PETERSFIELD.
Agent—Miss DUPLOCK.
SUICIDE.—A fearful case of self-destruction took place in this town on Tuesday last. Thomas Barrett, an excise-man stationed here, was found in the malt-house of Mr. Thomas Bone with his throat cut. He was not quite dead when discovered, and medical aid was promptly rendered, but without avail, as he died in about half-an-hour. He had gone to the malt-house to survey the stock in the usual course of his business, and in his way thither had called at a hairdresser’s for a razor which he had previously left to be sharpened. This razor was found lying by his side, covered with blood. An inquest was held on Thursday, before Edward Hoskins, Esq., the Coroner. The jury having assembled at the ‟Bricklayers’ Arms,” and being duly sworn (Mr. George Harffey acting as foreman), the Coroner opened the inquest with some appropriate remarks, reminding the jury that the question which they were met to consider was one of the most solemn that could possibly occupy their attention, relating as it did to the death of a human being. It was not for him to anticipate the evidence that might come before them, but from the instructions he had received he thought there would be no room for doubt as to the deceased having come to his death by his own hand; and, if this were proved, it would be for them next to say whether he was of sound or unsound mind at the time of committing the act. He (the Coroner) might have occasion to make some remarks upon the evidence after they had heard it, and he would be happy to render them any assistance they might require in coming to a decision. The jury then went to the house of the deceased and viewed the body. On their return the following evidence was taken:—
— Mr. John Spry, on being sworn deposed: I am Supervisor at Petersfield. Knew deceased. He was an officer of Excise, doing duty under me from 15th October last. His age was 47. I last saw him alive on Monday, the 23rd inst. He was not then in good health. Soon after he came to me in October I found from his manner that he was labouring under great excitement; he was also afflicted with rheumatism in his legs. I advised him to go off duty on leave. I granted him leave on the 9th November, and he was off till the 25th, when he resumed his duties. He still appeared weak and nervous, and on the 6th December he went off again and remained off till the 17th January. On Sunday week, the 15th, he told me he was desirous of returning to duty, as he felt very much better. The last time I did duty with him was on the 19th. He then appeared nervous and restless, but otherwise I did not notice anything particular about him. On Monday, the 23rd, I met him in the street near my house, and he said he had lost his malt book. He was forgetful and absent in his manner, and very nervous in the performance of business. He complained that the work was too hard for him. I had promised that if he did not get better I would report his case to the Board, with a view of getting him removed to some lighter work. On Tuesday, the 24th, about 12 o’clock, I was sent for to Mr. Bone’s malt-house, and I there saw deceased sitting in a chair in the kitchen, which adjoins the malt-house; he had a wound across the throat, and he appeared to be dead. Two men were in attendance upon him, and Mr. Gosden, was there with his waggon to remove the body. I went into the malt-house and examined a couch of malt, on which was a quantity of blood. There was a razor lying on the window-sill, and it was covered with blood. Deceased’s malt and beer surveying books and implements were lying on the window. He had made preparations for commencing work, but I found from his books that he had not done anything. There was also a private memorandum book, a purse, and a small pocket knife lying in the window. Deceased and been 25 years in the service. There was nothing in his accounts that I am aware of to cause him to despond.
— James Pook deposed as follows: I am a dairyman, living at Petersfield. My cow-pen adjoins Mr. Bone’s malt-house. I was at home on Tuesday last, about half-past eleven, and from information I received from my wife I went into my cow-pen and looked into Mr. Bone’s ,alt-house, where I saw a man lying on the barley. I heard a moaning, and went immediately round the malt-house. I saw no one there but deceased, and he had a wound in his throat. There was no blood on the barley. I went for Mr. Bone, and returned with him in less than two minutes. I did not know deceased, but Mr. Bone called him by his name. Deceased did not answer, but continued to moan. Mr. Bone and I lifted him off the barley. There was a razor lying about two yards from him, which was open and covered with blood. I then went for Dr. Peskett, leaving Mr. Bone with deceased.
— William Peskett deposed:I am a register medical practitioner, living at Petersfield. On Tuesday last, about half-past eleven, I was riding past Mr. Bone’s, on my way into the country, when I was summoned into the malt-house, where I found deceased lying on the barley, with an incised wound on his throat. Having provided myself with the requisite materials, I proceeded to examine the wound, which was so extensive that all the muscles and vessels of the throat were completely divided. The wound had been recently inflicted, and blood was still flowing, but there was no chance of saving deceased’s life, although he was still alive; both his hands were bloody; it was such a wound as a person could inflict on himself; deceased did not speak, in fact, the power of speech was completely destroyed; I remained with him till he died, which he did in about half an hour.
— Mr. Superintendent Fey produced the razor, which was identified by Mr. Spry as the one he had seen near deceased in the malthouse; it was still covered with blood.
— Joseph Cole deposed; I am a hairdresser, living at Petersfield; I knew deceased; on Tuesday last, about eleven o’clock, he called at my shop and said, ‟I have called for my razors;” he had left a pair of razors at my shop a week before; that now produced is one of them; he seemed in a great hurry; he said perhaps he had better call again when my son was within; I told him I could give him the razors; he took them away with him; I have known him ever since he has been here; he often appeared low-spirited, which he ascribed to ill-health and to his suffering severely from rheumatism.
— Elizabeth Bone deposed: I am the wife of Thomas Bone, maltster, of Petersfield; I knew deceased; on Tuesday last, about eleven o’clock, I saw him go into the malt-house; he passed through the room where I was; he said ‟Good morning, Mrs. Bone;” no one could have gone in without my seeing them, and I saw no one till James Pool came in, who said something was the matter in the malt-house.
— Edward Poate, who works at Mr. Henty’s malt-house in Dragon-street, deposed that on Tuesday last, about ten o’clock, deceased came there to survey the stock; he appeared very nervous and forgetful; he looked over the floors and gauged them, and could not get them right; he also gauged the kiln, and put it down as two inches; I told him that must be wrong, it was above four inches; he asked me the same question four times over about the state of the kiln.
— The Coroner summed up, directing the attention of the jury to the more prominent points of the evidence, and remarking that, as is usual in such cases, the evidence was entirely circumstantial, as no one saw the deed committed. After the medical evidence there could be no doubt as to the cause of death. With regard to the question by whose hand the wound was inflicted, there was evidence that he was seen to go into the malt-house, and that no one else was there. It was scarcely necessary that he should inform them that in the eye of the law it was as much. a crime for any one to destroy his own life as to take away that of another, always assuming such a sound state of mind and body as would render the individual responsible for his actions; and the law provided for this crime the penalty of a confiscation of the goods of the deceased, and a withholding of Christian burial, It would be for them (the jury) to decided upon the evidence they had heard.
Verdict:‟Deceased came to his death by his own hand, being at the time in an unusual state of mind.”
Hampshire Independent - Saturday 04 February 1860
PETERSFIELD.]—THE INQUEST—held here last week on the body of Thomas Barrett, one of the excise officers for this district, who committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor, resulted in a verdict of ‟Temporary insanity.”
Ancestry shows the burial of Thomas Barrett on 28-Jan-1860
