Ann GOODMAN

SUICIDE AT SKEFFINGTON – An inquest was held on Wednesday last, at Skeffington, before J Gregory, Esq, coroner, touching the death of Wm Jordan, an old man above 60 years of age, who was employed on the road. It appeared that on Thursday week, when Mr Sharpe of Billesdon, was driving along the turnpike road from Billesdon to Uppingham, he saw the deceased lying upon his face on the grass by the road side, with his arms extended, and on going up to him discovered a wound on the right side of his neck, which nearly severed the windpipe, and from which blood was flowing. He was still alive. Assistance was procured and he was taken home on a gate and attended by Mr Williams, surgeon, but he died early on Monday morning from the effects of the wound. Before his death the deceased admitted that he had cut his throat, in confirmation of which a bloody knife was found in his pocket. The commission of the crime seemed, from the evidence, to be attributable to the fact that several charges for indecently assaulting children were about to be preferred against him; of these charges, however, he averred that he was innocent. Verdict, “felo-de-se”.

The Chronicle and Mercury, United, Saturday October 8 1864