Attempt At Suicide.
The Times, 1824-09-08T00:00:00

On Sunday last, a voung gentleman, who occupied apartmellts at the house ofiUr. T. 3Brereton, in the Edgewarc-road, attempted to put a period to hlis existence, under the followinig distressinyr circum- stances :_ The youth ic, it seems, a native of the North of li,eland, wliere his connexions are highly respectable. Being designed for the legal profession, he was entered of the Aliddle Temple about two years ago, but unfortunately black letter was less attractive than belles- lettres, anci its concomitant fascinations. Possessed of an ardent imagination with a generosity of teimper verging towards follv, he eagerly plunged ilto the enjoyment oF almost every species of' dissi. pation. In a short time the young gentleman found himself incum- bered with sucil a weight of debt, that lie could see no p.ospect of cscaping a prison, but as his prospects darkened he plunged still deeper into the vortex of dissipation. For somne time the stroke of' fate was withhtld by the exercise of the numberless stratagemtss whicil su4ggest themselves to a needy mian beset by craving dans ; but it fell at last in the shape of rn execu- ton for a very considerable sum of' money, for the payment of which there was no provisisn. The consequence was a coorsnon oie-rtie tnhappy young nman) being thrown into the Fleet; but the subsequent events produiced by that circum- stance are happily not so familiar. WVhile in coinfinemnent, lie gave way to the most pitiable despondency, which so sens; . bly aftected his intellectual powers, that the doctors declared, un- less some very speedyv means were :udopted to effect his liberation froIIu prison, a total derangement of the mental powers must inhal- libly rake place. In this painful (tilemotla A friend came forward, who generously settied the demand, and the unconscious invalid was transferred to his presentapartments bit tunfortunately the inter- position came too I tc-extremei irritation of mind produicedt a highl fever, during which the already-tottering seat of' reason received a complete overt irotv. In this state he lingeredl for nearly a mlonth. atill soothed by the unabated efferts of tiuC friendlship, together with the best medical aid. As the disorder was apparenttly con- quered, SORlCe aint hopes were ent-ertained of a general amendment of' mental as well as botlily health, by change of scene, &c. I but these tond anticipations have been sadly bliglhtet. On Sun(lay mtorning, after having dlrank some soda-water, he complained of drowsiness, anti begged the nurse (wtith titat craft peculiar to insat nity) to quit the room for an hour or two,whell the doctor was expected. The woman made no hesitationl in coinplying,as she believed he really did need repose, having slept little the previous night. The physician generally m-ade his visit at one o'clock, but, on this occasion, it so happened that he was compelled byoth er elaims to call an liourearlier. Tite street-door was opened by a servant, and thc doctor walked di- rectly tot lhesick room,wh ch ie foun(d fast. rite nurse appeared, and stated therequest of the inyalitl but was equallvsurprised and terrified on finding the door locked within. The truth'flashetl on the mintlds of both at once ; the door was forced open, and a drcadful spectacle presented itself to their view; the unfortuniate voung man teas stretched on the floor, close to the bed-side, literaliv steeped in his own blood, which tlowe(l rapidly frotn a deen wollnd in lhe neck. Life was tast verging to a close; but as the piulse still feebly throb- bed, prompt means were adopted to stop the hemorrhage, which was with difficulty eff'ected, as some, of tihe principal blood-vessels were cut through. However, by the most nnxious care, animation was once more restore(; bait, in consequence of the exhausted streagth of the patient, together with the excessive loss of blood. it is not expected that hle will survive many days. At the opposite side of the room lay the instrument of d&struction (a small dessert knife), which was evidently flung away in the hirst agonies : it was blood-staitned nearly two inch,es in depth; the point had been evi- dently place' so us to sever the carotid artery, but happily it mitsed tiot only that vessel, but the jutgular also, whicil it slightly glanced, and percorated the glands. The oriflce was parallel, and dlid not exceed the exact breadth of the knife blade, so that it was a stab, not a ctut,and made with the left hand, which may account for the uncertain direction of the instrument. The yeung gentlem-oan is at present under the care of Surgeons Emery and Davis. It is niot a littQe remarkable, that since the attempt, his intellecta (as far as may be discovered in the general feebleness of his present state) have assumed a more decistve and regular tone; but this is by Po means a favourable omen. 'We have not once violated private feeling in the narration of the above particulars, as the publication is sanctioned, with the view of Xording a deep Iesson to othlers simzilarly situatedi. We have care- fully omitted the name of the unfortunate young man. ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.