The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-21 00:00:00

DREADFUL SUICIDE.

On Alonelay evening a Coroner's Inquest was held at the Brick-
layers' Arms, Gresse-street, Rathbone-place, on the body of
Frances Darnell, the wife of a green-grocer, residing in the same
street.

It appeared from the evidence, that about a week previous to last
Friday, the deceased had sent a servant out with one of her chil.
dren, to carry some damsons to Carmarthen-street, Tottenham
Court.road, who, staying much longer than was necessary, alarmed
the deceased, who sent a person out in search of the child, but not
succeeding, she went herself, and found the servant quite drunk,'
and the child in the arms of a barrow.woman, in the street. She
returned home with the child, but in consequence of the fright was
taken ill, and never recovered ; she complained very much of her
head, and had medical assistance ; leeches were applied to her
temples, and she appeared better, but in two or three days relapsed,
and became worse each succeeding day, talking wildly and Inco-
herently about her children and her affairs. On Friday last she
again had leeches applied to her temples. On the morning of that
day the deceased met one of the lodgers in the house' as she was
I returning from a vault below to her room, and told her she had
had a very dreadful night, and been in a deranged state—that she
must leave her home and run away for she was not able to attend
to her concerns and her children. fin the morning of the same day
a washerwoman had come to work for the deceased—she was a
stranger, and had never worked for her before—who found it difii.
cult to get either materials or instructions from the deceased as to
what she was to do or begin upon, and remarked the strange.
ness of her behaviour ; front eight &clock in the morning until
half-past six in the evening it was visible to every person in the
house that the deceased was not right in her mind, about which
time she was missed. Search was made for her, and some of the
lodgers and the washerwoman went into the street to look for her,
but not finding her, returned, and it was suggested by one of the
lodgers that the cellar should be searched. The husband of the de-
ceased went down for that purpose; but, it being the dusk of the
evening, and having no light, he slid not discover her. Shortly
afterwards two female lodgers in the house went down with a light,
and, in the vault where the privy is situate, they saw the boards of
the seat tons off, and discovered the foot and ancle of the deceased
just above the top. They gave an alarm, and the husband of the
deceased, and a man lodging In the house, extricated her. A stir.
geon was sent for, and attended, and every means tried to restore
her, but she was quite dead. On washing the filth from her head
and neck, it was discovered that she bad cut her throat, and, on
searching the privy, a razor was found. The wound inflicted was
but small, and, in the opinion of the surgeon, would not have
caused her death, which had been produced by suffocation in the
vault of the privy.
It is a singular circumstance that the place where the washer.
woman stood to do ber work was within two yards of the vault in
which the deed was perpetrated, but she heard co kind of noise that
in the least attracted her attention. So very quiet had the deceased
been in the execution of the fatal deed, that no person in the house
I had the slightest idea of the circumstance. The vault is under the
foot-pavement, and so dark that no person could with safety ap.
hroach the privy, which is at the tar end, without a light ; a more
orrible place cannot be well imagined, the dungeon of a prison not
, excepted. The corpse of the unfortunate woman, a sight truly ter-
rilic, was in a state of decomposition, and as much discoloured as
if it had been painted black.
After a patient and lung investigation the Jury returned a verdict
of " Insanity."

A great sensation was excited in Gulston-square and its vicinity
by the death of Mr. Aaron Cohen, a wealthy merchant, of the
Jewish persuasion, who on Sanday morning committed self-
destruction. l'lte mind of the above unfortunate gentleman had
been for a long time past depressed and agitated, caused, it is said,
by the unexpected death some time since of an only child. rester-
day evening an inquisition was taken on his remains at the Coach
and Horses Tavern, Gulston-street, when the following were the
details given as accounting for his death :
Mr. 'Benjamin Bitch, a surgeon,, residing in 3lansel-street,
stated, that he was an attendant on the deceased for the last 36
years. On Sunday morning, at eight o'clock, his assistance was
requited. On reaching his house he found the deceased lying on
the ground, and, as he understood, just taken out of a water.
cistern. He was inanimate, and every effort used for resuscitation
was useless. Mr. Cohen hail for some time been in a low despond-
ing state of mind, and about six years since was under the super.
inteniance of a keeper.
Harriet Allen, a servant-maid of the deceased, said, that on'
Sunday morning, about six o'clock, she heard the deceased coming
down stairs, bat this she did not particularly remark, as she
thought be was, as usual, going to the Synagogue ; in two hours
afterwards she went into the yard, and discovered the deceased in
the cistern. He appeared to have gone in head foremost, as his
legs protruded in front of it. She with assistance immediately re-
moved him, and sent for medical aid. She lived with the deceased
for two years, and during the ,thole of that time he was of unsound
mine.

Mr. Moses Barnet stated, that he resided next door to the de-
ceased. On an alarm being given by the last witness he went to
her assistance, and they took the deceased from the cistern. He
was quite dead at the time.
The Coroner recapitulated the evidence, and the Jury returned
a verdict of " Suicide, committed while labouring under temporary
derangement."