wife and six children to mourn his loss.—An inquest was held on the body on Thursday afternoon, at Mrs. A. P. Brown's, the Star and Anchor Inn, Coventry-street, before R. Docker, Esq., Coroner. The first witness called was Ellen Walton, who said: I am an in-door apprentice at deceased's house. Knew deceased well. He was a confectioner, and was 39 years of age. Saw him ffrst about nine o'clock on Wednesday morning, when he came down stairs. He then put on his boots, and went into the bakehouse. Frost, Foxhall, and another journeyman were there. He was telling us how he had enjoyed himself at Bridgnorth races on the previous day. He said he had not spent much money. He lay down on the sideboard in the bakehouse, and went to sleep for about a quarter of an hour, and then got up and went to speak to Frost, the foreman, and said " Lord have mercy upon us.- He then went up into the sugar room, which is over the bakehouse. I went up for some sugar about five minutes afterwards, and saw deceased banging by his own scarf to a hook in the beam The scarf produced is the same. His toes touched the ground. There was a tea chest close by. He has taken to drinking. He was not sober. He was not quite dead when he was cut down; he breathed once. I fetched Mr. Miller (Dr. Campbell's partner) who arrived in about three minutes after the body was cut down. By a juryluau: Have never heard any quarrelling in the house. By the Coroner: There was no ono else in the room besides himself.—John Foxhall said: I am a journeyman baker, and was employed at deceased's shop. Was in the bakehouse when the deceased came in. He was saying how lie enjoyed himself at Bridgnorth races. After he had been there some time, be said, '• Lord have mercy upon us,- and then left the place. By a juryman: Saw him first about seven o'clock. He came down stairs to let us in to work, and went to bed. He did not get up till nine o'clock. He was rather the worse for liquor. —Philip Drewry. landlord of the Wheat Sheaf Inn, Coventry-street, said: I knew the deceased well. He was in my house on the Tuesday night, at half-past eleven. He was rather the worse for liquor. He was given to drinking lately. He has had fits several times. Have seen him go into the " Angel" frequently, and have noticed that he had been rather muddled for some time past.—Mr. Cuthbert Miller, partner of Dr. Campbell, said he was sent for to the deceased's house about eleven o'clock, on Wednesday morning. When he arrived deceased was dead, and his death resulted more from appoplexy than from hanging. His neck was not dislocated. There were no marks round the neck. His eyes were closed, and lie had the appearance more of apoplexy than of suffocation. There was no doubt but that the man's brain was disarranged- There were no marks of violence on any part of the body. —The Coroner said there was no doubt as to the verdict, and the jury returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind.