Widnes Examiner. — 1899-12-29 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SUICIDE AT RUNCORN.  A Sad Christmas Spectacle.  On Christmas morning, the residents of Runcorn received a rude shock on learning that Thomas Lambert, a respected lock-keeper in the emptyv of the Manchester Ship Canal Company, had committed suicide by hanging himself upon his return from work that day. On Wednesday morning, Mr. A. E. White (depnty coroner) held an inquest upon the body, at the Runcora Police Court.—Mr. Robert Wright was foreman of the jury. Louisa Reylance, wife of Eiward Roylance, stated she resided at 14, Picow-street, Runcorn. Tnomas Lambert (the deceased) was her father and resided with her. He was 66 years of age, on the 20th of October last,and was a lock-tender on the Manchester Snip Canal. She last saw her father alive on Meaday :morning at six o'cleck. He had boin werkine nights, and came home and washed himself as usual in the back kitchen. She did not see anything more of her father, nor bad she seen the body. Between 6.30 and 7 o'clock she calle 1 t o her son beeause she felt uneasy. Something seemed to tell her there was something wrong. Deceassd was going to be married, but some time last week he stated he did not know how he would get on as the woman appeared to be a shiftless sort of woman. He also told witness there was a son' and he did not like the idea of keeping him if he kept the old woman. fie had asked his intended wife about the lad, and she had told him he was going away immediately. Deceased had arranged to be married on Tuesday. Thom as oylance.eas-stove fitter Gebbon's-read ,Stretford, London, described deceased as "his grandfather be marriage "—his stop-mother being the previous witness Upon his step-mother calling to him he went to call "father " and look for the deceased. He ceuld not find him, but saw what he took to be a tall strange man in the closet. Receiving no answer from the person in the closet he returned to the house and his father coming in shortly afterwards he told him about it. Edward Roylance, in the employ of the Menchester Ship Canal, said deaeased was his wife's father. He sew the deceased hanging in the-closet. Teat was after the son had told him that he "could not find father, as he had gone out; but there wee a big men standing at the bottom of the yard." Oa going there he found a I man hanging in the closet, and ran out of the bou.e all , the way to the Police Station. Oa arriving at the Police; , Station he told the. officers in charge and was immediately accompanied by a sergeant and a constable. They cut the deceased down. The time wnuld be about eight o'clock.. He was dead then.—The Coroner*: Suppose you had cut him down when first you got there. There is a possibility he piglet not have been dead ?—No reply.-you have no reason for not cutting him down only that you had no nerve P—Witness : That's se.— The Coroner : But you know it was your duty to do so.—Witness: I ceuld not do it. Sergeant William Brewster, stationed at Runcorn, said he was told by the last witness, who was very nervous and excited, that his father-in-law was hanging in the closet. He went there and found him suspended by a rope from a rafter. The rope had been wound twice round the rafter and made secure. Then, he would suggest, the deceased had got on the closet seat and putting the noose ralsnd his neck stepped off. His feet were only a little distance off the floor. The man was to all appearance dead when Cut down, hut witness and Constable Nicholls tried artificial respiration until the arrival of Dr. McKenzie • who pronounced life extinct. Wituess found nothing upon the decea ;eel in the shape of written matter explainine the cause for the action. There was 15s. 2d: in a purse, a gold wedding ring. 4 keys, a pocket knife, and a silver watch and chain, found on the body. The last witness had told him that he was too rfoich upset to cut the body , down.  Sergeant Brewstcr remarked that ther? were a good many people under the impreesion that they were not to cat a body dowOlotil the arrival of the police. The Coroner, in 'summing up, said it did FA,ckms unfortunate, that the son-in-law was so overcome t,y hi nervous fears, that he left the unfortunate man hanging for nearly an hour. It was quite possible, had he been cut down, his life would have been saved. Still it was not for him to blame the witness, as It was not case of misapprehension as regarded his obligation to cut the body down. He was simply unable tod) so on account of his nervous fears. He (the Coroner) wished however, to take that opportunity of emphasising the fact that it was as mull the duty of any person to cut down a body as it was for a person to attempt the rescue of a drowning person. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased died by strangulatioe consequent upon hanging himself whilst temne,a,"' '^g"P• ise,wartierlawww•