The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1901-01-02 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SENSATIONAL SUICIDE IN BRIDGE-STREET.  A TERRIBLE LEAP.  About half-past three on Saturday morning last a London hawker, named Bdwia John Mack:Jig, aged 28 years. who -WINO lodging at the 0000 a-rooms, No. 1, Hamilton. etreet, fell from a third storey window, a distance of 38 feet. Hs alighted in a crate of sods-water, syphons at the row of the hone., sustaining a fractured skull end other injuries. from which he died at the Borougi [Hoapital on Saturday evening.  fing  M. Cecil Holden (the borough coroner) conducted an. Inquest on the by on !donday afternoon, and at the inquiry several startling biota were revealed. Robert Dillon, a porter at Burton's rooms in B rest, said that be ad. mit-tea the deceased into the plaoe on Friday night, and showed him to his bedroom about half-past nine. Deceased was the only °courant of the room. Withers noticed that he had a " wildiah look in his eye," although he seamed perfectly sober. William Highneld, a coin.. itor belonging to Manchester, said that was stopping with his brother-lialaw at Burton's rooms on the Friday night_ Ei• bedroom was at the rear of the Hamiltonetreet part of the building, and commanded a clear view of the window of deceased's sleeping apartment About a quarter-past three deceased was *Wakened by a sound of the smashing of glass and cries for "Help." He went to his window, and on looking out he saw the deoeaaed man breaking gdx penes of glass in the lower part of the window, and heard his arias for help repeated. Witness aroused his beck-fellow, and standing together they saw break the tour trennaning panes in Ms window. Than be 'dipped the .atch, raised the lower sash, and clambered out on to the sill. He made a sort of "dive," head foremost, into the yard below, a distance of over 30 feet, and fell auto a hamper containing soda-water gryphons. Witness *mild not observe anyone with deceased in his room, and he observed deceased very distinctly. Witness and his bed-fellow then went out for assistance, and when they got down into the yard they found the police had arrived, and had already ba.ned the decemed's wounds, awaiting the arrival of the ambalanoe—a very quick pie°e of work, he thought. Robert Burton, the proprietor of the 0000azooms, said that when he first heard the noise of the breaking glow he imagined that ODlTheeno was trying to break into the place, or that one of the lodgers had delirium tremens; and immediately he went opt to find a policeman. There would be about twenty lodgers in the house that night. Witness entered deceased's apartment along with the police, and found the door °loved, though not locked. Inside the bedroorh everything was in a very disordered state. The bed. clothe, and the bedding were all lying in a heap; one pillow had been flung into a cornea, end the other had been warned between the drawers and the wall. Deceased's clothing had been tossed about, and the window was wide open. Evidently & struggle of some kind had taken place in the room. which was a small one, but there was nothing to indicate that anyone had been in the roam besides the d P.C. 87 (Connell) said ho tvas in the Police Office, Brandonetreet a tittle after three on the flasturriay morning, when he heard the sound of breaking glass, and then he hurried down in. the direction of Hamilton-street. where ao• met Mr. Burton. When he went Into theyard he found deceased in the hamper, in a gritting posture. Witness lifted him pp, and aaked him was he hurt very much. Deceased attempted to get lip and said, 'Let's make a good iob of it. We might as well finish it, now we have started." Witnem bandaged his head up, and Burton tale"honed for the ambulance. Deceased lopped into unconsciousness, but before he did en he told witness his came, and said that he waa a hawker, belonged to London, and had friends in Liverpool. Thomas Welford, market salesman, of 33, Landedele-road, Liverpool, said he hut known the deceased for six months, and fcr the last few weeks deceased had lodged with him. Deceased was latterly very quiet, mid occasionally was very much depressed. At times he took rather more drink than was good for him. On Thursday deceased got up in the night, and drank almost a pint of whisky and a pint of gin, which witness had goal from a goose olub, and which had been left downstairs. Witness lest saw him on the Friday afternoon, whezi they played a ' game of billiards together. Deceased made ' some remark about that being the last game he would play, or words to that effect, and iu witness's opinion he was at that time quite sober. On two occasions when deceased was stopping with witness he had opened his window during tße night When ho was spoken to about it, he explained that he had opened the window because he felt very hot. A verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity" was returned.