Blandford Weekly News. — 1889-02-23 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

ALLEORI, SUICIDE. Samuel Stephen, toilor, of Boscombe, was charged that on February 10th be" did unlawfully attempt to feloniously kill and murder himself."—Frederick William Howell, diver, in the employ of Mr. Edward Howell, contragter for the pier at Boscombe, said that on Tuesday afternoon he was on the pier at Boscombe and saw a man struggling in the water about 40 yards out, among the breakers on the Bournemouth side. He told his employer who told hint to go and get him out. Witness Jumped oft the sea wall and waded not after the man, who had a small white dog with him of the terrier breed. The dog was running in and out of the water. Witness went out up to hie armpits in water. The prisoner was lying down in the water and in a short time would have I been drowned. He palled him out. Prisoner made no I resistance but began crying, and asked him to leave I him where he was as he wanted to die. He had left his coat, hat, and overcoat on the hooch. Assistance was given in getting the man out, but he declined to I give his name and address, and so under the advice of his employer, he took the prisoner to P.C. Bishop. Prisoner said that he would not go home, that he had been illtreated by Ids daughter and wanted to die. Another man standing on the sea wall, who could have prevented the prisoner from going in the water, made no attempt to get him out and laughed at the witness for getting wet. Colonel Venner : Yea did your duty like a man.— P.C. Bishop, stationed at Boscombe, stated that the prisoner was brought to hie; house at four o'clock by the last witness and one of his companions. Howell said, "here policeman, this man has been trying to drown himself close to our pier." Witness said "well dad, what made you do that ?" He said "I had a row with my daughter, and when your own children turns on yeti its time you were dead." Witness charged him with attempting to commit suicide by drowning himself in the sea. He had been working as a tailor at Mr. Budden'a, and had been living at Boscombe. In reply to the charge the prisoner said "It they'd been five minutes later I should have been dead." Witness took him to the station. Prisoner said several times he was sorry he had been taken out of the water. He kept crying and seemed very much distressed, and he had been drinking. Witness saw him coming out of the Palmerston Arms between two and three. His friends put it down to the drink, but there was a report at Boscombe that there had been a row between him and his son-in-law, and that the latter had turned him out of the house at about two o'clock on the same day and knocked him down.—Mary Stevens (28), daughter of the prisoner, lodging at 30, Gladstone Road, with her sister, Rosins Marsh, said that the prisoner came home on Tuesday morning at 11.30 and wanted to take away a sewing machine, She would not allow him to do so as it was hers. He said he had some one to buy it, and brought a man with a trap to take it away. He walked out saying he would not stop in the house any longer, and she knew no more about it. She and her father worked together.—By the Bench : Her father botight the machine which they had had nine years, but they did not want him to sell it as she thought he wanted to get some drink. He was intoxicated at the time, and had been in the habit of drinking. At that time her brother-in-low referred to was not at home, she and her sister being alone. Two or three days last week her father had been tipsey. They hod tried every way to keep him from drinking, and he had a comfortable home. She had never heard of her brother-in-law knocking him down or laying his hands on him. Up to the last fortnight they had lived very happily, but since then her father had been spoken to several times for coming home drunk. The dog roferred to was her brother-in-law's.—George Marsh, son-in-law to the prisoner, said he was a commission agent, living at 30, Gladstone Road, Boscembe. The prisoner had been lodging with him since November last, 011 Tuesday he saw his father-in-law about one o'clock come home the worse for drink. His wife and sister-in-law were both in at the time. His father-inlaw was too drunk to speak, and almost insensible. Witness went to open the door for him when he knocked, and asked what he meant for coming in in that state after all that had been said to him. Getting no reply, he shut the door on his father-in-law, saying he should not come in till he was sober.—By the Bench: He did not strike him, but as he tried to force his way in, witness pushed him back, and he fell. He did not see whether his father-in-law fell to the ground or not, as he shut the door. He made inquiries at the Palmerston Hotel, where he was told Stephens had asked for a drink "on tick" and been refused. Both his wife and sister-in-law saw all that happened. He then went in to his dinner, but his wife and sister-inlaw went to the front room and watched him walk away. He had been in the habit of coming home drank several times a week since Christmas.—The prisoner made no statement beyond denying that he Intended to commit suicide. He put the dog into the water, and, as it was overpowered by the breakers, he went to try and save it, and got in deep water himself. —He was remanded in custody till Saturday at 11.30 o'clock, and bail was refused.