The Blackpool Herald. — 1878-11-15 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

DISTRESSING SUICIDE AT ROSSALL.  On Monday, the Coroner, Mr. Gilbertson, held an inquest at Rosen School, near Fleetwood, on the body of Arthur Watkinson, a middle-aged man, who committed suicide, on Saturday, by shooting himself  With a revolver. Emily Sleddon, spinster, said she lived at Rossall with her sister, Mrs. Watkinson. The deceased was her sister's husband. He had been in the army but at the time of his death he was sergeant-instructor of musketry in the Rossall volunteer corps. About half-past one on Saturday last she saw the deceased in bed at his house. There had been a charge made against him. He heard of it first o n Thursday, and it seemed to affect him veiy much. He walked about the house, and said frequently, "I can only say lam innocent." They had been afraid of him on account of his manner. On Saturday she (witness) was in the shop, when her sister came down stairs with a gun in her hand, and said, "Go upstairs; Arthur is mad." While she (witness) was hesitating she heard a pistol. She then rushed upstairs and found the deceased lying in bed, bleeding from the right side of the head. She lifted his head up, and tried to stop the bleeding, but he did not speak. She gave an alarm, and told a gentleman who was in the shop to fetch a doctor. Captain Robertson came in, and afterwards Dr. Williams. She remained with the deceased neerly all the time up to his death, which occurred on Sunday morning at a quarter to seven o'clock. He was unconscious the whole of the time. On Thursday morning her sister mentioned to the deceased that she had heard of the charge against him. After that he changed his manner. He said he would meet the charge if it was settled at Rossall, but they should never take him alive into court. Captain Robertson, the secretary and bursar at Rossall College, said on Thursday morning last a report was made to him against the deceased that he had indecently exposed himself to some children at Rossall. He referred the matter to Capt. Ormsby, the captain of the Rossall volunteer corps. The deeeased carne to him the same afternoon. He seemed to be very much depressed about the matter. He (witness) asked him if he would like him to take any steps to clear his character, and he said no—it was a nasty kind of thing, and he did not wish anything to be done. On Saturday he was passing the deceased's quarters, when the deceased's wife and her sister came out screaming. He went upstairs, and saw deceased lying on the bed, bleeding. Afterwards he went to Fleetwood for Dr. Orr, at Dr. Williams's request. Dr. Williams, medical officer at Rossall College, said on Saturday last, about ten minutes past three, he was called to the quarters occupied by the deceased. He found him in bed upstairs, in his nightshirt. He was lying on his back bleeding from a small wound on the right side of his head, from which the blood was flowing. He washed the blood away, and found that there was a small hole behind the eyebrow, and about two inches from the ear. A little time after he cut through the scalp, and found the wound in the skull. In addition to the blood there was brain matter oozing from the wound. He sent for Dr. Orr, but it was impossible to do anything with the deceased. He died next  morning. Henry M. Ormsby, captain of the Ronall rifle corps, said on Thursday last he heard of the charge against deceased. He saw deceased about it, and the latter said he was perfectly innocent. He told deceased that it was his duty to make inquiries into the matter, but that on the absence of evidence he was bound to believe he was innocent. He wrote to the adjutant and asked him to assist in making inquiries into the matter. On Friday afternoon, about three o'clock, he went to Watkinson's quarters and saw him in his sitting-room. He told deceased that he had written to Captain Wade. Deceased then protested his innocence again. He told him that it was necessary that his character should be cleared, but unless the matter was brought clearly before him he would never believe it. Deceased said perhaps it would be better for him to take his discharge and leave the place. He told him to go about his work as if nothing had occurred, and added that he had the highest opinion of him, and so had Captain Wade. The deceased had always performed his duties in the RIM excellent manner, but was subject to depression of mind and fits of melancholy. After the coroner had summed up, the jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilstlin an unsound state of mind."