J. Q. ROWETT'S SUICIDE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18231, 15 November 1924, Page 6

J. Q. ROWETT'S SUICIDE.

FINANCIER OF THE QUEST

EXPEDITION.

A GENEROUS BENEFACTOR.

(raOH OTTB OWK COSRISPOITDKJT.)

LONDON, October 7.

Mr John Quiller Eowett, whose generosity made the last Shackleton expedition to the Antarctic possible, •was found dead last week in his London honse at Hyde Park Terrace. After partaking of a hearty lunch, Mr Rowett escorted his wife, who has recently been an invalid, to her motorcar for an afternoon driv?, and retiring to his study, gava instructions to be informed of her return. When Mrs Eowett came back to the house about four o'clock the butler proceeded to the study, but his master was absent and his desk strewn with papers. Going to the billiard room adjoining, he found Mr Eowett leaning in the window recess, and believing that Tie had been overcome with a fit, made to lift him away. He spoke to Mr Eowett, but receiving no reply he tonched him lightly on the shoulder. When he saw no sign of life he became alarmed and ran for help. A policeman entered the house and found that Mr Eowett had slipped to the floor-and lay on his back. Around his neck was a piece of unknotted cord with a wooden handle at one end and the other end broken. It was found to be part of the billiardsroom window-cord. Doctors arrived and found that he had been dead for at least an hour.

At the inquest the dramatic theory was advanced by Dr. 1?. J. Barker, of Harley street, that death was due to an accident. . "I cannot help thinking," he said, "that he was toying with the of suicide, and having what I may. recall a.rehearsal of how it might be done. It is conceivable that he may have slipped and fell forward. He may have gone, not deliberately, a Btep further than he intended in carrying out the experiment and have lost his balance."

£70,000 for the Quest Expedition. Mr Walter John Wenham, a solicitor, of Gray'a Inn Square, who said he had acted as legal adviser to the deceased for six years, stated Mr Eowett had begun to fret about the beginning of the present year. Beplyihg to. the coroner, the witness said that, owing to the failure of the firm of the late Sir John Henderson Stewart—which had given deceased a great shock, as had also the tragic death of Sir John Stewart—he had suffered a financial loss of £IOO,OOO. The loss was on account of rum supplied in the ordinary course of business, deceased not having been involved in the late Sir John Stewart's business venture?, but having simplytaken up the latter 'a bills. The Quest expedition had, witness said, cost Mr Eowett £70,000. As the result of the late Sir John Stewart's affairs deceased had been compelled to find money, and he had laid before his bankers a scheme which, witness believed, "was having their considerate attention." There had been every reason to believe that a satisfactory adjustment pf deceased's affairs would have resulted, but Mr Eowett was very sensitive of his good name in the City, and was greatly distressed at the necessity of submitting proposals to his bankers. The Coroner: Was there any reason to think that the scheme might not prove satisfactory?—No; on the contrary, there was every reason to hope that a satisfactory adjustment would result. In further reply, to the Coroner, the witness said deceased had been involved in another considerable investment which had turned out unsatisfactory. The Coroner, reviewing the evidence, said he was unable to accept the theory, charitably advanced by Dr. Barker, that deceased had been rehearsing the tragedy. It was clear that, at 1 the time he took his life, deceased was hot of sound mind. The verdict, therefore, would be that he committed suicide whilst of unsound min,d.

Mr Bowett's Benefactions. When his old school chum, the late Sir Ernest Shackletoh, was proposing to set out 1 in the Quest on what was destined his last voyage, Mr Rowett. promised £IO,OOO. towards the cost of the expedition. Then one by one the other supporters fell out for varying reasons, and finally Mr Rowett was confronted with the fact that the expedition would drop through altogether unless he shouldered the entire responsibility. , The decision to accept it was made without a moment's, hesitation, and from that time onward Mr Rowett threw himself wholeheartedly and • unreservedly into the* project. The explorers named the highest point of Gough Island, Mount Rowett, after him.' Mr Rowett also contributed £IO,OOO to the Institute for the Study of Animal Nutrition at Aberdeen, which was opened by / the' Queen in September, 1922, and in addition supplied sufficient funds to purchase an experimental stock farm, with buildings adapted for conducting feeding experiments, The institute was named the Eowett Research Institute, and Aberdeen University conferred the honorary degree of LL.D. on Mr Rowett. Three years ago he was Master of the Fruiterers' Company. He leaves a widow, a son, and two daughters. i

In other directions Mr Rowett gave generously of his means in a quiet, unostentatious manner. ' His contributions for several yeaTS to the Bland Sutton Institute for dental research at the Middlesex Hospital enabled its medical school to engage a special worker to investigate the cauße of dental decay. As a result of the work some new organisms were found, which, to a large extent, accounted for the decay of the teeth. He was not generally known at the hospital, as he only visited the laboratories where the research was carried out.