The Sun.
London, England, 1822-04-03 00:00:00

CROWN SIDE.

William Bailey was indicted for assaulting Sarah Cavey, an
elderly woman, on the King's highway,.. pert!ing her in fear, and
stealing from her person two shillings an. sixpence, at Egham,
on the 17th of November last.—Not Guilty.

LAMENTABLE SUICIDE OF LIEUT. TRAJL.
At three o'clock yesterday an inquisition was taken before
THOMAS SHELTON, Esq., in the Committee-room of Beth-
lem Hospital, on the body of Lieutenant Charles Trail, aged.
30 years, a patient in the above asylum, who destroyed hiraself
in the following manner :
Charles Beech, one of the keepers belonging to the Institu-
tion, deposed that, on Sunday last, about 12 o'clock at noon, he
'locked the deceased in his cell in the gallery, having previously
shaved and dressed him. He was in such a weak and debili-
tated state that he had not sufficient strength to dress himself.
After witness had locked him up, he went into the Green yard
to attend the other patients, but shortly returned to him, and
then he was sitting on the side of his oed. Witness endea-
voured to persuade him to take his tation of food, but he re-
fused, as he had done for several days previous. Witness again
left him, and in about half an hour after he returned again,
and on unlocking his cell-door he found the deceased close
against it, with his face towards him, as if he were coining out.
Witness did not immediately on opening the door know that
he had destroyed himself; but afterwards found that he was
suspended to his white neckkerchief by the neck, the end of
which was very ingeniously made fast to a single_wire of a
slight fence over the door of his cell, enclosing the iron grating.
He was quite dead, though warm; a wooden bowl which the
deceased had for a certain use was near him, and on which he
stood to fasten the end of the neckkerchief to the fence. Wit-
ness instantly procured 111 r. Wright, the medical gentleman,
who bled the deceased, but life was quite extinct.
Mr. Edward Wright, the medical gentleman, and superin-
tendant of the establishment, stated that on his seeing the de-
ceased he was quite dead : he opened a vein, but obtained no
blood. The deceased had been a patient in the asylum since
the Ist of November last. His case was of a most desperate
nature. He was always under apprehensions of some evil de-
signs against him. He had refused food for six of saven days,
thinking that it would be mixed with poison. His obstinacy
in that particular was so strong, that his rations were obliged
to be administered by means of a tube. The deceased had been
a Lieutenant in the 95th Regiment, or Rifle Corps, and had
served-under the Duke of 'Wellington in all his campaigns :
he was a very enterprising officer, and had received gieat pa-
tronage from the late Duke of Kent. His father was a Gene-
ral in the 'British service. The deceased had been.of a very
free disposition, which is supposed in a great degree to have
brought on the direful malady.
A Juryman thought that the patients would be prevented
from laying violent hands on theniselves, if, instead of the
wire-grating being over the door, a shutter with a round hole
in the middle was substituted ; the' ventilation would be just
the same.
The whole of the Jurorsibeing of the same opinion,Mr.Wright,
the superintendant, was requested to state the opinion of the
Jury to the Committee of Governors at the next meeting, which
Mr. Wright promised to do.
The Jury afterwards consulted, and returned a verdict that
the deceased " Hanged himself, being at the time in a state of
desperate madness: