Maidstone Telegraph, 09 August 1862.

SEVENOAKS. A Would-be Suicide.

On Saturday, at the magistrates office, John Jones, a young man who had been in the army, the son of the landlady of the "Lion" public-house, at Riverhead, was charged before M. Lambarde, Esq., with attempting to commit suicide, on the 1st inst. The prisoner told his mother that he was going up stairs to rest for a short time, but a curious noise being heard, the mother called for assistance, and on the room being entered the prisoner was found suspended by his neck, but he was cut down before life was extinct. In his pocket book was found written in pencil, "I John Jones do mean to terminate my existence, the first day of August, not being fit to live, and hope every one to be better than I am." He had also written a letter to his mother, in which he says, "Dear mother, one of the best of mothers on record, I now bid you farewell, not being happy, and I hope you will make the best of a bad job, and forgive me as you hope to be forgiven. I have made you unhappy long enough, but I will do it no longer. I feel very unhappy. Give my dying love to Lizzie, and tell her if you see her, I love her until my life's end. I hope you will use the remainder of my money in my burial, and thank God you have not got any more trouble with me. It will be no use your thinking you shall ever find me alive any more."

The prisoner, who seemed in a very dejected state, was remanded until Tuesday.