The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-01 00:00:00

SUICIDE OF A NOBLEMAN'S BULL ER

THROUGH BETTIS s.

Yesterday evening an inquest was held in the
Board-room of St. George's Workhouse, Mount-
street, Grosvenor•square, ou the body of James
Mason, in the service of Lord Ashburton, Bath-
house, Piccadilly, who committed suicide by hanging
himself on the night of Friday or morning of Satur-
day last:

The jury having been sworn,
Charles Mason, Newbury, Berks, brother to the
deceased, said his brother lived with Lord Ash-
burton, at Bath-house, Piccadilly, as butler, and
had done so for twenty-five years, his age being
forty-five, and he being a single man. He had had
very little communication with him of late.
Robert Holland, a carpenter, said he was at
work in the house on Saturda: . Finding be could
not open the door he went fora locksmith, but as he
could not open the door he got a ladder, and saw
the deceased on the bed hanging by his neck. By
this time the police had arrived. The deceased was
in a kneeling posture and quite cold, being sus-
pended by his cravat.

Sergeant Dodsworth, 34 C, said he went to the
house on Sunday afternoon and searched the de-
ceased's room, and found memoranda relating to
some horse racing, and in a dressing-table drawer
found a letter, which was as follows :—" Please pay
Mr. Russell the sum of £3 103. for the King of
Hearts," addressed to Mr. Ambrose, and signed
" J.M." He also found some sporting memoranda,
one saying " Losses, £9." A letter was also read
stating that there were changes in the house, and
that he expected he should have to turn out at last.
The room was not disturbed in its appearance.
The witness Nobbs said he knew nothing about
deceased leaving.

Mr. James Rouse, of 56, Maddox-street, surgeon,
said he was surgeon to Lord Ashburton, and on
being sent for to Bath-house a little before four
o'clock on Saturday afternoon, and on going up to
Mr. Mason's room he found him kneeling on the
bed, with his forehead against the wail. A silk
handkerchief was round the deceased's neck. Rigor
mortes had taken place. The mark of the ligature
extended from jaw bone to jaw bone. From the
position in which he found the deceased rapid in-
sensibility must have taken place. He believed
that the deceased had received intimation that he
would have to go in consequence of some irregu-
larity. He knew of nothing to cause the deceased
to commit the act, but thought he had been less
steady of late.

By the Coroner—l found in his room sporting
memoranda, and had heard a year ago that he was
in the habit of betting, but never heard that he took
much. I saw him the previous Monday, but did
not notice anything particular. Had since noticed
a mark of a bruise on the nose and eye of some
standing.

A Juror—Was his lordship aware he gambled ?
Mr. Rouse said he should think not, and it was,
because of his becoming unsteady he was to leave.
The house steward said deceased was a very re-
served man, and he was not aware he betted.

Mr. John Ambrose, the Georges, Shepherd's Mar-
ket, said he first met the deceased last autumn_
Deceased had frequented his house for the last three
months, and he believed he had betting transactions,
as he asked him to pay people for him, but he
thought to no amount. He was a man of very
excitable habits, running from house to house. As
soon as he heard that he committed suicide he
thought it a thing he was likely to do. He had
not seen the deceased at his house for a week,
but heard he had received a blow. The money
was to come from Mr. Russell, a betting man up
in the park where they assemble. Heard the de-
ceased had received a blow in a quarrel. Mr.
Russell was not a frequenter of his house.

In answer to the Coroner, it was stated that the
deceased was to leave, being under notice, hut
he had an annuity of £2O a year, which he would
not have forfeited.

The Coroner having summed up at some length.
stating that he thought there was little doubt the
deceased died by his own hand, and that he was
in the habit of betting, and a man of excitable

min d,

After a few minutes' consultation, the jury I.e-
-turned the verdict that deceased destroyed himself
while labouring under temporary insanity.

MASSES FOR THE DEAD.

The Sleek has the following curious calculation
on the subject of a proposal to say masses for the
Souls of the dead iu return for subscriptions in
money towards building a church :
" Economical doctrines teach us that merchan
dise of all kinds declines in price when it is more
offered than demanded. It appears that the
trade in masses is in that position, for we have
received a pious prospectus which offers sixty
masses for five sous! That price does not appear
to us too high. These five sous are destined for
the completion and furnishing of a church in the
department of the Mayenne, and it is the Bishop
of Laval who is to superintend the employment
of the money. Supposing that it only requires
50,000 fr. to complete the church, the prospectus
engages to there celebrate, within the space of
five years, as many times 60 masses as there are
25 centimes in 50,000 fr., which makes 200,000
times 60, or 12,000,000 masses. Now, as there
are in five years 1,825 days, it will be.necein necessary,
masses ryir,
in order to perform the promisea
contained
prospectus, that 7,000
50,000fr.,they should be
only
five years.
Supposing
n g
that,
25,000 fr. are wanted, that would require 3,500
masses a day; reduce that by another halg, there
tha tchurch
instead during
of a d
must be 1,750 ; and by another half, 875. Ad-
mitting that a mass be said in a quarter of an
hour, it would require, from five o'clock in the
morning to noon each day, 32 altars and 32 priests
to be constantly employed. But if the church
should cost more than 6,260 fr., as is probable, and
should really require 50,000 fr., it would require
256 altars and 256 priests constantly saying 28
masses for five years from five o'clock in the morn-
ing to noon. Cannot the heads of the clergy, and.
the Bishop of Laval in particular, understand that,
in lending themselves to such speculation in masses,
they degrade themselves and bring religion into
disrepute ? That is their affair : but what regards
us is to enlighten the public, and particularly our
female readers, on the subject of those—mystifica-
lions."

GREAT WESTERN FBTE.—The annual fete in aid
of the Great Western Railway Widow and Orphan Fund
took place yesterday at the beautiful seat of Viscount Bar-
rington,BeckettPark, Scrivenham, Berke, and was attended
by a company as large, if not more numerous, than on pre-
vious cccasions. His lordship's residence is built in the
Elizabethan style, and is mostdelightfullysituated
near the
pretty village of Scrivenham. The range of the hills that
•
shelter the celebrated V hite Horse Vale are visible on the
southern side, and the place is admirably suited in every
respect for such a gathering. As in former years, the
directors liberally granted the mu) of special trains, which
conveyed thousands of visitors from Paddington, Glouces-
ter, Reading, and other stations on the line. The amuse-
ments provided comprised the vocalcomicalities of Mr.
Stead, the " perfect cure,"
.Sam Collinsand his pupil, the
wonderful feats of the Chinese Juggler, Ayr I/ e ;
e the
acrobats, Elliott and his boys; dancing to xi- 4.u1,u
—ew's excel-
lent band, archery, .sto. The bands of the Paddington
Rides and the sth Bucks Volunteers Were also present.
-
Spacious marquees for refreshraentR1 &e., were erected on
the ground. The whole arrangements were well carried out
by
TMar
s. Baker,BUILDERS' of Paddington,
STRlKE,—Yesterday and t
afternoon
the committee generally.
wSihricGh.
was Lewis
inrtereoediuveeed datdyeplr
uitat.ioAnyfrrtiJomn,thme.buildingp.
The rightrtrade,
,hon. baronet said he had listened with much pleasure
t
to the various statements placed before him by the diffe-
rent speakers. He o'ould assure the deputation. that in
placing the sappers a t the service of the contractor for the
barracks there had ',lot been the slightest intention on the
part of the Government to interfere on either side in the
dispute now unfortunately existing between the men and
the masters ; their only object had been to expedite the
work. If., however, the Government had thus uninten-
-1 tially vi,,Aated that desirable neutrality, he much regretted
I it. lie was equally desirous now, as in 1859, to avoid in-
ter2,r„ce. Ile could not deny, after what he, had heard
from the deputation, that there were many points in the
question well worthy the consideration of the Go iernment ;
' l , / lie thought it a question fairly open for discut3sion ; he
thought they had made out a good case for inqi airy; and
i without pledging himself or the Government to amy parti.
i cular course, diligent inquiry should be made on the sub.
, feet, and the various points urged should receive his moat
r serious consideration. He regretted his necessary presence
in the house prevented him entering now more ful, I into the
, question. The deputation theuretired.