Widnes Examiner. — 1876-11-18 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

TIIE SUICIDE IN WARRINGTON.  THE INQUEST.  Considerable excitement and regret was oceesioned in Warrington on Saturday morning last, through a report that Mr. John Morin, who for 20 years has been in-the employ of the Warrington Waterworks Company, at clerk,. had committed suicide by catting _ _ his throat. On inquiry, however, it was found that the extent of the injuries were not so great as had been reported, and the medical men in attendance anticipated his recovery. He progressed favourably until Monday night, when about half-past eight he was frightened by a very loud report of a cannon which some thoughtless youths had fired from under the rail way arch adjacent to Mr. Plevin's house in Allenstreet. The shock to the system was so great that he died in an hour afterwards. Some reckless and precipitate correspondent had announeed in a Liverpool paper deceased's death a day before it took place, an announcement which naturally gave great pain and offence to the deceased's friends and relatives. It is however just to state that the next day, acting upon authentic information, the newspaper in question contradicted the statement which had been supplied to it in such heartless and indecent haste. Mr. Pleviu was secretary for various building and friendly societies in the town, notably for the Olive Branch Lodge of the Order of Oddfellows, and in that capacity he wz s widely known and respected. The inquest was held on Thursday morning at the Ram's Head Hotel, before Mr. C. E. Driffield. Mr. Nicholson (of the firm of Nicholson, White, and Nicholson) attended on behalf of the Warrington Waterworks Company, at the request of the directors. Mr. Bowes, master of the Blue Coat School, also attended, the deceased having been formerly connected with the school as a day scholar. The evidence called showed that on the morning in question after Mrs. Plevin had left the bedroom, her husband jumped out of bed, went into the other room, and seizing a razor, cut his throat. Alarm was given, and Dr. Spinks and Dr. Starkey Smith promptly attended, and did all that was possible under the circumstances. When Dr. Spanks asked him what had led him to commit the rash act, he replied," Mad, mad." He had seen him on the Friday previous, when he seemed all right. When he went to him on the Saturday morning he found strong symptoms of insanity, and he was very violent. Mr. Fogg, relieving officer, said he saw the deceased on the Friday night, and was with him for a considerable time. On Friday morning Mrs. Plevin had told him that her husband had,bad a nervous fit, and in the evening he saw him, and tried teraise his spirits. He said, "Harry, you will have to take me where you have taken others," meaning the lunatio asylum. He had often spoken about his work being too much for him, and witness advised him to give part of it tit „ . Mr. Nicholson, That was, part of his clubs, 4lto.  nese :—Yes: His conve.r4s-ation was alwais about I his work. During the nine years I knew him I never knew him the worse for drink. He had no trouble at home, but was very comfortable. The Coroner I suppose it would make a material difference to lois income if he gave up his club work. Witness: Yes sir, about L5O a year. The Coroner: That's a material amount in a man's income, espacially a man with a family, and I don't suppose a book-keeping clerk to a Water Works Company would get a heavy salary. The Foreman of thaJary asked the witness whether anything had been:said by the deceased relative to the appointment of a successor to Mr. Riley, and Mr. Fogg said that- the deceased appeared to expect the position from his long service, but he had heard that one or two of the directors were against him, and that he would not get the situation he expected. The Foreman; Did the disappointment pray on his mind?  Witness : I think it did, with having so much on his hands already. The Coroner: It would not take much to affect a mind already overstrained. Mr. Nicholson intimated that Dr. Gornall was in attendance, and as he had atteifded the deceased some two years ago, under peculiar circumstances, the doctor would be able to show that Plevin's mind was affected then. The Coroner said he did not think any more evidence was necessity, but he would leave it to the jury. The Foreman and several members of the jury expressed themselves satisfied with the evidence already adduced. The Coroner summed up and said it appeared that the mind of the deceased was completely unhinged, and that the jury had sufficisnt evidence to return a verdict to the effect that he had committed suicide during a fit of insanity of a temporary character at least. It was quite possible that had the insanity con. tinned, and the deceased lived, it might have led to more di.astrous consequences. The Jury then returned a verdict as suggested by the Coroner. Mr. Nicholson then said : Allow me in the name of the directors Of the Water Works to say how deeply grieved they are at this young man's death, and to express the high opinitn they had of him. So far from displacing him they would have been happy to have raised him superior to the position he held, but in conducting a large concern, the Warrington Water Works, the directors are bound to have regard to the suitability for the position to which their servants may be promoted. They would be glad to have been able to have promoted him to an important position had it been poss,ible, irttnd ttleinygdmeeupslytr4eiygeretsprthgut ainryonaditheafatwhich healed Mr. Plevin to believe that uthe appoint' Viet& Akeve prevedt Dorado mid ment would fall into other hands. The works require doubt n ot pions stiibrol ye oesnitgioinne.er,Tanhodreheis cnoou have thea es etravkieunuthat a up he might have attained to the position of the lite Mr. Riley, but not as the company's engineer. The inquiry then terminated.  MR.