Melancholy Suicide.
The Times, 1824-10-15T00:00:00

'An inq as held last evonig, in the board roonm of the work. Jise belonging to tbe UJpper Liberty of S. Andrew's, llolborn, bv btIROMAS STlRLtnG, Esq., CoroneT for Middlesex, on view of the lniy ot Elizabetb Sylvester, wlioput an end to her existence by poison under the following distrcssing circumstances Sarah Sutton, sitter to the deceased, stated, that on Tuesday last shc hael a conversatioti with her sister Elizabeth, who at that time appeared to be much depremsed in spirits, in consequence of her situ- ation. About four months since she had tnarried a sailor, who was aie-frwatrds obliged to go abroad, and though he made her a mnonthly allowance, yet it was not by any means adequtate to her srmptport. Stc tried to get inio place as a servant, but found nothing but dis- appointmrtent wherever she applied. This weighed heavily on her spirint; and, to coniplete the sum of her ntisfortunes,she found her- self pregnatt. The knowledge of this latter circumestance had a very powerful effect; and, she, within the last fortnight, endeavoured to shun the society of her family; and the witness, fearing that she had fallen into bad company,spoke to her on the subject on the morn- leg of the day on which the rash act was comItitted, but there was notbing angry in the interview. On this occasion deceased seemed to be in the deepest state of mnental affliction. Margaret Jones, another sister, deposed that deceased came to hty houne in Tastlstreet, about one o'clock on Tuesdav; the re- tmembered seeing her drink soinetlting out of' a cap, wvhich left a whiti.h mark on the lips. In two hl&rrs after, deceased told witness, that she had bought an ounce of arsenic at Mr. Consists's shop, in iray's-inn-lane, ansi that she had swallowed it. *Yitness went to Ir. Cousins, ant asked him iti he had sold poison to any girl on that tlay? Hereplied that he had,an ounce ofarsrenie .-"Thesi," said itneas, *'she has drunk it- for '.od's sake, Sir, try amd do something far her." llr. Cousins replied, it was imposmible, if she had owal. lowed all. Witness went away, antd M1r. Cousins (the elder) tbol lowed her to the house. but dil nothing to relieve deceased, who waas tihe very bad, merely recommending tltem to scnd for the parish surpeon, ant then went away. Wl'itness rau to the work-housec, an;d sake? for awsistance, which was imtnedtately granted, but deceased expired the samc evening. Dr. Fernandcz, thc house.surgeon, stated, that being absent when the last witness called, two of his pupils, both very competent, had Vilsitefl the deceased, and a4ministered the utstal antidotes, which dislodged the drug, but from its extremely deleterious property, the coats of the stomtach had been previously destroyed. The matter discharged by thec cmetic he had analysetd, and it proved te be arsenic 15 great qii,antity. Messrs. Jamnes and Thomas Sympson (Dr. Fcrnandez's pupils) beposed to the sante effect. rhomas Jones, father to the deceased, described her to have been l4 uring under extraordinary depression of spirits for sOme time . mous: her husband had left her in a week or a forttight aiter srir marriage. The Jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict, titat The deceased came by lier death in consequtnce of having Irillowed poison, whilst in a state of temporary derarigoment of lstsllect.' One of theJury caused Mtir. Covisins'a son to be sent for. and spoke very warmly to him on the impropriety ot' sclling so well-known a oisoii tn a Youzg femoale. lMr. CourJino remarkMd, that he refused to serve her at first, but 8he "ld him It was for her brother, who was an hostler in (Iray's.inn. h1neand that he wanted it to destroy rats; he then gave it, ntarking poison" on the paper. Sorme othersof the Jury said, there was greater culpability attach- log to Dr. Cousins Itimself, at whose shop the poison had been sohl, i5neglecting to apply an aritidote without referring the relatives to the gajh absrgeon. ,MIELANCHOLY SUICIDE.