The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1891-11-07 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

TRA INQIIREIT ON RAINBOW. On Saturday, Dr. Writer held an inquest at the Bull-inn; Weston-under-Wetherley, on the body of John Reuben Rainbow. Mr. T. Coles was foreman of the jury. Jos. Rainbow. father of deceased, said his son, who was 35 years old, had been rather sttange for a week or two, but he did not take much notice of the fact. Deceased did not seem to trouble about anything, or care how things went. Sometimes he would work and at others he would not; in fact, he seemed quite reckless. On Wednesday do:missed drove to Rugby, put up the horse there, and went on by train to Newmarket ' to attend the races. He returned late at night and admitted himself by means of a latch-key. Nest morning witness endeavoured to induce him to get up to assist on the farm, as he was short of labourers, but be refused to do so, and remained in bed until mid day. When he came down deceased got out a number of bills said letters, and told his mother that "he had done with it." Me handed the bills and a milk contract to his sister and said, "It is the last time." Deceased remained in the house for some time, and put a ticket on a churn in which milk was to be sent to London. Witness saw him several times, but did not notice anything peculiar in his manner. Deceased drove away from the house about six o'clock, but previously told one of the men on the farm that he was going to Kenilworth. He also told his mother where he was going, and she tried to persuade him from doing eo, but he replied that he must go and see his cousin, George Brewer. Deceased was not on friendly terms with his cousin • in fest they had had quarrel three or four months previously, and witness had heard that they fought. He did not know whet ;,he quarrel was about, but Brewer had been saying something disrespectful of thedecessed. Witness had heard his son threaten "to do" for Brewer. About nine o'clock deceased returned home, and, owning into the eitting-roons, pulled off his boots. Then, without saying a word ta anyone, he went upstairs into his bedroom, as if be interded to retire for the night. Subsequently one of the fanning men came in and said that deceased had not brought the pony and trap home. Mo. Rainbow went to the foot of the stairs and called to deceased. On the third sell they heard the report of a pistol, followed by :LW!, and, rushing upstairs, found deceased's bedroom door looked. They burst it open, and discovered deceased lying on the floor bleeding from the head. He moved twice, and then died.—The Coroner: Do you know of any reason why he should have said he would do for Brewer? No. Brewer had put a bit of scandal about respecting him, but I don't know of anything else.—ln reply to the jurors witness said his son was always reserved in manner, but he had not noticed anything strange about him until the last few days. Wm. Rainbow, of Frankton, brother of deceased, said on Thursday night he was at his father's house. He was not there when his brother started to Kenilworth, but wns in the house when he came back. Deceased came into the room where he was sitting about nine o'clock. He sat down, took his boots off, and went upstairs. Soon afterwards the boy came in, and said he could not find the trap anywhere. His mother then went to the bottom of the stairs and shouted "Reuben" four times. As she spoke the last time he heard the report of a revolver and the fall of a body on the floor. He ran upstairs, and burst open the door. The deceased was lying on his back bleeding. A revolver was lying close to his head, on the right-head side. He had never previously seen the revolver, or even knew that he had such a weapon. He started off to fetch the police, and on the way met the officer.—The Coroner: Did you know anything about a quarrel between your brother and Brewer? No; I never heard a word of it.—Did you ever beer your brother threaten to do for Brewer? No; I never heard him mention Brewer.—Had your brother been strange lately? Yes, he had been rather strange in his manner.— Was it such as to make you think he had gone wrong in his mind? I never thought of it in that way.—Did you think he had got this affair brooding on his mind? He must have had it on his mind.—Was he a passionate or revengeful man? No.—Did he bear malice do you think? No, I never knew him to bear msliee.—Did he seem as if he had been drinking when he came in? No, I don't think he had had much drink that day.—ln reply to the Foreman, witness said Reuben had gone about his work, but he seemed rather strange.—A Juror: You don't know what he went to Brewer's about? No, that is where the mystery is. Sergt. Alloott, Kenilworth, stated that on receiving information from Brewer that Rainbow had shot him he started off in a cab in pursuit of the deceased. At Stoneleigh he heard of a man having driven through the village at a rapid rate about buil an hour before, and about • quarter Of a mile from deceased's house, at Wappenbury, found an ownerless horse and trap standing by the roadside. When about 200 yards from deceased's house they were met by the last witness, who informed them that his brother had shot himself. When he went to the bedroom witness found Rainbow lying on the floor dead and bleeding profusely from a bullet wound near the right temple, from which the brain was protruding. In one pocket of an overcoat lying on the bed witness found ten and in another 12 bullets. The revolver was a new one. A bullet extracted by Dr. Clarke from Brewer correspond with those found in these cartridges. The jury returned a verdict that Rainbow committed suicide while temporarily insane.