The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1883-06-30 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

SAD SUICIDE OF A POSTMAN.  kn inquest was held on Monday afternoon at the City Mill Inn, Coventry, before Dr. C. W Mile, coroner, on the body of Simeon Edwards, aged 49, i letter carrier, residing at 4h., 380., Span.. street, %hose body was found in Swanswell Pool, early that moruing.—Sarah Edwaris, widow of the deceased, said she had noticed that lately deceased had complained very much ef his head, putting up his hands to his forehead and saying "Oh my poor head." He had done so many times in a day. He was a man who studied a great deal, but lately he seemed to be unable to read much. Witness believed that deceased was in a desponding state, owing to the rumour which had got about  eonoerning-a female lodger whom they had, who had got into trouble, and had said deceased was the father of the child, after saying it was somebody else. Deceased always denied that he was concerned. Witness had heard deceased say that if it were not for his family, he should like $5 " go horns," but be had said nothing else to lead her to believe that he weuld commit suicide. Deceased left home that morning at five minutes before five o'clock, starting at an unusually quick pace, which she remarked. Deceased had complained daring the night of being cold, although the weather was very warm, and he seemed very restless and unable to sleep. Deceased's beat did not include Swanswell-street, it being in Spon-street district. Deceased never went to the Post Office that morning to take out his letters.—lnspector Golby identified the body of deceased, whom be always deemed a quiet inoffensive man.—P.O. W. Banbury, of the City Police, said he received information at 5.12. a.m., that a postman's hat was on the footpath, near Swanswell Pool, and that a man WAS in the water. He went at once, and on getting near the centre of the wall, he saw the body of a man, standing upright in the water, with the crown of ale head just below the surface of the water. He procured a ladder which he placed over the wall, and patting a rope round the body it was got out and carried to the Oily Mill Inn. Deceased was quite dead at the time.—By a juryman: A man named Wilson told me about the body being in the water. He did not say that he saw deceased get in.—Before summing up the evidence the Coroner said he should like it to be known that in this case he had no power to call any medical evidence, as there had been no attempt at  _ resuscitation of fife. The authorities having control of the county expenditure had a belief that there was sufficient common sense in an orditiary jury panel to do away with the necessity of requiring evidence from medical men to tell how a  man died when he went underneath the water. (Hear, hear.) Sometimes medical men thought that it was in the discretion of the Coroner whether they were called in or not, but it was not so. He believed the police had power to pay a medical man a fee not exceeding 7s. 6d., where he was called in by a constable, and under snob circumstances he should recommend medical men to apply to the police. Ho  (the Coroner) had no power- to pay medical men a guinea when they were called in and life was extinct beyond the power of resuscitation. The Coroner then briefly summed up the evidence, and recommended the jury to return a verdict of suicide whilst in a temporary state of insanity. The jury returned a verdict in the words suggested by the Coroner.