The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1880-12-25 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE  OF A COVENTRY MAN.  Some three weeks ago, as reported in our columns, a large amount of excitement was manifested in Hill Fields aLd neighbourhood concerning the probable fate of a man named William Edwards, machinist, in good circumstances, residing in Victoria-street, and who had most mysteriously disappeared. A week before his disappearance Edwards had attempted suicide by throwing himself in the Coventry Canal, from which he was rescued with difficulty, and ho had barely recovered from the effects of his immersion when he disappeared. As it was taken for granted that he had again attempted suicide the police were communicated with, and every effort used to discover his whereabouts. Ponds, canals, and brooks were dragged thoroughly, but no elite was obtained for a space of three weeks, and the excitement caused was dying rapidly out, when it was revived by the body of the missing man being discovered by a passing boatman in the Coventry Canal, !near Jeffrey Wood's-cross. The boatman attempted to secure the body with a " shaft" of wood, but failing, he threw a line over it, and by that means dragged it to the side. The city police were communicated with, and a policeman took charge of the body, which was removed to the "Freehold Tavern" to await the inquest, which book place last Tuesday at the "Freehold Tavern," at Jeffrey Wood's-cross, before T. Dewes, Esq. The Coroner said that the body of the deceased was in such a wonderful state of preservation, Lo decomposition having set in, that Dr. Miler Moore doubted whether the body could have been in the water so long a time as Edwards had been missed. He had therefore examined Edwards's son particularly as to the identity of the body. William Edwards, machinist, son of the deceased, identified the body as that of his father. He was fifty-four years of age, and a machinist. Witness saw his father last on the 29th ult. He was at that time ill, and was mentally very queer. He was just recovering from an attempt to destroy himself by drowning in the Canal on the previous Wednesday. Cu that occasion he told witness tha he was afraid that the police would take him into custody for his attempted self-destruction. He had been very queer in his mind for some twelve months before he attempted suicide. He heard that deceased was missing on the evening of the 29th, and although he had made every search and inquiry nothing was heard of him until he was found in the Canal.  Jane Edwards, widow of the deceased, identified the body as that of her husband. The evidence of the previous witness as to deceased's previous attempt upon his life, she corroborated. She saw her husband at midday on Monday the 29th ult., when be was in bed. About half-past five on that day deceased went into the yard for some purpose, and when she went to look for him she could not see him either in the yard or in the street. _ _  George Wildsmith, boatman, of Foleshil, said he was steering his boat on the Coventry Canal, on Monday morning, when he noticed what he thought was the head of a man in the water. He attempted to reach him with a " shaft " but failed, but he succeeded in bringing him to the shore with a rope. He then sent for a policeman. The Coroner said that what he had done was creditable to the witness.  Dr. Milner Moore said he had known deceased for several years, and had noticed that he was strange in his manner for the last twelve months. He was called in to attend the deceased after his last xttempt at self-destruction, and continued to attend him until the 29th, when he was missed. Deceased Wa3 decidedly deranged, and was in a great state of fear lest the police should prosecute him. He certainly was not responsible for his actions since the Wednesday when he attempted suicide. lie had seen the body brought from the Canal, which presented all the external appearance of a drowned man, although he could not identify it as that of the missing man Edwards. Decomposition had not set in, but perhaps that was owing to the cold weather.  The Coroner, in summing up, thought there could be no mistake as to the state of the deceased's mind when he left home, and there seemed no reason to suspect that he hsd come to his death otherwise than by his own act.—The Jury returned a verdict that deceased destroyed himself whilst in an unsound state of mind.