Weekly News. — 1890-04-03 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SUICIDE AT RINGWOOD.  An inquest was held on Friday, the 20th ult., at the Lamb Inn, Ringwood, before Mr. F. H. Johns, coroner, respecting the death of Alfred Lawrence Sturmey, aged 64, which took place on Thursday night, as reported in last week's Guardian. James Ayles, brother•in-law to tie deceased, said that on Thursday evening at about a quarter to eight o'clock he called at deceased's house. Finding no one downstairs he went upstairs, and as soon as he got on the landing he smelt powder. He tried the bedroom in which deceased slept and finding it locked he went for Supt. Foster. He came back with him and burst open the bedroom door. They found the deceased Bitting in a chair with a pistol between his feet. Blood was running from his mouth, but he appeared to be dead. There was no one else in the house at the time. Deceased's wife was at witnese's house at the time. Witness knew that deceased had obtained the pistol before, and that was what made him call. Mr. Rose, ironmonger, sent word to witne, that deceased had purchased a pistol and sent his assistant to get it back, but deceased would not part with it. Deceased was of intemperate habite. Witness had never known deceased to be sober within the last twelve months. In answer to the jury witness said he had not observed anything specially peculiar about deceased. Witness had observed him because he knew that he was spending his substance in drink and doing nothing for his living. It was Wednesday afternoon that Mr. Rose's ateßistant told him that deceased had purchased the pistol. He told the assistant to go and see deceased because deceased would of late never see witness. He would lock himself in his room when he called. About twelve months ago deceased suffered from delirium tremcna, and witness tried at that time to get him away somewhere, but he would not consent.  Charles Mien, assistant to Mr. Henry Rose, ironmonger, said that on Wednesday morning deceased came into the shop, between 10 and 11 o'clock. He asked for a pistol, and witness went in and saw Mr. 8060, who said he supposed deceased was all right and that he could let him have it. Witness then sold him one. Deceased said he wanted the pistol to shoot • cat with. He also purchased some powder and shot and caps. Deceased did not pay for the things. Next day he went to deceased's home and saw deceased's wife and asked her to try and get the pistol back. She went upstairs to him, but he would not let her have it, and told her he would come up next day and pay for it. Witness identified the pistol as the one he sold. Police-Inspector Samuel Foster stated that on Thursday, at about 8 p.m., he went to deceased's house in consequence of what the previous witness, James Ayles, had told him. When he went in he smelt gunpowder. He went to the room where the deceased was. The door was fastened by a bolt. He got a bar and forced open a panel and undid the bolt On opening the door he found deceased sitting in a chair. He was still slightly breathing, and his pulse wae beating, but he was not sensible. He went for Dr. Dyer, and on returning he searched the house and found that the pistol had been loaded in the bedroom. Ile found no more powder with shot. Deceased was dead when the doctor returned. Dr. H. G. Dyer said that lie went with Inspector Foster to the house of tbe deceased. He went upstairs to the bedroom and saw that deceased had shot himself. There was a large, quantity of blood on his clothes and about his beard. He found that the : jaw was fractured in the right side in two places, and ' that the hinder part of the roof of the mouth had been j fractured by a gun shot wound. The circumstances pointed to the wounds having been self-inflictcd. Deceased was dead when witness arrived. Witness saw deceased as he was returning from Mr. Rose's and he remarked that he believed that deceased would commit suicide some day as he looked just like a person who would do such a thing. He had suicide written on his face. He had attended deceased about twelve months' ago for delirium tremens. He had talked to deceased till he was tired, about giving up the drink,  The Jury returned a verdict of " suicide while temporarily insane." [The above report reached us last wee just aswe had gone to press.; Mr. Sturmey was well.known in Poole and Parkiitone, where the news of his rash act was received with surprise and regret.