The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1879-09-19 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE INQUEST.  Was held at the Royal Oak inn, before W. H. Atkinson, Esq., coroner, and the following jury—Mr. George Groves (foreman), Messrs. James Bishop, George Norris, Frederick Short, Benjamin Baker, John Davis, Samuel Way, Henry Parsons, William Biles: Anthony Bile', Henry Lane, John Foyle, and Edwin Augustus Friend. The jury first viewed the body, which was lying in the house, at the Manor Farm. It presented a shocking sight, the charge (of shot) having passed through the neck, entirely carrying away the windpipe and the gullet, wounding the chin, and separating part of the connections with the heart. Death must ha% e been instantaneous. The jury then visited the place where the sad act was done; this was in the saddle-room, adjoining the stables, on the bin of which deceased had been sitting holding his hunting-whip straight before him, and it is supposed that he had the handle of the whip pressed downwards against one of the triggers of a double-barrelled breech-loader, which was seen by his groom after the body fell. The house is in an open pat k-likegrass field, the garden and shrubbery seeming to be at the side, and the saddle-room, etc., in front. The field or park, in which the house stands out otherwise without screen, is sequestered from the village by a belt of trees skirting the road which leads up to the church. The jury having returned through the park and the village to the Royal Oak, the following evidence was taken :  John Jeffery, groom, in the employ of the late Mr. Fowler : I last saw him alive on Sunday afternoon, a little before four. he was in the saddle-room, adjoining the stable, sitting on the end of the corn bin. He had his shirt collar unbuttoned, and I asked him what was the matter. He said—" I was warm, John." In his hand he had the hunting crop, his three fingers through the loop, and his other hand holding the whip straight in front of him. I took hold of his shirt collar, pulled it together, fastened it, and pulled his coat over it. I said-- Woul I you like to go for a drive, master?" He replied "Yes, John, I will go with you," and I went to catch the horse. It was close by, I caught it, and, as I was leading it into the stable, I heard the report of a gun, just as I got close to the door. The horse pulled me back, and I said "Oh dear ! master! what have you done ?" Directly after, he fell off the bin to the floor ; he did not speak, being quite ead. I gave an alarm, and Joseph Phillips and Mr. Biles came to nay assistance. The latter got a board, and Mr. Fowler was covered with a horse-cloth, and taken indoors. He then had the hunting whip in his hand. The gun was lying against the back of the bin, and it had an empty cartridge in it.  By the Foreman : Master was in the stable before me. I did not see him. I have not noticed anything different in my master's manner, within the last few weeks, from what it used to be. The/gun was in the stable on Saturday night, with two others, and I cleaned them. There was no cartridge in it then. No cartridges are kept there, and I do not know how this one came in the gun. . . . . .  By a Juror: The cartridges are kept in the house, I don't know where. There was no other cartridge on deceased.  Charlotte Bishop, who was employed in the house, and who saw Mr. Fowler last before Jeffery, said: I was at Mr. Fowler's a few minutes past three, and two cart horses came in on the lawn in front of the house. Mr. Fowler drove them out, and told me to shut the door, as they would be wanting to come there again now they had tasted the grass. Mr. John Laurence Fowler, eldest son of the deceased : My father has been in a state of great mental depression for some time, and had a great dislike to meet people whom ho used to be fond of. At times he has been most excitable in his manner, a, d has turned back and refused to meet people whom he was before familiar with. He has also taken a great dislike to certain people without any cause, and to a pet dog which he used to have, throwing a stick at it, and asking that it might be destroyed. On Thursday, about 12 o'clock, I stayed with him haltan•hour. He seemed much & pressed about the weather, and—a thine most unusual to him—he hardly spoke to my wife, and I remarked to her the great change I saw in him. He has been greatly depressed about money matters.  Mr. Charles Ingram, medical man, of Blandford, had attended deceased for a long time. At times he had been very despondent, especially since his brother's death. About a week ago he sent for witness to ask a lvice as to his leaving, which witness strenuously advised, and also recommended his nephew to ask Mr. Daniell to press the matter, after which he decided to remain at the house till after harvest. He was perfectly rational, but subject to fits of sudden despondency, in one of which I believe he destroyed himself, being at the time temporarily insane.  The Coroner pointed out there could be no reasonable doubt that the deceased came to his death through a gunshot wound inflicted by himself, and also be thought there could be no doubt that at the time he was temporarily in ane. The Jury immediately returned a verdict " That Joseph Francis Fowler committed suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity." The Coroner then dismissed the jury, hoping he should not have to meet them on so sad an occasion again. Deceased left a widow and three sons; he was 61 years of age. Although Mr. Fowler was a thoroughly respected man of business, a certain amount of prejudice was retained against him by some of the poor, in consequence of the action he took in 1874, when a dispute took place between him and some of his labourers, and two of the latter were evicted from his housAm which they previously occupied. Everyone will remember his brother's unsuccessful contest with Captain Digby, for the representation of the shire.