The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-06-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER.  AN AWFUL REVENGE.  The accustomed quietude of the ancient city of Durham was suddenly disturbed on Thursday morning by the perpetra2 tion of a terrible tragedy in Silver-street: It appears that, about a quarter to eleven, Superintendent Joseph Scott, of the Durham Comity Constabulary, stationed at Jarrow, was escorting a prisoner through the town to the gaol. When he got to a narrow part of Silver. street, directly opposite the Red Lion Hotel, a man was observed to level a gun, which he was carrying in a cloth case, at the Superintendent. The man fired before he could be prevented, and the charge lodged in the tack of the Superire teudent, who fell to tho ground. Before anything could be done towards disarming or capturing the perpetrator of the dee 1 he took a revolver from his pocket and deliberately shot himself through the h35Ci. The prisoner who was with the Superietc t,lent was handicuffed, and he was thus unai le to render any assistanc.e, but he stood by the prostrate body of the Superintendent, A large crowd assembled, and the dead body of the Superintendent was carried to the Red Lion Hotel, and subs.qnently to the county police barracks. The murderer, who was then not quite dead, was carried to the Castle Inn, where he died in a few minutes. The murderer turned out to be Benjamin Wright, an ex-police sergeant, who NM • formerly under Superintendent Scott at Jarrow, but was discharged from the force about six mouths ago. He seems to have planned his deed, for he was seen walking past Sunderland Bridge this morning in the direction of Durham with a gun in his hand. The supposition, therefore, is that he intended, through malice and to take the life of the Superintendent, evidently knowing when lie would visit Durham. The affair ceased the greatest consternation in the city, and large numbers of police were promptly called both from the city and county force to the scene. The deepest re. gret was caused on all sides at the untimely death of the Superintendent, who was, many years ago, an inspector at Darlington. He was thirty-five years of ago. and married. His brother is Superintendent Scott, of Castle Eden. The murderer, Wright, will be well remembered by many of Our readers both at Stockton and Darlington. He was a sergeant in the police at Stockton between 1877 and 1880, during which time he frequently figured conspicuously in the reports of the cases tried at the Petty Sessions. At the end of 1880 he was removed to Hebbern-on-Tyne, which formed part of the division of which Superintendent Scott had charge. He remained at Hebburn till some twelve months ago, when he was reduced in rank on account of misconduct. The sequel of his degradation was his removal to Darlington under Superintendent Rogers, and in August last he was dismissed from the force.  The inquests on Superintendent Scott and his murderer were held at the Durham City Police Offices on Thursday afternoon. The evidence bore out the facts stated in the above report, and a verdict of "Murder" was returned against Wright. The evidence also showed that prior to leaving the force in August last Wright's mind seemed unhinged, and on Tuesday last he visited Durham and behaved like an insane man. —A verdict was returned that he committed suicide whilst temporarily insane.