The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1880-10-26 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF AN EXPUBLICAN.  On Monday last John Thomas Marsh, late landlord of the Three Crowns. was brought before the Mayor (Mr. G. Curtis), Mr. J. S. Stone, and Mr.N. Western, charged with attempted suicide. The first witness exaz I was Mrs. Coward, of Mile-road, with whom the prismier had lodged. She stated that during the past three weeks he had been in a very desponding state, but this she thought was attributable to his taking too much to drink. On the Saturday (the day in question) they had a deal of trouble with him. In the evening he gave her two letters, which he said were not to be opened until the Sunday. As, however. she thought him strange, she went up-stairs and read them. —(The letters were put in, and were as follows :—" Mrs. Coward, I Am a lost man, for I intend to shoot her and myself. It is through her, so I say good-bye. May God bless you all. Amen. I remain, yours truly, J. Marsh. 'Tis through my -dear wife s leaving me. Good-bye. Remember me.")—The second wa, to his wife: "My dear wife,—l have boon sent into hell through your temper and keeping bad company. I hope to see you all in heaven. You drove me to it, and Mother and —is the ruin of me. So good bye ; I loved her. To Mrs. Marsh, at Mr. H. Bailey s, Boecombe.")— After reading those letters she went to the police, and when she got back the prisoner had come home. She asked him not to go ~it again, hut he said he should, as he intended to do it. She then took a pistol from his pocket, and gave it to the police. (It was capped and cocked, but not loaded.) Frederick Coward, the husband of the last witness, said he had noticed the state of the prisoner on Saturday last, and told him to cheer up and get some work, and then his wife would come back and they could get some go,sis and have a comfortable home ; but he said, "Fin too far gone, IM afraid," and kept on about his "poor head." After that he left the house, and he (witness) thought, "11l watch you, my nabs," and followed him. When they got up against the Gun he said he had amind to destroy himself ; he could not get it off his mind and •at down. He (witness) thought to 'isself, "Well, you can stay 'ere all night, and so can I," and he sat down as well. Then the prisoner got up, said "Good-bye, Fred," up with a razor, and drawed it across his throat. He got hold of it and said, "You do that again, and I'll knock you down." Upon that he was as quiet as a lamb, and came home with him, and he believed he was sorry he had attempted such a thing. The Bench asked if the prisoner had cut himself much, and Marsh, who appeared in a terribly shaky condition, said there was only one little mark, and bare( his neck to show the magistrates where a piece of black sticking-plaster adorned his thorax.  Servant BaHatt deposed to going to the lodgings of the prisoner, and asking him what he had been doing, when he replied " Nothing." He (Pa'lett), however, pulled down his cravat, and seeing a wound and having a razor handed to him by Mr. Coward, he took him into custody and charged him with having attempted to commit suicide. He walked to, the station very well, and, on arriving there and being searched, another razor and 7d. was found on him. When in the cell that morning the prisoner called him up and complained there were children and cats in his cell rolled up in his bedding. Prisoner, in reply to Mr. Stone, said that was no, there were four or five cats and half-a-dozen children. They don't cry, for directly he touched them they went away. The wife of the prisoner, Sarah Marsh, was than ca11t...1, and sail he had been very strange for a long time before she left him. Ho listened a great deal to what other people had "put about," and he thought she bore a bad character. He gave her no peace. Sometimes he drank a 1.;.1.41 deal, and sometimes not at all. He never seemed easy in his mind, night or day, and he never gave her any rest or peace, and that was the reason why she left him. Prisoner cross-examined her RR to whether she had not robbed him of his money and loft him with only a few shillings, but this she denied. The Bench remanded him for a week, and ordered him to be taken to the union where he would be cared for, and then they would see whether he got over his present state or not.