Widnes Examiner. — 1907-03-23 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SEQUEL TO A SUICIDE. -Claim for insurance at Warrington.  At the Warrington County Court on Thursday, before his Honour Deputy Judge Strachan, K.C., and a jury, Edward Plins ton, Broomfields Cottage, Appleton,b rought a claim against the Wesleyan and General Assurance Society, to recover £22 Is., the amount due under a policy of assurance on the life of Frederick Plinston (deceased). Mr. W. Madden (instructed by Mr. T. S. Steel) appeared for the plaintiff, Mr. A. Browae representing defendants. Mr. Madden' at the outset, produced the policy, premium book, certificate of death, and letters of administration, and having done this contended that he had established a prima facie case. Mr. Browne pointed out that death was certified to be due to hemorrhag3 of the brain caused by a rifle shot. A coroner's jury returned a verdict of" Febo de se." There was no provision for suicide in the policy. Ar. Madden urged that the verdict of the coroner's jury was not conclusive and the question of the deceased's sanity must be decided by that jury. As Mr. Browne had raised the plea it was for hini. to support it. Mr. Browne said Mr. Madden had put in the document and it was for him to show that the verdict was wrong,_  Hi;El.cnour ruled that the facts must be placed before the jury. Mr. Browne then proceeded to call witnesses who related the story of the tragedy previously reported and which, briefly re-started was that on the 24th January the deceased, who was a member of the Lymm Company of Volunteers, went to the Drill Hall at that village and obtained his rifle on a plea that he wanted to practice firing. The same night his dead body was I found in a second-class carriage at Lyme-street Station, Liverpool. The deceased's had the rifle between his legs and the lace of one of his boots was tied to the trigger. His mouth was shattered and there was a small hole in the top of his head. In his possession he had two undischarged cartridges. Mrs. Charlotte Clegge, Lymm, spoke to seeing the deceased at the Plough Hotel on the 24th January. Deceased was restless. He had previously told her sister-in-law that life was not worth living. William Mclntyre, Golborne-street, Warrington, said that on the 24th January, when at Lymrn Post Office, deceased came to him and asked him to arrange with his (deceased's) brother to meet him at Arpley Station, Warrington, with a cab. They then went to the Spread Eagle Inn, where the deceased wrote a note addressed to Mr. Maginn. The note (produced) read : "Please send a cab up to our house, Broomfields, and bring Ted to Arpley Station to meet the 9.43 train from Lymm due Arpley 9.58. Do not be late. Most important.—E, PLINsTox." Witness carried out these instructiots, but could not get an answer at Broomfields. This concluded the defendant's case. Edward Plinston said that the deceased had for two years been out of work and witness kept him and lent him £65, part of which was to enable dcceisod to start in business for himself. Deceased kept company with a lot of young men in a better class of life than himself with the result that he got into debt. Deceased gave up business after about two months trial and his business and other debts amounted to between £BO and £lOO Witness and his brothers tried to induce him to settle, down but he could not do so. The deceased had undergone an operation for hernia from which he had suffered several years. Just before Christmas deceased was upset by the bailiff's of the County Court, being after him. Deceased could not sleep at night and many times had said he was tired of life. For a month before his death ae suffered from neuralgia. On the night before his death deceased slept very little. On the 24th deceased in the afternoon said "I am going to Chester to try and enlist." They went to the Patten Arms and returning to the workshnp in Arpley-street, deceased started crying, rushed at witness and kissed him, and before witness could do anything he had gone. Some two years ago witness's mother committed suicide. His father's brother died about three years ago in Rainhill Asylum and some years previously his father's cousin died in the same institution. Witness took out the policy on his brother'sl ifs to cover his (witness's) loans.  Cross-examined: He had his brother insured in three societiel for a total amount of about £5O. He did not disclose the fact that the deceased was suffering from hernia in the proposal form. Mr. Browne put in a proposal form. Witness denied that the signature on the proposal was his brother's. His brother did not know that he was being insured. Mr. Clayton confessed that he proposed Mr. Browne : I have not asked about hat.  Mr. sladden : The witness swears that nr. Clayton admitted that he had forged his brother's name. Mr. Browne: And yet they are trying to claim on a forged document..  His Honour: They are claiming on the policy. If the witness is right you mast remember that it is your agent who is the forger. Witness : I signed a blank proposal form and gave it to Mr. Clayton. Continuing he said Mr. Clayton was aware of the insanity in the family. John William Plinston said he had often given money to the deceased. Deceased was in financial difficulties and was greatly distressed. Mr. Browne: At the inquest was a verdict of " Folo_de se" returned?  His Honour : I have already ruled INIr. Browne that that question must not be put. We cannot have the Court trifled with.  Elizabeth Plinston said that on the 24th January deceased was very much distressed. His Honour pointed out that unless there was on the policy of insurance aclause protecting the company from suicide, they would be bound by their undertaking to pay on death. David Clayton, the agent, gave evidence, and denied that he told the plaintiff on Friday last that the signature of Frederick Plinston was a forgery. His Honour in addressing the jury, said that in a case of suicide sanity or insanity did not come into question because, whether sane or insane the company were bound to pay, not having protected themselves by stating that a policy should be void in case of suicide. The jury, without leaving the box, returned a verdict for the plaintiff for the amount claimed with costs. Mr. Browne applied for a stay of execution, which was granted for twenty-one days.  Almost the last words of an old Stepney man who died from heart disease accelerated by mental excitement were: " I don't want to die just yet ; I am coming into some money." Worry over the expected legacy had contributed to his death, said th 9 doctor at the inquest.