Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1893-07-15 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

INQUEST ON SCOTTON, THE CRICKETER. At the Marylebone Coroner's Court, on Tuesday morning, Dr. George Danford Thomas, coroner for Central Loudon, held an inquest on the body of William Henry Scotton, aged 37, the well-known Nottingham professional cricketer, who committed suicide on Sunday morning by cutting his throat with a razor at his lodgings.—Mr. John Scotton, a licensed victualler, of Nottingham, stated that the deceased was his brother. He came to London to fulfil an engagement at Lord's in April last. He had not seen him lately, but had always known him as a temperate man.—Mrs. Ellen Lansdowne, the landlady at the house in St. John's Wood. terrace in which the deceased lodged, said the deceased was very well until Thursday, when he seemed rather strange. On Friday he left home, as he said, to go to Lori's. But it was afterwards ascertained that he never went there. On Saturday he did not get up at all, and seemed very quiet and depressed. He was at times rather rambling in his conversation. For instance, he talked about Lord's and said they were not just to him there. However, he weat to bed in a more cheerful mood about a quarter to 12 at night. At half .past Bon Sunday morning she took up his breakfast and knocked at the door, and, getting no response, walked into the room. She found the deceased lying on the floor and clutching a razor in his left hand. Life was extinct. She believed that of late the deceased had given way to drink, but not at home. He had suffered from delusions at .d seemed to think that people were coming after him.—James Chandler, a cricket bathandle maker, who lived in the same house, corroborated as to finding the deceased lying dead on the floor with his throat cut. On Friday night Scotton came to his room in a wandering state of mind, and, going to the window, exclaimed, "By God, there is my brother John's voice below." He Ulm went to the sofa and wept for 10 minutes.— Dr. Carer testified that death resulted from a wound inflicted in the jugular vein in the throat with a razor. Life had been extinct for tome hours. —Police-inspector Ross produced letters found in the deceased's room,one of which was from a friend at Lord's telling Scotton not to be a fool and to pull himself togethe r.—George F. Hearne, the wellknown cricketer, stated that the deceased had always ben a most abstemious man until lately, when he seemed to have been drinking on the sly, and the effects of the drink were very noticeable. Scotton had taken very much to heart being lett out of the Notts Eleven two years ago, and he believed it was that that had caused him to ccmmit suicide.—The jury returned a verdict of suicide during temporary insanity.  The Cannes correspondent of the Dis-Neurienie Si, tie telegraphs that a young lady, aged 29 years, and of French nationality, after having lost £ll,OOO at the gaming tables at Monte Carlo, has committed suicide. Before killing herself she strangled her two children, who were aged five and four years respectively.  From Topeka (Kansas) comes a report that while William Wadnell, his wife, and four children were last night awaiting in their camp, on the land they had marked out for themselves, the formal opening of a strip which had formed part of the Cherokee reservation at Englewood, they were swept away by the goods and drowned. Alfred rattle, aged SO years, manager or the Holloway Castle Hotel, Camden-road, committed suicide on Sunday night by hanging. He was last seen at 10 minutes to 10 going into the cellar, and about an hour afterwards was found dead, hanging by a rope which was attached to a beam. Th 3 door of the cellar was locked on the inside, and had to be forced open. Between 3 and 4 o'clock o iaday morning, an elderly widow, named M • . Jones, of Stepneyplace, Llanelly, 82 years of age, left her bed and, opening the bedroom window, threw herself on to the stone pavement, and was killed. It is not known whether the unfortunate woman was asleep at the time, but for some days she bite been very eccentric and despondent.