The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-05-03 00:00:00

SUICIDE IN LIVERPOOL.

On Tuesday morning an inquest was held before P. F.
Curry, Esq. coroner, touching the death of a man named
Thomas Shore, who was said to have committed suicide.
The first witness called was _ _ _

Marianne Cole, who deposed.—l am the wife of Joseph
Cole, who is at sea. The deceased, whose name was Thos.
Shore, and who got his living by selling birds, lived in a
cellar in Dale-street. For some months past I have lived
with him. He was a great friend of mine, and he allowed
me to live with him and to have my meat, for attending to
his cellar and birds when he was out. The cellar was a dou-
ble one. Between one and two o'clock on Monday last, I
was in the front cellar, and the deceased was in the back one,
when I heard a noise as if he was sick, and 1 ran directly to
him. The cellar was dark, and on putting my hand against
the wall, I felt that it was wet. On coming to the light, I
saw it was blood that was on my hand. I went up stairs to
Mrs. Spencer, who resides over head, and told her I was
afraid that the deceased had cut his throat. She went down
with a candle, and I followed immediately after. There was
then a man in the cellar, who said that Shore had cut his
throat. A doctor was called to the deceased, but he only
lived about three quarters of an hour. For the last fort-
night, Shore used to say. that he had something heavy on his
mind through his family. He was a married man, but had
been separated from his wife for many years. The night
before last, the deceased was rambling all night. I had not
any words with him. He got up on Monday morning early,
and went out. When he came back he ate his breakfast
heartily. He was tipsy then, and he turned his eyes badly.
After he had eaten his breakfast he went out for a bit, and
then he returned and went into the back cellar.
Martha Spencer examined.—l live in Dale-street. The
deceased lived in the cellar under our house. About ten
minutes past two on Sunday afternoon the last witness came
into our house and said, " For God's sake, Mrs. Spencer,
Come in, for Shore has cut his throat." I went down imme-
diately, and she followed at my heels. I went into the back
cellar, and found the deceased sitting up in bed, and holding
out his right hand. I went to light the candle which I took
with me, and on my return he had fallen on his left side. I
saw a razor lying on his body. I went for a surgeon. I saw
deceased on Monday morning. He then seemed collected,
but low in spirits. He had lived in the cellar about four
years, and during that time I never saw anything that led me
to think him out of his mind. _ _

....
James Cook.—On being informed that Shore had cut his
throat, I went into the cellar, and found both the last wit-
nesses there. I saw the razor lying on the deceased. There
was a wound in his throat, and the bed was covered with
blood. Mr. Ainsworth, the constable, and the assistant of
Mr. Cripps, surgeon, came in when I was there, and the
wound was tied up. I remained until the deceased died. He
only lived about twenty minutes after my entering the cellar.
Thomas Ainsworth, constable, gave evidence similar to that
of the preceding witness. He also stated that when the wound
was sewn up the deceased tried to tear it open again.
Mr. F. J. Lilly, assistant to Mr. Cripps, surgeon, found
the throat of the deceased cut from side to side ; the carotid
artery and the jugular vein divided, and the windpipe also se-
verely cut. Nothing could have been done to save his life.
Mr. William Wright, surgeon,--I had known the deceased
for a couple of years, and had occasionally attended him pro-
fessionally during that time. I saw him last week, and he
complained of the hardness of the times. He has often told
me that he had nothing to live for ; that his children had
married and deserted him. He had scarcely the means of
living, and during the last winter I had to supply him with
both food and clothing.
John Jones, surgeon.—l was the first person called in to
see the deceased. His throat was cut nearly from ear to ear.
He had cut through the windpipe and oesophagus. Those in-
juries were the cause of death.
_ _

The verdict of the jury was, that the deceased destroyed
himself during a fit of temporary insanity.