The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-02 00:00:00

Melancholy Suicide of a Master Butcher.

CORONER'S INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.)
At eleven o'clock in the forenoon Mr. William Carter,
the coroner for East Surrey, opened an inquest in the
Board-room of Camberwell Workhouse, on the body of Mr.
John Godfrey, aged 64, a master butcher, of Brixton, who
was found drowned in the Grand Surrey Canal, under the
following circumstances :

Police-constable William Baylis, No. 326, of the P divi-
sion, said that at a quarter to five o'clock on Thursday
morning last he was on duty near the waters of the Grand
Surrey Canal, when his-attention was called to the deceased
in the water. With assistance he got the body ashore,
and it was removed to the dead-house of the parish. He
searched the body, but found no marks of violence upon
it, and only a calico handkerchief in his pockets. There
was no money found on his person.
Mr. James Jarmyn, of Roslyn-cottages, Denmark-street,
Camberwell, said that he knew the deceased, and last saw
hi.n alive on Monday evening at his own house. He was
there with him for at least an hour. He was related to him
by marriage on his wife's side. On Monday night he was
excited, and witness thought he had been drinking more
freely than he usually did. He was more communicative
to him than others, and he complained of his feet and the
rushing of blood to his head. He was a man of full habit
of body, and he took salt and water in order to purify his
body, and he expressed a fear that he might be attacked
with a fit and die suddenly. He carried on business up to
the time of his death. He had diligently searched his
lodgings, but he found no -writing likely to throw the
least light as to how he got into the water. He had
frequently complained that he ought to have been better
off. He alluded to the money he had spent himself, and
also what he had through friends. He had no necessity
for being near the canal. Two daughters lived with him
on good terms. Witness had no doubt whatever that he
had destroyed his own life. Up to 10 years ago ho had
been in the habit of drinking to such an extent that he was
seized with a fit of madness, and he left his home and pro-
ceeded to Norfolk, wandering away through drinking.
He gave up entirely drinking until two years ago, when he
became ill, and the doctor ordered him to take sherry and
water, which he did, and since then had been drinking ex-
cessively. He attributed the act to his drinking so greatly.
Miss Jane Godfrey, one of the daughters, said that she
last saw her father alive on Wednesday night last. He had
been drinking freely that day, and several days previous.
Witness, her sister, and the male and female servant, re-
tired to rest, but finding that he was not, as she supposed,
up, thought that he was still sleeping ; but about half-past
seven o'clock the female servant came to her and told her
that his bed was vacant. Sh 3 went to his room, and found
that he hatl left the house surreptitiously during some time
of the night, and the next she heard of him was that he had
been found in the Grand Surrey Canal.

By the Coroner—She felt satisfied that he had destroyed
his own life. He frequently had a vacant look, and
he trembled very much, and she feared that he would die
in a fit. Sho had frequently spoken to her sister upon the
subject of his excessive drinking. She accounted for his
going away 10 years ago from the fact that he was suffer-
ing from the effects of drink, and he did not know where
he was wandering•to. She thought at times that his mind
was lost.

The learned Coroner summed up, and the jury, after con-
sulting, returned a verdict " That the deceased destroyed
his own life, whilst in an unsound state of mind through
excessive drinking of ardent spirits."
The proceedings then terminated.