The Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times. — 1885-07-04 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF SUICIDE BY A BOY.  • An foam,.t was held at then-mutations Tavern. Geoffrey Wood e C,o-e, on Monday morning, before Dr. C. W. Iliffe, Coroner, ae to the death of Herbert John DaYee. • bet' 10i. Yee., .4 ea, Citrodopher Walton, weaver, living in Freeholdetreet, emted that on Sunday morning. between seven and eight o'clock. he taw the holy of the decenvol in the calm!, near Geoff, Woods CrDe. Het head wee joet above the water. on the side away from the towing path. Waneee and • boy recovered the body, and it W. removed to the Freehold Tavern. _  Joaeplf I,yne, waiver. of Klieg William-streek stated that the deceived was ha .)S: lie was 10* yeera of ege, and was partial!, employed by Mr. Owen, baker, of Kit, Wdliumwtreet, az an errand boy. On Monday atternoon' the 22.1 June. the Ind was sent out witla a lacch of breed, and he did not return. Witness weet to hi. !garden in the eyentne, and when he came back at ! about 8 o'cluck Mr. Owen sent down and told hien that the led had been gone on an errand four ! hours. Witnese went out sod searched for the lad until hull-peed one ofclook on Tueedey morn. fog attd tee the @Met/day lie /teaselled again, wended for miles along the t wriog peth of the canal, and calling at all the placea in the city where he thought the boy might probably be Emma. lio also informed tbe polme of the dis- • appesrauce of Me boy, but all search was oaavails jog until the body was remeved from the canal oh Sunday morning. The Coroner Can you give coy reaton as to ebytbe ebn"'".'";— no wise it was bee au. he...trus,..frightantl,„_  "-TVii-di;i7;;;Tii'hat was ihere to frighten him Witame I think Mr Owen hail bee, telling him about einiethius tha: was not right. I think the boy had been in the habit of drawing money, and that he used some of it for hini•lf, but it was a very small sum. t 0,.. Owen sold it la .ii gone from a half peony to a penny, and from a peooy to tem eerie, and th .t it had sone on for some weeks. The dace:mod had a Milling rod at home, but he did not take it with him when he went away, to my knowledge. The Coroner : Are you of opoion that hie death was due to an accident, or that this must hare preyed on his m.od. Wile..,: I cannot say—but if it wee not ao accident this must have preyed on his mind rery  -711;..; Coroner You are quite sure that tho boy dicLA7ropra,to scro of t,1.1.,,m00ir.  --WigUe.e:.l.eatilt ea.; ih•t=;FiVias • statement made by hie inaeter. The boy never told me, and lolid not hoar of it until nine olelocla on Monday night. Witness, wietinning, mod he hal no euspieion that aoythgeakeeoug. On Monday morning two of hie boys we. talking about a youth who had got t Mn before tee !Magistrate, and the eldeat boy said, "Whet do you think he will get, father r. Witte.e replied that he would not be eurprieed if he got . ighteen month, and added, " I hope I shall leaver hear of eitner of you doing wrong, if Idol shall who you • downright good thrashing." The de:Newel wan not • MO[o,o Soy, but woo clean, lively. and sharp. By the Foreman : The deeetwed wen. out on Monday afternoon to delivers email batch of bread at a howie in Arthurwtreet. Be delivered : the bread all right, and left the house taking the I baaket with him.  Hy a Juror, I have never seen the bay with halfpence or sweets, or anything to give Me the idea that ho rear doing wrong at all. The Cormier said it seamed to him that the men, of the money must Mve preye tOO the boy's mind, but it seas hardly enough for the evidence on that point to be simply lietreay evidenm. He thought that Mr. Owen shoul hare Mtn called, unless Inspector Gulby could detail the facts. Inspector Gulley mid he had heard the facts from Mr. Owen The Cornier mid he thought that Golby, being a police officer, meld state to the jary what he l had heard. What they hail to determine was whether tire was Co occurrence of an accidental mture, or ..bather it was a case of micide, and Gothic evidence might have a direct bearing on that poiot. . .  nspector Colby said he had made enquiries into thia matter, and trot. what he had learned from Mr. Owen and other people the facts were them Oti Monday to deceami received shout to. from Mre. Arnold, of Citirleeed.t. ant when Mr. Owen asked bun for it he dented having received . it. Mr. Owen allowed the lad logo out, and Oen went mil mate eiquiri-a, eo.t foood that the money had been paid. When Mr. Owen returned the boy had been somewhere el-e end had collected 5a., and with One he made, the Ss. and paid it to Mr. Owen. Me. Owen told the by he was not tore that he would not give him hit., custody, and talkel to him and triet to correct him. Subsequently the boy woo mot out with bread, end after he had delivered that notion,/ lam heard or peen of him until Sunday morotng. Witneas'it premien was that the boy, who wee very timid and easily frightened, wee afraid to go bark. From What wit..., cauld mate out, the deceamd was generally o good bey. The Coroner Paid it waa a very painful cam, but they moat record the fact whether the occurrence arm accidental or an Oct of siticole. It memed to him that it wee the latter. The only question waa whether the jury were antiefi..d with the evidenee of Inapector Colby and the father, er whither they would lik,2 to call Mr. Ovre,li.,. ~T?tay had.  hro-rleire-r7;;;-tho—etWin-eSures-,.1rntif;TO not satisfied they email ha: a a.,j.iiironsent end call Mr. Oxen. Ho himself ad not think it necessary, because be thought at most they would only bear • similar statement to tlmt mrida by the Inspector. Inspector Oolby said thit from what he mill Lear ho did not think blame could bit attached to