The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-29 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE BY A

YOUNG LADY AT SEACOMBE.

An event of a most tragical character occurred on board the Sea.
cotube steam-boat Alice, near Liverpool, on the afternoon of Thurs(!ay,
the lot inst., the unheppy sufferer in which exhibited a degree of reck-
less intrepidity and coolness of purpose, in the execution of her horrid
project, almost unparalleled in the history of her sex. The facts of this
distressing case are as novel as they are heart-rending. The deceased, a
young lady of great personal beauty and accomplishments, arrived at the
Seacombe Hotel, on the morning of Tuesday, accompanied by her father,
mother, sister, brother, and uncle, from Carnarron, where they had
been spending a few days. On Thursday, about noon, she crossed the
river with her uncle, a Lieutenant in the Hon. East India Company's
service. Her uncle adjourned to the news-room, and the young lady,
having in the meantime some purchases to make in Bold.street, was met
again byher uncle abouthalf.past two,who accompanied her to theSeacombe
slip ; she recrossed the river, and he saw no more of 'er. On the same
afternoon, between four and five, she again left Seacombe in the packet
for Liverpool. She appeared to be very restless, and di.l not, as is
usual with ladies, confine herself to the hind part of the vessel; on
the contrary, she walked about the fore part cf the deck, deliberately
took off her bonnet, and, watching her opportunity, plunged into
the river from the fore gsngway. The alarm was instantly given
—" Stop the engine ; there is a person overboard A boat was
immediately launched from the deck, and simultaneously a small
boat put off from the Seacombe slip, for the purpose of rescuing the
young lady. It was some time before either of the boats reached her ;
the waves dashed over her head, but she did not sink, owing, probably,
to the buoyancy of her clothing. She must have sprung into the river
a considerable distance, so as to outreach the revolution of the
paddle wheels, otherwise she would have been instantly dashed to
pieces. The beat which put off from Seacombe succeeded in reach-
ing her first, and by it she was conveyed to the hotel. The
lady in attendance there cut her clothes, rolled her in blankets, and
placed her on a sofa. Mr. Ellis, surgeon, of Seacombe, was called
in, together with Mr. Halliday of the same place. At the request of
the former gentleman, the young lady was carried up stairs, put to bed,
and the usual means employed in the case of drowned persons were
put into requisition. The deceased, during this proceeding, ap-
peared in great pain, but perfectly sensible. She asked for her pocket
handkerchief, and on its being brought by Miss Smith, of the hotel,
she exclaimed, throwing her arras round that lady's neck—" 0, Miss
Smith, I shall never get better; I have taken arsenic—an ounce
and a half!" Miss Smith asked where she procured it, and she
replied in Carnarvon, adding that she had put the paper containing it
under her drawer in her bed-room. The paper was immediately sought
for, and found in the position described, bearic.g the words—" arsenic,
poison." When left alone with the deceased, Miss Smith asked her
reason for committing so fatal an act ; her reply was, " I am very un-
happy, and have been so for a long time : I wish to die." Mr. Ellis
appearing at the same time, the deceased asked him sternly, " Doc-
tor, how long have I to live ?" On learning that she had taken poi.
son, the stomach-pump was applied by the medical men, and all
available means used to prolong life, without effect. A few minutes
before her death, Miss Smith asked the deceased if she should wish to
see her father and mother ? Her reply was " No." She expired in about
an hour and a half after being taken out of the water, having from that
time until within a few minutes of her death experienced the most ex-
cruciating agony from the operation of the arsenic.
The deceased, as we have stated, was a remarkably fine-looking young
woman, in the 19th year of her age. All the arrangements fort he suc-
cessful execution of her fearful purpose were devised with lamentable
prudence and forethought. Before entering the packet she changed her
shoes for slippers, untied her hair, left her veil, scarf, and brooch behind,
and, as we have already mentioned, took off her bonnet, and deliberately
placed it on the deck of the steamer, ere she plunged into the river.
It appears from the facts which have transpired, that the young lady
whose melancholy death we have detailed, was married at the early age
of 17. Her husband is a barrisrer named Smythe. The marriage
proved unfortunate, for after living together for a short time they
separated, since which the spirits of the deceased have suffered great
depression. To increase this depression, she was lately afflicted with
an attack of rheumatic gout, at Carnarvon, at which watering
place she was residing with her friends before coming to Seacombe. This
illness, according to the testimony of her uncle, was produced by the
deceased remaining too long in the water whilst bathing. The young
lady belonged to a highly respectable family, who are, it may easily be
believed, in the greatest possible agony at the tragic result. Her father,
whose name is Amphlett, supports a carriage,and resides at Broom, near
Stourbridge, in Staffordshire. The fancily are now at Parry's Hotel,
where they will remain until the interment of their daughter.
Yesterday an inquest was held on the body before Faithful Thomas,
Esq., Coroner for the northern division of Cheshire. The facts we
have stated were proved in evidence, and the Jury returned the follow.
ing verdict :—" We unanimously find that the deceased came by her
death from the effect of having taken poison, during a state of tempo.
rary derangement."

ABSENCE OF MIND.—A fond mother took her
darling on her knee, and then a loaf, intending " to snake a bread abd
butter for it," as people say hereabouts; but by a strange fatality she
buttered the child's face, and cut its head off before she discovered her
"mistake."—American Paper.

The following is a verbatim copy of the direction of
a letter which passed through the Post-office a few days since:—
Mr. John King of Montryall is living with his wife either there or else-
where his wife is Susan M`Cauley and if they are not there you will have
to find them out Eliiewhere.---Falmouth Packet.

EDITORIAL COURTESIES.—A Whig paper pub-
lished in Brighton abuses another paper published in the same place by
calling it bully, blackguard, and filthy wretch. The Radical's replica-
tion in part consists of the subjoined bill of costs for services
against the Whigs, leaving it to the Tories to add whatever
they please to the sums charged. We suppress the names of the news-
paper belligerents, as well as of the other parties attacked :
To sundry expositions of the ignorance, bad writing, and bad
grammar, of the Editor of the

To a variety of proofs given, and instances shown, of roguery

_
and want of principle in the same 3OO
To proving that - is but a poor thing as a Me:nber of

Parliament, and that he is much more respectaNe a& a dandy

walking about Brighton, than as a Member talking nonsense

in Parliament l,OOO
To arguments adduced, all tending to represent Capt.
nottiug better than a blunt sailor, with a good pair of legs,

and tirra nerves
To sundry minor essays, iShoW;Als
other inferior Whigs, are nothing better than they should be.:. 20
To sundry solid and incontrovertible arguments, used to show
that the greater number of Whigs in the borough were once
Radicals, and would instantly become Tories, if a Tory Go-
vernment should take place

COURT OF JUSTICIARY, EDINBURGH, MON-
DLY.—Euphemia Tait, or Pride, the wife of a collier at Edgehead
Windmill, Dalkeith, was charged with the murder of her child, aged
twelve months, by throwing or pushing it out of a window, twenty
feet high, on the 9th of April, in consequence of which it died in a
few hours. Accusal's Counsel objected to her being considered a fit
object for trial, on the plea that she was insane at the time. Dr. Spital
and other witnesses were adduced in support of this, from which
it appeared the prisoner had been subject to frequent fits of
epilepsy since childhood, and after recovering from these, to great
mental depressions and aberration. During these periods she had
oftener than once threatened to take away her life, which
caused her sister to conceal all knives from her; and the pri-
soner's husband, it was stated by this witness, was in the practice of
concealing his razor from her on this account. Mr. Tones, Crown Cr un-
sel, intimated that while it was evident that the prosecution had not
been instituted without sufficient ground, it was satisfactorily established
that the prisoner was not a fit object of trial, and that she should, in the
meantime, be Lept in confinement. The Court unanimously acquiesced
in this, and the trial was deserted pro loco et tempare, and the prisoner
remanded to gaol, and to be kept in confinement during the pleasure of
the Court. The prisoner was then removed from the bar. She is
about 40 years of age, of lank and rather swarthy appearance, and a
countenance strongly betokening a silly and weak mind.— Scotch Paper.

A very melancholy catastrophe occurred in the
Severn a; Over bridge, near this city, on Tuesday last. The cap of a
lad, who was playing on the bridge, fell into the river, and he ran down
to the river's brink to endeavour to obtain it. While reaching alter it
with a stick, he overbalanced himself and fell into the water. The un-
for tunale boy, instead of turning immediately towards the shore, still
attempted to gain possession of his cap, in which effort be was carried
into deep water, and after floating for several yards he sunk, and the ra-
pidity of the stream no doubt speedily hurried him some distance from
the spot. The accident was witnessed by a female, who immediateli
gave an alarm, and assistance soon arrived, but all trace of the body was
lost. It was not known at the time who the lad was, but there is now
no doubt that he was the son of Mr. Benjamin Fisher, currier, of this
city. He was a fine boy, about eleven years of age, of much promise,
and his untimely end is a source of great regret to his relatives and
friends. To the parents in particular, this bereavement must he very
deplorable. Their son left home in the morning, and in the evening,
while they were wondering at his long absence, they heard of the acci•
dent which had happened, and their fears at once reverted to their own
child, which conjecture was too truly realized. Another little boy, it
seems, was playing with the deceased at the time of the occurrence, but
being alarmed he ran away, and did not mention what bad happened till
some time afterwards. The body, we understand, has net yet been
found.—Gloucester Journal.

CONSERVATISM AND RADICALISM.—If the opi-
nion of the good people of Ipswich is fairly represented by their own
newspapers, our readers will think with us, perhaps, after reading the
following extracts from their Journal and Chronicle of Saturday last,
that the worthy burgesses must be rather difficult persons to plewe.
The Journal is Conservative, and atter charging Ministers with hollow.
ness, deceitfulness, and so forth—instancing, by way of proof, the dis-
missal ofColonel Verner from the Commission of the peace, and the
offer made to Mr. O'Connell of legal preferment !—in a tone of derision,
intended, no doubt, to be especially bitter, apostrophizes Lord Melbourne
and his colleagues as " most worthy Ministers !" Our next extract, from
the Chronicle, runs on thus :—" A while ago, we were told that the ac-
cession of Queen Victoria to the throne of these realms, would introduce
a new era in British History ; that the last lingering clouds of Tory-
ism which for se long a period have obseured the political zenith,
would vanish before her benign countenance like a shadow; and
that the bright effulgrnce of Whig-Liberalism would diffuse general
gladness in the hearts of the people, and exhibit a strange contrast to
the despotic influences of the dark ages. The first year of her Majesty's
reign is now at an end, and the first session of her first Parliament is
nearly brought to a close; but in vain do we look for improvement in
the past, or expect any very great degree of good from the future, un-
less some great commotion should arise which will upset the present
balance of parties. In Ireland, the Tithe question is in the course of
renewed agitation, and large meetings in the open air were announced
to be held this week, in the counties of Kildare, Wexford, Kilkenny,
and the Queen's County, at which It was intended to be resolved by
those assembled not to pay tithes in any shape, or, as an alternative, not
to consume exeiseable articles of any description. In the manufacturing
districts, the hostility to the New Poor Law Act is anything rather than
abated, which, combined with the prospect of an advance in the price
of bread, renders it by no means improbable that the suppressed indigna-
tion now raging against their rulers in the breasts of the multitude,
will break out into open violence. On the very day when the Court and
our legislative sages are amusing themselves with the follies of a Corona
tien, the working men in the North will he employing themselves in
concocting a plan to form a Grand Dillon of the industrious millions
throughout the kingdom, in order to obtain what they esteem to be the
' Rights of Industry,' and we should not be surprised if the one event
be not rendered equally as memorable as the other In the annals of the
country."

The family of Lady -, residing in the immediate
neighbourhood of near Bristol, has been plunged into the deepest
affliction by the conduct of a young gentleman who occupied a confiden-
tial situation in the family. It appears that during the temporary ab-
sence of Lady --, for the purpose of visiting a dying relative, Mr.
persuaded the youngest daughter of her Ladyship from her home
under the pretext that her presence was required at the bedside of her
aunt ; but instead of taking her to that destination, he succeeded in per.
suading her to allow the ceremony of a Gretna Greets marriage to be
perpetrated, against her owls wishes and remonstrances. The young
lady is unfortunately of weak intellect, and her father, in the belief
that she would require additional comforts to those of her twc elder
sisters, left her a larger share of his fortune than he otherwise would
have done, It is expected, however, that some proceedings will be at
once taken to deprive him of any claim to the property, as well as to dis,
solve the marriage. At one stage the unhappy girl ie said to have flung
herself on her knees before a country inn-keeper, who, however, was so
' astonished at the procedure that his surprise and amazement totally pre-
vented him from underst wading the cause of her raving, and he imagined
she was under the influence of insanity.—Berkekire Chronicle.

PORTING INTELLIGENCE.

NEWCASTLE RACES MONDAY, Juxr: 25.

The Craven Stakes of 10 sovs. each, with 20 added by the Town,
for horses, &c., of all ages ; three yrs old, ist ; four, Est. 21h;
five, Eat. 10113 : six and aged, gst. Mares and geldings allowed
31b. The second to save his stake. One mile.

Mr. Orde's b. m. Bee's-wing, 5 yrs Cartwright 1
Mr. M. Foulis na. br. g. Remnant, by Bustajd, 5 yrs 2
Lord Eglinton's b. g. 'I he Potentate, 6 yrs dr
Betting-2 to I agst Bee's Wing. Won in a canter.
Produce Stake's of 50 SOTS. each, h. ft., for three years old ; colts,
Bst. 41b; fillies, Bst.; 31b. allowed, &c. Two miles.

. .
Mr. C. St. Paul's ch. f. Creeping Molly, by Percy T. Lye 1
Cobalel Cookson's br. c. Catterick, by Bob Logic 2
Duke of Leeds's b. f. Barbarina, by Brutandurf
Lord Eglinton's ch. 1. by Actaeon
... .

Betting-2 to 1 agst Creeping Molly ;6to 4 agst Barbarina ;
and 4to 1 agst Catterick. Won by a length.
A Piece of I'late presented by the late G. Baker, Esq., added to a
Subscription of 15 so a. each, 10 ft. ; three horses to start ; three
yrs old, ist. alb; four, Set. Sib; five, 8,1. 12lb; six and aged,
9st. ; mares allowed 31b. Als inner of any of the Cups at non-.
caster, Liverpool, Chester, or Manchester, to carry 41b. extra;
horses having run and not won, allowed 31b. St. Leger Course.

Once round:
Mr. Orde's b. m. Bee's-wing, by Dr. Syntax, 5 yrs... Cartwright 1
Mr. Wood's b. f. by Humphrey Clinker—sister to May-day, 3 yrs 2
Mr. Blakclock's bl. f. Yarico, by Waverley, 4 yrs
Mr. Jaques's ch. m. Burletta, by Actaeon, 6 yrs dr
Won by a length.
Produce Stakes of 50 sous. each, h. ft., for two years old ; colts,
Bst. 41b ; fillies, Bst ; 31b. allowed, &c. T. Y. C. Three quar-

tern of a mile.
Lord Eglinton's ch. c. Zoroaster, by Priam . Cartwright 1
Mr. Jaques's b. c. by Liverpool, out of Comedy, by Comus .... 2
Duke of Leeds's b. c. Podolirius, by Physician 0
Mr. He•eltine's b. c. Prescription, by Physician, out of Eliza
Duke of Cleveland's b. f. Eliza, by Physician, out of Matilda 0
Mr. Dawson's ch. 1. by Percy, dam by Cleveland—Prodigious 0
Betting-2 to I agst Zoroaster, 2to 1 agst Comedy (colt). 3to
I agst Prescription, 4 to 1 agst Podolirius, and 5 to 1 agst Eliza.
Won easy.
Maiden Plate of 50 sovs. ; three yrs, 7st. slb ; four, fist. 51b ; five,
&c., Nst. 101 b ; mares and geldings allowed 31b. Heats, once

round and a distance.
Mr. Wrather's gr. c. llackfall, byActreon, 3 yrs
Mr. Smith's gr. c. by Waverley—Lady Fractious,3 yrs 2 2
Lord Eglinton's ch. c. Achilles, 3 yrs
Betting—First heat, 2 to 1 agst liackfall ; second heat, 4 to 1
apt him. Won easy.