Widnes Examiner. — 1881-06-18 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE DETERMINED SUICIDE AT WARRINGTON. Mr. C. E. Drifileld, county, coroner, held an inqeeet at the Black Horse Inn, Sankey' Bridget!, on. Tuesday, on the body of Thomas Alexander Livingstone, :who committed suicide in a determined manner ron Saturday, The particulars of the case were fully reported in the second edition of The Examiner on Saturday. The first witness called was Gee. Henry Wood, 16 years of age, living at 106, Plerpoint-street, Warrington, and employed as a "picker-up" at the forge. He said that on Saturday, about 12-25, he was going away from Mr. Warburton's, when he saw the deceased walk into the canal, from the Sankey Bridges side, "right to the middle," wheri he held up his hands and sank in the water. lie came up again, and bubbles came from his mouth. He sank again, and witness thought of pulling off his clothes and jumping in after him, but a man who was there told him not to do so, "as the water was poisonous." Witness then ran to Sankey and informed the police of the occur, renze. Deceased never spoke whilst in the water. Deceased had the whole of his clothes on.—Edward Lewis, gardener, Bewsey Old Hall, Burtottwood, said a boy went to his house about 12-30 on Saturday, and told him that there was a man drowning himself in the canal. He went en the turn bridge, and seeing deceased at the surface, be sent his wife for a clothes prop. With this he tried to reach the drowning man, bat it was too short, and intelligence was sent to the Lockhouse. When the men were coming from this place deceased sank, and did I not again come to- the surface. Deceased made no attempt I to save himself. With the aid of the loekrake the body was I recovered in about 20 minutes time. There were no wounds on the body.—Cidilia Livingstone, living at 55, Orford-lane, Warrington, said the deceased was her husband, and was about 65 years of age. He had been in the army many years, but had lately assisted his son Alexander, who is a foreman for Mr. Collins, builder. On Saturday deceased rose early; as was his usual practice, and complained of his head. She wished him to stay in bed but he would not, and I after dressing himself, she heard him go out. He did not I return during the day, and in the evening the police officer brought her word of his death in the canal. Deceased's son I had not seen him either. For the last six months deceased I hal been in a desponding state of mind. He had a trouble previously which took great hold of his mind. Twice he had mentioned to her that he should come to an untimely end, which frightened her so much that she put the razors and knives out of his way, and when he was at home she took care to be ,with him. They had had.-no quarrel, and and abe knew nothing in the matter but what she had mentioned. Deceasedre father hanged himself, and his only sister died in an asylum. She remembered some tine ago buying some flannel to make him some clothing, and when she told him he said," You may have it yourself; I don't think I shall ever wear it." He never changed from his despondency, but would sit ia the house without speaking to- auyone. Deceased had no reason to go to Sankey Bridges, as he had no friends or work to de there. He had worked 21 years for Mr. Bolton.—By the Foreman: He had worked at Sankey Chapel and might be going there. Deceased did not take much-drink.—The Coroner, in slimming up, said it was evident the man went to the canal with the intention of committing suicide, and this view was supported by the facts that he had previously threatened himself, and that his wife had hidden razors and knives from -him. And when they found that two members of the family badheed insane—one causing his cloth and the other dying in an asylum--he thought they need not go far for an explanation of the matter, or hesitate to say that the act was committed whilst the- man was temporarily insane. A verdict to the effect that deceased committed suicide whilst of unsound mind was returned: