Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Tuesday 26 July 1921
Jump of Death.
Conisboro’ Man Changes His Mind When Hanging.
At the inquest on Joseph Appleyard (79), a retired master joiner, of Old Hill, Conisborough, who was found hanging in his workshop on Saturday afternoon, William Haywood Appleyard, a nephew, said his uncle was in comfortable circumstances, and only worked for a hobby.
Deceased had lived with his sister until April, on this year, when he had lived alone. His loneliness had probably made him somewhat depressed.
On Thursday witness asked deceased to spend Sunday with him, but, the invitation was declined. Witness thought it was a case of suicide during momentary insanity, as from the position in which the body was found it looked as if deceased had made an effort to get back on to the chair from which he had jumped.
The discovery was made by a little girl, Hilda Gleadall, whose father, Fred Gleadall, cut down the body, which then appeared to have been dead about two hours. A verdict of “Suicide during temporary insanity” was returned.