The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-27 00:00:00

COROA'ERS' INQUESTS.

SHOCKING CASE OF POISONING.
On Saturday evening, an inquisition was taken before T. lliggs
Egg: at the Gloucester Arms, Rochester-row, Westminster; on the
body of Robert Brooks, late a private soldier belonging to the
Grenadier Guards, who poisoned himself.
Sergeant John Lund, of the Grenadiers, stated, that the deceased
was late an orderly man at the Grenadier Guards Hospital, in
Rochester-row ; his duty was to nurse and attend on the sick
patients. About two months ago, he separated from his wile, and
since then had lodged in the house. Witness had observed a
change in his mind; he seemed forgetful and unsettled ; he drank
also rather freely, and then he, deceased, was very unreasonable;
when sober, he was a quiet and a-tentive man ; he considered him
a faithful servant: it IS within the last six weeks that he tr came
irregular. At ii o'clock on Friday evening, witness went round the
Hospital, and missed hint from the ward where he should have
been attending. He inquired of one of the patients respecting the
deceased, who informed him that be had not been there for some
time. Witness then repaired to a small ward where the men sleep,
and there he was found sleeping on the bed ; he shook him. and
deceased jumped up; he reminded him it was his turn to sit tip;
his reply was, he had slept over his time. Witness observed lie
had been drinking to excess; he said he had not; upon which,
witness allowed him to attend on trial till 10 o'clock, and on his
going round again, he found him absent from the ward he should
have been in ; in fact, he was in bed in the little ward. 11'itness
endeavoured to wake him, but finding he was very tipsy put on
another man to do his duty. After he went round the Hospital,
he desired the orderly man in attendance to wake him, and let him
(deceased) go to bed. The man requested witness would get the
corporal to wake him, as he had been to tipsy in the evening, that he
expected he would abuse him and disturb the patients. Witness
then undertook to see the state that the deceased really was in, and
endeavoured to wake him, while the corporal held a light in his
face, and then he saw it was discoloured, and from other appear-
ances he was convinced the deceased had taken poison ; he was
senseless. Witness seat for a surgeon, who arrived in about
tirelminutes. On searching the deceased's cupboard, a small
pills', about the size of two ounce and a half, was found ; it con-
tained • little tincture of opium; the cork was discovered in his
waistcoat pocket, which WWI wet. Witness said, if the deceased
had been inclined lie might have slipped into the surgery and
obtained the tincture.
Thomas Fieldhoune, an orderly man at the Grenadier Guards
Hospital, deposed, that on Friday evening he saw the deceased in
the Gloucester Arms ; lie advised him to go to the hospital, when
he jumped up and retired. Witness saw him again about ten
o'clock the same evening ; he was then Insensible, from the effects
of liquor, or something else. Deceased gave Sergeant Lund a
very improper answer about three weeks ago; it was quite dif-
ferent to his former conduct; the sergeant had put a very proper
question to him. Between six and seven on Friday evening the
deceased seemed unsettled, and walked about the room in a wild
manner. Witness offered to do any thing for him he required, when
he jumped bp in a passion and said, with an oath, that if he was
not capable of doing his own business, lie would jump into the
Thames. Witness considers he was disturbed in his mind.
James Dennis Wright, surgeon to the Grenadiers at the Hnspi-
tal, stated, he attended the deceased immediately on being sent for,
arid found him lying on a bed with his Clothes on ; be was labour.
ing under the effect of a large dose of kudarum, and in a state of
perfect stupor. The usual remedies were applied, but the emetics
did not act. Witness sent for the newly invented stomach pump,
and with it pumped off the contents of the stomach ; the liquor was
strongly impregnated with laudanum. The deceased did not re-
cover in any degree, it being too late to do good ; the deceased con-
tinued totally insensible, and died from the erects of the poison,
about two o'clock on Saturday morning. Part of his (deceased)
duty was to clean the surgery, and as the medicines were there, he
might have procured the opium front that place; but witness
begged to state. that most likely the poisonous liquid had been
taken away at different times, cr it would have been missed, as a
very small quantity is kept out.
The wife of deceased was now examined: she stated that her
husband was of a very bad temper ; he called on her on Friday
afternoon, lie gate the child a boo and kissed it affectionately. She
afterwards requested him to go to the Hospital, as it was the time
of his duty there. Witness then did not notice tiny thing particular
in his conduct.

There being no further evidence, the Jury, under all the eircum.
stances, returned a verdict—" That the deceased poisoned himself
when in a state of mental derangement."

CALAMITOUS SVICIDR.

Yesterday Is Coroner's Inquisition was at the Cadogan
Arms Tavern, Sloane-street, Chelsea, before THOMAS STIRLING,
Esq. the Coroner, on the body of Frederick Tolfrey, Esq. a gentle-
man of fortune, who put a period to his existence under the follow-
ing distressing circumstances :
The first witness called was James Sadler, servant to the de-
ceased. He stated, that on Saturday night, between the hours of
eleven and twelve o'clock, as he was going to bed, he was called
by his mistress, and desired to go down stairs and call his master,
who she was afraid had been taken ill. Witness accordingly went
down, and on his reaching the passage, he was shocked to hnJ his
master lying on the ground, with his head reclining on his son's
shoulder ; the blood was running copiously from a wound in his
throat, and a razor was lying on the floor near the deceased. The
deceased's son, Mr. Tollety, jun. appeared distracted at his father's
situation, and on seeing witness, he ran up stairs apparently in a
state of delirium ; witness instantly gave the alarm through the
house, and others coining to his assistance, lie ran out
and procured a medical gentleman of the name of Morrah,
residing at the corner of Hans-street, who immediately attended ;
however, his lamented master was too far gone, and at the expi-
ration of about twenty-five minutes from thefirst discovery . of the
dreadful act, the deceased expired in witness's arms. Previous to
the deceased's dissolution he intimated to witness by signs, that he
wished fordnk and paper, which being supplied him, the deceased,
in the agonies of death, *rote a few almost unintelligible words,
which witness (being accustomed to the deceased's hand-writing)
read as follows:—_" My beloved Mary, forgive me, pray for mc—
lam going—Oh ! God ?" This was produced before the Jury,
who were wholly unable to decipher the characters, but who ex-
pressed themselves satisfied as to the meaning given by the witness.
Coroner—How long have you lived in your late master's service?
Witness--Thirteen years and upwards. •
By a Juror.—Wu the deceased to your knowledge ever afflicted
with a nervous complaint ?
Witness.—Never since I have known him ; his health till within
the month or so before his death was generally good.
Coroner.—Was the deceased and his son on good terms ?
Witness.—Generally so, but their tempers differing, made them
rather distant at time,. The deceased hail acted most generously
and kindly to his son since his return from India.
By a Juror.-1 do not wish to dive into family affairs, but may I
be permitted to ask what profession or employment the son is ?
' Witness.—He occupied a Government situation in India, but I
benne, in consequence of ill health, he was oblii,ed to give it up,
and return with his wife and family to England.
Juror.—Of late in what state of mind has the deceased appeared ?
NVitness.—For the lot month or six weeks previous to his death,
he appeared much depressed in spirits.
Mr. Morrah, the surgeon, was next examined. Ile
stated that on the night in question he was fetched by the last wit-
' ness to attend the deceased. Witness found him lying in the hall,
'supported by one of his servants, and most of the family surround-
ing in a state of distraction ; witness instantly examined the de.
ceased; a large cat, apparently done by a sharp instrument, was
mesa the throat, and the carotid artery had an incision in it ; se-
veral other minor arteries were divided ; witness took up the whole,
and afterwards sowed up the main incision ; at this time the
deceased was in a complete state of exhaustion, in conse-
quence of the immense quantity of blood which had issued from
the carotid artery before his arrival. At first witness had
some hopes of the deceased, but feeling his pulse, he found it
nearly extinct, and that the deceased was on the ewe of eternity.
Nritness, by every possible means, endeavoured to preserve
existence, by opening the temporal arteries, fomenting the
bowels, extremities, and other parts, as also violent internal restor-
atives ; but his exertions proved abortive, as the deceased sunk and
died about thirty minutes after his being called in. The deceased
died in consequence of the wound which was inflicted in his
throat.

Coroner.--In your *pinion, was the wound In the deceased's
throat done by hie own hand.
Witness.—Most certainly; it was evident that the right hand had
accomplished the act ; it was much stained With blood.
By a Jutor.—lVas the razor lying ott the Moor, near the de-
ceased, at the time you was called in ?
Witness.—Yes.
Juror.—Did you ever before professionally attend the deceased ?
Witness.—Yes, I have.
Juror —What was his general state of health ?
Witness.—Very good.
Juror—At the time you was called in, was the deceased In his
senses ?

It mins—Perfectly t but he could not articulate.
Mr. 'Whitfield the foreman of the Jury, hinted to the Coroner
and his brother Jurymen, whether it would not be advisable to
have the son examined, to ascertain in what state of mind the
deceased was in, some time previous to his committing the dreadful
act.

The Coroner said, that if it was possible to avoid calling In Mr.
Tolfni, Jun., it would be best, as it must necessarily torture his
feelings; he (the Coroner) thought that the deceased had destroyed
himself whilst labouring under insanity: but if the Jnry thought
that gentleman's evidence necessary, he should be sent for.
The Jury, however, said his presence would be dispensed with,
as the evidence of Sadler had perfectly satisfied them, and after a
few minutes consideration they returned a verdict, " that the de.
ceased hid destroyed himself while in a fit of temporary derange-
ment."

Yesterday at ten o'clock. Mr. ST I RLTNO and a respectable Jury
assembled at the Ruch of Grapes public-house, Castle-street, East
Mar)lcbone, to inquire into the cause of the death of Simon Sul.
liven, an infant child, whose death was caused by a kick given to
its mother before Its birth. It appeared in evidence that Mary
Salliran, the mother of the deceased, was returning with her
hasband anti some acquaintances from a benefit club, on Saffron_
hill, when she wax overtaken near Hathhone-place, by ►ome men
who began to pull hoe about. Her husband, who was some dis-
tance beforeher, returned to her relief, and a !tulle ensued, during
which she was kicked by a fellow named Alfred Flowers, who has
since been taken into custody. The poor woman now lies extremely
ill. Tho Jury found the following verdict:_" Manslaughter
against Alfred Viewers, haying by a kick caused a premature birth
and death of the infant." The witnesses were then bound over to
preeceate, and the inquest terminated.