The Sun.
London, England, 1823-10-07 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUEST.

MELANCHOLY AND SINGULAR CASE.

Mr. STIRLING the Coroner, was yesterday ocapied in in.
vestigating a most singulAr case respecting the death of a person
named John William Thorn, aired 80.
The circumstance that gatle rise to the inquiry was the fol,
lowing letter? whielf stirling received yesterday morning
from the parish of Marylebone,
t 4 Sir —I will thank you to forward me per bearer, a warrant
I
foil an Ipmkest on the body of John William Thorn, of 8, Clip-
stone-street, who, I find died, on very
Thursday last, under
suspicious circumstances of
poison havingbeen administeied to
him, ,or taken. by himself: ho body is, in a putrid stxite, so
that, the earlier the Inquest is held, consistent, with your conve-
nience, the better."
An appointm6nt was immediately. made by Mr. Stirling, to
hold the Inquest the following. evening.
Great,. curiosity W 34 elTOtetlo4 the ocpasion, from the reports.
that prevailed: It was well' known by the deeiised's friends.
that he had formerly been in affluent circumstances, but.had
unfortunately become embarrassed. Other circuinstaneesk also
came to his friends;' knowledge, which induced them to ap-
ply to the parish to held an inquest on the body before it was
interred. _

At six o'clock last evening the Jury met at the Rose ant,
Crown, Clipstone-street, where the following evidence was
adduced : _ _

Mary Cooper., landladyof the house, No. 8, Clipstone-stree‘
in,which deceased lodged, stated he came there about. Chris-
tmas last, on observing " lodgings to let;"'lle was then in per.:
feet health ; about five weeks Since he went alone
pleasure, and to, learn the, language, stating that,he intended
shortly to go abread ; he arrived home on last Thursday week. •
On getting out of the coach„he appeared very unwell, and told
witness he had come home to die, and that he had been poisoned,_
adding, " I have taken vitrol in the room of nitre." Witness
asked him what he took nitre for? He replied because he was
hot, and he took it' to cool hiniself. Dr..Nuttall was called, to
attend the deceased, which he did some time
,; deceased died
about 11, o'clock last Thursday night; Dr. Clough, Dr. ,Nut-
tal, and several other medical gentlemen, were there at the
titne. The body of the deceased- was opened on Friday altar
flOork, at the request of, his sister,' ,
P
Marian rost, of 8, Clipstone-stone-street, being swore, stated,
she was half-sister to deceased,'Who had been lately inTrance,
partly for his amusement, and partly to improve himself ; he
returned from Calais on,'lltursday week last, very seriously
unwell ; he said he had had a nervous fever, and had been very
seriously ill in Calais, and had there taken some medicines from
Di. Souvel; he said lie was getting better under Dr. Souvel,
when he met an English doctor, who changed themedicines,
and advised him to take some nitre; the deceased said be took
in a mistake some vitrol, from the effects of which he vomited
:and threw up some blood; he did not
.say any body gave
hint the vitro' ; lw got better while in town, and on Thursday
last, after Dr. Alterman had attended him; he broke a blood-
vessel, and died shortly after. Witness sent for all the,me-
dical gentlemen who,had attended him, and beggetlfthey: would
open the body to satisfy, her of what he had died; Ihey opened
him accordingly in her presence, when the doctor it said he died
ini consequence of niortificatitin, inflammation,. and bursting of
a blood-vessel. . •
Mr. Anthony Wilkinson Aston, of No. 40, Upper Mary-
lebane-street,' surgeon, attended the deceased fbr the last,week,
anduatil his death. On, firsteceing Idnil, be had kviolent;sick-
ness of the stomach; deceaped_ haying previously ,been atteptied
by Dr. Nuttall, he gave him nothing then, but recommended
hun to continue Dr. Nuttall's medicine. The deceased said he
bad taken white vitriol, and afterwaTds spirits or vitriol, and if
so, no doubt considerablepain was going forward in thelhOWeli.
Witness suppoiee `he must have taken something to'ritoduce
the inflammation, as on opening the bodt the stomach .was
found in a state of, inflammation, and the bowels a stLq of
mortification ; thehemorrhage was oceaSioned, by a bloodrvessel
breakin, which was the immediate 'cause of his death:
Jury,
The Upon this, took. a view of the body. On their
return, the Coroner observed, the,deceased had died from an
inflammation of the hoWeht, but hew, brought on the 4octor,
could not Say,
The Jury instantly returned their verdict—+" That he died
from an inflammation of the bowels." The deceased was a
fine young man, and a Lieutenant in the goy.