The Sun.
London, England, 1832-05-04 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquisition was yesterday evening taken at
the Swan-with-two-Necks, Lad-lane, before Mr.
PAYNE, the City Coroner, and a highly respectable
Jury, on view of the body of Mr. Frederick Murray
Hourgan, aged 26, the publisher of The Sun News-
paper, who terminated his existence at the above
Inn, by cutthig his throat with a razor in a most
horrid manner. Mary Kitt, chambermaid at the
Inn, &posed, that the unfortunate young man came
there about six o'clock on the previous morning,
saying that he had just arrived by the mail from
Brighton, and that he was desirous of retiring. to
rest. He accordingly went to bed, and about four
o'clock in the afternoon he rang the bell, and upon
witness going into the room, he told her that he felt
poorly, and wanted a basin of tea, which she
brought him. Lie drank the tea, and subsequently
two basins full more, and became very sick, com-
plaining of a violent pain in his forehead. She went
to him for the last rime that night, about nine o'clock,
and he then told her that he felt considerably better,
and wanted nothing else. On the following morning
(Thursday) she went to call him. She knocked
at the door, but receiving no answer, she looked
through a window into the room, and beheld a
spectacle truly appalling. The deceased was re-
clining his head over a washhand basin, which stood
on a table, with a dreadful gash in his throat, and
his face so dyed in blood, that not a feature was
distinguishable. She instantly gave an alarm, and,
the porters coming to her assistance, the door was
forced open; they then entered, and on examining
the deceased, found life perfectly extinct. A bloody
razor was firmly grasped in his right hand, which
inclined towards his throat. His head was nearly
severed from his body, so that he must have died
instantly.—Mrs. Mary Macoy, of 26, Commercial- .
road, stated, that the deceased, who lodged at her
house, came home rather inebriated on Sunday
night. He retired to bed about eleven o'clock, and
complained that lie felt poorly. He got up, and went
out as usual, on the following morning, and she saw
nti more of him.—M-. Murdo Young, editor of The
Sun newspaper, deposed that the deceased had been
the publisher of that journal for the last six
years, and generally conducted himself with pro-.
priety, so much so, that unlimited confidence
was placed in him. The last time witness
saw him was on Saturday night after the pub-
lishing of the Paper, and he did not then observe
any thing particular about him, but he believed he
had been under medical treatment for some time. As
he did not make his appearance at the office at the
usual hour on Monday, inquiry was made after him
at all the police-offices, as it was imagined that
something fatal had happened, but all to no pur-
pose. On that morning a letter was brought to the
office, which had been received from the deceased by
his cousin; it was dated from Brighton, and he
complained in it that he was sorely distressed in his
tnind, but witness is not aware of the cause of his
uneasiness. Juror—Was he in embarrassed circum-
stances? Witness—Not that I know of. Juror—

Had he over-drawn his account ? Witness—Yes,
a Itt ht :t not to any great eltent.
you intimated that you meant to discharge him ?
The witness having answered in the negative, a
person from the Blossoms-inn proved that the de-
ceased arrived there on Wednesday morning by the
Brighton mail, and that having no money, he had
deposited his watch with the book-keeper as secu-
rity for his fate, which amounted to 12s. Verdict—
Temperary insanity.