Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1880-06-12 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

DISTRESSING SUICIDE AT WYKE.  A painful degree of excitement was caused in Wyke on Tuesday last by rumours that Mr. John Birkby, the son of Mr. Hetiry Birkby, and junior partner in that gentleman's business, had committed suicide. The rumour turned out to be too true, Mr. Birkby having shot himself. It appears that the deceased, after visiting a young lady to whom he was engaged to be married, was founa in his bedroom on the point of expiring. He had been in a desponding state of mind for some weeks. An inquest was held on Thursday at the Crown Hotel, Wyke, by Mr. William Bairstow, the district coroner. The deceased was engaged in business as a contractor, in partnership with his brother. Mr. Levi Birkby, and the suicide is rendered the more painful by the fact that he was engaged to be married to a young lady in the neighbourhood, his union with whom was likely to be a happy one. In opening the proceedings the Coroner observed that the case was a very painful and distressing one, but he thought that the inquiry would not occupy much time.—The jury then viewed the body, after which  Mr. Levi Birlibv, contractor, Wyke, was called. He said that the deceased was his partner, and was . .  twenty-six years of age. He resided with his father, and died at about half-past seven o'clock on Monday evening. Witness was not present at the death of the deceased, but was in the house at the time. He saw his brother at about half-past four o'clock in the afternoon of Tuesday for the first time that day. The deceased remained insensible from the time at which the wound was inflicted until his death. He had been in a desponding state for some time, and this was the third attack of despondency which he had had. Five or six years ago he was similarly affected. On Friday evening deceased said to witness, "Oh. dear. I am very ill. I have a pain in my bead; I can't live in this way." On Saturday he seemed to be rather better, and attended to his business. He went to Heckmondwike on Sunday. and remained • there throughout the day, but on Monday he again complained of a violent pain in his head. On Tuesday the father of the deceased desired him to remain at home, as he thought he would be better occupied in business; but the deceased went to Heckmondwike and started a number of men at work, coming home all right about noon. He was to have been married on Wednesday.—The coroner remarked that in a case in which the jury were satisfied that the deceased was of unsound mind, it was not at all necessary to go into private matters. —Mr. L. Birkby, continuing his evidence, said that on Friday the state of the deceased was such that he proposed to send for Dr. Whitteron, but the deceased thought it was not necessary that he should see the doctor, as he thought he would be right again in a day or two. On Monday, however, the doctor was sent for. Amon Birkby, another brother of the deceased, stated that he was sent for by his brother Albert about noon on Tuesday. He was then told that his brother John was dead. He went into the house and found him lying on his back on the floor of his bed-room, and bleeding slightly from a wound over the right eye. He sent for Dr. Whitteron, remaining with the deceased in the meantime. Eliza Wilkinson, the wife of Samuel Wilkinson, blacksmith, Wyke, said she was present when the deceased died.  Dr. Whitter-on, physioiatfand surgeon, Low Moor, stated that on Monday evening the father of deceased asked him to call upon his 8011. Witness did so, and found that he was in a low, melancholy, and desponding state. He advised the deceased to leave the neighbourhood for a few weeks, and to get a change of air and society, and then come back and get married. The deceased was aware of his despondent condition, but physically he was well. At half .past one o'clock on Tuesday witness saw the deceased lying on his back in his bed-room. There was a pool of blood near his head and shoulder. There was considerable hcemorrage from a wound in the right temple. He searched for and found a gun shot wound, and the skull was fractured. He probed the wound and discovered the bullet which rested on 4.'ln orbit plate over the left eye. The deceased ‘,. t; quite insensible, and his breathing was sterterous. Witness remained up to within five minutes of death. When the deceased was about fifteen years of age witness attended him for despondency, and at that time the deceased went away for four weeks, and came back better. Witness similarly attended the deceased when he was twenty years of age. About five months ago he had a partial attach of despondency, and on that occasion witness left him under the full belief that he would soon be better. The deceased told witness that there had been no quarrel between him and his intended wife, but that he felt so ill that .he scarcely thought he should be justified in getting married. Witness travelled by train with him and the young lady on Sunday, and the two were on the best of terms.  P.C. Mitchell gave evidence to the effect that he found a six-barrelled revolver near the body of the deceased, who was then lying insensible on the floor of his bedroom. Witness produced the pistol, fivP chambers of which were still loaded. The pistol was an air revolver, and there would not be a loud report from it. The Coroner, in summing up the facts for the jury, remarked that this was an exceptionally painful case, especially as the unfortunate young man was on the point of being married. There was no doubt that death had resulted from a gunshot wound, inflicted upon himself by the deceased. The only question for the jury to consider was as to the state of the deceased's mind.  The jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased committed suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity.