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"Suicide of a Devonshire Bailiff
An inquest was held at Kingsbridge on Wednesday on the body of John CRANCH, aged 61, boot and shoe dealer, and high bailiff of Kingsbridge County Court. - Kate Elizabeth CRANCH said her father on Monday morning left house for his shop, saying good-bye, as usual. He had complained of his "poor head" of late, but she did not know he had any worries or troubles. Edwin WINGETT, mason, Dodbrooke, deposed to forcing an entrance into deceased's shop on Monday night and finding deceased lying on the floor in a pool of blood. W. R. BEER stated tht the deceased told him, within the past month that he had possessed a certain amount of money belonging to the County Court, which he did not know how he could make up. Dr. O. R. BASKALI said there were three gashes in the throat made from left to right. Mr. J. HARRIS SQUARE, solicitor, deputy registrar, said that from a cursory examination he had made there was £60 or £70 due from the deceased to the County Court. Deceased was served with a judgment summons for £19 from a foreign court lately. Deceased had not been up to the County Court office for the past ten days, and it was his usual custom to come up twice a week. The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilst of unsound mind".
Trewman's Exeter Flying Post or
Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser (Exeter, England),
Thursday, April 1, 1897; Issue 9279
