Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 23 December 1909
Conisbro’ Collier Attempts Suicide.
Yesterday a man named William Larney, a collier, of Conisbro’, was brought before the West Riding magistrates at Doncaster on charge of attempting suicide taking spirits of salts.
Owing to lack of employment the man had become depressed.
It was stated by Ellen Challenger, of 32, Doncaster Road, Conisbro’, that the defendant had been lodging with her for over a year, and had gone back twice during a week without having obtained work. He had been taking a lot of drink, and seemed to be worried. He left home on the 8th inst. to to work, and when he returned said there was no work for him.
On the following morning at about 10.30 she heard knocking on the stairs, and on going up saw the defendant, who had a bottle in one hand and cup in the other. He said, ‘I’ve done it; I’ve done it.”
She asked, “What have you done this for?” but he made no reply except to ask for his mother. The bottle bore a yellow label. After giving Larney an emetic, she sent for a policeman and a doctor, the latter advising defendant’s removal to the Doncaster Infirmary.
A chemist’s assistant deposed that he sold some spirits of salts to man like the defendant.
P.-c. Ran some, who saw defendant after he had taken the poison, said he removed him to the Infirmary. When charged with attempting to com. suicide, the man said, “I have been working badly lately.”
Larney now told the magistrates he was very sorry for what he had done. He had been sent back from his work so often that he took the poison in a fit of temper.
The landlady and a lodger promised to look after the defendant, and on his giving assurance that he would not attempt such a thing again was discharged. The man, who appeared to be still in weak condition, was removed home in a cab.