Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express, etc. — 1917-06-30 (Penistone, South Yorkshire, England)

TWO PROMISES OF MARRIAGE.  The sensation caused in Mexhoro' last week by the dtsappearance of a well-known tradesloan. Mr. Frank Dobbs. aged 50. grocer and ' beer retailer, of 99, Victoria road, Ntexborol. has had a strange and tragic sequel. On iatarday morning the towing rope of a barge disturbed the body of a man in the canal at Mexboro', near the ferry, and on • Sunday morning the body was recovered and identiAed as that of Mr. Dobbs. An inquest WilS held at the Montagu Hospital. Mexhoro', on Monday, by Mr. Frank Allen. with Mr. 'George Marshall foreman of the jury. Mr. W. M. Oichard atotherhami watched the proceedings on behalf of the executor of Mr. hhs' estate. ' Frances Pocklington, a spinster, gave evidence of identification, and said ehe had f,r over four years been employed by Mr. Dobbs as his housekeeper. He was very regular in his habits, .s.nd had not been jn the habit of wandering from home. Last Wednesday morning he lefi home for Sheffield, stating that he was going to try to get a special licence. It had been arranged that he should rnarty witneas on Jnne 27th. (At this point witness showed considerable emotion, and almost broke down). Mr. Dobbs returned home at about 9-20 p.m. His supper was not quite ready, and witness jestingly remarked to hint that if supper had been ready he would not have been there to have it. He smiled, and said it did not matter; be wanted to see a man at the bottom of the street, and would he hack in five minutes. Witness said. "Is it a man about a dog?" De(teased smiled again. and then went out. She did not see him again alive. Florence Wilmsoll Venn, widow, of 199, Feelestall road, Sheffield, said she practised phrenology, and had known Mr. Dobbs about ' two years. He first came to her for a professional 'consultation. They had been on friendly terms ever since. '`We have been absolute lovers for the last sin months," she added. "We were to have been married on the 4th of July; I hold the wedding ring. He gave it me about three weeks ago. I didn't • want to have it, hut he gave it me and urged ,me to have it." Witness added that she 'received a letter from Mr. Dobbs on Monday I making an appointment with her for Wednesday. For the last six months she had received from him one letter weekly, and he had also gone to Sheffield to see her once a week, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday. On Wednesday morn ing he came to see her at iher private address, and spent the day with her, leaving at 7-40 to catch his train to Alexboro'.  The Coroner: What qort of Apirits was h. in P—fle, went out to do some shopping with me in the afternoon, and seemect alertminded. He went into a shop to try on come vests, and he put on one over another. Also hi. seemed quite indifferent to the weather. although it was threatening, and he had no mackintosh. He paid me more attention than usual.  1 The Coroner i You didn't know he wasl 'under promise of marriage to another I woman?—l didn't know anything about it. Did you ever hear him say anything about taking his qwn life?—Never; he was the last man in the world I should have thought would do !mei" ar thing. P.s. Blythe gaid the police were notified on Thursday that deceased was missing. and late, they learned that A cap had been salved from the canal at Mexboro' by a boatman, who tied sold it in Doncaster. On Sat orday morning a body was disturbed and brought to the surface liv the towing rope of a barge, and the police dragged until Sunday when, shortly after noon, the body of deceased was brought to the surface and sent to his home. Deceased's watch was missing, and there were only a few coppers and a knife in the pockets. Police Inspector Barrai•lough said he understood that when Dobbs visited his home for the last time he transferred a wallet containing about -C3 from the clothes lie was , wearing into some other clothes. I The Coroner said the cireunistanee menj tioned by Inspector Barraclough was capable of two interpretations, It showed that if , Dobbs really did go out with the intention ,of committing suicide he combined with a , desperate project uncommon prudence and !economy. Personally, in the Same circiimAances, he did no t think be ithe Coroner) , would be in a condition of mind to show , such consideration to his creditors. lie I would like to point out to the jury that they , were not hound to jump to the conclusion i that becati deceased had got into a scrape mush as this there was no alternative tor him hut suicide. There were few troubles in this world that could not he overcome by measures less desperate than that, and he (the Coroner) had no doubt that Dobbs' particular trouble would have been susceptible of an arrangement. Some men were entangled with half-a-dozen women at. once, without for a moment entertaining the idea of suicide as a way of escape. Unless Dobbs was a particularly sensitive and highly-strung man. ;there did not seem to he here an adequate !motive for committing suicide. As to his 1 hii•iness affairt they were, he believed, in igood and prosperous order. . Mr. Oiehard: Oh. ye, he was qnite a substantial man.  The jury. after eonmtltation in prirate. returned an open verdict.