AFTER GAY LIFE

Evening Post, Issue 29, 4 February 1935, Page 4

AFTER GAY LIFE

YOUNG MAN'S ' SUICIDE

v A young mans "suicide in. an expensive flat he occupied in- Hanover Sjjuare,, after lie had returned from a night club, was described at.a London inxjuest on John Beresford, aged twenty-, fsixy a'ba'ehelor, says the "Daily Telegraph." ■1-: ■■:•■.. ■ ■'. •■■•■, ..;.'■: Richard Norris,an;actbr,:'pi;Den.bigh: Place/ Pimlicb, said he understood that Beresford,1 who was a friend of his, came from Ireland, but.he,knew nothing about ■Ms j relatives. ' '.-.•'.''. •.,''.■ TheCororier (Mr. Ingleby.pddie):,Do; you know: if he was i any relation to the Marquis, /of; Waterford family f —l rather suspected. . •. , - ',■■■ ' , • How was he living?—He did not talk very: much about his personal, affairs. •He was very reserved.,._■-, • 4 /'./. '■■! Mrs Noi'ris, said Beresford had, mentioned . financial - difficulties—he\ had various outstanding bills to. , tradesmen.,; He,was under the impression that Beresford received , money,, 'from his mother mi Ireland.. During, the last fortnight he had been depressed.. ' ■ James, Dunn, a zoologist, staying at a ho.tel in.Russell S.quare, said ,he had known'Beresford for about a month. Uecently he met Beresfprd in a club, called The Nest,-Kingsiey, Street^' They left the club irT a taxi-cab about 2.45 a.m., Beresford dropping him at his address. Beresford had told him that he was not % so well off as he used to be, and that ho could not afford to go to Paris. He said that he only went abroad when he had a lot of money, so that he could "do himself well.". For some time past he had not been so gay as he formerly was. It was stated that Bcresford, who wus found dead in bod, owed £85 rent. CARE OF PARROT. - Dr. Jqhu Taylor, pathologist, said death was due to some narcotic poisoning, such as would be caused by one of tho barbituric class of drugs. The Coroner read a letter addressed to the manager of the flats, in which Beresford gave him his parrot, with elaborate instructions as to how it 'should bo fed.: Ho added: "Every articlo in this apartment owned by mo at my death I leave; wholly and entirely to you—my fishing equipment in Cornwall and sporting gun; in Essex may becomo the property ofthose in chargo of them. ... ;. '.'No doubt someone will come forward with an offer to bury me. Let this be done witli simplicity in a quiet place. ''

Mr. Oddio, in recording a verdict of suicide while of unsound mind,: said; the man had been worried because he had come to tho end of his resources.

A member of the Marquis of Water-, ford's .family stated that Beresford was not in any way connected with tho family. "Wo have- never previously heard of tho man," it was stated.