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Nicholas John Henderson

Age: 30

Sex: male

Date: 24 Feb 1914

Place: Cruiser Cressy, Chatham

Nicholas John Henderson was found shot in the head on the cruiser Cressy at Chatham.

No gun was found.

A witness said that he had thrown a pillow overboard that Nicholas Henderson had been using as it was saturated with blood but said that he was sure he didn't throw a pistol overboard with it. He said that at first he thought that Nicholas Henderson had received his injury by falling out of his hammock.

The inquest heard that Nicholas Henderson had owned a pistol and an air-gun. He had once handed a revolver to a barmaid in a pub whilst ashore but the hotel-keeper had refused to return it to him afterwards.

A Royal Marine said that Nicholas Henderson once came up to him with two cartridges in his hand and said 'I have got to die sooner or later, and someone's got to go with me'.

Another person said that Nicholas Henderson drank to excess, took very little solid food and had strange moods.

The surgeon said that he didn't think his wound was self-inflicted because it was rare for people to shoot themselves in the forehead and that there were no powder marks on his skin. He also said that the fact that the course of the bullet wound was straight was also unusual.

An open verdict was returned.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Portsmouth Evening News - Tuesday 24 February 1914