The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1869-09-04 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE, BRISTOL. On Saturday evening great excitement was produced at Clifton, and especially in the neighbourhood of the Clifton Hot-wells, in COMO quence of itsbecomingknown that a young man, of whose identity nothing satiefactory was ascertained at the time, had committed suicide by precipitating himself from the suspension bridge into the river Avon, and had, of course, met with an instantaneous and terrible death. The suspension bridge, it may be well to state, spans the gorge of the liver, and connects the beautiful Downs' on the top of the St. Vincent. Clifton with the romantic demesne known as Leigh Woods, on the Somerset. shire it-ink of the Avon. The bright of the structure is 245 feet above hi,212 water mark, and the low-water point upon which the unhappy young man fell was some twenty feet below that. It would seem that the p,sir fellow paid his to'l at the gate for crossing the bridge, and proceeded as far as the centre of the bridge on the upper or Bristol side, anti that then having denuded himself of his hat, coat, and waistcoat, he clan, bered over the parapet and tushed upon hisdeath. e was. seen by persons at the Hot-wells to get over the rail of the bridge and hold on by both his hands. In a few moments he released one of them, and almost instantly was seen tumbling over and over through the air into the abyss below. Owing to some barricades which have been raised along the banks of the Avon to cover some extensive works going on in connection with the improvement and extension of the harbour, the persons on the Glouceetershire banks of the river did not see him actually strike the mud, but 51r. Wilkinson, the resident engineer of the port and pier railway, who happened to be passing heard a loud 'thud," or sound, which he at first supposed might be caused by bleating the cliffs, and on running to an opening in the planks of the ballustrade, he saw the poor fellow's body on the mud. lying on his back. Mr. Wilkinson at once obtained the assistance of some of his men, ad the body was got up and removed to the General Draper Tavern, where it was handed to the charge of the police, and to await a coroner's inquest. One of the men sent down to get the ill-fated man off the mud, states that he gasped twice after he saw him, but this is thought to be a mistake, as death was probably instantaneous. On the clothes being searched by the police, Ild, in money was found in the pockets, tsgether with a knife and some minor articles, but nothing that could at all roint to his identity. The body was that of a fine young man, of about 22 or 23 years of age' with a broad handsome face and very thick hair. He was I dressed in a white shirt, covered with small pink spots, and a dark blue silk handkerchief, spotted, and dark cloth trousers.  The terrible occurrence W 11.9 svitne.9sed by a lady on the bridge, win, fainted at a sight so calculated to shock the sirongest nerves. - - -  This is-the second suicide that has been committed from Clifton Suspension-bridge, the former being that of Air. G. \V. Green, of Portishead, who :threw himself off in May, 1166. In both cases, notwithstanding the terrific height of the fall, no bones were broken, and, with the exception of some alight bruises, the bodies were not at all disfigured.  Oa Monday the coroner for Bristol opened the inquest. the evidence went to show that the deceased, hating removed his hat, coat, and waistcoat, jumped over the parapet and hung on by his left hand. He made an effort to regain the bridge, but failed, and fell into the I, d of the river beneath, a depth ,d 280 feet. Ice body was not identified, and the inquest was aditrned. The same en, fling, however, shortly afterwards, a man, named Cook, who lives in Roeemary-s reet, St. Paul's, liiietol, happened to be passing the "General Draper" Inn, and entered the shed in which the body was lyitg to see if he could recognise it. He immediately identified it as being that of a young man, named Joel Coueene, a pastry-cock and confectnmer, who had been earn ilia- on business for porntime past in the Lower-arcade, and with whom he I was well acquainted.  The f trnily of the deceased were communicated with, and his sister, Couseris, proceeded to the "General Drain r," and, on inspecting some of the articles found on the corpse, she declared them to be the property of her brother. On viewing the corpse, she instantly recegaised it. it appears that the deemed, who was only nineteen years old, has been leading a gay life. Of late he has been rather peouliar in his manner, and seemed to be brooding over something. Being of rather reserved temperament, be did not communicate the cause of his inquietude to his relatives, and they are totally in the da,k Ps to what caused him to commit the rash act. On Saturday it was noticed that there was a peculier wild expression in his eyes, and he appeared excited, as if with drink, but none of his acts or words were calculated to give rise to a suspicion that he intended to deetroy himself. He left his home about ten ! minutes after four o'clock, with the avowed intention of proceeding to London, whither he had often stated he should go. in order to separate himself from his associates. Ile was well supplied with money, and as he oil not return at night it was thought he had carried his intention into effect, and his family did not feel the slightest uneasiness at his prolonged absence. What became of him from the time he left home until the time he went on the bridge is not at present known. The identification of tins body has cleared away the mystery which until now has surrotuided the melancholy affair.