Widnes Examiner. — 1901-10-04 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SUICIDE OF A NEWTON RAILWAY PORTER.  On Friday evening a railway porter employed at Newton-le-Willows station named William Thomas Jenkinson,commLted suicide by drowning. Jenking.on had been in the employ of the London and North Western Railway Company at Newton for something like fifteen years, and last week was on night duty, and it is said there bad been some trouble at the station, but deceased was not involved. He should have teen on duty at seven 'o'clock on Friday night, but as he did not turn up inquiries as to his whereabouts were made at his house. It was feared he had made away with himself, and shortly after nine o'clock a man named Arnold discovered Jenkinson's body in a pit at Highfield losS. Lowton, a abort distance from deceased's residence. The deceased was married and leaves a widow and two children. The Inquest. A Farewell Note, Mr S. Brighouse, coroner, held an inquiry at the Traveder's Rest lan, Lowton on Saturday morning into the circumstances attending the death of the young  man Jenkinson. Alice Jenkinson, widow of the &ceased gave evidence of identification and said her husband was 33 years of borne At bail-past one last Friday afternoon he left 'laYing he was going for a abort walk on ths Moss. u never haW him alive agaln. fle had not to go on duty until 6.45. Be was brought home dead at a quarter-past nine at night. She did not know of any trouble ; there had been none at home, and she had no euspicion that he intended to make away with himself. The Coroner : Did he make any complaints as to any  trcuble at the railway station or with 1319 masters ?  Witness : None, Whatever. The Coroner handed the wittiest a pocket book which had teen found in deceased's clothing, and asked her if She could recogoiz t the writing. —Witness said ribe could. The Coroner : What does he mean when he says " We have had no comfort since last Friday."—Witness Understood there was something at the station, but deceased was not mixed up in it ; there was no trouble att home. The Coroner read the note which deceased bad written in the book September 27cle. Dear Alice, c.nnot stand this any longer. I cannot keep coming home and causing you all this misery. You know that I have not had any comfort since last Friday. • WOat I did was only in fun, but people will make it out otherwise and wrist with suffering again with my back I feel wretched, what with the pain and misery we have had this week Rlndly forgive me for doing this rash act, as I think it the easiest way to get relief. Give my best love to L'etie and Harry and tell th.m I hope to roeet you and them ha Heaven, so good-bye, from your broken-hearted husband, Bill. P.S. Also give my love to all my friends, and goodbye. Please give my love to mother, Sannie, Ben and Minnie and tell father to forgive tope. too." The Coroner : What does he wean when he refers to a pain in his back P—Witness : He hurt his back last Wednesday at the station. Sergeant Bancks said he had seen the Station Master And it Feemed that some of the porters had played a Practical joke on one of Smith's newspaper boys. The hot' asked to have it reported by the Station Master,buc tell: Richardson did not think it worth while. There was no complaint made agaiost deceased and there was tothing for him to answer. Some of the staff chaffPd but there was nothing in it so far as deceased was concerned. He might have been with the lot at the time, but there was no complaint officially against him. Pis brother was involved and be seemed to think of the tr^uble that he was ie. David Bates, of 319 Newton-row!, Lowton, said tit-ceased was his brother-in-law. When he saw him between two and three o'clock on Friday afternoon, he (lid not notice anything peculiar about him, and he was astonished to hear that he bad been found drowned. It was only on Friday night that he heard of the bother at The station. Emmacuel Jenkinson, brother of deceased, said he went to Flighfield Moss pit,, which was lon a large Piece of waste land near deceased's residence. The coat doubled up and the cap inside were lying on the hank. The pocket book produced was in the jacket '.4°„,,011et. His brother had been on the railway all his '"e• Witness had never heard of any trouble until it ~se mentioned on the Friday night. He last saw his brother alive at half-past five. He did not then appear 8,:"1:Inge, and witness never suspected that he would take away his life. The Coroner in summing up said it was clear from 130 evidence that deceased bad taken his own life. He has gone to the place, taken off his cap and jacket and written the note. If they said he had to away his own life, then they would have ° t'aY what was the condition of his mind. The law het ed that a pereon was of sound mind until the cona tr ti? was proved. The deceased was worried and it „OPsared from the note that he was wretched. The ,hole thing pointed to the fact that be did not know what be was ding and that he must have been out of We Mind at the time. • . tv_lllge jury came to the conclusion that deceased had -th4erl away his own life and was of unsound mind at time. The Coroner remarked they were all very tty for the widow and everyone concerned. Vr • • --bUcT