The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-17 00:00:00

SUICIDE OF A STOCKBROKER.

An inquest has been held on the body of Mr. Alfred
Arrivabene, a City stockbroker, who committed suicide in
Quarry Wood, near Great Marlow, by shooting himself
with a six-chamber revolver. The inquiry took place at
the Bull Inn, Bisham, before the deputy-coroner, Mr. W.
Weedon. Ernest Lelile, of 35,
York-street, Portman.
square, London, said the deceased lived at the same house
with him. He had known him for about six years. Wit-
ness went to school with him in Paris. Mr. Arrivabene
was a stockbroker, and had offices in Copthall-court. He
thought he was doing very well, and did not know to the
contrary until after he left London. Witness received a
letter on Monday morning stating that the deceased was
in debt, and was a ruined man from speculation, and
that he could not bear up against it. He asked pardon
in his letter for the sorrow and grief he caused to his
parents. He said, "It is useless to tell you why I kill
myself. My conduct has been unworthy, infamous ; it
kills me." His last wish was how to dispose of some
trifles. The letter was very long, written in French. He
had written to his principal creditor, Mr. Bierdeman, who
sent a telegram advising him to do nothing desperate, as
all might be arranged. In answer to Mr. Powell, the fore-
man of the jury, witness said he knew nothing of deceased's
circumstances before, and did not know that lie was in
difficulties. He left his lodgings about three o'clock on the
Saturday. The servant sat up late for him, but he did
not return. He complained of headache on the evening
previous, and went to bed soon after six o'clock. He ap-
peared very dull. Henry Hessey, of Cookham Dean, grocer,
;said on Monday be was going down to Marlow Point fishing,
expecting to meet some friends, when at the top of the
wood he heard the report of firearms. When he got to the
bottom of the wood he saw the deceased lying on his back,
and the six-chamber revolver produced on his chest, the
case being between his legs, He was quite dead, but
warm. One chamber of the revolver was discharged, the
other five were loaded. The revolver and box were quite
new, made by G. IL Paw, of 57, Threadneedle-street.
There was a letter in his possession, which stated his
intention to commit suicide, and asking that a tomb
might be provided, where anybody who pitied him
might go and pray for him. G. Sargent, one of the
waiters at the Orkney Arms Hotel, Maidenhead-bridge,
stated that the deceased slept at the hotel on Saturday
night, the Bth inst. He had a small parcel wrapped up in
paper, similar in size to the pistol-box. Deceased had
eight sheets of paper, and wrote several letters before he
left on the Sunday morning. The deceased was last seen
at Cookham on Sunday, the 9th inst., when he left a letter
to be posted to the first witness, and which was produced.
The verdict of the jury was " Suicide by a pistol-shot from
his own hand during a fit of temporary insanity."

DARING ESCAPE FROM A POLICE STATION.—A
Prisoner named Bailey, who was in custody in the county
police-station, Guildford, on a most serious charge, and who
was to be brought before the magistrates, has managed to
escape from custody. It appears that the prisoner, a man
of good manners and address, asked permission of S aperin-
tendent Purr to write a letter, and although it was ten
o'clock at night, that official allowed his prisoner to quit
the cell, and to go into the guard-room, where paper was
provided for him. A constable was left in charge, with
instructions, when the prisoner had finished his writing,
to take him back to his cell. The officer with inexcusable
indiscretion, observing the man busily engaged in writing,
took the opportunity of quitting the room fora few minutes.
As soon as he was gone, the prisoner quietly unlocked the
door, went down the passage by the superintendent's
apartments, unfastened the entrance door, and so gained
the yard. Arrived here, the outer wall was at once scaled,
and the prisoner was free.