Widnes Examiner. — 1885-07-18 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE AT WARRINGTON  BA.RRAOKS. - 7 Denis O'Leary, Quartermaster-Sergeant in the 3rd Battalion (King's) Liverpool Regiment, stationed at Orford Barracks, Warrington, shot himself through the head with a rifle on 'Monday morning in it tragic manner. A. comrade found his body in the back store-room, lying upon some clothing, with a recently discharged rifle on the ground near by. To the trigger of the rifle was attached a piece of string, done up in a loop, and appearances led to the conclusion that detteased, whose shoes and stockings were of, placed the muzzle of the vveapon—a Martini-Henri— to his mouth, aud exploded it by putting the toe of his right foot through the loop and thus pulling the trigger. The bullet passed out at the back of his head and indented the opposite wall, from which it rebounded and was lost. Deceased was 45 years of age, was married and had four children, and had seen about twenty six years' army service, a noitioa of the time having been spent in India. He was liked and esteemed by his comrades in arms, and his tragic death is greatly deplored- He is spoken of as having been a man of very temperate habits, but of late he had been somewhat despondent, and his mind was evidently unhinged. On the discovery of the death information was given to the police, who communicated with the Coroner, and on Tuesday afternoon Mr. Brighouse and a jury attended at the Bar. racks, where an inquiry was held at the hospital.— Col.-Sergeant William Spendilow 3rd Battalion laverpool Regiment, deposed that he knew deceased vtaal. Deceased was quartermaster-sergeant in the same regiment, and was about 45 years of age. Witnees had known him inearly five years, and last saw him alive la.tween seven and eight o'clock on Monday motlaing. Witness was then at his house, 201, Or and deceased passed. Witness called out. "Good morning, Quarter,, ' but deceased did not then take any notice. Witness called out in a louder tone, and deceased then came to him. Witness asked him what had been the matter with him lately, and if money matters were troubling him. Deceased said, " Nonsense ; it was nothing," but he seemed nearly "full up," and as though he were going to cry. Witness added that if deceased was in want of money he knew where to get it. Deceased said, " Oh, no," and walked away, his head down, as though he were in deep trouble. About 10-45 witness went to the store-room to draw boots for recruits from deceased, who, however, was not there, The door of the bank store-room was slightly ajar, and witness called out, " Denis, are you there ?' Net receiving an answer, he went into the room, and saw deceased lying as though asleep on his back, on two bales of elo,hing. Witness saw that the bales were covered with blood, and that O'Leary was dead, He ran and told Quartermaster-Sergeant Brown and reported the matter at the orderly-room. A rifi ifrom.that had been exploded was near the body. There was a string tied round the trigger and the shoes acd stockings of deceased were off. The stringe the trigger, round the trigger guard, and up to the. cleaning rod. An examination of the body allowed that a bullet must have gone through the bank of doceased's neck. The course of the ballot indicated that deceased was in a reclining posture when he diecharged the gun. Deceased had been despondent and aosentsminned for the last two or three Weeks.: He was a steady, respectable man, beloved by everyone in the barraeirs.—Sergeant-Major William Burns, erd Battalion Liverpool Reaiment, said that he also had known deceased for five years. He gave evidence regarding the finding of the body, and said that at the end of the string attached to the trigger was a loop. There was no doubt deceased exploded the rifle with the right toe. The ballet passed I through the head and came out in a line with the right ear at the back of the head. It then struck the wall opposite and made an indentation. Deceased had been despondent for tiblut four months.— Quartermaster-Sergeant George Brown 4th Battalion Liverpool Regiment, who gave evidence, thought deceased had seemed strange since January, Dsait had given up his pension and re-joined, thinking would benefit him, but he seemed to have been troubled about it, and to think that he had made a mistake.—The Coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict to the efit that deceased shot himself when temporarily insane. The remains of Quartermaster. Sergeant Denis O'Leary were on Wednesday afternoon interred wek military honours at Warrington cemetery. The funeral was. at tended by a large number of the military stationed at Orford barraeks, and the ceremony was also witnessed by many civilians, deceased having been well-known and esteemed. There were twomilitary bands, and the firing party fired throe volleys over the grave. 

Article type: Incident