The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-15 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE OF J. PAUL, ESQ.

.A Coroner's Inquest was held on Thursday after.
noon, before Thomas Shelton, Esq. Coroner lin.
London, at the Committee. room of St. Olave's
Workhouse, on the body of John Paul, Esq. a incr.
chant in the City, who put an end to his existm c
by drowning himself. The deceased was brother to
James Paul, Esq. (who fought a duel with Sir
Francis Burdett) finmerly a Candidate tbr WeA-
minster, who, it will be recollected, shot himself
at his house in Charles-street, St. James's-square,
and also brother to T. Paul, Esq. a merchant, late
of Birmingham.
John Stevenson, mate of the Humility sloop,
moored near Gan-shot Wharf, stated, that he saw
the body of the deceased floating on Tuesday morn.
lug last; he got it out of the water, and it es is
wnveyed in a shell to the dead-house of Saint
°lave's.
Isabella-Brown stated, that she was housekeeper
to the deceased, who had resided at No. 3, Circus,
Jklinories. He had been absent five weeks last
Tuesday, and for some days previously he was in
such a state of mind, and so exceedingly distressed,
that she felt convinced he was not in his proper
faculties ; she believed his affairs were embarrassed.
For nights together he would leave his bed anil
walk about the room like a person distracted, and
when she spoke to him he would burst into tears,
strike his hand in great agitation against his timty
head, scream very loud, and appeared in great ter.
ror. She did not hear ef the deceased until he was
found drowned. He has left tour children, the
youngest eighteen months old ; his wife died twelve
months ago.
John Ramsbottom, M. D. Old Jewry, stated,
that he was called in by the deceased's surgeuti to
attend upon him, and found hint labouring antics
disorder, both mental and bodily ; he talked ot
' lilt
disorder, but in such a manner us led him to suspect
his mind was impaired ; he prescribed fin• him, and
called again on the Wednesday following, and was
informed that the deceased had left home (as .1 to
described) on the preceding evenit4,-. letto,
written by the deceased, was linind upon the titbit',
addressed to his brother-in-law, Mr. I lewettson, the

MARCH 13.

corn-factor, of Mark-lane, which ho read, and from-
its contents he was convinced the deceased had made
away with himself. The letter is in the possession
of Mr. llewettson.
Mr. Shallarol, assistant-surgeon to Messrs. Can-
dell, in the hlinories, stated, that he attended the
deceased on the Sunday before he left home ; he
was labouring under the effects of laudanum which
he had taken ; he called in Dr. Itamsbottom, and
he prescribed an aperient medicine, which relieved
the deceased ; he thought the deceased was not at
times in his sound mind; he talked confused and
incoherent.
The Coroner said, that it was for the Jun• to
say, in the first place, whether the deceased drowned
himself; as he had not ally business to transact by
the water, he thought they might sati:ly say that he
did : the remaining question to consider was. whe-
ther the deceased yeas in such a state of mind at the
time as to be accountable for his conduct, or whether
he was insane and a lunatic ?
The Foreman returned a verdict—" That the '
deceased drowned himself, being at the time in a
state of great irritation of mind."
Coroner.—" Do you mean to say that he was
only irritated; because a man may commit an act in
a state of the greatest irritation, and yet be answer-
able to the laws for the offence ; tbr instance, if one
man shoots another, he may be excessively irri.
tated and yet be sane at the time."
Foreman (after some consultation with his bro.
titer Jurors).—" We are of opinion, he was so far
insane as not to be accountable tbr what he did."

Coroner.—" Then your verdict i;, "The de-
ceased drowned himself, being at the time in a state
of insanity."
Foreman.—" Yes, that is our opinion."

In con4equence of the great fall in the market for
raw cot'on, expellees have been sent from Liver.
verpool, over land to Calcutta, in order to counter-
mand, as speedily as possible, any further shipments
of that article. An absolute engagement is said to
have been entered into by the persons bearing the
expresses, to deliver them, allowing for accidents to
life or limb, in three months from the date of leav-
ing England.
Advices from Jamaica to the 29th January state
the arrival at Kingston of the schooner Juliana from
Angustura; the captain of which reported, that just
before he sailed a report had reached that place, of
the Royalists having been defeated, and Cumana
captured, on the 28th of I)ecember ; and that a
great number of troops had deserted, and repaired to
the standard of the Independents. To-morrow we
shall hear that the Patriots have not a man left in
South America, and so on, alternately !

LJOLt(t.
...-
GUILDHALL.

Itatcry at Inns.—On Friday Banholemew Brough-
ton, the naval officer, whose examination was pristponed
on Wednesday last, in consequence of his attempt to
destroy himself, by taking a large dose of laudanum,
was again brought up before the Sitting Alag.strate, Mr.
Alderman Christopher Smith. The prisoner has been
attended since Wednesday by M. Box, the ai othecary
to the Giltsuur-street Conquer, and, although recover-
ed from the effects of the poison, was still in a weak
state, and was therefore allowed a chair at the bar,
during the examisiatiori.
'lilt first witness caFed was Taylor, the head waiter
at .he White Horse Ism, Fetter-lane, who depost d, that
the prisoner had a bed at their house a few nights before
Christitiai-lay, and again on the night of the 31st of
December; that on each of those nights, gentlemen who
slept in the house were robbed ; that the pi isimer was
therefore suspected ; and on his co g again on the
19th of February, he was recognized, and taken into
:ustody.
George Shuffiebottom, of Macclesfield, arrived at the
V hitt Horse limn, on the 27th of December last, and
stained there till the Bth of January following; at his
isms on the 14 of January, he discovered that he had
tene robbed, during the night, of upwards of 2001.
mai% Mg of rue 1004 note, and several Wt. 51., and
I. notes : the notes were stolen fruits out his pocket-
est, which was in hit coatpucket, on a chair near his
; the chamber door was not locked, btu he heard
to maid-servant shut it alter her whet. she took away
se candle. The 100/. note lie had receimed from his
wrother.

l'huntas SlinfilehOttom, of Exeter, linen-draper, brother
the last witness, paid his brother 100/. on the evening
the Juls of December, among which was a IOU!. net:
to 1144 received at Messrs. Hankey end Co.'s, Fen-
•hurch•street, in payment t.n a letter of credit in his
!your, from Messrs. W illiants, Cross, and Co., bankers,
.xeter. he knows the note produced is the one lie paid
iii brother, because be had taken the numbers of
l►e two notes of tool. each, which he had received
two Messrs. liankey, and lie had the other in his pos-
session in the morning when he heard of the robbery.
William Wright, clerk at Mulkey's, paid the last
witness the notes for Messrs. Williams's check ; they
...masted of two.hotes, Lou!. several 51. and 11. notes•

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