Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1898-11-18 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

SUICIDE IN MARSHALL STREET. A DISTRESSING CASE.  on Saturday morning the news quickly sptaa7over the Quay concerning a most distressing case of suicide, which had occurred in Marshall Street, the new street leading from Chapel Street to Tennyson Avenue. One of the new houses on the west side is named Aberford House, and, about a year ago, Mr. and Mrs. Cox came from Leeds to reside there, taking in visitors during the summer. Mr. Cox was formerly in the employ of the Singer Sewing Machine Co., and was engaged at their branch office in Baer Lane, Leeds. After ten or eleven years service he received intimation of a. change, and though he had an offer to stay with the firm, there can be no doubt that this preyed upon his mind and that he became subject to fits of mental. depression. The day before the tragic event took place Mr. and Mr. Cox had been to Leeds, and on their return she advised her husband to go and see Dr. Thompson, and he did so. Next morning they were getting up and, had not commenced to dress, when -Mr. Cox, who had been from the back room, where they had been sleeping, into the kitchen, returned with a long, narrow, pointed knife, and commenced to cut his throat. Mrs. Cox endeavoured to get the knife from him, but failed, and her right hand was badly cut. She then ran to the front door, and, having opened it, called to a man who was passing telling him that her husband was cutting his throat, but the heartless response of the man, whose name is not known was that he would go and fetch a. policeman. Mrs. known, then aroused a neighbour, and went for a doctor, but on returning they found that Mr. Cox had committed the dreadful deed, as he lay dead in a pool of blood. The painful story was told in the evidence given at the inquest beld by Mr. Luke White, coroner, in the afternoon of the same day at the New Inn. Mr. Parnell, grocer, was foreman of the jury, who, after viewing the body, returned to bear the following evidence.  Mary Bean Cox said I live at Aberford House, Masatiall Street. The body viewed by the jury is that of my husband, George Cox, aged 45 years. He was a commission agent and had been from home a. week yesterday at Leeds. We returned last night at seven o'clock. I asked him, as he was low spirited, if he would like to go and see Dr. Thompson who had been attending him. Deceased had been to see a, doctor when we were in Leeds. We went to Dr. Thompson's between *even and eight. The doctor gave him a sleeping draught and a bottle of medicine, and told him to cheer up and try and look at the bright side of things. He got up about a quarter to eight and said he would go up to the bath room. I said I would rather he went to the sink, as we were sleeping in the back room downstairs. He went to get the water and I went for the *soap, and had not been gone a moment when on my return ho was in the act of cutting his throat. He had a, table knife (produced, a long one much worn), which he must have got of the table as he went through the kitchen. Directly I saw what he was doing I tried to get the knife away from him, but he was SO strong r could not do anything. I called to a man who was passing, and he said he would go for a policeman. Then I went next door and the neighbour said. "Go to Dr. Thompson." The man said "Go in, and I'll fetch a policeman." I went for the doctor, and when I came back my husband lay on the floor dead. The doctor returned with me and went into the room. I had no suspicion my basband was likely to do anything at himself. His mother said I ought not to let him go anywhere alone, and if he had gone into the bathroom I should have gone with him. He r was in the employ of Singers' Sewing Machine Co. in Boar-lane, Leeds, ten or eleven years, and having lost his situation it preyed upon his mind. I injured my right hand in trying to get the knife from him. Dr. Thompson said: I attended the deceased at the beginning of the summer for bronchitis, and three weeks ago he came to me and said he felt low, depressed in spirits, and asked me to give him something to brace him up. I gave him a tonic and he came to me about ten days ago and said he was going to Leeds. He seemed brighter, and i saw nothing of him till Mrs. Cox came to me last night. He said be felt very low, and had seen a doctor in Ueda, and still complained of being depressed: Healed be" as if a load was coming on his head And as ' could jump into the sea, but added he \would • account of his wife. This morning Ilifisalau ' me about fifteen minutes past eight d'clo4. me what had happened. I fopnd &owed the floor, with his face downwaids, in allow I turned him over, and found a knife. He was dead, having cut the left carotid arty, was a wound 21 inches long, penetrating to the vertebra.  Mrs. Cox, recalled, said she did not see him fall. This was the whole of the evidence and the coroner said if the jury were satisfied as to the manner in which the deceased came by his death, they had next to consider the state of his mind at the , Liana There calla-be-so diectiS liaese4he evidence, that he was mentally depressed, and. aim. would ne doubt lead them to tigk tonehtsion that Be was of unsound mind. The *llya enterrettened a verdict of "Suicide during temporary iniumitY." One of the jury (Mr. Dick) asked if the name of the, man was known who was passing the door of th. house. P.C. Spriggs said it was not. A. boy came ke Police Station and also P.C. Clark, from the name& *OA hhi  t Wait.  let , not Ost fetched . She told o!t 41Q4141.../ ' TheFte, , • ,