The Slaithwaite Guardian and Colne Valley News. — 1902-01-10 (Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, England)

ANOTHER SUICIDE AT MILNSBRIDGE.  Mr. E. H. Hill, the district coroner, held an inquest at the Conservative Club, on Tuesday afternoon, to inqure into the circumstances touching the death of William Matthews (53), a basket maker, of 13, George Street, Milnsbridge, whose body was found hanging dead in his workshop at Tanyard on Monday morning. Tom Matthews, basket maker, of 13, George Street, son of the deceased, said that he last saw his father alive at 8-30 in his sister's house in Market Street, when he then seemed in his usual Spirits, He left them, and said he was going out for a walk, and they were not to wait up for him. He never saw him alire again. Witness's mother waited up for him some time, and then went to bed. Deceased had never said anything that would lead them to suspect he would commit suicide. Deceased had been unfortunate in business, and this had troubled him much.  By the Coroner : Witness did not think he had been depressed much. Robert Richardson, basket maker, of 17, Back Marriott Street, Dewsbury, said he had seen the deceased a time or two, but did not know him intimately. Witness was employed by Charles D,bAon, of Upper South Street, Dewsbury, who had taken over the deceased be-iness et Tanyard. Witness went there on Monday morning just before seven o'clock, and opened the rhor by means of the key which he had locked it with on the Saturday. No one else had a key for the place that he was aware of, ani the place was locked up exactly as he had left it on.the Saturday. As soon as he opened the door he went to the back of the shop to turn on the gas at the meter, then came hick and lit the first gas in the shop Ile then took hold of a parcel, whieli he was going to take into the office, when he Flaw the figure of a man in the lower part of the shop. Witt-teem went towards it, an I hued that the body was quite lifeless. He looked up at the fan., and came to the conclusion that it was William Meths vs Witness then shut the door, an I weut t.e policeman. By the Coroner : The gas was turned off at the meter when he went to turn it on. Deceased Was hung from a joist by the means of a rope ens pended from a joist in the ceiling, end hie f 0. would be about two feet six inches from he ground. The rope seemed to be tied round is neck with a slip noose, lie coul I not see ,tie whole of his body from the shop. The r run as a low one, and the rope was suepen led from th roof in the second storey down through it trapdoor. The trap-doer Was shut on tee Salu-da. night, and must have been lifted off by the deceased. Matthews had not used a key as far as witness could see, but he found some aliens piled on the top of each other under what seemed to have been a window at one time or another, but which must have been boarded up, as boards were now hanging there loosely, as if recently disturbed. Witness had not noticed the window before ; he had only been working there since the previous Wednesday. The rope he need was on-re which was kept over a pulley for the purpose of getting skeps into the second storey. Tte ends were generally lett loose, but one end had been passed round a beam three or four times and fmtened. He could not say how deceased would have managed in the dark unless it was being accustomed to the place, and he saw no signs of candles, tapers, or burnt matches. Neither could he have the gas lit, as it was on the meter which was turned off. _ _  Jane Elizabeth Saville, of 17, George Street, said she helped to lay out the body, and the only mark on it was one round his neck, which was not discoloured, and only just visible. The rope produced would have caused the mark. The Coroner said there seemed to be no doubt as to the man having hung himself, and he wished to know if the jury would say anything as to the state of his mind at the time. One Juror remistked that he noticed deceased during the last twelve months, and he seemed to be much depressed. Other Jurors, who had known deceased intimately, expressed the opinion that he had not seemed a bit different to them. A Juror Well, we have no evidence to show as to the state of his mind, and I don't see how we can include it in the verdict.  The Coroner said he did not agree with verdicts always being given as unsound state of mind,. and he would suggeet a verdict:as follows :—Died from hanging, he having hung himself, there being not sufficient euidence as to the state of his mind at the time.