The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-29 00:00:00

THREE CORONER'S INQUESTS.

Tu Lord te. on Tue.lay afternoon, Tle. Lankester,
ervr f• r I 'ef.tral Lel I e1,..0 irgri et .
rhe.fire: tette no the le aly o; Jaraes h fel I Newton,
aged 29 yearg, of the firm of .7. Newton ano Sour, cork
mannfecnirera, 69 to 73 St..lohn'ee.treet. It appeared
that arale few ) ears ago the (Incensed had been ero++Ctl
in a love affair, and he had latterly complained of
ileeplera nights. On Thursday evening he supped
with a friend In Pad Lion street, leaving, an wan
thought, to proceed to his private residence at West-
bourne. park. On Friday morning, when his foremsn
got to brain..., he found on his drak two letters ad•
dressed in the handwriting of the deceased, one to a
brother, another to an intonate friend named Porker.
The foreman forwarded the letter., and on the brother
opening has he found it. contained the following :

_ .
" Deer F4,—N, doubt you fiLink I have been Ample
tome time. I cannot helplt; It Is owing t 0 ludrgdttlon. My
life hu r.... burtieD ; I Illhud to put e top It. Yea will
find me In the top garret of my premtses."

On reading this the brother immediately went to St.
John-street, and on enteting the attic described found
the deceased lying dead, with • pistol cloee to his
right hand. Dr. Burringer, who was called in, on
examining the chest four.! that the deceased had
shot himself through the heart and that the bullet
bad passed through the right auricle. Toe poet.
mortent examination showed that the deceased's
brein was very much congested, and it was stated
that be had been engaged with his friend Mr.
Parker in intric ite chymical experiments. His
letter to Mr. Parker :said—" I just leave you this,
knowing how sensitive you are, to let you know you
are not the cause of what has happened. Remember
me to the school (meaning his personal friends). Mr.
Parker Aimed that these experiments were in connexion
with crmbustion, and the heat to which he hat! been
exposed might have caused congestion of the brain. A
verdict was prououniad of "Suicide while in an un-
: sound state of mind."

The second inquest was held at the Model Prison on
John Henry Niola .Lion, aged 43, a carpenter, formerly
of Bristol, who IVES undergoing a term of seven year.'
penal servitude. Deceased WYE a violent, self- willed
man, and during the whole of the term orhie in-
carceration had simulated insanity, and gave himself
up to violent fits. In consequence Of Una he was
placed in a special cell in the Infirmary, with iron bars
on the door, so that the warder could see every-
thing in the cell as he passed and keep • watch upon
him. Ori the night of the 2dth he went to bed, and re.
mained so very quiet that ultimately the warder's
suspicion was aroused, and on examination he found
the deceased with a ligature round his neck, the other
end tied to a corner of the counterpane, which he had
paned over and under his feet, bringing up and fasten.
ing the upper end of the counterpane above the right
elbxw. By stretching himself out he was at length
enabled to tighten the ligature round the neck, pro-
ducing strangulation. Wnen discovered he was quite
dead. Verdict, "Suicide while of unsound mini"
The third inquest was held on Mr. Whitehead, a
physician, Egad 52, of Seven Siters.road. The evidence
showed that the devised had complained of nervous-
ness and languidness, and when suffering from depres-
sion had threatened to deirroy himself. On Thursday
evening he went to bed about nine o'clock. Shortly
after ten Mrs. Whitehead heard • moaning, and upon
proceeding to kyr bushanife bedroom she found him
insensible and Jae letter produced, addressed to her :
..Lisar Wile,—l have borne up against my a Ithction is long
all conic!, and now, assAirist my isviour said, IS ieginished,'
when he gave up the Ghost I hope I be forgtv.n in the
next wino. I wish my will, that is with Mr. Sworder, 2.
Poole's-park, to be si:rlctly carried out, with the exception
of Mr. R. Cluteerback, missionary. of 40, isshburton-grove,
befog in toe place of Mr. thackerbroom U trustee. You do
cot know what l have suffered, although you &lefty, put it
down to nervousness. I wish no exposure with my funeral.
—From your affectionate husband, J. WHITEHEAD /truant
of almonds his been my best friend. My great falling has
been that I nave been lee too conscientious with every sue."

Further evidence showed that the il.ceased entered
severely from asthma, bronchitis, &c., which induced
him to absent himself from business for weeks together.
Dr. Gibson, who was called in, produced a bottle which
he found by deceased, labelled "Essence of almonds,"
cmtaining prusac acid, which was the cause f death,
being an essential part ef bitter almonds. Verdict,
" Suicide while in an unsound state of mind."