On Wednesday last the inhabitants residing at the top-end of Rushden were startled by the report that a man named Herbert Underwood had committed suicide by hanging. This, on enquiry, turned out to be only too true. The circumstances of the sad event will be gathered from the evidence given at

The Inquest

which was held at the Waggon and Horses Inn on Thursday evening, before Mr. J. T. Parker, and a jury of whom Mr. G. Winters was foreman. The first witness called was Dr. Owen, who deposed that he saw the deceased about 7.30 p.m. at his father's house on Wednesday evening. Deceased was then quite dead, having been so for about eight hours. He found marks under the chin which might have been caused by a rope, and he should say the cause of death was hanging. Witness was not aware of any insanity or strange­ness in the family. In answer to a juryman the doctor stated that the neck was not dislocated.— George Underwood, brother of the deceased, stated that he lived with his father in Little-street, Rushden. On the morning of the 24th inst., both he and his brother, who were employed as farm labourers by Mr. Henry Skinner, went to work in a field near Knuston Spinney, where they arrived as the clock was striking six. After working for an hour and a half his brother suddenly threw down his hoe and expressed his determination to have a pint of beer at the "Wheatsheaf." Witness told him not to be all day, and then proceeded with his work of hoeing oats, at which both he and his brother had been engaged. He noticed that deceased had left his coat behind him, but later on missed it, though his dinner and that of his brother had not been disturbed. In answer to the coroner's questions witness deposed that deceased left his father's house on Monday owing to his abusive manner towards his father. He was not aware of the age of his brother, but should suppose him to be about 30 years. Deceased served in the army for eight years, part of that being spent in Hong Kong, and he was in the army reserve. In spite of his foreign service, witness did not know whether deceased had had a sunstroke or any other illness whilst abroad, and except for the fact that he was swearing all the way to work on Wednesday he had not noticed anything peculiar in his manner. The deceased had not, so far as was known, touched the drink since Thursday week. Joseph Carter next gave evidence as to the finding of the body. He deposed that he was employed by Mr. Henry Skinner, and went to the hovel to see to his stock about 4.15 p.m. when he was startled to observe a man there. He at once proceeded to Mr. Skinner’s to give information, and from thence he went with Mr. Skinner to tell his story to the police.—Inspector Onan said that immediately upon hearing of the occurrence he proceeded to the hovel, accompanied by a shoe-hand named Samuel Robinson, where he found the deceased hanging from a beam with the rope produced. A ladder was at deceased's feet, and except that his hat had fallen off the deceased was fully dressed. He at once cut him down, and recognised him as Herbert Underwood. He knew deceased as a man of violent temper, and on Thursday week he was called to Underwood’s house, where he found him abusing his father, as already deposed. Deceased did not go down to the "Wheatsheaf" as he said he would, and as far as can be ascertained was not seen again in Rushden. He was found hanging two miles from the place where he had been at work.—The Coroner, in summing up, did not think there was sufficient evidence to show that deceased exhibited any signs of insanity.—The jury returned a verdict "That deceased committed suicide by hanging, but that there is not sufficient evidence to show the state of his mind at the time."—The jury handed their fees to the father of deceased, who is in very poor circumstances.