The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-29 00:00:00

DETERMINED SUICIDE.

On Thursday an inquest was held before Mr. Wakley, M.P.
Coroner, and a respectable Jury, at the King's Head, Moscow-
road, Black Lion-lane, Bayswater, on view of the body of Je-.
, seph Whittacks, aged fifteen, who committed self destruction
by shooting himself through the heart, on Monday last, under
the followine. circumstances
Jane Broadbridge deposed that she was a single woman.
and was living in the service of Mr. Grimstone, an artist,
siding at No. 1, Petersburgh-place, Bayswater-hill, in the eb-
pacity of housemaid. The deceased was page to Mrs. Grim-
stone, and was between fifteen and sixteen years of age. lie
was the son of a labourer on the metropolis roads, and had
been living as an out-door servant to Mr. Grimstone two or
three years, but within the last eight or nine weeks had been
, in-doors as page. On the afternoon of Monday last witness way
' about five o'clock at the gate of the house, having gone there
to call some person in, as the deceased had said he would shoot
himself, when she heard the report of the-discharge of a pistol
on the premises. She immediately called Uri man who was
passing, and returned with him into the house, and running up
to issaased's bed-room, on the stairs leading to which she had
just before lett the deceased sitting, when stae found him lying
across the bed, with a wound in his breast, front which the
blood was flowing fast, having shot himself with a pistol, which
was in his hand, or near it. Deceased was quite dead, and his
clothes were on fire, which were torn off with a pair of tongs
by the strangers whom she had called in. Deceased had
Just before come in from the garden, where he had
been out to play, as was frequently his custom when he
could get at his master's pistols or guns. No one was it the
garden with the deceased, but some of the dogs. About foie
o'clock the same afternoon, deceased had knocked at the don]
of witness's bedroom where she was dressing, no one hit wit-
ness and the deceased being in the house at the time. Witness
would not open the door, but he repeated his desire to come iii.
After witness would not let him in, deceased went (loon stairs,
and then came up again in about five 'minutes, when witness
saw him, and he sat on the bed. Witness brushed out his kir
for him, after which he left and went tutu his master's room
again. Witness again warned him not to touch the pistols. In a
minute or two he came running up again...led asked kir a
piece of paper, and caught up a book called "The Comp-
'lion to the Sacrament," when witness slid, "Oh ! Joseph
don't tear that." Deceased said " I want a piece of paper,
as lam going to load master's pistol." Witness immediately
urged him for Heaven's sake not to do soi when be said he did
want a piece of paper to load it with, for he thought he should
shoot himself. Witness told him if he would read that book,
he would never again think of shooting himself. Witness did
not think the deceased was serious, as he bad so often talked
about it before. He then caught up one of witness's cc.:
papers, and ran out of the room, and went down to the cottage
in the garden with the dogs. Witness did not fellow him, but
deceased soon came up the yard and flung up a stone at wit-
ness's bed-room window, at the same time playing with one of
the little dogs in the garden. Deceased then came in,
leaving the pistol, witness believed, jn one of tl.,
green-houses. He repeated that lie should, lie thought,
shoot himself, but he would like to shoot witness first,
and with that he caught her kindly round the neck,
and also by the hand, and said " I certainly mean to shoot soy-
self." Witness replied, " You never mean it, surely." De-
ceased had often before said to witness and the other servants,
that he should like to be in battle, where there was nothing but
bloodshed and killing one another, and where the streets wee.
moistened with blood, and that he should like to shoot some
one die first, and himself afterwards. Deceased then went. to
the green-house, and brought back theistol, and dropped Ija
II
bullet. Witi..ss believed he had charged it with powder ins
witness if she knew where there were any more
'Master's room, as the powder was kept there. Ile then
asked
witness
p bullets.
Wit-
ness replied she did not know, and if sheas
him, and she dared him to go into hism
Jane, as •ou won't cam,.
ttleirdstztrialdinnoteoull
after that deceased said, "Good bye,
00,3 t
shoot
yourself.
Too It ith me." She said to him, " Surelyiy
myself before, but I
scoiud have
,'‘ I haveteidn aotft e that
tlte abteteforr.rep't
had not the heart;
cheek' to do it." She
btout
tyineoit°duon% mean it." Ile'
to find some one, and WY only a
him, on which she went out .
I the
,he ran in again, and deceased
man playing an organ, so -
then watched him, and he wanted her to go into his room with.
found. fallen
ran from him to the gate, and al-
player to come in, and to a matt and his
on se, ing her hell asked her
olkieer,
theniliViansh
‘‘,
istintteisnsgino:Lat:t;bed with the:in-iisatol....a_ tshitisbfyorethheeasdid,eamt
deceasedlhend man
va cames
in, when
the place was fu
Baled to the organ
back en the Led, and quite ,
dead. Deceased was ' quite sane
passing.
dsciontmlgie:
like a boy, but•
exceedingly like
killing, lle was not
Wile with a child who were
is
a mar.
es cry thing but ialkine like a mad person about shooting ass(
in his boldness. He was very cruel to animals.
The Coaosna said the housemaid appeared to have had a
most miraculous escape front being murdered.
The father of the deceased was then called in, and said the
atidmteas.ughltl.e
Hweowualds
adrvoeirty bsate,caktryaarndds
quiet boy
about four years ago the deceased had had very strong fitr
ihrre
tfter
adtroirblickigiggrthe whole of the evidence, the Jury, without
hesitation, expressed an opinion that the deceased could not
have been in a sound state of mind at the time he committee!
the rash act, and returned a verdict of " Insanity."
After the verdict was returned, the Coroner suggested to
Mr. Grimstone, jun., that science might be greatly benefited
if the head of the deceased could be obtained' by• a medic-'
man. An a; plieation was afterwards made to the father of the
deceased on the subject, but it ass met by a refusal.

- _
ST. PETERSBURGH, MAY 14.—Prince Butera,
the Sie.lian Ambassador, Baron Schimmelpennick, the Nether-
lands Ambassador, and the Marquis of Clanriearde, the Britisl•
Ambassador, who are going to leave their posts fbr some time•
have had their final audiences of the Emperor, and the other
members of the Imperial family. On the 13th of May fifty-on;,
ships had arrived at Cronstadt. We learn from Pernau that
the navigation was opened there on the Ist cf May by the ar-
rival of seven English ships in ballast. On the sth of May th,
number of arrivals was fifteen.

'We understand, from excellent authipity, tha',
Viscount, Ebrington's marriage with Lady Somerville will be
solemnised in the comae of the ensuing week. The we'ding
will be a, private as possible. His Lordship is a widower.
.
having married, in July, 1817, Lads .Sushi Ryder, tildes
daughter of the Earl of Harrowhy, and sister of Viscous,
'Sandon, who died in July, 1827.