Mexborough and Swinton Times, February 20, 1909

Mexbro’ Suicide Sensation

Grocer Cuts His Throat.

Brother’s Terrible Discovery.

No small sensation was created in Mexboro’ on Friday last week, when it became known that a tradesman of the town had committed suicide by cutting his throat. Mr. Arthur Pashley had for many years carried on, business as a grocer at Ivy Parade, Mexboro’. He was regarded as a respectable citizen, and the news that he had taken his own life came as a painful shock to those who had known him. The sad affair was the subject of an inquest in the Primitive Methodist Institute on Saturday afternoon, before Mr. Deputy Coroner Kenyon-Parker.

Charles Wm. Pashley, of 9, Phoenix street, said he was brother of the deceased man, Arthur Pashley, who lived at 7, Phoenix street, Mexboro’, and was 42 years of age. Deceased was a grocer by trade. Witness last saw him alive on Monday, and was sent for on Friday morning to his brother’s house, His brother’s housekeeper had sent for him. When he arrived she asked him to go upstairs, because she had called him, but he had not, come down. She thought there was something amiss, and wished witness to go up and see. Witness went up to deceased’s bedroom, and found the latter lying on his back on the floor’ with his throat cut. It appeared to be a deep cut, but witness did not stay long enough to examine it. The wound had evidently been inflicted by a razor, which was in his right hand. The razor produced, covered with blood, was the one in question. Witness went for  a medical man, and Dr. Huey’s assistant came and pronounced life extinct.

He could give no reason for his brother’s terrible act. He had suffered for six or seven years with sick headaches .He did not know if his brother had any trouble, if he had he had never spoken of them to witness. The only thing witness could,  think of  to make his, brother cut his throat was the fact that his head was often bad. Deceased worried about his business a. great deal. Witness could not say anything as to the condition of deceased’s business affairs. He had never known deceased to threaten suicide.

Helena Hall, single woman, said she acted as housekeeper, for the deceased and his father, the latter being an old man of 77. She had been with them for twelve months. At about 9 o’clock on Friday morning she heard a, noise. She had called deceased as usual about 8-40, and he replied: ” Yes, all right; I’m coming.” Afterwards he called out to ask what time it was. There was nothing unusual in ‘his voice. She went up again at 9 o’clock to call him, and he answered, but did not come down. She went downstairs, and just afterwards heard a noise as though someone was choking. Then she went for the last witness, as she thought something, must be wrong. In addition to the strange noise she heard a knock on the floor as though someone had fallen. She gained the impression that he had fallen in a fit of sickness. On the previous evening deceased had complained of his head being very bad, and sat in the kitchen with his head in his bands. She had often seen him like that when the pain was bad. She could not throw any light on the reasons deceased had for committing suicide. He had never spoken to her of any trouble, nor did she know anything of his business affairs.

P.c. Walker said he was called to the house of the dead man, and found the body on the floor. The razor was head in deceased’s right hand, and witness took it out. lt was not tightly clenched. The cut was a long, deep one, which had severed both arteries and the windpipe. Witness had made a search of the house, and from papers he discovered, he had  reason to believe that deceased had money difficulties but was of opinion that the debts owing to deceased at the time would have covered the sums due from the deceased.

The coroner said the only question seemed to be what was the state of the deceased’s mind at the time of his committing suicide, which undoubtedly was the way in which he met his death. Deceased had suffered with headaches, and a younger brother of his had died in an asylum. Apart from that there seemed little evidence of insanity.

The jury found a verdict of “Suicide whilst temporarily insane.”