SUICIDE OF A GENERAL

SEQUEL TO IMAGINARY FI-

NAKCIAL TROUBLES.

The death of Lieutenant-General John Ignatius Morris, lately Deputy-Adjutant-Geoeral of the Royal Marines, who -was found sho£ at the. residence of LieutenantColonel Gritton, at 54, Pairholma Road, West Kensington, was the subject of a coroner's inquest at Hammersmith last month. Mr Charles S. Morris, dental surgeon, identified 1 the body as that of ibis uncle, who in consequence of ill-health had beea put on unemployed 1 pay. Afterwards, iaa be hadl delusions, he was removed to the Priory Private Lunatio Asylum, Roehampton Lane, S.W., in May last. When there he was closely watched, tout when he in> proved that stringency was relaxed. Eventually on Sept. 26 he was allowed! out, and) vent to stay with his friend Colonel Gritton, at 54, Fair holme Road. Ho seemed better then and) not bo depressed. Once he liad spoken flippantly that suicide was the best way out of it, but in the same way he hadi said 'he would- shoot an organ-grinder oxitside the house> SHOT IN HIS BEDROOM. Lieutenant-Colonol Gritton, R.M.L.1., with whom, General Morris was staying at the time of the- .tragedy, deposed that he called the deceased in the morning and' told him his bath was ready, and /soon after heard a report like a falling tea-tray, but took no notice of it. Later he called the General again, and receiving no reply entered his bediroom and found him lying at the side of the bed with a bullet wound in the right side of the head' and a pistol near his right hand. He was unconscious, nnd witness called Dr MacLaren, who advised his removal. There,' were several cartridges in a paper lying on the bed. Dr James Chambers, medical superintendent of the Priory Private Lunatio Asylum:, said' that when admitted to the institution Geinoral Morris was suffering from delusions .and great depression. He was worried about financial matters, although the witness ascertained there was no ground) for that. At times &c said' he had a. disease which everyone else would contract—a, delusion which was often found in cases of this kind. Suicidal tendencies often accompanied such cases. A verdict of suicide at a time when he was of unsound mind was returned by the

jury. Lieutenant-General Morris was colonelcommanctont of the Deal Depot, in 1897. He saw active service, in the Italian wars oE independence, serving under Garibaldi at Naples iii 1860, Syria in 1861-1862, and the Piiffius in 1863. He was on Lord Wolseley's stiiif in the Soudan campaign, 1884---85. as deputy-assistant adjutant-general at Suakir. and commandant, of the town. He received Uk> Egyptian meckil and clasp and the Khedive's Bronze Star.