The Sun.
London, England, 1825-01-29 00:00:00

SEDUCTION AND SUICIDE.

Thursday evening an Inquest was holden at
the Three Cups public-house, Oxford-road, on view of the
body of Christina Marie Briscolie, aged 19 years, who put a
period to her existence by poison, on Tuesday last.—Louisa
Morcani, of No. 7, Drew's-place, stated that the deceased was.
niece to her husband, Carlo Morcani, a manufacturer of artifi-
cial flowers. The deceased was much noticed by the various
persons for whom Morcani did business, and finally was offered
an eligible situation in a very eminent florist's house in New
Bond-street, which she accepted, and where she had the misfor-
tune to attract the regards of a gentleman ranking high in life,
who ultimately effected her ruin, and took her with him into
the country, where she remained until the birth of an infant,
which dying soon after, the deceased was abandoned by her
seducer, and in the month of last October she returned
to London, her spirits quite broken. During this interval,
she had occasionally assisted witness in the management of
the business, Morcani being in Italy ; but her constant wish
was to return home to her native country. On this subject she
had repeatedly written to the person by whom she was seduced,
entreating such percuniary assistance as would enable her to
quit England, but only in two instances were her letters an-
swered ; the one was a little before Christmas, conveying a
direct refusal ; and the latter was about ten or twelve days
ago, when deceased received a letter from him, enclosing a 101.
note, with a few words of unkind import; one expression was
to this effect:—" You say that the death of your child has tend-
ed to impair your health, and to incapacitate you from pur-
suing. your business as hitherto. This is of a piece with the
artifice of your sex. Who ever dreamt of meeting with such
sublime feelings in the bosom of an Italian flower-girl ? I only
regret that you did not accompany your heart (which I never
believed to be mine), and then I should have been freed
from both incumbrances at once. The enclosed will be the
last assistance you can expect from me, and is more than
I have any right to give you." Witness stated, that since
the receipt of this letter deceased wept both by night and day.
and talked in so wild a manner, that she began to apprehend
her reason was fled. On Sunday she appeared more composed
than usual, and intimated a wish to attend the service of the
Mass at the Spanish Ambassador's Chapel. Witness could not
accompany her, bUt she went with a young Italian girl, who
knew her when she lived at the house in 131:rd-street ; from
that time until Tuesday morning she was quite calm, though
melancholy. On Tuesday she went out under a pretext of
visiting an acquaintance in Manchester-street, and did not re-
turn until near seven o'clock in the evening, and when ques-
tioned as to the cause of her staying so long, she replied, " I
hare settled every thing this day, but it has cost me many
tears." Witness thought that she alluded to her departure
for Italy, and observed-----'Christina, you must not think
of going; there is no occasion for it, particularly as Morcani
is away." Deceased said, " Yes, yes, but I must. Oh, God
forgive him that forces me to such an act !" She then said
that she had some matters to arrange, and went up stairs to her
room ; in some short time witness followed her, and found her
sitting at table ; witness pressed her to come down, but she
declined, and begged them not to disturb her. Witness did
not see her until the servant girl informed her that Ma-
demoiselle was in a fainting fit ; and upon going up to the
room, she found her lying on the floor to all appearance dead.
Witness used various means to restore her, but without effect,
and she went fOr a surgeon, who declared that it was all
over, the deceased having swallowed poison. Mr. Dubois,
surgeon, was called to assist the deceased on Tuesday evening,
but perceived his assistance was likely to prove ineffectual, as
all pulsation had ceased for some time. He adopted the ordi-
nary modes of treatment, such as administering emetics, &c.,
but without effect. The stomach pump was introduced, and a
great quantity of Clack matter extracted ; yet every attempt to
restore animation proved abortive. The contents of the sto-
mach proved to be laudanum, in a quantity of greater magni-
tude than he had ever witnessed In any similar case. Verdict—
" That deceased committed suicide by poison, whilst in a state
of temporary derangement."

An ELOPEMENT took place from Sloane-square On Wed-
nesday morning. The parties are a Mr. a gay young
clerk of five and twenty, and a Miss F-, who resided in the
next house to the young swain, aged twenty, and as it is
reported will become possessed of an independency when
of age, in addition to personal charms. The parties were
traced to Sun-street, Brampton, where a hackney-coach
sat them down at a pastry cook's, and it was ascertained
they had taken a post-chaise to Hounslow, and thence to Wind-
sor, where they hired a single horse chaise, and were overtaken
refreshing themselves at an inn at Egham by the lady's brother,
and she reluctantly returned to Charlon's at Hounslow, the
George Inn, the same evening, with her brother.

MELANCHOLY AND DISTRESSING SUICIDE.-Mr.
David Palmer, parochial clerk of the parish of St. Nlary-le-
Strand, an office which he filled for upwards of thirty years, a
considerable portion of which he acted also as the parochial
schoolmaster, was found yesterday morning, about a quarter
past eight, suspended by a neck-kerchief, behind the door of
the front room on the second floor, quite dead, and a Coroner's
Jury was of course summoned, to inquire how and by what
means the deceased came by his death. They accordingly met
at four o'clock, at the sign of the Wellington, Drury-lane, be-
fore T. H GG S, Esq., Coroner, when, after examining evi-
dence, four of the Jurymen sworn expressed themselves not
satisfied that the deceased came by his death in a state of in-
sanity. There were, however, thirteen and the Foreman, who
were of opinion that the deceased committed the act in a fit of
Insanity, and a verdict to that effect was recorded.

Hogan) Altmont.—An aggravated case of
murder occurred in this county (Washington), on Saturday
last, on Indian Creek, about 20 miles south of this place.--
The name of the man killed was Higgins, that of the mur-
derer David Greer, who, for perhaps the last 20 years, has
lived secluded from society, near the to') of the Bald Mountain,
31 or 32 miles south of this place. Higgins, at the time of
the murder, was under arrest, attended by W. S. Erwin, con-
stable, and a Mr. Cooper, who were conducting him to a Justice
of the Peace, for trial. The cause of the quarrel was some trivial
matter, the particulars of which it is unnecessary to relate.—
Greer had shot from a place of concealment, near the road,
at Higgins, and missed his aim ; after which he got a head of
the party unperceived, and waited in a waste house on the
road until they came up, when he shot Higgins dead on
the spot. Upon seeing his prisoner fall, he immediately
burst open the door of the house, where Greer had con-
cealed himself, and attempted to arrest him. A violent
scuffle ensued, the hermit's great strength rendering him
a fearful enemy. Besides his rifle, he had armed him-
self with an axe; and, after fighting some time with the
former, which, from the lowness of the joists, could not be
used to advantage, he then strove to get hold of his weapon.
In this attempt Erwin, with a small cudgel, twice knocked him
on his knees ; yet, still apprehensive that his purpose might
not be effected, he directed Cooper to shoot him. Cooper
fired, and wounded him in the hand, when he submitted, and
was secured. Notwithstanding the hurry and confusion of a
scene so appalling, Erwin's resolution and self-command ap-
pear not to have for a moment forsaken him. On the next day
the murderer was safely lodged in the gaol at Jonesboroagh,
there to await his trial. It has been thought for many years
past, that he was the subject of a slight mental derangement.—
(American Paper.)

The falling in of the new CustotJlouse is re-
ported to have arisen from the arches on which
the groins rested having been built of a soft
porous stone, instead of granite.