The Sun. — 1861-04-08 (London, England)

EAST-END.  On Saturday morning a long inquiry was gone into, before Mr. H. Raffles Walthew, the deputy coroner for East Middlesex, at the Prince Albert Tavern, Lincoln -street, Bow-road, Mile-end, respecting the death of Mr. George Calkin Budd, aged 30 years, who committed self-destruction by shooting himself through the head with a revolver pistol, on Wednesday night last. The evidence, which was very voluminous, proved that the deceased, who was highly connected, had for about two years kept a fancy repository, at No. 1, Wilby-place, Bow-road, where he became unfortunate through pecuniary difficulties. He was an educated man, and was universally beloved for his affable demeanour. The fact of his embarrassments seemed to prey heavily upon his mind, and he was in the habit of meeting several gentlemen at the above named tavern almost every evening. He had been heard to say that he would shoot himself if matters did not mend with him, and he was in the habit of carrying with him firearms. On Wednesday night last, about 11 o'clock, he went into the bar-parlour, when he called for some brandy and water, and got into conversation with the landlord (fir. Harner) and his wife, He sat upon a chair, leaning over the back, with his face towards the fire. Mrs. Hamer had seen him twisting the pistol round two or three times, and while she and her husband were at the bar-counter the report of firearms was heard. The latter rushed into the room, and discovered the deceased with his head hanging over the back of the chair, bleeding from a wound on the right side of the head, and with a revolver pistol in his right hand. Mr. Harner ran into the street, and called " Police," when a constable named Goodson, 227 K, promptly attended, and the deceased was still breathing but perfectly insensible. The landlord ran for Dr. Freeman, who immediately saw the deceased, but he expired in a few minutes. Other evidence having been adduced, the jury returned a verdict of" Temporary insanity." Another inquest was afterwards held by Mr. 1.1. Raffles Walthew, at the Red Cow Tavern, Cleveland-road, Mile-end-road, as to the death of Ann Cordozo, aged 47 years, who committed suicide at No. 3, Belle Vue-place, Cleveland-street, Mile-endroad.  The deceased was the wifo of a member of the Jewish persuasion, and had suffered from a cancer in the breast, whereby she had endured excruciating agony. On Wednesday night she cut her throat and died. _  Verdict—" Temporary insanity." A third inquest was gone into by the same coroner at the Victory public-house, Nelsen-street, Friar's-mount, Bethnal-green, on view of the body of William Morgan, aged thirty-two, years, who died from hanging at No. 13, Mountstreet. The deceased was a journeyman cabinetmaker, but had been in great distress through the want of work. On Thursday night the deceased retired to rest, and at an early hour on the following morning he was found suspended by a rope to a beam in his workshop. Verdict—" Temporary insanity." The fourth inquest was taken by Mr. H. Rallies Walt hew, at the Lord Nelson public-house, Austinstreet, Hackney-road, Bethnal-green, respecting the death of Thomas Miller, aged 65 years, a carpenter, who died at No. 15, Austin-street, from hanging. No cause was alleged. Verdict—" Temporary insanity." A fifth investigation was then held by the same gentleman, at the Hen and Chickens Tavern, Bathstreet, City-road, Shoreditch, as to the death of George Bray, aged 47 years, who destroyed himself by hanging, at No. 15, Willow-gardens. Deceased had previously suffered from melancholy. The deputy-coroner remarked on the extraordinary number of inquests he had held during the day, and observed that there really seemed a mania for suicide in the eastern parts of the metropolis. The jury, as in the former cases, returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity."