The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1838-02-02 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SUICIDE.  On Tuesday, an inquest was held to inquire touching the death of Samuel Parkinson, a butcher, late resident in Thurlowstreet, in this town. Catherine Jones stated that she was the mite of Stephen Jones, book-keeper, Thurlow-street. They kept a public-house there. She knew the deceased, Samuel Parkinson. He was in the habit of going to their house. On Saturday morning last at half-past eight o'clock, he went into their house and entered the front parlour. and asked for threepennyworth of rum with which she served him. She did not observe anything peculiar in his wanner at that time. In about half or three-quarters of an hour afterwards he called for a pen and ink, which witness carried to him. Soon afterwards he had another three-pennyworth of rum, with which witness also served him. Afterwards she served him with a glass of ale. Sonic time afterwards she (witness) was iu the kitchen, from whence she heard him talking aloud to himself. She knew that he was atom., and therefore she went in. He asked her where the men were that had been in the parlour. He appeared to be very wild, and she thought it must be from the effects of the liquor which he had taken. She told him that no one had beau iu but himself. He said there had been men in, and he was afraid they had meddled with papers belonging to him. She endeavoured to convince him that no one bad been with him, and at length left him. In the course of a quarter of an hour she heard a noise in the parlour, which she thought was the deceased falling. She went in and found that it was his arm which had slipped un the table where to had been leading it which bad caused the noise She then saw a small bottle on the fluor, empty, and the pieces of another which hail been broken. The bottle produced was that which she saw un the floor. It was labelled " Laudanum, poison." She (witness) felt very much alarmed, and went to fetch the person he (deceased) had lodged .with in the same street. That person returned with her, and they went into the parlour to the deceased. lie • was still in the same posture. Witness asked him to go home to get a sleep. He raised himself up and began to talk very wildly. He talked of knocking witness down, and arose front his seat, speaking very incoherently. At length he laid his bead upon the table and never spoke snore. The other female went away with the bottle, and the deceased began to groan loudly. The female above mentioned, at length arrived with a person from the druggist's. After this, a surgeon front the Dispensary (Mr. Gamy) arrived with a stomach-pump which he applied. He was then carried erten the house of witness. Witness believed him to be insane. Edward Jardin, an assistant with Mr. Withers, druggist, Byrom street, stated, that on Taursila.y last, the deceased, who appeared to be perfectly composed and sensible, called at the shop and purchased an ounce of laudanum. He asked for, and received every necessary information as to the quantity which it would be safe to take. Benjamin Rowland, an apprentice with Mr. Neale, oruggist. Scotland-place, stated, that on Saturday morniug last the deceased called at the shop. and asked for six-pennyworth of latidandm, saying. that it Was for a Witness, at first. demurred person in the cmiutry. to selling this quantity, but the des ceased explained that tttvaq for a person who was in the habit of taking it, and who was obliged to parchase it iu large quantities (rout being in town only on market days. Witness sold him an ounce of laudanum. Wm. Gattv4 House Surgeon at the North Dispensary, stated, that on Saturday last. in consequence of a message, he went to Mr. Jones'. in'l'hurlow-sheet, and took with hint a stomach-pump. lie found the deceased in a state of stupor, lying on the floor. He hail hint raised up, and the stomach-pump was applied. A quantity of reddish coloured fluid was brought up, part of which was put into the bottle 'produced. Witness had him taken home, and gave directions to the people of the house to keep him iu constant niotion. Witness called again about two o'clock, and found him still in a state of stupor. He used a cold effusion by pouring could water (rims a height upon his head. It produced no effect. He (witness) Caen gave directions that he should be kept moviug, and called again about five o'clock, and found him still in the same state. Witness used flagellation with a birch rod and with a cane, which seemed to restore hint slightly to sensibility. Witness had him removed to bed, and applied mustard plaster over his chest and to one leg. Witness called again at halfpast eight, and. found. him, to all appearance, dying. Some medicine was ordered, but before it could be procured he died. Witness had analysed the liquid that came from the stomach, but found very little trace of laudanum in it. It was chiefly spirits, probably runt. Witness had examined the body, and found the vessels of the brain very much distended with black, fluid blood, and Some serum in the ventricles more than usual. The 'lungs were very much congested, and the blood in the heart and large vessels very dark and fluid. The stomach was perfectly empty in consequence of the pump having been applied. Witness was of opinion that the deceased died from taking laudanum in too large a quantity. it must have been taken so long before the stomach-pump was applied as to have been absorbed into the system, and that circumstance would account for the liquid emitted from the stomach not being tainted with it. Ann Erdly stated that the deceased bad lodged with her about five )ears. .Ile was a butcher, and shout 30 years of age. Since the commencement of this year witness had observed him to be very different in his manner from what he had ever been before. During the preceding week he had been dreadfully violent in his temper. Witness thought that something was the matter with him, and that he was not quite right in his head. The Jury found that the deceased had destroyed himself during a teitipitra-ry fit of insanity.