South Eastern Gazette, 12 June, 1860.

NORTHBOURNE. Suicide of A Youth.

On Tuesday last C. J. Fox, Esq., deputy coroner for this district, held an inquest at the "White Horse" beer-house, Finglesham, in this parish, touching the death of a youth named Thomas Newing, a farm labourer, who had committed suicide by hanging himself. The deceased, who was only 17 years of age, was in the employ of Mr. Wm. Harvey, of Finglesham farm, and is represented to have been a steady youth and to have borne a good character. The facts connected with the case may be seen in the following evidence:—

Wm. Harvey deposed that the deceased had been in his employ since Michaelmas last. On the previous Sunday morning, about 10 o’clock, he was informed by another servant, named Henry Kevell, that the deceased had hung himself. Witness then went into the stable, when he found the deceased hanging from a beam. He cut him down at once, but he was quite dead. During the time the deceased had been in his employ he had been a steady sober man.

John Church, in the employ of the last witness, proved that he went into the stable at ten o’clock on Sunday morning, and there saw the defendant hanging from a cross beam. The last time he saw the deceased alive was about 8 o'clock the same morning when there was nothing different in his manner. On the previous Thursday morning witness saw deceased fall from one of the horses upon his head, and in the afternoon he complained of his head aching very much.

Henry Kevell confirmed the statement of the last witness as to the finding of the body, and said that at nine o’clock on Sunday morning he saw deceased in his sleeping room, when he remarked that the maid had been to the room, but would not make his bed. Witness told the deceased that he had no business in the bed-room when the servant was there, but he made no reply.

Thomas Newing, the father of the deceased, said that he saw his son on the previous Friday night. He knew of no reason for his committing suicide, but he was never considered a strong boy. The jury returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity."