The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-02 00:00:00

SUICIDE BY A_ MARINE ON BOARD

H.M.S. DONEG.dL.

Lt.; ~dpiat.ALa Uudy u:
a private of the Royal Marines, was held on Wednesday
afternoon, the 23d inst., at the Naval Hospital Inn, Fore-
street, Stonehouso, before Allan B. Bone, Esq., jun.,
deputy county coroner.

William Kerr said—l am a member of the Royal Col-
lege of Surgeons at Edinburgh, and Doctor of Medicine. I
am surgeon of H.M.S. Donegal. I knew the deceased per-
fectly well. I find that on the sth of October thit
was discharged front the sick list, cured. -11,-; came h on
the 21st September for a slight wound between the fore
finger and thumb of the right hand. From September 9th
to the 12th he was under treatment for palpitation of the
heart. He was on the sick list from the 4th of August to
the Bth of August last, suffering from the effects of drink-
ing to excess. He was brought on board in a half insen-
sible state. The usual symptom of suffering from drunken-
ness, we find is want of sleep. Ile, however, did sleep, and
slept without taking any medicine, which we generally
give them to make them sleep. Sometimes the men do not
recover from the effects of drunkenness in less than a week
or a fortnight. The deceased recovered in four days. He
exhibited no extraordinary symptoms, unless a tendency to
sleep, which I think an extraordinary circumstance. I had
difficulty to make him take the medicine prescribed for
him, in consequence of his tendency to sleep. He was on
the sick list in October, 1860, for two days, for a common
cold, and in July, 1861, four days for sore throat, In the
ordinary course of duty I should see the deceased twice a
day, and as a rule, I have no doubt that either myself or
one of the assistant-surgeons saw him twice a day, from
Sept. 21st to Oct. sth. I saw no indication of insanity. He
took very little medicine, if any. He seemed cheerful and
did not complain of anything. I observed nothing remark-
able about him. I have never observed any symptoms of
aberration of intellect, and I have had frequent occasions of
seeing the deceased. He was a man of average strength.
By the Jury—Thesleepwas such as a man suffering from
drink would have. He exhibited no nervous symptoms.
By the Coroner—There was nothing about the head or
face that would indicate insanity.
William Thompson said—l am a master's assistant on
board the Donegal. About a month ago I had the middle
watch. Corporal Bargery brought the deceased to me,
saying that he would not turn in. I asked him the reason,
he said because he was going to have three dozen in the
morning. I believe the corporal asked him for why, and
he said it was no business of the corporal. He did not ex-
hibit any signs whatever of drunkenness. He spoke
foolishly to me. I think he was insane at the time he said
that.

Corporal Bargery said the deceased had frequently had
his meals put by for him, and he did not care to come down
for his meals.
Henry Mitchell, a private in the same corps, said he did
not notice anything of the kind.
The Deputy Coroner here had a letter handed to him
by P.C. Phillips, who had found it on the body of the de-
ceased. He could only decipher the following sentences :
Dear Mother,—l have received your letter. lam to
near that you aro . . . with the . . . some money
for the present. You will not be able . . I am very
ill . . . and Jack have had to pay my clock.
On the back of this letter, was one written to him by his
sister, as follows :—Dear Brother,—Your father is still
living with me, and is likely to do so for some time. I should
be glad to see you . . . drinking . I am glad.
to hear that you have heard from . . . and hope you
will . . . again . . . not at present. Hoping I
shall have the pleasure of hearing from you and writing to
you again, I remain your affectionate sister, JANE JARMAN.
—This was written in October, 1861.

Samuel Morrell, a private of the Marines, said—The de-
ceased was my brother. I saw him alive last, before the
Adelaide went to Ireland. I have a sister called Jarman ;
she lives at Tiverton. The deeeased was 22 years of age.
When 1 saw him he was in the sick bay. He was quite
out of his mind when I saw him, and he did not know me.
He said something to me, but there was no sense in what he
said. It was the Sunday after he had been ashore drink-
ing. I saw him again on the following Thursday, and
he said, " Sam, they tell me you were off to see me on Sun-
day." I said, "Yes, I was." He said, " Well, I did not
know anything about it." He was then a little better.
When he spoke to me on Sunday, he spoke about a drum-
mer who was going to he flogged. I made inquiries, and
found that no drummer was going to be flogged.
By the Jury—He was not well when I saw him on Thurs-
day.
A Juryman—From what I hear, I think these men are
dismissed too soon.

The Deputy Coroner—The doctor is here, and he would
be the best judge of the man's health.
The Juryman—l have heard some very curious things
lately. I don't think they value a man's life much.
Corporal Bargery said—l believe the man was out of his
mind. Less than three months ago, after we left Plymouth
for Ireland—but I cannot tell how long, or where we were
—on one occasion between 12 and 1 in the day, I saw the
deceased sitting on the spars on the upper 'deck. He had
his head on his Bands, and his elbows on his knees. His
eyes were watery, and ho looked as if he had been crying.
I ordered him down below to get his dinner. Ile said "all

right," and did not go down, but put himself in the same
position as before. He appeared to be in deep meditation.
The Jury, after a lengthy deliberation, returned a verdict
of " temporary insanity."

COUNTRY MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL—Nov. 2.

There was a fair attendance of millers and dealers at
this morning's market. We had a tolerably good business
doing in wheat, fine qualities bringing the currencies of
last Tuesday, while medium kinds were rather dearer.
Flour must be quoted rather better. Oats and oatmeal
difficult to quit. Beans and peas at last week's rates. In
Indian corn a good demand.