qqqqqq--- title: ‘1868: Shocking Suicide’ menu: false tags:
- 19th-Century
- Hilsea
- Lambeth
- North-End
- Pimlico
- Southwick
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SHOCKING SUICIDE.—The body of a man was discovered in a field near the Green Posts public-house, Portsmouth, at six o’clock yesterday morning, with a pistol, recently discharged, grasped in the right hand, the head of the unfortunate man being literally blown to pieces. There was a small packet of gunpowder and a box of percussion caps found in his pockets. The borough police, under the direction of Mr. Chief Superintendent Barber, made diligent enquiries, but up to last evening the body, which was that of a man apparently about 30 of 35 years of age, had not been identified. The deceased was dressed in a blue cloth reefing jacket, black vest, and trousers, elastic side-boots, white shirt, and false shirt front, yellow-spotted neck tie, and “Champagne Charley” hat. In his pockets were also found a purse, a black jet Albert chain, with common locket (oval shape) attached, a watch key, three common shirt studs, the covers of two pocket-books, the contents having been taken out, and a pocket handkerchief with pink border.
— Morning Herald (London), Friday 11 September, 1868 (source)
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SHOCKING SUICIDE AT HILSEA.
A sad case of self-destruction occurred on Thursday morning in a field nearly opposite the Green Posts at Hilsea. It was some time before his name could be ascertained, but it has been found to be Robert Henry Marshall.
An inquest was held on the body at the Green Posts, public-house, last (Friday) evening, before W. H. Garrington, Esq., coroner, when the following evidence was taken :—
Mr. Charles Marshall stated that he was a mercantile clerk, living at No. 29, Whitehart-street, Lower Kennington-lane, Lambeth, Surrey. He identified the body which the coroner and jury had viewed in his presence as that of his brother, Robert Henry Marshall. He was 27 years of age, and was a painter and house decorator, and was occasionally employed by Messrs. Trollope and Sons, Belgrave Works, Grosvenor-road, Pimlico, London. He left home on the 12th of August last to work on their account at Southwick Park. Witness saw him last alive on the preceding evening, when he appeared in good health and spirits. About four years since his father, who was in business as a house decorator, had a reverse of fortune, and since then the deceased had to obtain his living by manual labour. This appeared to exercise great influence on him, and since then he had been subject to occasional fits of despondency. He was not an intemperate man, but was irritable and hasty. Witness was not aware that his brother had ever attempted to commit suicide, but two years ago some prussic acid was found on him, enough to kill a person. In March last, after the deceased had gone to bed one night, a pistol, some small shot, some powder, and a box of caps were found in his pocket, and about six weeks before he went away from London a piece of rope was found fastened round his chest. His demeanour was that of a man who did not know what he was about. At one time and another he had threatened to injure his father and mother and sisters, and for some time past he had appeared not always to be in his right mind.
William Mytton deposed: I am foreman in the employ of Messrs. Trollope and Sons, and am superintending work at Mr. Thistlethwaite’s, Southwick. The deceased was employed under me there and came to work on the 12th August, and continued with several interruptions until last Tuesday morning, when he left in the middle of his work in an abrupt manner. He was a sober man and a good workman. I have known the deceased since last May, and during that time I considered him to be very strange in his manners. Within the week preceding his death I paid him £2, so that I did not think he was destitute.
William Elijah Arnold stated: I am an agricultural labourer in the employ of Mr. Dunning, of Gatcombe Farm, Hilsea, and went to my work between five and six o’clock yesterday morning in a field adjoining the avenue leading up to Gatcombe House. When I had got about forty yards in the field from the road I turned round and saw a man lying on the bank separating the field from the main road. I thought it was some one asleep or intoxicated and went up to him. I then saw a large wound in his right temple out of which both blood and brain were issuing. I saw immediately he was dead and did not touch him, but went for the police. I got the assistance of two county police constables and returned with them. One of the constables then went for the borough police and returned with a sergeant and a constable and they took charge of the body. On withdrawing the right arm from under the body a pistol recently discharged fell from his hand, the back of which was blackened by the powder. It was a single barrel percussion pocket pistol. A white cotton pocket handkerchief and a black hat were on the ground near the body. The clothes of the deceased were then searched on the spot, before the body was removed, and in the various pockets were found a pipe in a case, an empty purse, a small locket attached to a jet chain, and the covers of two pocket books. There was also a small tin box of percussion caps and about half an ounce of powder loose in a paper. The body was removed to the Green Posts, public house, and is the same as that viewed by the inquest jury. The body was quite warm when the constable arrived.
Mr. John Frederick Pritchard stated that he was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and a registered medical practitioner, living at No. 2, Carlton-terrace, North-end. Yesterday he made an external examination of the body of the deceased and found a large wound on the right temple, the edges of which were irregular and inverted. The upper part of the right whisker was slightly singed as was also the skin immediately in front. The wound penetrated into the skull, which appeared half emptied of its contents. This was evidently the point of entrance and there was no counter opening in any part of the head. It was such a wound as would be made by the discharge of a loaded pistol similar to the one that had been produced and he was of opinion that it must have been held close to the head when it was discharged. Such a wound would be sufficient to account for the death of the deceased and might easily have been inflicted by himself. He considered that his death was instantaneous, and had taken place six or seven hours previous to his examining the body at eleven o’clock.
Bethel Taft deposed: I am the ostler at the Green-Posts and about ten minutes after five o’clock I was sitting outside of this house minding two horses, when I heard the report of a gun or pistol, I can’t say which, in the direction of the avenue. I thought some one was shooting with a gun in the avenue and did not take any notice of it. I had not seen the deceased near or in the turnip field.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased committed suicide while labouring under temporary insanity.
— Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette, Saturday 12 September, 1868 (source)
The article in the Hampshire Telegraph for the same day contains additional small details. Because it’s so similar, I haven’t bothered to proofread it.
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SHOCKING CASE OF SUICIDE.
—The borough coroner, (W. H. Garrington, Esq.,) held an inquest at the “Green Post” public-house at Hilsea, last (Friday) evening respecting the death of Robert Henry Marshall, which occurred under circumstances detailed in the appended evidence.
The first witness examined was Charles Marshall, clerk, living at Lambeth, Surrey, who identified the body as that of his late brother, Robert Henry Marshall. The deceased was 27 years of age, and was a painter and house decorator by trade. He had been occasionally in the employ of Messrs. Trollop & Sons, of Belgrave Works, Pimlico, London. He was living at home with his father, and left home by the 12th of August last to work on their account at Southwick-park. Witness saw him on the preceding evening, when he appeared in good health and spirits. He had been strange in his manner upon several occasions during the last four years, ever since the breaking up of his father’s business. Before the deceased’s father failed, both he and witness had no manual work to perform, but simply assisted in keeping the books. The deceased was not given to drink, but was of a very hasty temper, and had, to witness’s knowledge, once said that he would drown himself. Poison (prussic acid) was once found in his pocket, but witness was not aware that he had ever attempted to commit suicide. The rope was found around his body, secreted beneath his clothes, and the poison and pistol, with powder and caps, were found in the pockets of his clothes, which were searched after he went to bed. When the deceased had been in a passion he threatened to stab his father and other members of the family, and, from his general demeanour, witness was led to believe that he was of unsound mind.
—Mr. William Myton, a foreman to Messrs. Trollop & Sons, said that he was superintending some work at Mr. Thistlethwayte’s, at Southwick, and that the deceased was employed under him there, and had been so engaged, with interruptions, until Tuesday morning last. He then left abruptly, stating that he had received a letter to state that his mother was dying, and that would drive him half mad. The deceased was a good workman, and was a sober man. Witness had known the deceased since May last, and he had frequently been led to the conclusion, from his strange manner, that he was suffering from some aberration of mind. Deceased received 2l. during the week preceding his death, so that he did not think he was destitute.
—William Elgar Arnold, an agricultural labourer in the employ of Mr. Dunning, of Gatcombe Farm, said that about half-past five on the previous morning he went to work in a turnip field on the right hand side of the road adjoining the avenue leading to Gatecombe House. When he got about 40 yards into the field from the road, he saw what he thought was a man asleep close against the bank which separated the field from the turnpike-road. He (witness) went towards the body, and then saw a large hole in the right temple. He was lying on his left side; a white pocket handkerchief was lying close by. Brains and blood were then oozing from the wound, and witness saw immediately he was dead. Witness then went for the police, and returned with two county constables to where the body was lying. These officers did nothing until a sergeant and a constable of the borough force arrived, and they took charge of the body. A single-barrel percussion pistol was found in the deceased’s right hand, and on moving the arm, which was under the body, the pistol dropped to the ground. The clothes of the deceased were searched on the spot before the body was removed, and in various pockets were found a pipe in a case, an empty purse, a small locket attached to a jet chain, the covers of two pocket-books, a box of percussion caps, and about half-an-ounce of powder in a paper. There were no bullets or shots. The body was removed to the “Green Post.”
—Mr. J. F. Pritchard, surgeon, of No. 2, Carlton-terrace, Mile-end, Landport, stated that on the previous day, at the Coroner’s request, he made an examination of the body of the deceased. He found a large wound on the right temple, the edges of which were regular and inverted. The upper part of the whiskers was singed, as was also the skin immediately in front. There was an opening into the interior of the cavity of the skull, which appeared half emptied of its contents. There was no counter opening in any part of the head, and it was such a wound as might be occasioned by the discharge of such a pistol as that produced, which was no doubt discharged close to the head. The wound was in such a situation that it could be easily self-inflicted.
—The Coroner summed up the whole of the evidence at length, and the jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased committed suicide when in an unsound state of mind.
— Hampshire Telegraph, Saturday 12 September, 1868 (source)