The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-10 00:00:00

MYS7ERIOUS SUICIDE.

On Monday Dr. Lankeeter held an inquest touch-
ing the death of Constance Vanden Alleele, a
foreigner, aged 33 years, who died at the house
No. 90, Newman-street, Oxford-street, on Thursday
evening last, under very melancholy circumstances.
The first witness examined was Mr. Bernard
Zuccatti Bulliotte, who deposed that the deceased
had lived for some months in his employment as
housekeeper ; that she left his service three or four
months age, and went to live at the house No. 67,
in the same street ; and that on Wednesday last
she came and applied to him to allow her to occupy
an apartment in his house. He permitted her to do
so, telling her at the same time that, as he was about
to leave this country, he could only give her tem-
porary accommodation. She went up to a bedroom
in his house on Wednesday afternoon, and as she did
not come down on Thursday, he proceeded to the
room about seven o'clock on the evening of the lat-
ter day, when he found her in her night-dress,
leaning against the side of the bed, and working in
violent convulsions. Observing at her feet a small
bottle labelled "Essence of almonds—poison," he
raised an alarm, called for milk and vinegar, and sent
for doctors. He poured quantities of milk down
her throat, and Mr. Harding, surgeon, and
another medical gentleman were „speedily in at-
tendance, but she died within an hour. He had no
doubt that she had taken the poison herself. Why
she had done so he knew not. This witness was
closely cross-examined by some of the jury, but all
they elicited from him was that he was unmarried,
kept. a housekeeper and another servant, and some-
times let out portions of his house.
The next witness was a girl named Fanny Clarke,
who said she was servant in the house No. 67, Ne
man-street, which was kept by Madame Dermer, a
dressmaker. There were several young ladies in
the house. She could not tell how many; she
thought three or four. They also worked at the
dressmaking. Some of them lived in the house.
Madame Constance, the deceased, was housekeeper
there for the three or four months previously to
Wednesday last. Witness lived as servant to Mr.
Bulliotte when Constance was his housekeeper. In
the beginning of last week the deceased purchased
a marrow-bone, and asked witness to buy her two
ounces of castor oil and sixpennyworta of the
essence of almonds. She did so, and the chemist
who sold her the latter marked it "poison." The
bottle found at deceased's feet was the one which
contained it. Previously to Madame Constance
leaving No. 67, she had partly made tf.e marrow
which she had extracted from the bone into a
pomade. For some weeks deceased had cried in-
cessantly, and complained of headache. Witness
had no master at No. 67, but she sometimes saw
Mr. Bulliotte there.

Bertha Wetzler, a native of Berlin, was exa-
mined through Mr. Albert, the interpreter.
She said she was one of the ladies in
the house, No. 67, Newman-street. Each of
the ladies there had a "friend." Deceased was
housekeeper there. She also had a " friend."
Constance had frequently told her that her life
was a burden to her, and about three weeks
ago she asked witness whether she would like
to take poison with her. Witness declined.
Shortly before Constance left the house she heard
loud words between her and some other person, but
she was in her own room at the time, and could not
tell who that other person was. Constance had
been crying perpetually for some time, but on being
asked the cause said she could not tell.

An old Frenchwoman, named Madame Steiff, who

was also examined through M. Albert, stated that
shortly before her death a Madame Delamere went
to deceased's room and asked her whether she would
have anything. Deceased said she would take some
coffee, and within half an hour afterwards, while it
was being prepared, M. Bulliotte went upstairs and
found her in convulsions.
Mr. Harding, M.R.C.S., pro'ed that the cause of
death was hydrocyanic (prussic) acid, contained in
essential oil of bitter almonds. This witness ex-
plained that the latter article seed not of necessity

contain the hydrocyanic acid, tnd that when it did
not, it was not only free from poison but also a bet-
ter perfume than when it contained that deadly
poison. He had made several experiments on dogs,
and found that in no case did the essence of almonds
without the prussic acid kill the animal, while four
drachms of it with that acid killed one within an
hour, and five grains killed a very strong dogin-
stantaneously.
Dr.Lankester concurred in Mr. Harding's opinion,