WILLIAM PRICE

DETERMINED SUICIDE BY HANGING AT NEWBURY

On Tuesday morning last a most determined suicide was committed by a horse dealer, named Price, at the Black Bear Inn, in this town. An inquest was held on the body the same evening at the Magistrates’ Room, before J Bunny Esq., borough coroner, and such was the nature and importance of the enquiry, that it was not finished before past 12 o’clock. The following evidence was given at the inquest, and will give all the particulars of this melancholy affair.

Sarah Crosswell, the landlady, deposed that she knew the deceased. He was a horse dealer, and generally came to Newbury four or five times a year. He came to their house about six o’clock yesterday evening with a horse. She saw him about ten o’clock that night, and served him with three glasses of gin and water. He went to bed about eleven o’clock, but he had no supper, and she wished him good night. She saw him again about eight o’clock the next morning in the taproom. She cooked his breakfast for him, which he had purchased. He had a bloater, bread and butter, and some tea. He had finished his breakfast about nine o’clock. He had been to their house several times, and his manner was generally civil and cheerful. She did not notice any difference in his manner that morning. She did not see him alive again after nine o’clock.

Robert Clapson, one of the Hampshire police, stationed at Itchinswell , deposed that he drove into the Bear yard with his wife and four children about half past ten o’clock that morning. He went into the stable, and on looking up into the hay loft, he saw a man suspended from a beam. He called the ostler, who said it was Mr Price. He asked the ostler for a knife, but he had not got one, and afterwards they saw William Bailey in the yard, who had got a knife, and came and cut him down. The deceased was a powerful man, about six feet two inches in height. The deceased appeared to be dead when he first saw him.

William Bailey, coal dealer, Bartholomew –street deposed to cutting the deceased down, and afterwards going for a doctor.

Charles Skinner, ostler, deposed that he was in the middle stable cleaning knives about half past nine that morning, when he saw the deceased. He did not see him alive after. About three-quarters of an hour afterwards Robert Clapson came into the yard with his horse and cart. Witness took his horse and Clapson went into No. 1 stable. In a short time Clapson came to him and drew his attention to a man hanging in the hayloft. The deceased was suspended by a halter to a beam. He called in the aid of William Bailey, who was passing, and he cut the deceased down. The halter belonged to him. He also saw the deceased about eight o’clock that morning, when he brought his horse a feed of corn. The deceased made no complaint, nor did he appear in low spirits.

George Deane, superintendent of police, deposed that he arrived at the Bear yard about half-past ten o’clock in the morning, and helped to remove the deceased from the loft into the stable, when Dr Morris came almost immediately. Witness searched the deceased, and found upon him 2s. 11d. in money, two empty purses, a memorandum book, various paper, and other articles. He found that deceased brought to the inn a valuable horse entire bay horse, which he had given the landlord instructions to take care of.

Dr Morris deposed that he went to the Bear yard about eleven o’clock in the morning, and there he saw the deceased, who had just hung himself. The heart did not beat, neither was there any pulse. He endeavoured to restore him, but without effect; was of the opinion that deceased died from suffocation, the result of hanging. It was the act of the deceased, for it could not have been done by another party. From the evidence he had heard he believed the deceased to have been sane at the time he committed the act.

George Crosswell, the landlord, deposed that he had known the deceased for the last five years, and believed his name to be Price. The deceased came to his house about five o’clock, and had two glasses of gin and water. He asked him what was up and he said he was going home for the last time for the season. He did not convey to him that it was the last time in his life. About nine o’clock the same evening he sat in the taproom with the deceased, and he said he had been to Blackwater fair and to Kingston fair, where he had a bad fair. The deceased seemed anxious about his horse, and said he should have to do to-morrow what he had never done before, namely to borrow some money to take him home. He seemed calm and collected. There was nothing in his manner to lead him to suppose that he intended to commit suicide.

The Coroner summed up in effect that the deceased was of a sound mind when he committed suicide; but the jury, after a long consultation, returned the following verdict, “That the deceased person whose name is to the jurors unknown, hung himself, but the jury are of the opinion that there is not sufficient evidence to prove the state of mind the deceased was in at the time he committed the act.”