The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-11-01 00:00:00

SAD SUICIDE OF 4 YOUYO MAY.

- - - - - -
An ingest was held on Tuesday evening on the
body of William Cambridge Ellis, f Market Lavinds
ton, near Salisbury, an aseietant to Mr. William
Penny, chemist, of High-street. Mr. Norbury was
the foreman of the ju y, and the Doe ugh Coroner,
13. B. Aldridav, Esq., conducted th enquiry. After
the j iry had viewed the body, which presented a very
calm and placid appearance, and was that of a young
man apparontly about 22, the following eridanoe wee
:

Eliza Best, housekeeper to Mr. William Penny, ot
High-street, chemist, stated the decease I had been
with them about three mouthy, and during thst time
he bad n re appeared particularly strange, although at
times she thought him rather hila I h The had
never heard that he had quarrelled with anyone, and
had never complained to her.
By the Foreruan : He seemed at times rather

•
Mr.—S4illiarn Penny, member of the Pharmacuetical
Society of Great Britain, in whooe employ the
&ceased MK sta.° I he had been in his employ since
the &at week in July. and had proved himself one of
the most valuable as iaants he hid ever had. He was
• very steady young man—in fact, he was a hetotahr.
He always seemed in good health until Monday, the
10th of this month, when, after a whit to Bournemouth,
he returned with his hands looking perfectly blue.
He said he had been put into a damp bed there. Pe
was suffering from an ulcerated throat, and be
(witness) seat for Dr. Lawton, who, having examined
him. said that he was weak in his head, and he must
not study. Deceased became we unwell that he sent
for hie mother, who came over from &mrnemouth,
and she th-n t .Id him the father of the dens ,snd hal
died in a lunatic asylum. lie mother thanked him
(Mr. Penny) for his kindness to her sun, and stated
that he hat implement himself as very happy in his
situation. They had never had an uuplessata word.
The deceased at times seemed abstracted. About
half-past four that same morning the deceased came
into hie bedroom and said that tee had beard that a
cabman at the London Hotel had cut his throat.
ilia was the first instance of aberration be had Peen,
lie quieted him, and got him to go back into bed. At
breakfast time th s morning he asked him what hut
happened, and he said be did not know as hi. bead
was perfectly confused. This morning deceesed ate a
wall breakfast, and went to his work as usual. About
11 o'clock a medical gentleman came in for half-an•
ounce of Schield'a Prus.ic Acid to poison a dog. lie
supplied him with it, and put the bottle, from whit
be took it, at the back of the shop, so that no one
could get at it. Ale .ut half MI hour after, he found
the deceased's &woe on the counter, amid thought be
had gone to the closet. Shortly after that, his
(wahine's) housekeeper came in and said she heard
awful groans ill the yard. lie instinctively looked for
the bottle of Prus•ic Acid, and found it was gone. He
ruohe 1 out stud found the deceased in the closet c. Id
and pulselees. He was evidently dead. He sent for
Dr. Lawton and Dr. Mackint eh, and they eudea-
voured with him to restore animation, but without
avail.

By the Coroner: The dectated must have taken
enough p Aeon to kill 12 men in five minute'.
Dr. Healy Nfacitiotosh, surgeon, practiaing in Poole,
said about lialf•pait 11 this morning he was called in
to Mr. Penny's. He found the deceastd in the water.
closet, seated on the fib ir with Lis head thrown bock
and his knees doubled up. He WWI dead, hot how
long he had been he could not tell. His pupils were
dilated, which indicated he had not taken an opiate.
lie and Dr. Lawton endeavoured to restore him, and
De. Lawton, on vouching his pocket, found in it two
bottle., one of which c iutained prussic acid, and the
other a tincture of mix routine—both deadly poisons.
The symptoms all pointed to his having taken the
former.

Dr. Lawton said some fortnight previous be attended
the deceased, and told Mr. Penny his opinion that
he was not perfectly sane, and that it would be very
desirable he should leave him as soon as possible, but that
it should be done quietly, unless the excitement should
cause him either to commit suicide, or make some
fatal mistake in dispensing. Mr. Penny, he believed,
acted on the advice. This morning, he was sum.
mooed hastily t Mr. Penny's, and found the body of
the deceased lying as described by the previous witness.
On searching the pockets, he found the bottles that
had been spoken to.
By the Coroner: There would be time and only just
time for the deceased to have drunk the contents of
the bottle. and then to have returned it to his pocket.
If appli.A to the eye of • rabbit the poison would be
fatal. Twenty drops would kill anyone.
Olive Cherrot, servant to Mr. Penny, stated that
the housekeeper having told her she had heard a noise,
she went out to see what it was, and, on going to the
closet, she saw a boot of the deceased's, and then ran
back to Mr. Penny and aeked him to go out as they
thought the e was something the matter. He seemed
rather childish at tim.e, but nothing worth noticing.
Mr. Penny added that the deceased had filled several
good situations, am flg others that of Beach and
Barnicott. of and from each he had received
good teseinsoniala
The jury returne I • verdict that the deceased corn-
mi,ted suicide whilat in • state of " Temporary
Ine.nlty."
and will undoubtedly make agood fight, but unless it is
wished Canford should have • hand in the ruling of
the roast, however much they may personally like
Mr. Budge, electors will do well to withhold their
vote. from him.

Wi h re,rard to Mr. Wanhlll, Mr. Yeatman, and
Mr. Oakl-y, there is nothing to be said again 4
either of them personally, but It should be rememb•red
that they represent Toryism, and in Poole Toiyiim
means Canford.

XILSORN - ST. ANDREW.

THY SRAPWICIE DISASTKR.—On Sunday laat there
wer- 'pedal offertories in the parish church in aid of
the suffarers in the I to disastrous fire in the ne gh-
bouring village of Shapwick ; the amount collected
at the morning and evening services amounted
to Bs.
BLANDBOILD.

Mrsactes.t. Eczar-i-o-N.l7Se-c;riest for municipal
honours enema likely to create c ,nsiderable excitement
this year, not from the usual cause as at other places,
to try the relative Wear h of Conserrstism or
Liberalism, b t for purely local causes. There are
two vacancie• caused by death to fill up. and two
members retire by rotation-namely, Mr. H. Gill and
Mr. Charnen. botn of whom ars re-nominated, and in
sddition Masers. F J. Boys, J. J. Goldie, W. H Kiges,
J. G. E. Lawrence, J. W. Luff, W. Salkeld, and J.
S. Stewart. The balloting takes place on Tuesday at
the Town Hall, commencing at nine and dosing at
four p.m.