A STUDENT’S SUICIDE.

Evening Star, Issue 12881, 2 August 1906, Page 7

A STUDENT’S SUICIDE.

Mr Trouthcpk liejld apinquiry at Battersea oh Jui)p 18 concerning' thg death pi GfiQrgP Rucbanatn Scqttr-GOwSrd; agedruneteen years, who threw himkelf : ip front pf a Brighten train at Glapham Junction on the previous Thursday night. •; Waltef Scott-Ooward; of 5g road, Kensmgton, a, fetired chief mgppictpr of schools, the father, paid his son was a student at the Gniyergity pf Sjfitzeplnnd. He Jqgt saw him hi ftefphor, when h§ parted fpr Switzerland tp commence his university career. (He remained there until about’a fortnight before that qnip. Qn Friday 1 June lb) the father rgcpiygd a lettpr from, hi? son, which t}ip corpn'gr r.ead. It weg as fpljpws;-k-. My dear- parents,-r-What I Jpve to tgll you may. I fear, shock and distress you The walking tour was pn invention; it w-av te prevent‘you fc.eing’ surprised pi pot hearing* from me for a week, and to keejK, you from writing to n>s during the rams 1 week. _ I told Pere Chevalier that I wak ■ returning to London for a week-to sny good-bye, to -my brother, who was going,' to India for many years. . . .' f c jfiftp tp I/oijdoij with Leigh. Our phjoct was tp' kill ourselves| hut we delayed doing so longer thaq we meant to for tho sake of hearing WagJieEg 'Elyipg’Dutehm:9h'’ ! on Tuesday evening ; hot ims evpuipg wp mean to dp it. ’ We came tp London fpf the purpose, ad it peemed unfair to’ do so at F7-—-, and it would be likely to ije a great nuisance to our parents, who would hxyp had to go out tp arrange about pur burial. , ‘ p ' After referring to a tailor’s bid< >vhieh he had not paid, although hip lathep had sent him the cheque, the writer requested that a sealed parcel, containing chocolate, a dictionary, and "a piatehbpx,' should be buried with him. Mr Scptt-Ooward explained that “Ireigh” was an 'old schoolfellpw of his son’s. He was not at the same college, but four hours’ i journey away. Leigh, who about j eighteen, had often been at his house, pq j receiving the letter, the witness continued, he went at opeg ip the address ip Doanbridße street, 'Pmxjiqo, and tperP raw the landlady, Whp at ppce giSfjaitped that two young gehtlemep, one hampd Leigh Farnpll, were staying there.’ jjg was ghpwn up into the tn'eakfast ropm, where lie sgw young Farnelj, whb was very agi : fated, and sCfemed m9 re sp when, in' reply to hip question, he gajd Hp did ppt where his .cpmpapion was. The witness asked; “Has h® carried put his iptentipji?” and he replied: “ Yes, at Glapham Junction.” “How ape you Mr scoltCoward inquired, 4ntf‘'..| J ariijdl, ’jcppjrifhg to the witness, said: “ I wept Ll Oaphaan with Geprgp, whp persuaded nip'at moment ffom.'fpljpwifig his example.” The wiLiess added that thg youths (ac r cording ,tp Fain^’B^pccount), took Igaye of each other, L®igh FatpelllturAlng awp,y so as not to tee'liri friend die- r The Coroner said lie understood that Leigh Farhell had akp written a letter. Was it in court?' Mr Gerald Sturt (counsel for Mr Farncll): “It has been destroyed.” “ Are ypu serious’”—“ Yes, I am spripvs. •Directly this gentleman (Mr'Scott-Cbwaril) saw Leigh his- father came up and took him at once to Dr Savage, whoso certificate I have. After that the letter was destroyed.” “By whom?”—“By the father! “I am not satisfied that that is the way to deal with the case at pH.” In reply tp the Coroner, Mr Sturt said Farnell’s father was rjot present. The Coroner paid he 'sllpuld require much better "reason than had r been given for the' deteractian of the ietteri' it inust not be imagined for a moment that‘ the matter would be disposed of by the 'destrui> tiop of a letter in‘ a serious rase of this kind. , Evidence was then given to the effect that young Srott-Cpward jumped dpivn jon the hMi3st,Jfolded his aimg, and lay across the metals in frpnt of' an approaching train, which cut him iii two. ' "" V’ The ‘case was adjourned.