The Sun.
London, England, 1827-12-17 00:00:00

SUICIDE BY TWO SISTERS•

On Saturday afternoon an inquest was held at the
Duchess of Oldenburg Tavern, Goswell-street-road,
on the bodies of Agnes and Sophia Anderson, one
35, and the other 30 years of age, sisters, who de-
stroyed themselves by poison.
Mr. Henry Whitmore, 11, Great Bath-street,
Coldbath-square, surgeon, said, on Thursday even-
ing last the beadle called, and directed me to go
to the house in Wynyatt-street where the bodies
were lying, and ascertain the cause of their dissolu-
tion ; I found that Sophia, the youngest had been
dead four or five days, and the body was in a state
of decomposition ; the eldest appeared not to have
been dead more than 24 hours. Upon examining
the stomach of Sophia, I found it in such a state of
decomposition that it was impossible to say with
certainty what had been the cause of her death; I
believe, however, that her death had been caused by
tincture of laudanum. On removing the stomach of
the elder female, I found that it contained a portion
of oxalic acid, but taken in such a diluted state that
it had not produced very violent effects upon the
stomach ; there was no destruction of the coats of
the stomach, and but slight inflammation ; it ap-
peared to me that she had been in the habit of taking
the oxalic acid in small quantities.' but had at last
taken a more powerful dose, which destroyed life.
Richard Hamilton Anderson, of Hoxton, brother
to the deceased females, was formerly a druggist,
and is now not in business. On Friday se'nnight I
visited them at their lodgings, in Wynyatt-street ;
my eldest sister said she had made application to
Mr. Radnor, surgeon, of Surrey-street, respecting
a 501. bill which she had accepted, and which would
become due on the following day; finding she had
not the money to meet this bill, she made a propo-
sal to Mr. Radnor to endorse a bill for 100/. and
which was to be made payable by another brother
in India, and would have been cashed by the house
of Mackintosh and Co.; Mr. Radnor, however,
sent her a letter, declining this arrangement, and
way aloe
when I called upon her on Friday, she put that
letter into my hand, and asked my advice in what
slie was to
mel tthoenmr4etucorimtym;enthdeedherto
wait untilthe
witness
explained that the 50/. became due in the following
manner :—A sum of 250/. had been transmitted by
their brother from India, for the purpose of appren-
, tieing a nephew to Mr. Radnor. The 2501. was to
have been paid as a premium, but as they had to
pay various
fees to the College of Surgeons, and
other expences, only 2001. was paid to Mr. Radnor,
and they gave their bill for 50/. payable at two
years. They had been unable to meet it when due,
and thought that Mr. Radnor would have given
time for the payment; but having discovered that
the bill had been negotiated, and Mr. Radnor
having threatened them with legal proceedings if the
bill was not paid, they were terrified at the pro-
spect of a prison, which would have been their fate
if Mr. Radnor's threat had been carried into execu-
tion. They had lived together, said the witness)
since they were children, and the fear of being se-
parated was, I believe, the cause of their termina-
ting their existence by poison.
A verdict of insanity was therefore recorded. j