The Cotton Factory Times. — 1885-07-24 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

THE INQUEST.  An inquest on the body of Mr. Robert Whitaker, of Royton, who committed suicide at his own house, Brooklands, Royton, on Tuesday, was held at the residence of the deceased on Wednesday, before Mr. F. W. Molesworth. deputy coroner. Mrs. Ellen Whitaker said she was the widow of the deceased. She was 50 years of age, and her husband 65. The deceased was a cotton spinner, and chairman of the Rovton bench of magistrates. On Tuesday morning, about seven o'clock, the deceased got up and went into his dressing room. She went in and out several times while he was 'dressing. He was very low spirited. The last time she went in he was standing over the wash basin. She saw something was wrong. She called for assistance, and the housemaid came in. Two doctors were sent for, namely, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Lacey. Mr. Anderson remained with the deceased till he died. Mr. Lacey left earlier. Mr. Whitaker died about nine o'clOck. She was not present at the time. The deceased had been very low spirited at times of late. He seemed to have fits of depression, from which he would recover and then get low spirited again. Sometimes during meals he had fits of al, stractiom—By the Jury : At times he had scarcely known what he bad been doing. She bad not the least idea that he had anything of a suicidal tendency in his mind.  Mary Ann Bonson, the housemaid, said she heard her mistress scream about eight o'clock on Tuesday morning, and went in consequence into her master's dressing-room, from whence the screams proceeded, where she saw Mr. Whitaker standing over the wash basin with a stream of blood flowing from a wound in his neck. The deceased said nothing. She imme• diately ran downstairs for assistance. Tames Nolan, coachman to the deceased, and residing in the house, said he heard the last witness scream about ten minutes to eight o'clock, and gathered from her that there was something wrong upstairs. He at once went upstairs, and found the deceased standing over the wash basin, bleeding from the neck. He then ran for medical assistance. He afterwards helped to place the deceased in bed. He did not hear him say anything more that he could understand than the words' "Let me go." He had noticed that the deceased had been low-spirited of late. He did not know that the other servants noticed it, 'but be noticed it. The deceased seemed a bit "daft" at times, and this strangeness of manner had extended over the last two months.  In rerly to the Coroner, the jury said they aid not deem it necessary to call farther witnesses. The Coroner said the duty of the jury was a very simple one. They knew from the evidence that Mr. Whitaker had been depressed occasionally for some time past, and they also knew, he thought. ihe cause of that depression. That cause, there could be no doubt, had preyed on his mind, and produced what they might call temporary insanity. There could be no doubt that the deceased had committed the act which cost him his life during one of these fits; in short, that he destroyed himself while in a state of temporary insanity. The jury at once assented to this view, and immediately returned a verdict to that effect.  At the usual weekly meeting of the Royton bench of magistrates on Wednesday morning, Mr. J. Riley, in the presence of a crowded court, said: Before we proceed to the business I feel that I have & melancholy duty to perform in referring with the most profound feelings to the death of our late colleague, Mr. R. Whitaker, who had been a member of this bench for a good many years, and who had attended very well to his duties. I cannot trust myself to attempt to make any remarks beyond this—that I feel that those in court, who knew him so well, will join the bench in the expression of sympathy with the widow and family of the late Mr. Whitaker.  Mr. J. W. Mellor, solicitor, Oldham, the senior legal gentleman present, said that, having practised before Mr. Whitaker many times, he could not, as a member of the legal profession, allow that opportunity to pass without paying a humble tribute to the many good qualities which distinguished the deceased gentleman. Mr. Whitaker was a man of great energy, indomitable perseverance, and large ability. He gave a great deal of his time to the service of the public, and in many ways benefited the neighbourhood in which he resided, and although the circumstances under which he had left them had cast a saddening gloom on his memory. yet those who knew him best had the strongest belief that, had this unhappy event not occurred, he would have risen superior to the circumstances which befel him, and that they would have again seen him discharging his duties as a magistrate and as a public man effectually.  GIVE your orders for the COTTON FACTORY TIMES to your Bookseller at once, and be sure you glt it. The C. F. 7'. aims at being a splendid familj newspaper.  —Fibre and Fabric.