35 Highbury Street

Hampshire Telegraph : Saturday 20 May 1899
A Madman’s Suicide - Tragedy at Milton Asylum
At the Borough of Portsmouth Lunatic Asylum, Milton, on Tuesday, Mr T A Bramsdon, JP, the Borough Coroner, held an inquest as to the circumstances attending the death of  Thomas Henry Hardwick, aged 28, an inmate of the Asylum, formerly residing at 47 Highbury Street, who cut his throat early Saturday morning last.
The Widow’s Evidence and Complaints - Eliza Hardwick of 47 Highbury Street, who had a small baby in her arms, and appeared very much affected, shivering and sobbing as she gave her evidence, identified the deceased as her husband.  He had served in the Army in Egypt for four years, but returned home some seven years ago.  He was not wounded and had not suffered from sunstroke.  He had never had a day’s illness.  It was Saturday fortnight that she first found that there was something wrong.  He was sitting by the fire that night, and when she asked him why he was so miserable he said,” I’m mad.”  She took him to Dr Morley, and he was removed to the Union Infirmary the same night.  He wished to go.  He was removed to the Asylum on Monday week.  She came up to see him the day he was admitted.  She said time that he was in hospital, but he replied that he was at the Asylum and that he was mad.  She didn’t think, however (this with tears and a catch in her voice) that he should have been taken to the Asylum.  She asked him, to test him, how much there was to come to him for his work, and he said,” Two shillings Liza.  Draw it.”He never lost his recollection, nor anything.  She complained that a Police Sergeant and a Constable, both in uniform, came to her house on the Saturday, and without any preparation told her that husband was dead.  She thought that they might at least send a plain clothes man.
By a Juror - My husband suffered from enteric fever whilst abroad
By the Coroner - He was not under the delusion that he was to be arrested by the police for some crime, not that I know of.
Medical Testimony - Dr John Blackwood (senior assistant medical officer, in charge of the male side) said he examined the deceased on his admission, and he was satisfied that he  was insane.  The first manifestation of violence was that of Saturday last, which resulted in his death.  Witness was called to him about 7.30 am, and found him lying on the dormitory floor in No 4 Ward, with a large incised wound in his throat, which had penetrated to the larynx.  The wound was just above the air passage and the haemorrhage twice nearly choked him.  All that was possible was done for the deceased, but he expired shortly after eight o’clock.  A Post Mortem examination showed that the membranes  of the brain were thickened, as the result of inflammation, probably of some weeks’ standing, and the grey matter of the brain was congested.  The state of the brain was strong evidence of insanity.  It was in a very bad state.  The cause of death was shock and  haemorrhage combined, the result of the wound in the throat.
Slashed at His Throat - Arthur Himmens, charge attendant at the Asylum, said that up to Saturday last the deceased had given no trouble, and they did not anticipate any.  He walked about a good deal, and seemed rather restless, but never threatened to commit suicide.  Witness described how Hardwick snatched the knife and ran off, witness following.  At the dormitory door the deceased stopped and drew the knife across his throat, and running forward into the dormitory again, slashed at his throat, and throwing the knife away fell back in witness’s arms.  Witness laid him on the floor, and sending the other attendant, Tobin, for the Doctor, endeavouring  to staunch the wound with a pillow case.  Dr Blackwood and Dr Mumby (the Superintendent) came at once.  Deceased was very quick and witness could not catch him sooner, as he had to get around the corner of the table, and the deceased had a good start.
Edward Tobin corroborated.
Dr B H Mumby (Superintendent) supported the evidence given by Dr Blackwood.  He had measured the distance from the table to the spot where Hardwick was lying, and found it was 42 yards.
By the Coroner - It would be possible to have the bread cut outside the wards, and to keep the knives out of the wards altogether, but that would mean altering the whole of the administration of the Asylum.
No One to Blame - In summing up the Coroner said that no blame was to be attached to the authorities, as the man had not exhibited any violent tendencies, and they were therefore quite right in treating him in as home-like manner as possible.
The Jury returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide while of unsound mind, and exonerated the attendants from all blame.