Swansea Journal and South Wales Liberal. — 1895-08-31 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

ANOTHER SCENE ON SWANSEA SANDS. A Young Cheltenham Butcher Attempts to Drown Himself.  Visitors to the Swansea Sands were provided with yet another sensation on Sunday evening. Suicides and attempted suicides have been so numerous in the district of late that they have become almost common, but that fact did not in any way abate the excitement consequent on a determined attempt on his life made by a man , about seven o'clock on Sunday evening. Frank Dunn is the man's name. He is a respectable looking young fellow, 24 years of age, and describes himself as a butcher, engaged until recently at Huntingdon Farm, near Cheltenham. P.C. Brook, who is entrusted with the maintenance of order on the Sands, saw lam walking near the Slip on Sunday with his head hanging dejectedly, and having all the appearance of a man in trouble. Ten minutes later, Brooks saw him in the sea, striding to get beyond Ins depth, and evidently seeking to drown himself. With commendable resolution, Brooks, who was in private clothes, strode in after him, and he was followed by a young man named Fred t'isher. As they neared the would-be suicide, who had got up to his neck in the water, he plunged beneath the waves. The effect, however, was a trifle too much for him, and he soon regained his feet, and then Brooks and Fisher caught him and induced lam to ccme ashore. The poor chap was evidently deeply distressed, for, when the constable asked him why he went into the water, he moaned, in reply, "Oh, dear! 1 don't know what drew me there. My head is bad." And then he said appealingly, "Oh, do let me go back again. Do let me die." With las clothes dripping wet, looking a sight to exact pity from a heart of stone, he was marched to the Oxford-street Police-station, where he was charged with attempting to commit suicide. He then said that he had quarrelled with his wife some years ago (some days ago, he evidently meant) and that she wanted him to go back. He was driven with all haste to the Guildhall, and there his clothes were taken from him, lie was wrapped in rugs, and afterwards seen by Dr. Howell Thomas. At the Police-court this (Monday) morning he was charged before the magistrates over whom the Stipendiary presided, and after P.C. Brooks had told his story, P.C. Edwards went into the box. He said that about 11 o'clock on Sunday morning Dunn was taken to Goat-street Station by P.C. Lloyd, whom he had told that he believed a warrant was out for him at Cheltenham. He repeated this story at the station, and when asked what he thought the warrant was for, he said, "deserting my wife, slander, and falsifying books." He afterwards said that it was not falsifying books, but taking money from his wife. The Gloucestershire Police were communicated with, but they did not want Dunn, although they knew that he had left his wife for a week, and that he had about £2O with him when he left home. Dr. Howel Thomas told the Bench that when he saw the prisoner on Sunday night he was suffering from delusion as the result of excessive drinking, but on Monday morning he was much more rational. In the dock the prisoner had nothing to say except that he intended to come out of the water as soon as he saw the officer. The Stipendiary ordered him to be remanded until Thursday, saying that if he could had a surety for his safe conduct back to his home, the magistrates would let him go. Mr. Fowler further said very kindly that he himself would write Dunn's friends on the subject.  Frank Dunn, butcher, of 29, Townsend-street, Cheltenham, appeared before the Stipendiary (Mr. J. Coke Fowler) and Mr. Simon Goldberg, at the Swansea Police Court on Thursday morning to answer a remanded charge of attempting to commit suicide by trying to drown himself in the sea. on Swansea Sands, on August 25th last. . . .  Addressing Dunn, the learned Stipendiary said: You were charged here on Monday with =kin,* some attempt to drown yourself in the sea. After 'hearing the circumstances of the case, I then said that I thought it was perhaps an act which was not likely to be repeated when you came into a quiet state of mind and temper, and that if you could get any respectable sureties to accompany you home we would let you go. I wrote accordingly, and I understand there is someone here. Is that so? Defendant: Yes. The Head Constable (Capt. Colquohoun) : Two brothers-in-law arc here, your worship. The Stipendiary questioned these gentlemen, who told the Bench that the defendant was a married man.  Minn was bound over in a sum of £2O, and his brothers-in-law for £lO each for the defendant's good behaviour for six months, and then released.