Blandford Weekly News. — 1886-04-17 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

INQUEST ON LORD SHAFTESBURY.  The inquest on the body of this unfortunate nobleman was held on Thursday afternoon in the Board-room of the Middlesex Hospital, bAore Dr. Danford Thomas, coroner, and a I jury. and the following evidence was taken : The Hon. Lionel Ashley said—l am the brother of the deceased, whose body I have identified. I last saw him on Monday evening. He was then quiet, but depressed. He thought he was very miserable, always desponding, and sometimes remained in bed for days. He talked as if he wished his life put an end to. Servants were instructed to• follow him if he went out. I have heard that Lady Shaftesbury removed all his firearms, and that on Tuesday when he went out she felt in all his pockets. He was not in such a condition as to place him under restraint. It was thought he was getting better. I have heard he took a cab, and that he was then found with a bullet wound in his hind, and afterwards died. That is all I km or%  Andrew Witt, the late Earl's butler, said he had been instructed to watch and follow him, and not to lose sight of him. Within the last three months the Earl had begun to be very quisA and very different from his usual manner. On the Tuesday he left heme at one o'clock. Witness followed him from Belgrave-square to Grosvenor-crescent. He walked across the Park, and Witness followed him, but missed him at Stafford House. Witness tried to find him at the Army and Navy Club, and then he saw deceased going towards Pall-mall. Witness avoided him by going into a door-way, and waited a second or two, and, as he did not pass, Witness looked out and found he was gone. 'Witness then inquired at the University and the Army and Navy Clubs, but be did not find him, and did not see him at all until he saw the body in the hospital. He had made no previous attempt at suicide. It was about 1.30 that Witness saw him last.  Robert Garden, gun maker, of 200, Piccadilly, gave evidence of deceased purchasing the revolver and cartridges at his establishment just before the occurrence. The price paid was £3. Mr. F. M. Sims, surgeon 12, Hertford-st.. Mayfair, said—l have attended the deceased for sonic years. I saw him on returning from tho country at the end of January, and found him very depressed, and taking gloomy views of his affairs. There was no disease whatever associated with that -condition. I noticed that change soon after his succession to the estate. I felt very uneasy, and said to Lady Shaftesbury, "I should be more easy if there was a consultation." A consultation took place with a specialist, Dr. Blandford, of Grosversor-street, who saw the deceased with me on two occasions. We both agreed it was a case of melancholia, and we recommended due care, surrounding him with cheerfulness. We could not do much. We could not certify insanity, as he varied very much from day to day ; sometimes being pelf ctly well. We took every care, and latterly there was an experienced nurse kept in the house. 1 saw him last Monday; he was very depressed; it was one of his bad days. There were no symptoms of suicide, except speaking of it by saying that he did not know that removing himself from the world would do him any good. He had dtlusions. He thought he had physical disease, but he had none and it was difficult to re-assure him. Lady Shaftesbury was warned to remove all pistols, razors, and knives. It was a question about a male attendant, but Lady Shaftesbury preferred to have a nurse. Many days together he was perfectly well, and a male attendant could not have been with him, but he was watched by all the male servants in the house. 'J here were consultations on the Bth and 11th of February, and on the 13th of March. By the jury.—He had become thinner lately. He took his food well, but had lost flesh from mental anxiety. Samuel Wakeland, cab proprietor and driver, said—On Tuesday about 3.30, the deceased stopped me and told me to drive him up Regent-street. We were at Portland place, and then he turned me back, and just before getting to Piccadilly he told me to go back, and asked the fare. I said, "I don't know," and he said "A shilling each way." He said "I will go up Regent-street again, and I will stop you when you want to get out." I heard the door slam near Conduitstreet,and whtn opposite the Polytechnic saw him sitting on the back seat, with his feet on the front seat. I heard a report, and I got down and asked him what he was doing. He said "Oh, it is all right, cabman.' I looked in and saw a revolver in his hand, and asked what he was up to. He said it went off in a mistake. He said, "All right; go on." I said, "I won't go on till I have a policeman." He said. "All right ; go on ; I will give you a fiver." Just then a policeman came up, and I said, "Look out, he is going to do it," for at that time deceased put up the pistol and fired at his ,head. Then I was directed to go to the Middlesex Hospital, and I galloped off as fast as I could. P.C. John Slater, 15 E.R., said he was called to a cab surrounded by a crowd, and, rushing there, got in time to see deceased put ' the pistol to his head and fire. He never spoke then or afterwards. On the deceased lie found £2 35., a ring, links, watch, and other little things, including some pieces of paper. These were handed to the Coroner, who said, "We don't know where this was written, but it is in pencil, and is as follows: —'l am no good to any one. I cannot live any long, r. Forgive Inc. Bless you, dear Harriet, you are too good for me'." Mr. Ashley said the writing was like that of deceased, but it was pleba bly %el itten while the cab was moving, and was not easy I to Hentify. _  Mr. He'dley Bartlett, house surge( n at the Middles x Hospital, stated that deceosed was admitted at 4.30. He was dying, and died within three minutes. Witness noticed a punctured wound mar the right temple,with it little hemorrhage. It looked like a bullet -.wound. There was no exit mark, the bullet