James Forster Stables (1877-1896)

James was the son of John Kitchingman Stables and his wife, Mary Ross. He tragically committed suicide in 1896.

Obituary in the Bolton Evening News

This is a transcript of the report on James's death, in which he is called James Staples, that was published in the Bolton Evening News on Monday June 8th, 1896.

This was kindly supplied by Jim Wild, courtesy of the Bolton Evening News.

A BOLTONIAN'S SUICIDE IN LONDON.

A man who was found shot through the head at Gordon's Hotel, Catherine St., Strand, yesterday morning, is stated to be Mr. James Staples, a native of Bolton. It seems that he and a friend engaged rooms at the hotel a week ago, and they told Mr. Ruffell, the proprietor, that they had come up from Bolton to go to the Derby. Mr. Staples was always very cheerful in his manner, and there was nothing to lead the proprietor to believe he contemplated suicide. He and his friend went to the Derby, but the latter afterwards returned to Bolton. Staples remaining in the hotel. On Wednesday night he remarked to some of the visitors at the hotel that his luck had been "all out" at the Derby, and he had lost his money on the wrong horse. On Saturday night, he returned to the hotel just before twelve o'clock, and being a little elevated, Mr. Ruffell advised him to go to bed, which he did. As he did not make his appearance up till eleven o'clock on Sunday morning, and nothing was heard of his movements, the pro-prietor went to his room, and failing to get an answer to his knocking opened the door. A shocking sight then presented itself. Staples being found quite dead, with a bullet wound to his head, from which a large quantity of blood had flowed. In the deceased man's right hand there was a six-chambered revolver, a miniature weapon like a toy pistol, one chamber of which had been discharged under his head. A small notebook was found, in which the deceased had written in pencil, "My poor mother." "My dear mother." Several telegrams and papers were found upon him. The suicide is thought to have been the result of betting losses. Mr. Staples was only 21 years of age. The Bolton police have not yet received any information of the tragic occurrence, and deceased's address is not known.

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