The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1871-07-01 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

SUICIDE AT BECKSIDE, KIRKBY IRELETH.  On Saturday afternoon between three and four o'clock, a melancholy case of suicide occurred at Beckside. A man, named Dixon, better known as "Soldier Dixon," hanged himself on the stairs of his dwelling. An inquest was held on the body of the deceased, at the Punch Bowl Inn, on Monday afternoon, before W. Butler, Esq., coroner, and the following jury :—Messrs. Hartley Mason, (foreman), O. Aahburner, Robert Simpson, T. Woodend, J. Deason, J. Casson, W. Casson, T. Postlethwaite, It Braithwaite, T. Johns, W. Roberts, and M. Wilson. The jury having been sworn, went to view the body and on their return, the first witness called was  -Ann Dixon, who said: The deceased was my husband. He was 53 years of age last January. He was 21 years a soldier in the Ist Royals. He received his discharge about 11 years ago and was receiving a pension. To within about two years and a half he worked at the Kirkby Slate Quarries as a labourer. About that time he was very much hurt about the head, and, inc onsequence of which, his reason appeared to be, at times, impaired. He has been ill moat of the time since the accident; but worse for the last three months. On Saturday afternoon he asked me to go to the Co-operative Stores for some yeast as he expected his nephew on Sunday. He said he would get the tea ready while I was away. I left him reading the Bible. He was in the habit of reading the Bible and praying much of late. I was away about twenty minutes. I had previously locked everything from him that I thought he could harm himself with. On my return he was not in the house. I went into the garden to look for him, but not finding him there, I returned to the house, looked in the pantry then in the stairs, where I found him hanging by a rope by the neck. The rope was fastened to the stairs rail. I screamed and Francis Postlethwaite, a neighbour came in. He lifted deceased up and I took the rope off his neck. I poured water upon his face but he was quite dead. He could not sleep at nights and would frequently get up, but was very docile. The next witness called was  Francis Postlethwatte, who said: I am a quarryman, and live next door to the deceased. On Saturday afternoon I was weeding the pavement in front of my door when last witness passed me. Shortly after deceased came out of his house. I did not see him but I heard him. He went into the yard where the peathouse is. In a minute or two he came back and I spoke to him about the weather, and he replied Yes, this will do." I did not observe anything hi his hand. He went into the house, and shortly after last witness returned. I heard her scream and call me by name. I went in and saw diseased hanging by a rope in the staircase. His feet were a good distance from the growl& I believe he was quite dead. I held held him up and last witness took the rope off his neck. I laid him on the sofa. I never noticed anything strange about him till last Sunday, when he appeared somewhat different, but k cannot describe it.  This being the whole of the evidence the jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide while in an unsound state of mind.