The Warrington Examiner. — 1869-06-12 (Warrington, Cheshire, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE NEAR WARRINGTON.  On Thursday last, an inquest was held at the King and Queen public-house, Padgate, before C. E. Driffield, Esq., coroner, on the body of James Ashton, who committed suicide in a field adjoining Bruch Hall, on Monday morning, by blowing out his brains with a pistol. Margaret Shaw, an elderly woman, was the first witness. She said the deceased was her brother, and would have been 58 years of age on the sth of next . November. He had resided at her house since the 22nd of January last, previous to which he lived with his wife and family. He had been a bailiff at the Warrington County Court, but was obliged to give up his situation just before Christmas owing to having incurred debts with various parties. Since that time he had been gathering taxes for cliff erent persons, and she had heard him say he could do well enough by that if he only dare remain in Warrington. He left home last Monday week, in the forenoon, and said he was going to Cadishead ; she asked him when he would be back again, and he said, "I don't think you'll see me again alive." She heard nothing more of him until Monday last when she was informed that he had shot himself. Frederick Nicholls, a youth 15 years of age, said he resided in Crossley-street, Warrington. On Monday morning last, about a quarter past eleven o'clock, he went for a walk along the "Little Lane," in Padgate, and he sat down in the hedge side, and went to sleep. He was awakened by the deceased, who asked him if he lived in Warrington; he replied in the affirmative, whereupon deceased asked him for his name, but he made no answer; he was just rising from the ground when deceased said, You are all right there," and then went away; he saw him get over the palings into the next field, and pull his spectacles off ; he then put his hand into his coat pocket, and pulled out a pistol which he pointed to his right temple, and shot himself. He (the witness) then ran to the police station, and a constable came to the spot shortly afterwards. A youth, named Wm. Hart, was the next witness, but his evidence was not of a direct character. William Berry, a file cutter, residing in Churchstreet, Warrington, said that on Monday morning while in Manchester-iane, reading a book, the deceased came up to him and said, "Are you reading a bit then ?" He said, "Yes," and the deceased walked on as far as the Soapery, and returned in about half an hour; he next saw him near to Mr. Stubs's house, and he said, "What are you reading ?" He said, "I am reading about the Scriptures ;" he said, "Let me look at the book," and he took the book, walked away a few yards, and then began laughing; he returned the book, and said, "I aon't believe such stuff." Deceased then walked on about 20 yards to a stile, when he returned and said, "Young man, is not my face very dirty ?" He (the witness) said, "No, I think it is very clean ;" deceased then said, "I want shaving, I think, don't I?" He replied, "Yes, you want shaving, but your face is clean enough." Deceased then walked away about 130 yards, when he stopped for about five minutes, and seemed to be feeling in his pockets for something; he then walked on again very slowly. About a quarter past eleven o'clock he saw the deceased in a field near Bruch Hall, and saw him shoot himself. He ran up to the place as fast as posssble, and found the deceased lying on the ground quite dead. P.C. Grundy deposed to having been informed of the occurrence by the second witness, and said he found the deceased in Mr. Bennett's field, Bruch Hall, lying on his back, with the pistol produced in his right hand, with the muzzle pointed towards him, and quite dead. The shot had taken effect in the right temple; the skull was blown in, and the right eye was completely gone. His brains were scattered over his clothes. On searching him he found three or four County Court summonses, and one judgment summons against him of £ll Bs. 6dth • also an order in his name for admission into the workhouse, on the ground of destitution, dated May 18; there were also three small paper parcels, which contained respectively, pistol caps shot, and gunpowder. A letter was also found upon him, of which the follow ing is a copy :  Sankey, May 28th, 1869,  Dear Wife,—l take this opportunity of 'writing to you for the last time in this world, hoping it will be on your mind all the days of your life. The way you served me when that lodger Clifford was with you, I always thought that should have been a warning to you, but must to go with that watchmaker from William Woods afterwards; that caused me to lose my situation, likewise by running into debt to support him which has driven me insane. Do take care of my poor little Joe, and I beg of you not to encourage my daughter Ann in vice as you have done. From your husband,