The Telegram. — 1896-02-11 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

LABOURER'S SAD SUICIDE AT BARFORU ST. MARTIN.  An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon at the Green Dragon Inn, by Mr. R. A. Wilson, coroner, on the body of Geo. Ward. aged 75 years, afarm labourer, who committed suicide by drowning himself in the river on the previous day.—Mr. Jos. Lewis was chosen as foreman of the jury. Mrs. Cools, a widow, stated that deceased wan her father, and he bad not been at work lately, having had relief from the union. On the previous (Friday) morning he went to Groveley for • walk, and on 'ow return he told her that he had been upset by the keepers. He stated that while on his way to Grovely, through the fields, he saw a rabbit near a hole and Satan tempted him and he killed it. He was carrying it with him when lie met a keeper named Noyce, who asked him what he had been up to to get the rabbit, whereupon he (deceased) handed the animal over to him. Noyce then took him to the head k eper (Mr. McKellar), who said that be would aT soon transport him as he would Candy (the latter heing a well-known poacher). He (deceased) begged hard to be forgiven, and eveutu-lly the keepers said they would take no further action. Deceased told witness this, and added that if the ' keepers had only spoken kindly to birn he would not have cared. He could eat no dinner. Afterwards witness west out, leaving deceased irnloons reading a prayer. book. Before she went, however, be said, "I think this will do for me ; I never had such a thing happen before." Witness did not see him alive again. He had been very much depressed lately, having beets troubled about his old house, which he had lived in for n yearn before coming to reside with witnese and which he had given up to the Beard of Guardians on their allowing him relief. The witness added that deceased's sister had been placed in an asylum three times.—At the conclusion of this evidence the coroner asked whether any of the jurymen wished to ask a question and one of them intimated that he did. —The coroner requested that the query mightlie put through him, but the juror said, " No • I will ask it."—The coroner: It is the duty of the coroner to ask the questions.—Tbe juror :I have been on • jury before, and have been allowed to ask queatione.—The coroner : Never mind.—The juror : The rumour is about that the keepers at Grovely ballyragged and bullied deceased something ridiculous yesterday.—Mrs. Gioia said her father told her that the keepers did not speak kind words at all ; they were very sharp and angry with him. The witness stated, in reply to another qneation, that the last time deceased did any work was during the last harvest. Ernest Noyce, a road labourer of Barford, desposed that on the previous (Friday) afternoon he saw defendant near the sheep bridge over the river, about seven yards from the turnpike road. He spoke to witness and then went on for about 60 yards. He must have returned about half the distance, for about ten minutes after withers heard a splashing and saw him in the water. Witnees went to the spot where there warn between live and six feet of water, and found that he had his left leg tied ssith the rope produced to the hatch, and that be was lying with his face under the water. He Was also bolding the rope in his left hand. Witness got his head above the water arid tried to get him out, but could not. He then placed him with his back against the wall and wens for assistance, bit cries for help not having been heard. He only had to go about twelve yards and when he returned deceased was in the same position. He plunged again, but, with assistance witness gut him out and took him into a house near by. Efforts were made to restore animation, but deceased expired alsolt ten minutes after they had got him out of the water. A doctor was sent tor and he arrived half-an-hour _afterwards.  Yfr. W. Woodward, assistant to Dr. Straton, of Wilton, stated that deceased's family had suffered from insotal disease.  A juryman asked whether the keeper was to be male I, but the coroner Raid he did not see that abet would help the enquiry—The juror : What he 461,1 might have cootributed to the demoted's depremaion.—The coroner : Yes ; that appears to have been the exciting canoe. hut I do imt think his evidence would have lie:ped us. The foreman intimated that he was present when deceased asked Mr. McKellar's pardon, awl only about liAlfdi-dozen words were exchanged, Mr. McKellar told deeessed that he would not summon him, but said that he ought to have known better..  - The lury returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity, 'and gave their feem bo deceased'adaughter, who wag loft a widow only two or three months ago, by her litriband being accidentally killed.  The amount collected In Melbourne on the lama Hospital Sunday was £4,738, a .light reduction aa °outpaced with the previous year.  MR.