A VICAR’S SUICIDE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5273, 11 May 1928, Page 3

A VICAR’S SUICIDE.

ji mis in nto.vr of tkain.

LONDON, March 26.

An inquest was held at Orchester (Northants) ojn Saturday oil the body of the Rev. Laurence Rawdon Levett, -IS, vicar of Podington (Bedfordshire), who fell in front of a London to Glasgow express at Irchester station on Friday.

A letter which Mr Lewett wrqte to his wife was read. In this he said : “This is: to say ‘good-bye.’ I> have bgen a hopeless failure, and see no \yay out of the tangle in which I am involved, except that which I am taking.” In a letter, to Colonel Orlebar, patqofn of the- living, he wrote : “This may not reach you, but it is ontty fair that it should be written in any case, l am hopelessly bankrupt and see ho way out but clearing out altogether. This is usually considered cowardly. I do not think sq myself, because I am fond of life and have just got to the point where life holdfe much that is good for me. I think under modern conditions it is almost impossible to take one’s life like a gentleman, and this is also a nuisance.”

The Coroner also read a letter from the family solicitor to Mr Levett, pointing out his great financial difficulties and advising him to resign the living and file a petition in bankruptcy.

Selina Cleaver, cook at the vicar-: age, said the vicar had been una.bl,e to sleep lately, but was quite normal? before leaving in his car f° r the railway station.

William Tobin, a ganger, said that while working outs'de the station he saw Mr Levett look up the line towards London, step back, and their jump as the express came in. Tlie coroner said that there had been insanity in the family. A verdict of suicide while of unsound mind was returned.