The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1872-06-29 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE LATE DETERMINED SUICIDE. An inquest was held at the Horse and Groom Inn, High-street, on Saturday afternoon, before Mr. R. Docker, Coroner, on the body of Walter Slaney, a carpenter, of Birmingham, whose body was found in the Kettle Pool near to the Stour. bridge Railway Station, on the previous Friday morning.* From the evidence of Police-constable Hyde it appeared that he and Police-constable Payne met Police-sergeant Jones for consultation near the spot where the body was found, about 20 minutes to four o'clock on the Friday morning. Shortly after they had parted with the Sergeant they saw a hat and jacket hanging upon some rails. Their suspicions being aroused by this circumstantial, they got over the rails and followed the tracks through the grass till they came to the pool above spoken of, where they discovered the body of deceased lying in the water. Police-constable Payne blew his whistle, which attracted the attention of Police-sergeant Jones and he directly afterwards arrived at the spot. In the meantime Police-constable Hyde proceeded to the railway station, where he procured a piece of iron, with which they got out the body of deceased They then conveyed it on a trolley to Pr. Bayley's, and having called him up, the latter gentleman examined the body, and found that life was extinct. The only things found upon deceased were a purse (which contained a farthing and a note, the contents of which have previously appeared in our columns), and a carpenter's rule, The clothes of the deceased were not in the slightest degree disarranged ; neither was there any appearance of any struggle having taken place. The distance from where the coat and hat was found to the pool was, in his (Hyde's) opinion, about 30 or 40 yards. Samuel Latham, of Lozells-street, Lozeils, Birmingham, said the body which the jury had just viewed was that of Walter Slaney, carpenter, of Birmingham. Deceased was the brother of witness's wife. Ile had had no fixed residence for the last few days, but up to the Saturday night previous had lodged, with his four children in a house in Heath-strect, Winson Green, near Birmingham. On that night deceased borrowed eight shillings of his mother-in-law. He seemed at that time to be in a very desponding state, and had since the death of his wife, which occurred in February lust, given way to rather unsteady habits. lie was out of work, and seemed very much troubled as to what would become of his children. He was from 35 to 36 years of age. Witness produced a letter which had been written by deceased to his mother-inlaw, and in which it was stated that he felt so unhappy that he could not bear to live any longer, and expressing a hope that they would lay him beside his wife, and take care of his children.  Dr. R. L. Bayley stated that he saw the body of deceased about four o'clock on the Friday morning. When lie examined it it was quite warm, and deceased could not have been dead much more than an hour. There was a wound on the throat which was from four to six inches long. It was euch an one as would be caused by the knife produced. (The knife spoken of was found by Police-sergeant Jones in the road, at a short distance from the hat and coat of the deceased. It was a rather large penknife, and when found the largest blade was opened, and the knife was covered with blood). Witness continuing) : It was a superficial flesh wound, neither the wind-pipe nor any of the larger arte• ries being severed, and would not have caused death. He did not see any bruise or injury of other kind ou the body. 't here was a mucus or froth issuing from the month of deceased, and from this and other indications he believed death to have resulted from drowning. John Wicks stated that he was a signalman at the Stourbridge Railway Station. At about 7 o'clock on the Thursday evening, deceased, who was an acquaintance of his, called on him at the place where he was employed near the station. He told witness that he had come to Stourbridge to look for work but had not succeeded in getting any, and asked him to lend him some money to pay his railway fare back to Birmingham. Witness had but twopence with him at the time, and this he gave to deceased. Deceased was perfectly sober, and witness did not notice anything peculiar about him, with the exception that be was rather more subdued and quieter than usual.  In summing up, the Coroner remarked that he thought there could be no doubt that deceased came to his death by his own act, and with reference to his sanity he believed it would have been impossible for any one of a sound mind to have written such an incoherent letter as that which he had read to the jury, and which had been addressed to his relatives a short time before he committed the fatal act, by deceased. The Jury thoroughly coincided with this, and returned a verdict to the effect that " Deceased committed suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity."