The Sun.
London, England, 1829-11-11 00:00:00

SUICIDE.

Yesterday an inquest was held at the Horse and
Groom Tavern, John-street, Edgware-road, before
Mr. STIRLING, coroner, touching the death of Capt.
George Newman, aged 56, who destroyed himself
under the following circumstances :
Benjamin Hall deposed, that he resided in the de-
ceased's house, No. 12, Homer-street, New-road,
and occasionally attended on him; he was a single
gentleman, and had been in a very low desponding
way for several months past. On Sunday morning
witness was passing the bed-room door of the de-
ceased, when he observed a quantity of blood flowing
underneath; witness called to the deceased, but re-
ceiving no answer, he burst open the door, when he
found the deceased stretched on his back on the
floor, near the bed, and apparently quite dead. His
head was nearly severed from his body, and a razor,
with which it was evident the deceased had de-
stroyed himself, lay near him, covered with blood.
Although witness knew that a medical man could be
of no service, yet he thought it his duty to get one,
and in less than ten minutes he got Mr. Hamilton,
of the Edgware-road, who pronounced the deceased
to be quite dead.

Mr. Edward Hamilton, surgeon, of No. 50, Edg-
ware-road, deposed, that on the preceding witness
coming for him, he went to the deceased's residence,
and found him in the situation already described.—
Life was quite extinct, and it must have become so
immediately on the infliction of the wound in the
throat, which had severed the windpipe and all the
principal arteries. Witness had not attended the
deceased in his lifetime, and could not speak to the
state of his mind.

'm. Gregory, Esq , of 53, Bell-street, Edg-
ware-road, stated, that he had known the deceased
for many years ; the deceased was a captain in the
army, and had been abroad during the greater part of
h s life ; on his return to England, five or six years
ago, he found that all his relations had died. Within
the last three er four years, witness had been in the
habit of spending his evenings with the deceased ;
about a year ago, the deceased became security to a
considerable amount for a person who absconded,
and the deceased had to pay the amount, which
seemed to affect his mind severely. Within the last
few months the deceased had shown decided symp-
toms of derangement. Witness saw him about a
/reek previous to his death, when he talked very in-
coherently, and intimated that he wished for death.
Elizzdaeth Whitfield deposed, that she lived as
servant with the deceased .gentleman upwards of a
twelvemonth. He had for some time been affected in
his mind, and upon two occasions had endeavoured
to destroy him►elf, once by hanging, and attempting
to cut his throat, but his purpose was each time frus-
trated. She was so alarmed at these attempts to
destroy life, that she quitted his service in conse-
quence. She did not know what was the cause of
his derangement.
In answer to a question by the Jury, it was stated
that the deceased was in good circumstances; his
half-pay was Bs. or 9s. per day, and he had other
property.
The Jury returned a verdict, " That the deceased
had cut his throat while labouring under temporary
mental derangement."

No less than 250 articled clerks have applied
to be Admitted as attorneys in the Courts of King's Bench
and Common Pleas next Hilary Term.

On Monday afternoon, while the ten bells in
the tower of St. Sepulchre's Church, Snow-hill, were
ringing a merry peal, as the Lord Mayot's procession was
passing, the tenor or great bell, weighing 3,3001135., fell
out of its hangings with a most tremendous crash into the
pit beneath, to the peat alarm ( f the ringers, who were
three floors under. The accident was caused by the gud-
geons by which the bell was suspended giving way, owing
to their having been worn by constant ft iction for nearly
two centuries. The most singular part of the accident is,
that the crown and upper part of the bell ate completely
severed from the remaining part as if cut with a knife, not-
withstanding its great thickness. No blame whatever at-
taches to the ringers, who wi re ringing the telehreed
" Whittington Change," in honour of the LORD MA-voa.
The hell would have inevitably fallen through the floors
into the rope-room, and caused the destruction of tha
ringers, but for the strong oaken timbers under it.
INSANITY TREATED LIKE CRIMINALITY.
—ln a letter to Mr. CLAIM, dated April 27, 1726, Ilictor
DODDRIDGE writes—" About tell days ago four malefac-
tors were hanged at Leicester, which I mention because
they are the first that have been executed in this country
since I came into it, which is now almost seven years.
One was a gentlewoman, who died fur the murder of a
niece cf four years old. She was exceedingly fond of it,
and by her will had settled all that sbe had upon it. As
it lay asleep in her arms one morning, a sudden fancy
darted into her mind to cut off its head ; which she imme-
diately did, and afterwards fell into the utmost agony, and
ran biota!), into the street, proclaiming what she had
done."—Diary and rrespondence if Doctor Ded-
dridge.