The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-18 00:00:00

LAMENTABLE SUICIDE.

:An Inquest was held yesterday afternoon, at
the Langbourn Coffee-house, Fenchareh-street.,
before TuomAs SHELTON, Esq., Cdroner, on the
body of Mr. Luke Sohn Thomas, aged about 27.
Samuel Plumber, waiter of • the Langbourii Coffee-house,
sworn.—The deceased came into the. coifee-room about half:
past eleven o'clock. on Monday morning, walked very ck up
the room and asked witness for a private room. Witness
showed him up stairs into the first floor room; he then asked
witness for a sheet of, paper, which he- went down stairs to
obtain : on coming up into the room again, he found the
deceased in the •room weltering in his blood; a noise was
heard previously by .the '
_persons below stairs, but it was not
thought to be the report of fire-arms ; witness had not left the
deceased above half a minute. On opening the door witness
found his right hand clinched, and allover blood; witness
thought he had cut his throat, and ran down stairs to obtain
assistance: he went instantly fot Mr. Pugh, a•surgeon. Mr.
Pugh came instantly, and they went together into the room,
1 when two pistols were foUnd • 4 a table ; the deceased was
, lying about a yard from 4 . •here the pistols were. He
was not quite dead, but f • ' ~.. Off eral sighs ; in ten minutes
or a quarter of an hour life was exdnct ; there was a great deal
of lalobjaliout the ioon. ; the deceased was quite insensible all
the time; there were two wouladikowte on the left bieast,: and
th,44thwiligfl below the rieht breast. The pistols were both
disiliagßT searching dill 4sesseea, some pistol bullets
were fbti V with some cards of address. Witness
never sa4l;he eased before.
Mr. R:Piigh&Surgeon, Gracechurch-street, stated that he was
called in to attend the deceased, and found him lying on his
face ; he turned him over, thinking bis throat was cut, and in-
tended to loosen his neckcloth ' . but he found two wounds, one
of which had penetrated the lungs, and Occasioned death.--
Hedrew about 20 inspirations very deep, but in five or six
minutes he died. Witness had known the family for some
years; and when he found life had fled, he examined the pockets
and found some bullets. It is witness's opinion that both
pistols were discharged the same moment. The room was
literally in a puddle with the blood of the deceased. Witness
did not notice that the deceased 'was known to him, uintil he
saw his cards of address', wh'en his features struck him. One of
the pistols must have been placed close to his skin to fire it,
and the other was fired throughlis waistcoat and shirt. Wit-
ness has known the family for five or six years, but has not
seen the deceased for the last six months. The deceased was
at times much depressed.
Mr. Edw. Dodderidge, of Fenchufch-street, surgeon, sworn.
—The deceased called upon witness on Friday afternoon for
advice, and complained o° a pain in his head, and a great
want of sleep at night. He said lie had been in this way for
nearly
.six months, and had gradually got worse. He seemed
to be in a state of great agitation, and he wished witness
several times during the conversation to give him laudanum
to make him sleep at night. Witness. dissuaded him fromit,
and gave him some iiiedicine of another description. He seem-
ed much dejected, but appeared to go away in somewhat better
spirits, and promised to call again in about a week, but wit-
ness had not again seen him until yesterday, when he examined
him. liritness knew him personally for some time. The
symptoms shown by deceased might have produced insanity ;
when thadeceased left witness's house, he said he felt suds a

lowness of spirits that he could cut his throat.
Mr. John Miles, clerk to deceased's brother, Mr. Thomas,
N0..3, Fen-court, Fenchurch-street, sworn.—The deceased was
a clerk to his brother for several years. He had served his
articleship with. an attorney. The deceased left his brother No-
vember twelve months t on Monday in last 'week he came back
to. his brother, and told witness he felt himself very unwell; he
attended the office regularly, but complained very much of his
head, as being very painful, and as if on fire. Witness observed
that the deceased was very much agitated on Thursday evening,
and appeared distressed in his mind; and on Friday he was so
had that he went away to go to Mr. Dodderidge's tor some medi-
cine; he returned again, andlsaid Mr. Dodderidge had refused to
give him what he asked for, but he would snake up something
for him. He went home with his brother. on Friday evening;
on Saturday evening the agitation of his mind seemed to be
much increased. Witness saw him on Monday morning, nearly
eleven o'clock ; the deceased went into the office in a quick,
I hurried manner ; he afterwards left the office very suddenly ;
previously to which he went to his desk, and took out some-
thing. When he was gone, witness went to deceased's desk
and found two bags for pistols, and a mould for casting bullets.
Witness suspected from his manner that something was the
matter with his mind. The deceased had at times expressed
his sorrow at not having been much better off than a clerk.
The Jury returned a verdict of " InsanitX."