The Warwickshire Herald. — 1889-10-17 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

SAD SUICIDE OF A SPENDTHRIFT.  Henry Allan, (37), of 20, Moilliet-street, Dudleyroad, on Saturday morning cut his throat. He was taken to the Queen's Hospital, where he died shortly after admission. The deceased was found at the back of the Wallace Inn, Balsall Heathroad, with a gash in his throat and several deep incisions on his wrists. He was discovered by a cabman, and by his side was a small clasp knife. Originally a member of the firm of Frederick Allan and Son, manufacturers of electro silver plate, and Britannia metal goods, of the Britannia Works, Icknield Square, deceased eight years ago inherited from his father a considerable quantity of property, consisting of several freehold houses at Elockley, the family residence at King's Heath, and the above-named works and business, said to have been worth £27,000. The decease of his wife two years afterwards seems to have been the commencement of his downward career. He became a bankrupt, but the creditors were paid in full by a generous friend of the deceased—Mr. Osborne, of Park Hill, Moseley—who, on Allan promising that he would give up his drinking habits, took over the heavily-mortgaged business, and installed the former owner as manager at a salary of £3 a week. As an incentive to reform Allan was given to understand that if the business prospered the property Would in time be handed over to him again. Unfortunately the deceased continued his course of dissipation yet Mr. A. Osborne, though he deemed it advisable eventually to part with the business, regularly paid Allen 15s. to keep him from destitution. At Easter deceased moved into the premises which he occupied till his death, and during his residence there he acted as an insurance agent on behalf of the Prudential Society. His habits are described as having been expensive, and as his duties at the office did not give satisfaction, Mr. Blakemore, the local superintendent, had resolved last Friday to discharge him. Deceased was apparently cognisant of this fact, for on Friday morning he failed to attend at the branch offices, 366, Dudley-road, in response to a note from Mr. Blakemore, and left home without partaking of breakfast,ltelling his landlady that in the event of Mr. Blakemore again sending for him she might say he would call in the course of the day. Deceased had made his last payment to headquarters on Thursday. Last Thursday he appears to have especially wanted a sovereign, but his application to Mr. Osborne for the amount was, it is stated, refused. His manner recently, and particularly on Friday, was strange, but he never used any threat throughout the day. He asked his landlord for the loan of a pocket knife, a request which the latter was unable to comply with. Papers found on the person of the deceased afford considerable clue to his actions and state during the last weeks of his life. Among them was a missive from a young lady at Kilburn, to , whom he had evidently been paying attentions, while there were also a number of pawn tickets and promissory notes for large amounts, but in actual cash only 40. The inquest was held on Tuesday at Moorstreet. George Richards, landlord of the house where deceased resided, said that the latter wag a widower, and had carried on the business of insurance agent. Deceased had resided with witness for the last six months. On Friday morning he went away about 8 30, taking his insurance books with him.  John ‘Vigmore, cab driver, said that about 6 10 p.m. he went casually to the back of the Wallace Inn. In the closet there he saw deceased lying on_thc floor with his throat and wrists cut.  Mr. C. Osborn, of Edgbaston-street, said that he knew a great deal of the history of the deceased. He had run through a lot of mosey. He thought that the amount of money deceased had dissipated, calculated from his father's death to the time he became a bankrupt, was little less than £5O a week.  The jury returned a verdict of " Suicide while of unsound mind."