The deceased was my husband, aged 62 years, a Taxi Driver, and lived with me at 51, Great Howard Street, Liverpool. He had been in poor health and had been attending Dr Donnelly for a carbuncle and for nervous trouble. At about 9 p.m. on Sunday, 5th instant, the deceased went to bed in the front sitting room owing to our house being blitzed. It was his custom to retire early, and owing to slight paralysis used to sleep alone. At about 11:45 p.m. the same night I went into his bedroom to see if he required anything and he said "No". He appeared to be in his usual spirits. I then retired for the night.
At about 10:30
a.m. on Monday, the 6th instant, my daughter Anne Nolan who was
sleeping with me, went to the kitchen to make breakfast. I heard her
scream and I got out of bed and saw her running out of the house. She
called to me "Look at my father."
I went into the kitchen and saw the deceased lying on his left side
beside a marble table on which was a gas ring. There was a tube from
the gas ring. Witness Cowley came in and applied artificial
respiration. The Police and Dr Melrose of St Pauls Square came and
pronounced life extinct.
I am a spinster, a Shop Assistant and live at 51, Great Howard Street, Liverpool. The deceased was my father. At about 11:50 p.m. on Sunday, the 5th instant, I retired for the night: my father had retired at about 9 p.m.
At about 10:30 a.m. on Monday, 6th instant, I got up and went into the kitchen, and on opening the door I saw the deceased lying across the floor with his head on a pillow and a gas tube, which was attached to a gas ring on a marble topped table, the end of which was lying by his mouth. I called my mother and then ran out of the house and called for assistance.
Witness Cowley,
who was passing, came into the house and applied artificial
respiration. Dr. William Melrose of St. Paul's Square came and
pronounced life extinct.
My father had been in poor health and had been attending Dr. Donnelly
for a carbuncle on his head and for nervous trouble.
I am a Cattle Food Factory Ambulance Attendant and live at 89, Northway, Wavertree, Liverpool. At about 10:35 a.m. on Monday 6th inst., I was walking south along Great Howard St when I noticed witness Elizabeth Nolan in great distress. I asked what was the matter and I ascertained that her father (deceased) was seriously ill.
I went to 51
Great Howard St and saw the deceased lying face downwards on the
kitchen floor; he was in his night attire. There was a strong smell of
gas in the room. I saw a gas ring on the kitchen table, the tube of
which had been disconnected and was hanging from a wall bracket near
the window and the other end near the deceased's mouth.
I opened the window and door and turned off the wall gas bracket. I
sent for the Police and a Doctor and I applied artificial respiration
until they arrived. Dr. Melrose came and pronounced life extinct.
I am P.C. 289B of the Liverpool Police. At about 10:55 a.m. on Monday 6th instant, I was called to 51, Great Howard St and saw the deceased lying on his back in the kitchen with his head on a pillow; he was partially dressed. There was a faint smell of gas in the room; the door and window had been opened and the gas turned off. There was a gas ring on the kitchen table, the tube of which had been detached and was hanging from a pipe on the wall bracket near the window, the other end of which was only a few inches from the deceased's mouth. I called in Dr. Melrose of St Pauls Square who pronounced life extinct.
I searched the house but I was unable to find any message.
I am a
Registered Medical Practitioner in this city. At about 11:00 a.m.
Monday 6th inst., I was called to the deceased and found him lying on
the back kitchen floor. I saw a flexible gas tube lying near him on the
floor and I ascertained that it had been taken out of the deceased's
mouth. There was an incised wound on the left wrist, and the deceased
had lost a good deal of blood. The blood was on the kitchen floor and
it would appear he had cut his wrist first and afterwards gone into the
back kitchen, where he was found gassed.
In my opinion the cause of
death was shock following the extensive haemorrhage from the wrist and
accelerated by coal gas poisoning.
I am a Sergeant
to this Court. In the course of my enquiries I found the knife resting
on an ordinary kitchen chair, which was at the left side of the bed.
There was a quantity of blood on the floor.
It seemed as
though he had
done it whilst in bed and leaned over, as the knife on the chair was
about a yard from the bed.
An Inquisition taken for our Sovereign Lord the King, at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, on the 8th day of April 1942 by me GEORGE CECIL MORT, Esq., Coroner of our Lord the King for the said City of Liverpool, on view by me of the Body of Thomas Joseph Nolan as to his death; and I, the said GEORGE CECIL MORT, do say:
That the said Thomas Joseph Nolan died on the 6th day of April 1842 at Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and that the cause of his death was that he killed himself by cutting his left wrist with a knife in the bedroom and inhaling coal gas through a gas tube attached to a wall bracket in the back kitchen at 51 Great Howard Street, whereby he died from haemorrhage accelerated by coal gas poisoning.
and so do
further say that the said Thomas
Joseph Nolan did kill himself whilst
the balance of his mind was disturbed owing to ill-health.
In Witness whereof I, the said GEORGE CECIL MORT have hereunto
subscribed my hand and seal, the day, and year first above written.