The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1881-11-26 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

SAD CASE OF SUICIDE.  An inquest was held last Tuesday, at the Hospital, Covent 7, before Mr.Dewes, on the body of Thomas Tebbs, brickmaker, of Stoney Stanton. road, aged 58. The following evidence was taken: —Harriet Tebbe, widow of deceased, living at Foleshill, said that deceased had been in a very low and curious way the last few weeks, and has often not known what he was about. She did not consider him at all responsible for his actions. On the morning of the 7th inst., he got up about half-past five, and as he seemed to be wandering restlessly about the house she asked him what he wanted. He said his tobacco. She told him where it was, and he made no answer, and witness heard him walking backwards and forwards again, and opening a door. Then she heard him open a drawer in which were kept his razors and other things, and go out by the back door. Thinking that something was wrong, she got up and went downstairs, where she found the drawer spoken of open and the razor gone. She ran into the outhouse to see if he was there, and found the door shut. Deceased's foot was against it inside but she managed to force open the door, and then saw a pool of blood on the floor.— Deceased was sitting on the floor, and she lifted his head up, and then saw that he had cut his throat. She screamed and asked him what he had done, but he did not reply. Assistanee was procured, anl deceased removed in an unconscious condition to the Hospital. Witness had seen deceased since his admission to the Hospital but he generally seemed very strange. The razor produced belonged to deceased.— Elizabeth Tebbe.. daughter of the deceased, said that on Monday morning she Leard her mother scream, and went and found deceased as described by her mother. There had been a great change in deceased's 'manner for a month or two, and he had often been very strange. Witness did not consider him responsible for his actions.— Inspector Coombs produced the razors, which were handed to him by the widow of the deceased.—Dr. J. A. Aitken', House Surgeon at the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital, read the following report : "On Nov. 7, about 6.30 a.m. I was called up to see a man who was said to have cut his throat. I went down, and on examination found that he was suffering from a jagged wound on the left side of the trachea. No main vessels were injured, but there was considerable arterial oozing from the wound. From the appearance I gathered that he had made more than ens attempt. When asked what made him attempt suicide he replied that he was tired of the world. His wound was dressed and he was admitted to the male Ward. He went on fairly well for a few days till broncho-pneumonia of both sides and delirium set in, and he died last Sunday morning, November 20th."— The Coroner, in summing up, said the ease appeared to be a vei y simple one. The poor man, in an unsound state of mind, cut his 'throat and died, as the doctor said not immediately from the out, but from consequences described in his report as the result of the cut.—A verdict was returned to the effect that deceased flied of bronchial pneumonia, the result of self-inflicted injuries. 

Article type: Incident