Weekly News. — 1890-10-02 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE AT  POOLE.  On Saturday morning, a shocking KIJI,Ide was committed at the Longfleet end of Poole by a man named William Thomas Border., who resided with his wife at the small toll house arljoining the weighbridge, at the junction of tea Wimborne sod Ringwood roads, it appears that the deceased had been a confirmed* invalid for years past, owing to serious spinal injuries which he sustained through a fall horn • scaffold. He was unable to walk, but could get about tolerably well in a wheel-chair. He appears to have been in his usual health on Friday night, oral to have got up early on Saturday morning, but on his wife going to look for him, about half-past seven, she wag horrified to find him sitting motionless in his chair, with a great quantity of blood surrounding him. She called in assistance, when it was found that the unfortunate man had put an end to his life by cutting his throat. An inquest was held at the George Inn, Poole, on Saturday, before Mr. George Branton Aldridge, Coroner, and • jury, of whom Mr. J. Painter was foreman.  The first witness called was the deceased's widow, Elizabeth Jane Surden, who said her husband met with an accident about thirteen years ago by falling ' from some scaffolding whereby his spine was so seriously injured that he had never been able to stand since. For the last six years lie had slept in a separate bedroom, on the recommendation of a doctor. He went to bed about half-past ten on Friday night, but did not have any supper. he heard him get up that (Saturday) morning before daylight, which was nothing unusual for him to do. She was called to the weighbridge about seven o'clock, but she did not hurry up- as she thought deceased would attend to it, as he had been accustomed to do. She was called to the weighbridge a second time, and, after attending to it, she went to look for deceased, whom she found sitting in his wheel-chair with his hand on a bench in the wheel-chair house. She spoke to him, but getting no answer, called in Mr. Brown, of the George Inn, who arrived quickly, and ascertained that the deceased had destroyed himself. Deceased had never threatened to commit suicide, but on Friday complained very much • of his head; he did not, however, appeared to be more depressed than usual, although he was in a great deal of pain, both that and the preceding day. Ile used to spend a good deal of his time in a house they called 1 the wheel-chair house Sh,, sad never heard of there being any insanity in his family. The razor with which the deed was committed was usually kept in the wheel-chair house, as deceased could shave better there than he could in the house.  William Brown, landlord of the George Inn, said he was called about half-past seven that morning by th last witness. and, on going across to deceased, found him sitting in the wheel-chair as descr.bed by the last witness. He put his hand on deceased's back and said " William, what is the mattcr ?" Getting no ansder, he looked closer, and found blood on deceased's trousers. He then took hold of deceased, lifted him upright, and saw that he had cut his throat. He said to deceased " What have you been doing." Deceased looked at him, and made a gurgling noise, but was not able to speak. Be then Rent for Dr. McNicoll and burgeant Horn, of the borough police force, both of whom arrived at the same time. Deceased died almost immediately after he (witness) lifted him up. He had knwn deceased for many years and always believed him to boa very sober man. He had heard deceased say, but not iatterly, that he felt tired of his life, and that he felt he could make away with himself. Witness believed deceased said that owing to the great amount 4if suffering he endured. P.C. Horn deposed to going to deceased's house and finding deceased dead. He found the handkerchief attached to a piece of line or cord (produced) which he found near the wheel-chair. The line had a loop in one end as though intended to hang from a nail, which led him (witness) to believe that deceased at first endeavoured to strangle himself, as he found a nail driven in just over his head. The razor now produced he found covered with blood near the deceased, directly under his right hand. There was a great quantity of blood on the floor. He had known deceased, as a great invalid, for many years. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased committed suicide whilst in a state (A temporary Insanity.