The Telegram. — 1894-01-16 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

SAD CASE OF POISONING AT YEOVIL.  "OUT OF WORK-" At the kiemerset Inn on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. E. Q. Louch (coronet) held an inquest, on the body of James Taylor, aged YO, of Addlewell Lane, a leatile.r dyer, who poisoned himself on the previous day, and whose body was found in a ditch at West Fields, near Preston. Mr. George Summers was chosen foreman of the jury. Martha Taylor, of Market Street, said she was a aistel of deceased. She saw her brother on Tuesday morning about 12 o'clock, ahen he came to her house. Her daughter Met spoke to him, and asked how he was, and ae replied,' I am not any Setter than I was last night" Witness begged him to ao and ace a doctor, and he theu asked her if she hail got a bottle that she could lend hits. Any sort of bottle he said would do. Witness wont upstairs and got him a doctor's medicine bottle. She gave it to him, and he then asked her for a drop of warm water. She rave hint some, said he took from his pocket a little packet, which contained some yellow lumps. She asked him what he was going to do with it, and he said he was going to dye tune clothes. Be was a !eather dyer by trade. Deceased then put part of the contents of the packet unto the bottle, and tilled it with hot water, and put the remainder in his pocket. As he was mixing it witness told louts that she was very pleased that he had got something to do, as he was out of work, and added that she hoped he would get the money, for his werk. Having wished i them' 14oiXI morning, he went away. Sue had nut seen lain since. Questioned ba the coroner witoess said they did not take any notice oil his asking fur a bottle aud mixing tile stuff; it was what they bad seen him it, many times before. Deceased was down at her louse on Monday evening ; he generally came down every week whilst he MAS Out of work. Lie was very low spirted, and often cried. He cried on Monday evening, and said he could put up with it no longer if he mold get no work. He had tried to take his life 18 years ago, and then be was out of work. Ills hands and head shook very much on Moto day evening, and witness offered to get bus sonic brandy, but he would not take it. He was in very poor health, and suffered fnim rheutuatism Re would not let anyone go home with hint on Monday. William Jolla Alehhuish, labourer at Sparrow Lane, said that whilst going through West Field.s on Tuesday afseruoen about 20 minutes past two he saw the hasty of the deceased in a ditch. It was about ten or 12 feet hum the path. Deceased was lying on his back, and Ins left urns Wa-i thrown up in the hedge. Witness did not tough the body but went and informed the police of his disrovery. . . . . .  Sosat. Dicks sa,ol that about three o'clock on Tuesday, the last witness cause to lino, and from what he was told he went to West Fields. He found deceased lying in a ditch in the second field from the road. he was lying on his back, and there were appeamnees of a slight struayje having taken place. Witness toot the body out and searched it. In the left hand coat pocket he found a bottle (which WAS half full of a red mixture), and in the right Laud pocket he found the paper packet (produced), also sonic tobacco, a pouch and pipe. Witness got assistance, arid Wok the body to the mortuary. The man was quite dead, though the body ass warm. He did not think he had been dead fist more than an hour at the outside. . . . .  Dr. Marsh said he had made a pa.a.wiorteinezionination el the body. He found souse yellow-looking fluid round the mouth. He discovered this before =king the examination, and found that it was a solution of hicitroinate of potash. The stomach con. milord Woad one quarter to a third of a glint of a thick fluid of a greenish brown tint. The coats of the stomach were deeply stained with an olive greCLI CUIOUr iiltd showed patches of congestion here aud there, and he came to the conclusion that there was a strung solution of bichromate of potash there. That was an irritant and undoubtedly a powerful Pali6ol.l. and was generally used tor dyeing. There was no doubt that death was Loosed Ly deceased taging Lucluoneate of potash. The coroner. in summing up, said the case was is very clear mine, and the evidence of the sister indicated that deceased's mind was in a weak condition. . . .  The jury found that deceased committed suicide by taking poison whilst in a state of temporary inanity.