The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1890-09-26 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

DETERMINED SUICIDE AT ABERAVON.  William Davies, Richard • street, Aberavon, committed suicide in a most determined manner on Wednesday. Deceased, who was a bachelor, was 63 years of age, and lived with Mrs Williams, a widowed sister. He formerly worked at the Taibach Tin-plate Works, but had been ailing for some time, and was unable to follow his employment. He was of late very despondent, and had been attended by Dr. Arnallt Jones. Deceased bad been in Neath Union about three months and only left there a few days ago. Between six and seven o'clock on Wednesday evening his nephew, going upstairs, was horrified to find him hanging by a rope from the bedstead. Dr Arnallt Jones was sent for, and on arriving immediately cut the body down. Artificial respiration was resorted to, but without avail. Deceased had some wounds on his throat, also a severe wound on the forehead, which had been inflicted with a hammer. It is conjectured that ho must have first attempted to cut his throat, then battered his forehead with a hammer, and finding both these measures in. effectual, as a last resource, hanged himself. THE INQUEST (YESTERDAY).  Mr Howel Cuthbertson, coroner, cm Thursday (yesterday) afternoon, hold an inquest at the police-station, Aberavon, touching the death of William Davies, aged sixty, of 15, Richard-street, Aberavon, who committed suicide by hanging, on Wednesday evening, the 24th inst. William Williams, said, the deceased was his uncle, and last worked at Mr D. R. David's tinplate works as an assorter. He last saw him aliveat about balf-pLt one at dinner time on Wednes. • day. He appeared the same as usual, and went to bed. Witness returned about half-past six in the evening and wont upstairs to his bedroom to see how he was. On entering the room he saw that he had hanged himself from the bed-post. He went for Dr Arnalb Jones and returned with Sergeant Hill. He also saw a hammer on the floor and a quantity of blood. He had never heard him threaten to destroy himself. He had disease of the heart, and on Monday night he complained to witness that his heart was "beating awful." He had been in Neath workhouse for about three weeks, and he came out Saturday. His sister found the table knife produced among the bedclothes that (Thursday) morning. His uncle was the only person in the house when he left him. By a juryman ; Deceased had been bad for a long time. Dr Arnalt Jones said he had attended the deceased for about throe months, for cancer oi the bladder. The last time he saw him alive was when he gave him an order for admittance to the workhouse three weeks back. He appeared to be very low spirited, on account of the disease from which he suffered. He was in constant pain. Ho did not consider him insane when he last saw him. He was sent for at about half-past seven on Wednesday evening. Deceased was in the bedroom suspended from the bed-post with a rope around his neck. It was a loose noose. He cut him down, and as ho was quite warm, he tried artificial respiration, but without success. He noticed deceased had some self-inflicted wounds on the left side of the neck. They were not very deep and did not divide, any vessels or the veins. He also had a wound on the forehead about an inch long, very likely produced with the hammer. On examining the hammer afterwards he found some trace of blood on it. There was a good deal of blood on the floor. Neither of the injuries mentioned would have been sufficient to have caused death. The wound on the neck was evidently caused with a knife. The cause of death would be asphyxia,, due to hanging. The disease from which ho suffered might have caused temporary insanity. He should think that deceased first of all tried to cut his throat, and failing to destroy his life in that way he tried to batter in his skull with the hammer. Some time must have elapsed, judging by the quantity of blood, between the attempt to cut his throat and the act of hanging. A juryman asked whether the rumour that the deceased had applied for relief and been refused was correct.  The Coroner stated that he had just been talk• ing to Mr Jones, the relieving officer, about the man, and he had mentioned nothing about that. He would surely • have done so had it been the case. Police-sergeant Hill said he found 3d. on the body, and he was informed that he had had two pints of beer that afternoon in the bar of the Walnut Tree Hotel. The jury returned a verdict " That the deceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity."  a