Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 15 February 1889

Tragic’ Suicide at Wath.

A Colliery Secretary Shoots Himself.

Yesterday morning the town of Wath-on-Dearne and neighbourhood were startled by the report that Mr. James Crawshaw, of Wath Main Colliery, had come to a sudden and violent death by shooting himself with a revolver.

People said, when they heard the news that Mr. Crawshaw was the last man in the world whom they would have thought would have committed suicide, but on enquiry being made it was found that the report was only too true.

The detail obtained by our representative, who made diligent inquiries during the day, reveal the following facts.

Ever since Monday evening Mr. Crawshaw had not attended to his duties, and his whereabouts have been unknown. Yesterday morning, about seven o’clock, some platelayers, on their way to work on the Midland Railway to the north of Wath Station, had occasion to go into a cable situated in a hollow below the down line, about 400 yards from the station. They there found Mr. Crawshaw, looking cold and weary, sitting on some old sleepers. He did not appear as if he hail slept during the night, but answered the greeting of “Good morning” from the workmen, with apparent cheerfulness. The men were very much surprised to see Mr. Crawshaw there at such an hour, and one of them, Robert Bowers, living at 41, Gore hill, Wath, proceeded to light a fire, Mr. Crawshaw, in the meanwhile lighting his pipe, but otherwise quite. Bowers left the hut at five minutes to eight, and nothing more was seen of deceased until a man named Charles Phelps, who was with the party that first entered the hut, went there about 9.20 for the purpose of mending the fire. Directly he got inside he saw that there was something wrong. Mr. Crawshaw was sitting in a half recumbent position across the sleepers; his head was down, and in his right hand he grasped a six-chambered revolver. Phelps shouted, and immediately the other men came up. They felt the body, hut there were no signs of life. There was a hole in the right temple, through which a bullet had passed, and blood had trickled down on to the floor, where it lay in a small pool.

Harry Finch, one of the men, went for the ganger and he and Mr. Walker, the weighman at the colliery, were soon on the spot. Then no doubt existed that life was quite extinct. The workmen, who were not working far off, heard no pistol shot. In about an hour Dr. Burman and Dr. Jones were on the scene, shortly preceded by police constable Hutchinson, but of course medical aid was out of the question. The body was still lying in the position in which it was first seen, and it was placed on a stretcher and carried to the colliery offices, from whence, a little later, it was Conway to deceased’s residence at West Melton in the colliery ambulance, a messenger going first to break the sad news to Mrs. Crawshaw.

Throughout the day various were the rumours and conjectures as to the motives that had induced the deceased to lay violent hands on himself. He was a man universally respected, and was not known to have been in any serious trouble, though of late he has worn a preoccupied air. He was on good terms with his family, and, for all anyone knew, his business transactions did not cause him any anxiety. But whatever the cause it must have been of a few days’ duration, for he had not been seen since Monday night until yesterday morning. No reason for his absence was given to Mr. Geo. Shaw, the manager, or any of the officials. It is stated that he called early in the morning for his morning paper and his letter bag, but that requires confirmation, as it is not believed that he had been in the town that morning. (In enquiry at the colliery our representative was informed that yesterday the annual monthly meeting of the directors took place, before which the deceased would have had to lay his books and accounts. (In the receipt of the news of his death investigations were at once made, and it is feared that serious discrepancies have been found. Whether deceased was aware of this and feared to meet his directors it would not be wise to say, but very likely at the inquest some facts will be disclosed which will throw some light on the strange affair.

In the deceased’s clothing there were found two bottles, containing laudanum and chloroform, so that it appears as if deceased had had more than one choice in the manner of his death. The revolver found in his hand was six-chambered, two of the chambers having been discharged, and this fact perhaps may have given rise to the erroneous report that there were two bullet wounds in the head. As a matter of fact there was only one, and it is difficult to imagine how anyone could have thought that after a man haul one bullet through his temples, he could have pulled the trigger again,

Deceased was connected with the Wesleyan community, and he has been connected with the colliery ever since it was started in 1873. At first he was only a sleeping partner, but about 10 years ago he became secretary, and ever then he has taken an active pan in the working of the concern. He has been a member of the Wath Local Board ever since its formation, and was regarded as a most useful member. Though not taking a very active part in the debates, he watched the course of business very closely, and his opinion was always paid great deference to whenever expressed. As a curious trait in his character, it might be mentioned that when he attended the meetings, which he did very regularly, he might be depended upon to turn up between 20 minutes and 25 minutes past seven, some few minutes before the Board opened at 7.30. He was a man of most generous disposition, and was ever ready to give a helping hand to a deserving object. The utmost sympathy in Wath and district is expressed with his family, upon whom the sad news must have fallen with terrible force. He leaves a widow and one son, who is studying at the University College, London, where he has obtained honours.