The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1896-05-27 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

URNS. He was never heard to threaten to do anything to himself. Between eight and nine in the evening he left Bootle by train for Ormskirk.—The Orivones :-. When did you hear anything had happened to him? Witness : Yesterday afternoon at one o'clock ;: my wife came down to the works and saki a policeman had been to the hare. A oomnrmioation hord'heen received that a man had met with an accident and. that they had found a letter on him "George Jbeepti MCready, 75, Bedford-road, Bootle? I came straight away to the Birkenhead police station and while I was talking there they rang up from the hospital that he was dead. Isom the body. afterwards at the hospital and to the beet of my belief it is that of my boy. The coroner, picking up theletter fated on deceased, remarked: The father is in a distressed state of mind and I should be sorry to put any unnecessary questions to him—Mr. M'Crearly (excitedly): If the letter refers to me let me see it—lnspector Glass (the coroner's beadle) : will let you see it just now, Mr. M'Cready. The Coroner He may see everything found upon the dereaaech. hut it is not necessary that the jury should have these things to cmsider. The letter is sealed and fastened and addressed to the father, and I isuppese it will be returned to him just as it was found.—The father was then gently removed from the room whilst the rest of the evidence wattaken. P.C. 66 (Theobald) said he found the body about 11-45 on Friday morning. He was on duty in Ashfield-road when he received information of the case. The leceased was lying at the aide of the footwalk close to Cannon Hill. Haws.. still alive but bleeding from a large wound in the left temple. There was • great deal of bleeding,, and the brains had come through the wound on to the grass. The revolver produced was lying between his legs: it contained four loaded cartridges and one which had been off. There warp- no blood on the revolver itself. He was lying on the broad of his back with his head resting on a low wipe fence. The shot must have been fired quite aloes to the temple, otherwise there would wit have been so much blood and brains scattered about. Witness bandaged the wound as well as he could with his handkerchief. There was a gentleman ea a seat near by who had not seen the deceased at all, or heard the shot fired, and he telephoned for the ambulance and assistance with which witness conveyed the wounded man to the hospital. There was a macintosh lying beside the injured man, and in the pockets witness found a box of cartridges, some envelopes, and note paper. An umbrella waealeysione/ on the seat beside it. In his other pockets dc had a time table, some cigarettes, a small bottle of brandy and other minor articles which witness laid upon the table carrying them in a bat which bore the stains of blood upon the brim. Dr. Pollard, house surgeon at the Borough Hospital, said deceased was brought into the hospital about 12-15 yesterday afternoon. He died about three o'clock from the effects of a linnet wound in the head. Witmer found an unsealed envelope in his pockets containing a letter addressed to deeeased's parents. The letter whirl was read at the request of juty ran as follows : Birkenhead, Friday, 1896.—My Dear Parents,—l am out of my mind. I cannot live this life any longer. Twice I have been parted from—(here follows an illegible name). I have tried to engage myself to a Miss-- (another illegible name), Skelmersdale. You will learn more, perhaps, if you will go to the Talbot Hotel I cannot say any more. Earnestly hoping you will forgive me. You have all been very good and kind to me. I conclude with my best love to all at home.—Your broken-hearted, Groans. The Coroner, in summing up, said it was evident the young may was out of his mind. The evidence clearly showed that he had committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity.—A verdict to this effect was returned.  fired