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THE LATE MR. CARLTON.—This afternoon the County Coroner (Edgar Goble, Esq.) will hold an enquiry at the King’s Head, Hilsea, touching the death of Mr. Carlton, grocer, wine and spirit merchant, late of Lake-road, who was found drowned on Saturday morning in Hilsea Pond. The body is at present lying in a shed at the back of the King’s Head.
— Portsmouth Evening News, Tuesday 07 October 1879 source
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SHOCKING SUICIDE OF A LANDPORT TRADESMAN AT HILSEA.—This morning the County Coroner (Edgar Goble, Esq.) held an enquiry at the King’s Head, Hilsea, touching the death of Mr. A. J. Carlton, aged 38 years, late of 105, Lake-road, Landport.
—John Newton deposed that he was assistant to the late Mr. Carlton, and he had served two year’s apprenticeship with him two years ago. Witness had now been with him three weeks. At the time witness lived with him his disposition was cheerful. Since he had come up to assist him witness noticed the deceased was negligent in his business. He would oftentimes tell witness something, and before finishing his conversation he would turn to something else. Whilst witness was serving his apprenticeship he occasionally saw the deceased the worse for liquor. The deceased generally drank ale. Witness last saw the deceased alive on Wednesday morning, at about ten o’clock, at the shop. He then put on his coat, but before doing so he said he was going out for orders to Copnor. He requested witness not to “do the window” as he was going out. On that morning witness breakfasted with the deceased and his wife and four children, and he did not notice anything peculiar in the deceased’s manner. Witness did not see the deceased go out. It was an unusual thing for him to go for orders. Witness had never heard deceased threaten to take his life. The writing on the butter paper produced, which was as follows, was in the handwriting of the deceased:— “Kingston Cross, September 20th, 1879.—Dear Mr. Jacob,—Can I beg of you to look after my dear wife and children. My dear Ada, be a good girl and kind to ma. My dear children, I beg of you all not to drink—it is perdition. Dear Mr. Jacob, this is all through drink. Please look after my dear wife and children. I know that they will all take the advice of you. Oh, that you were here to stop this dreadful deed.” Witness had seen the deceased several times the worse for drink. On the morning in question he was not apparently in liquor. On the Friday afternoon previous to the Wednesday he was the worse for liquor, and he went to bed and did not get up until Saturday morning. Mr. Jacob, mentioned in the memorandum, is the Vicar of Kingston Church, and it was to Kingston Church the deceased and his wife used to go. He did not believe that the deceased had any pecuniary difficulties.
—Samson Stanley, a little boy, living in a van with his father at Stamshaw, deposed that on Saturday, about half-past twelve, he was picking up potatoes in a field near Hilsea, when he went to wash his hands in a pond, and saw the hat of the deceased in a corner of the pond in some rushes. He also saw the coat, head, and ears of the deceased in the water. He went for assistance, but was unable to obtain any, and consequently he went to Stamshaw for his father, and upon his return he saw some men taking the body out of the pond.
—James Knight said that on Saturday, from information received, he went to the Coach and Horses, Hilsea, obtained a rake, and proceeded to a pond in a field at Hog’s Head Bottom, Hilsea, where he was informed there was a drowned man. He got the body out of the water by means of the rake. Upon examination he found that life was extinct. Shortly afterwards P.C. Brushwood arrived, and the body, which was fully dressed, was conveyed to a shed at the back of the King’s Head.
—In answer to jurors witness said there was no appearance of a scuffle having taken place near the pond. There was a footpath about thirty yards distant from the pond, which was muddy, and about 4 feet 6 inches deep.
—Arthur Brown, of 8, Kingston-terrace, deposed to finding the order book referred to, which was tied round with grass, but it was not in the same field where deceased was drowned.
—Mr. J. P. Pannell, grocer, of 118, Fratton-road, deposed that he had known deceased for the last twelve years. He had altered during the last three months, and had become depressed in manner. He had often seen him the worse for drink. A very small quantity affected him.
—Dr. H. A. Martin of Cosham, said that on Saturday he examined the body, upon which there were no marks of violence.
—The Coroner having summed up the jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased committed suicide by drowning, whilst in an unsound state of mind.
— Portsmouth Evening News, Wednesday 08 October 1879 source
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SUICIDE OF A LANDPORT TRADESMAN.—On Wednesday morning the County Coroner (E. Goble, Esq.) held an inquest at the King’s Head, Hilsea, on the body of A. J. Carlton, aged 38 years, who lately carried on business at 105, Lake-road, Landport. John Newton stated that he had served an apprenticeship with the deceased about two years ago, and had assisted him for about three weeks before his death. While he was serving his apprenticeship the deceased was of a cheerful disposition; but occasionally he got the worse for liquor. During the last few weeks he had been negligent in his business, and somewhat strange in his manner, wandering from one subject to another while in conversation. On the previous Wednesday morning the deceased told witness that he was going to Copnor for orders. There was nothing noticeable in his manner; but it was unusual for him to go for orders. He had never heard the deceased threaten to commit suicide. The handwriting on the paper produced was the deceased’s. It was as follows:—“Kingston Cross, September 30th, 1879. Dear Mr. Jacob. Can I beg of you to look after my dear wife and children. My dear Ada, be a good girl and kind to ma. My dear children, I beg of you all not to drink—it is perdition. Dear Mr. Jacob, this is all through drink. Please look after my dear wife and children. I know that they will take the advice of you. Oh that you were here to stop this dreadful deed.” On the morning in question the deceased was not the worse for liquor, but he was on the previous Friday. He was in the habit of attending Kingston Church with his wife, of which Mr. Jacob is vicar. He was not aware that the deceased had any pecuniary difficulties. On the following day the body of the deceased was seen in a pond in a field at Hog’s Head Bottom, Hilsea, and was got out by a man named Knight, and then handed over to the charge of Police-constable Brushwood who deposited it in a shed at the back of the King’s Head. There was no appearance of any scuffle having taken place near the pond. In an adjoining field an order-book belonging to the deceased was found. Mr. J. Pannell, grocer, of Fratton-road, said he had known the deceased for the last 12 years, and had often seen him the worse for liquor. During the last three months he had been very much depressed in manner.—There were no marks of violence on the body, which was examined by Dr. Martin, of Cosham: and the jury returned a verdict of “Suicide while in an unsound state of mind.”
— Hampshire Post and Southsea Observer, Friday 10 October 1879 source
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SUICIDE OF A LANDPORT TRADESMAN.
—An inquest was held on Wednesday, at the King’s Head Tavern, Hilsea, by the county coroner (Mr. E. Goble), on the body of Mr. A. J. Carlton, aged 38, who carried on the business of grocer and wine merchant, at 105, Lake-road, Landport, who was found drowned in a pond at Hilsea, on Saturday. It appeared from the evidence of John Newton, an apprentice, that the deceased had latterly neglected his business, and was occasionally the worse for drink, but was generally of a cheerful disposition. On Thursday morning he went out, telling witness that he was going to Copnor for orders, and was not seen again till his body was discovered by a gipsy boy, as above stated. In the deceased’s pockets a note was found written on a piece of butter paper as follows:—“Kingston-cross, Sept. 30th., 1879, (addressed to the Vicar of Portsea), Dear Mr. Jacob,—Can I beg of you to look after my dear wife and children. My dear Ada, be a good girl and kind to Ma. My dear children,—I beg of you all not to drink; it is perdition. Dear Mr. Jacob—this is all through drink. Please look after my dear wife and children. I know that they will all take the advice of you. Oh! that you were here to stop this dreadful deed.” The pond in which the body was found was not more than 4 feet 6 inches deep, and very muddy. Dr. Martin, of Cosham, who had examined the body, said death was caused by drowning. There were no marks of violence, nor any appearance of a scuffle having taken place near the pond. The jury at once returned a verdict of “Suicide while of unsound mind.”
— Hampshire Advertiser, Saturday 11 October 1879 source
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THE LATE SUICIDE AT HILSEA.
To the Editor of the Evening News.
SIR,—Allow me a space in your valuable paper, to call attention to the shameful delay of the coroner in the case of the late Mr. Carlton. The body was found on Saturday after being three days in the water, and allowed to remain in an outhouse until the following Wednesday, and to add to the grief of the friends no information could be obtained as to the probable time the inquest would be held. Trusting some fellow tradesman will take the matter in hand and have it sifted out in the proper quarters, and apologising for trespassing on your space,
I am, Sir,
Yours, &c.,
A. J. NEWTON.Lake-road, Landport,
Oct. 8th, 1878.— Portsmouth Evening News, Thursday 09 October 1879 source
Question
A. J. Newton, John Newton. Same person?