The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-02-08 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE IN PRESTON.—On Friday morning it was discovered that John Forrest, Esq. deputy-prothonotary of the Common Pleas of Lancashire, had met with his death by his own hand. The circumstances which have led to this melancholy event will be found detailed in the evidence given below. The unfortunate gentleman was about sixty years of age, and has held the situation of deputyprothonotary for above twenty years. At half-past three o'clock on Friday afternoon a highly respectable pry were sworn, who proceeded to view the body, when they adjourned to the Town Hall, where the following witnesses were examined :—Mr. Thomas Dixon, surgeon, said—On Sunday last I attended upon the deceased professionally, and continned to see him twice a day from that time until last night. I observed that he was subject to great depression of spirits, consequent upon a deranged state of the digestive organs, and fancied himself much worse than he really was, and considered himself unlikely to recover. He dwelt much upon his inability to attend to his business satisfactorily, and seemed much depressed about that as well as the state of his health generally. On seeing him on Thursday night he stated that he had been detained the whole of the day in the office, and had not been able to get home to his dinner before five o'clock. He also alluded to a palpitation which he had in the pit of the stomach, which I assured him was not of much consequence, and promised that I would call this morning at half-past eight to examine him more particularly as to that. I left him in a rather depressed state, and he stated lie was fearful he could not sleep. On calling at his lodgings this morning I went up stairs to his bed-room. The door was closed; I called to him repeatedly by name, and knocked loudly at the door, but received no answer. I feared something wrong had occurred, and I burst open the door. Upon entering the room, I found him lying in bed, dead and cold. The room was too dark for me to see plainly' and I raised the window blind, and I then saw that the throat of the deceased was dreadfully cut, so much that I never remember seeing one cut so bad. I found the case of razors had been taken from the drawers in his bed-room. One had been withdrawn, and the case with the others lay. on the drawers, about five feet from where the deceased was lying. The bed candle had been evidently put out early' the extinguisher being upon the candle. In my opinion the state of the deceased's health and his inability to attend,to his business has so preyed upon the mind of the deceased Hsalseeentpor,y lißinaivgaeb yes, atl,iunt sesepodef chtt eoi Tar pot oof rgpo reoytnoct ,st aosnaf tdit,loa ft rdaoebi snot ruoitnyaahbqii nul i at syret let fo:: to twelve o'clock this morning I went to the lodgings of the deceased. Upon going into his bed room I was informed no person had been in since Mr. Dixon, the surgeon had left it. I observed that the deceased was lying in the bed on his right side, and a quantity of blood lying near him and his throat cut. About four inches from his right side I &rad the razor I now produce. There was a little blood upon it. It is in the same state now i as it was when I found it. i From the place where I found t, t had evidently dropped from the right baud of the deceased. Mrs. Martha Dunderdale was next examined, and said the deceased lodged with my mother, Mrs. Livesey, for the last thirty-two years. He has been unwell for the last sixteen months. He had always previously enjoyed uninterrupted good health. He health. hreetuarnppeedaroodu His illness appeared to depress his spirits very mu, went to Dublin about fifteen weeks ago, and Saturday last. On leaving to go to much cast down. Since he returned he appeared more cheerful, but he appeared very low yesterday between twelve and two o'clock. He had the belief that nourishment did him no good, and refused to eat at times. He often seemed abstracted and very low spirited. We went to bed on Monday night and left him up. I think he would go to bed about eleven o'clock. It was his customary habit to bar the door of his bed-room. The deceased was about sixty years of age, and was deputy-prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas at Lancaster. The coroner then remarked to the jury that there was no doubt but that the deceased had met his death  by his own hand. The only question for them to inquire was, whether or not he was of sound mind when he corn nutted the act. The jury consulted for a few minutes, and returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity."— Preston Guardian.