Reading Mercury

Dated 3^rd February 1866

A SAD END.

On Monday evening an inquest was held before Joseph Bunny Esq., Borough Coroner, on view of the body of George Clements, aged 67, then lying dead. _Charles Spanswick said he worked for the deceased, and about half-past eight o’clock that morning he saw him alive in the washhouse, and as witness was going out into the yard, the deceased enquired how much the price of wine was that he had taken to Mr. Long’s, the locksmith. On returning from breakfast about nine o’clock, witness went indoors to see if Mr. Clements was there, and thence into the stable, where he found the deceased “hanging and kicking.” He went into the meadow adjoining and met John Duffy, and told him that George Clements had hung himself. He and his wife came immediately, and witness went on. _ John Duffy stated that he had known the deceased for many years. He saw him last alive on Sunday. That morning as he was at work, he heard Spanswick call out that Mr. Clements had hung himself. It was about nine o’clock, witness went immediately, and found him hanging in the stable; he was not then struggling. He immediately cut him down and laid him on the floor of the stable, and then went for the doctor, and met with Mr. Bursey, who came directly. For the last fortnight he considered the deceased was very low and melancholy. When cut down he did not appear quite dead. _ John Dell, painter, said he knew the deceased, but had not seen him for the last month. He knew deceased father, who was insane and under restraint. _ Geo. Clements, son of the deceased, said that the last time he saw his father alive was that morning about half-past eight o’clock, in the washhouse. He enquired if the witness was going to breakfast, and he answered that he was; which were the last words he heard him speak. When witness first saw him that morning, he enquired of his father how he was, and he answered he was “precious bad,” that he had had a very bad night, and that his head was bad. Subsequently witness saw him sitting on a cask and leaning forward, and he said, “This job will be the death of me” referring to a sale of his goods, which was to take place next day. He had frequently said, that the sale nearly drove him out of his mind. At times he complained of a numbness on the right side of his head. On Saturday evening, in particular, he appeared perfectly lost, and throughout Sunday he was depressed in his mind, and last night he got up in the night but did not leave the house. _ Thomas Cole, auctioneer, stated that he saw the deceased on the previous Monday, at his house, to take instructions to prepare an inventory of his goods prior to a sale, and he then appeared much confused. _ Mr. Bursey, surgeon, stated that he was called about nine o’clock that morning to the deceased, who he was told had hanged himself. He found him lying on the floor in the stable quite dead. Witness thought he had been dead about a quarter of an hour. The rope was loose round his neck, and there was the mark there. Witness was of the opinion that he died from the effects of strangulation, and that he was in an unsound state of mind at the time of committing the act. The circumstance of his father having attempted suicide showed a predisposition of unsoundness of mind. He believed that the deceased was hung about a foot from the ground, the knot of the rope was on the right side of the neck, and the mark of the rope was chiefly on the left side. _ Verdict: “That the deceased hung himself and that he was in an unsound state of mind at the time he committed the act.” _ The deceased had lately been appointed to one of the Kimber’s Almshouses, and slept there for the first time on Thursday night, Jan. 25^th. He had been a carrier from Newbury to Reading, and also Newbury to Andover, for the long period of thirty-five years, and was therefore well known in those places.