The Sun.
London, England, 1823-08-29 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUEST

Yesterday .nfteraoon An inquest. was held be-
fore Tit ()SIAS STIn1.1:40; Esq., Coroner, at the Black nurse,
Queen-street, Seven Dials, on the body of a female named
Rebecca Jones, aged 45, who put a period to her existence by
hanging herself.
The circumstance created a little noise in the neighbourhood,
from its being known that the husband was the first who disco-
vered his wife suspended, but did not cut her down ; and this
being intimated to the Coroner, he was called upon as
.first wit-
ness to account for his conduct: II is name is Richard Ames; and
on -being !MOM, he stated that he went out on Wednesday
morning, at half-past five o'clock, to his regular employ, leav-
ing his wife in bed ; be had had no words with her, but let*. her
in as
.good health and spirits as ever she was in her life. She
promised to bring him his breakfast iithalf-pant eight, but that
time arrived Without her fulfilling her promise, .and on going
home he found the door bolted on the inside, when he instantly
forced it Open, and found his Wife (deceased) suspended by a
cotton handkerehief from the bedstead. Being alarm( dat the
appearance, • he called to his next dear neighbour, Mrs. Mont-
gomery, and then went to his nephew's, in Castle-sink. •
The Coiun a considered it very strange he did not first cut
her down, before he went to the nephew.
The witness said, he teas so terrified, that he ran out of the
room, and made the best of his way tai Castle.sweet.
In answer 'to other qiiestions, the witns said the deceased '
had laboured under .great pains ies
n her head, and frequently
awoke in the night complaining., , . . ..
'John Goodwin, sun of the deceased by a former husband,
said he frequently saw her since her second marriage, and al-
ways considered she lived .on ,goud terms with her husband ;
she never complained of being uncomfortable.
Mary Ann Montgoniery partly confirmed the linsband!s
statement with respect to finding the deceased ; hearing the
cry, she was about cutting her down, when the Sim snatched,
the knife, and did so.
Eliza Goodwin related various incoherent expressions the
deceased had made use of, which clearly proved the unfortunwe
woman, was deranged in her Mind.
The Jury returned their verdict—" That the deceased hung
herself, being at the time In a state of temporary mental de
rangernent.'
An Inquest was held at seven o'clock last evening, at the
Ilalf-Moon, Stretton.:ground, Westrninster, in the. body of
John Willistrison, aged 31 years—Mrs. Williamson, a widow,
residing at N 0.64, Stretton-ground, stated that the deceased
was her son, and a married man, but did not live with his
• wife ; he had formerly been at sea, and latterly out of work,
and entirely dependent upon her for support. His spirits
had been broken by distress, and he took ii quantity of liquor
that &filleted his brain ; and such was his despairing. condition,
kiving no bed to sleep in, or'place to lie at night, except on a
1,.1%- rags.huddlad together on a mangle in a cellar ; whtrc.thtt
1
body lay whet viewed by the Jury Witness took in wash-
ing and mangling, but had very little to do; and the tie:cooed
went to bed aupperless on Wedneklay . night. ', /le bed been
observed during that day, and . previously thereto, ,to be in a
Most melancholy condition; and on the following (yesterday)
morning, he was found 'hanging in the' cellar quite clout. She
believed that distress had driven him mad, and.eaused hhn to
destroy himself. Verdict—Jaw ,/31y.
,- . .