The Warwickshire Herald. — 1889-07-11 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

SPECULATION AND SUICIDE. At the City of London Coroner's-court, an inquest has been held concerning the death of William Harry Jervis, a clerk, of East Putney, who shot himself in Fleet-street.—The widow of the deceased stated that her husband, whose age was 41, was a clerk in the employ of a printing and publishing company. He had paid a deposit of £l5O, and of late had been very much depressed, as be was afraid that he would be unable to get his deposit back, and lie could not get his salary. This anxiety appeared to have thoroughly unhinged his mind. —ln reply toMr. Todd, a legal gentleman, who represented the deceased's friends, the witness said that her husband was to have received a salary of £2 106. a week but as a matter of fact since February deceased had only received four weeks' salary. The whole ot the amount bad been borrowed from him by a promoter of the company, who had only paid him back a couple of pounds. Deceased had frequently applied for his money, but could not get it. The result of this was that he had to sell nearly all the furniture in his home to provide a means of livelihood.—The assistant editor in the service of ties company deposed that a few days ago, in consequence of what he had been told by the deceased, he convened a meeting of the directors of the,company to consider the promoter's conduct. The Latter did not put in an appearance until after the meeting, winn he turned up in a state of intoxication. A few days since, another meeting of directors was held, when deceased attended. He was requested to wait outside the board room while some preliminary business was disposed of. Witness, who acted as secretary, was reading the minutes of the last meeting, when he heard the report of a pistol, and on going outside saw the deceased lying on the floor with a revolver in his hand, shot in the head. Witness had also been taken in, and £3O was owing to him. An execution had been put in, and the goods in the office were sold.—Mr. A. Withers Green deposed to beingcalled co see deceased. lie was unconscious and rapidly dying, there being a bullet wound over his right temple, from which the brain substance protruded. lie expired about an hour after the occurrence, the cause of death being the wound in the head. The bullet had . lodged in the brain.—Police-constable Moody said a letter was found upon the deceased, which was to the effect that he had been practically ruined by the promoter referred to, and that his future had been left a blank. Documents to prove how be (deceased) had been defrauded were in the hands of his solicitors. He would be driven mad, so he hastened to end it, and hi hoped his body would be handed over to the medics/ schoolof one of the hospitals where it might be of use. The promoter in question denied that he had detrauded deceased. The money the deceased had paid was never received by him, but by the financial agents of the company. The company had been robbed by an absconding employe.— fhe jury returned a verdict of suicide whilst temporarily insane. and added a rider that they considered that the Public Prosecutor should take up the  A husband exclaimed, in fond accents," Do not for. get me, or cease to love me," when partipg with his wife at the railway station. " Never,'"iiever," slur murmured tenderly, and pulled out her handkerchief and tied a knot in it that she might remember.