Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1889-04-03 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

SHOCKING SUICIDE AT SWANSEA.  THE _INQUEST.  An inquest was held on Wednesday, at the Old Compass public-house, Pentre, touching the death of Richard Morris, whose body was found mutilated on the rails of the Great Western Railway, near Pentre, on Tuesday. Mr Inspector Langdon watched the proceedings on behalf of the Great Western Railway Company. Wm. Morris, Caebricks, the deceased's eldest brother, said he had not seen his brother for about five months. The deceased was a weakly constituted man, and was engaged at a very unhealthy employment. The last time he spoke with his dead brother he judged that he was not of a sound state of mind. He had heard from the wife of deceased that he had not slept well for months, and that his conduct was rather strange. He did not know of any of the circumstances that led to his brother's death beyond what he had been bold. John Jones, living at Landore, said he was an inspector of nuisances, in the employ of the Urban Sanitary Authority. He had known the deceased about 30 years, and saw him frequently. He never observed anything odd or strange about deceased. Morris was rather offhanded in his style of conversation. Witness always thought Morris to be an able,robust man. He last saw deceased about 10.40 on Tuesday I morning, coming from the direction of the slag tip and near to the railway rutting. He saw Morris getting over the fence between the road and the railway, and he walked on the railway towards Landore. Morris stood on tip-toe as if he was looking for some one, and witness walked towards him. Just then Morris took his scarf off his neck, and at the  same time a goods train was cornmg from the direction of Landore. When the engine passed the bridge Morris ran after the train and threw himself under the tail of it. Witness shouted out when he saw Morris running, as he thought, to catch the train, not to attempt to get on any of the brakes, but deceased paid no heed. Witness continued shouting, and the guards on the train, hoeing the body on the rails, whistled to the driver to stop the tram. After the occurrence witness hurried to the spot, and found deceased lying with his head against the outside metal and a frightful wound on his right temple. Morrris's left arm was also broken, and blood flowed therefrom. Blood also issued from deceased's nose and mouth. A doctor A doctor was sent for, but Morris died before he arrived. It was the opinion of witness that Morris deliberately threw himself on the rails. David Isaac, smelter, deposed that he lived near the deceased, and knew him well. He had worked at the Hafod and Steel Works with Morris. Deceased was always most eccentric. Thomas Griffiths, the junior goods guard on the train in question, said the train left Landere at 11.38 on Tuesday morning. He was looking out at the end of the brake van at the tail of the train, and saw the body of a man lying on the path with his head resting againkt the rails. He stopped the train, and drew his mate's attention to the body.—The Coroner thought that the evidence pointed clearly to the case being one of suicide, and it would be for the jury to consider what state the deceased's mind was in at the time he committed the act. The jury returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide while in an unsound state of mind.