The Slaithwaite Guardian and Colne Valley News. — 1898-10-14 (Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, England)

SUICIDE AT MARSDEN.  An enquiry was held at the New Inn, Marsden, at noon, on Wednealay, by the Deputy Coroner (Mr. J. E. Hill), into the circumstances attending the death of Samuel R. Barnes, who was found on Monday hanging from a beam in a house on the Manchester Road, near the Tunnel End. Mr. Sam Wood was chosen foreman of the jury. The first witness was William Schofield, who deposed that he found the body of deceased at 7 o'clock on Monday, in some new buildings near Tunnel End, Manchester Road. The rope was tied to the bedroom floor joist, and the deceased was hanging to it, with his feet some few inches below the bottom floor joists. He was dead when found.—By a Juror : He (lid not cut deceased ' down; he lett him hanging, and told the policeman. _  The Coroner here remarked there was an erroneous impression about that no one but a , policeman should cut down a hanging body. It was a great mistake, as oftentimes life might be saved if the person who found the body at once cut it down. He did not think it would have made any difference in this case, however. P.C. Ellis, stationed at Marsden, said he was called to the place where deceased was hanging, as described by last witness, and with the assistance of Mr. Fielding he cut him down. He saw the deceased on the Saturday afternoon previous : he was sat down on the window-frame of a house in Wellington Terrace, just. opposite. Witness asked him if he was sheltering from the rain, and 'he said he was. On examining deceased he found no money, but there were four pawn tickets and a discharge paper from the Royal Artillery, dated August 20th, 1898. There were certain tatoo marks on him.—By the Coroner : He had reason to believe the deceased came from Congleton, and the following letter had been received from that place "Chief Constabulary Office, Congleton, October 11th. 1898.  Sir,—Re Samuel B. Barnes, fleccased,—On receipt of your communication this evening, I at once madc enquiries, and found his father practically paralysed, residing in the Vale. His brother, John Barnes, resides in Spragg Street. They are both wretchedly poor, and uttetly unable to pay the fare to Huddersfield. John states deceased was addicted to drink.--Yours respectfully, J. Hull.— Mr. Superintent Pickard, County Police Office, Huddersfield." Mary Ann Spkes, of Buckley Hill, Marsden, who laid deceased out, said there was no mark on the body with the exception of the rope mark round his neck, and the tatoo mark on the arm. The body was well nourished.—By a Juror :He had a sore place on one of his heels. The Coroner said it was a clear case of hanging, although there was no evidence to show the state of deceased's mind at the time. He thought, therefore the jury could safely find a verdict that deceased died by hanging. His conduct in the army was reported as good. It was evident he had got to the end of his money, as the pawntickets in his possession showed. The jury returned a verdict accordingly.  The discharge paper found on deceased showed that he has been in the army for 11 years and 311 days, over eight years being in service abroad. He was tatooed with the figure of a female on his right arm. His discharge is dated from Malta, and his conduct was marked good."