South Yorkshire Times, September 23rd, 1944
Second Suicide in A Week
Both Drowned in Same Place at Wath
At an inquest at Wath on Wednesday, on Harry Pask (68), a bachelor of 55, Knollbeck Crescent, Brampton, whose body was recovered from the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Canal near the Broomhill Bridge, Wombwell, on Saturday, the Sheffield Deputy Coroner (Mr. W. A. Lambert) recorded a verdict of “Suicide.” He was the second man to have committed suicide near the bridge within a week, and it was stated that a few days before his own death Pask had helped to pull another Brampton man out of the canal at approximately the same spot.
Horatio Pask, also a bachelor, said he and his brother lived together at 55, Knollbeck Crescent. Both were employed at Wombwell Main colliery until November 1942, when his brother retired. His brother had always been cheerful and healthy. A few days before his own death, his brother had helped to get a man out of the canal at approximately the same spot. Witness thought it possible that this might have played on his brother’s mind, although he had told him of the affair and did not seem disturbed b it.
Rosa Makison, wife of Harold Makison of 5, Knollbeck Crescent said for the last ten years she had gone in the Pask’s’ house to clean up. When she went in on Saturday, Mr. Harry Pask said he had been to Wombwell and that he was “cold through.” Apart from the fact that he said he felt cold, he was his normal self.
Alfred Gordon Wright of Wath Road, Brampton, a sewerage worker employed by Rotherham Rural District Council, said that when he was walking over the canal bridge at about 1.40 on Saturday afternoon, he saw a heap of clothes on the towpath. He found there were cap, waistcoat jacket and white scarf. He looked into the canal and noticed the body of a man which he recovered. The man appeared to be dead but he applied artificial respiration for about 20 minutes for which he was commended by the coroner.
Dr. Gilbert Forbes (Police Surgeon Sheffield), said that Pask was a remarkably healthy man for his age. Cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning.
The coroner said that Pask committed suicide but why he did it must remain a mystery. He was happily and comfortably situated at home with his brother. It was significant, he said, that he had helped to pull another man from the canal and that may, or may not, have played on his mind.