The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1843-05-19 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SUICIDE OF A FEMALE.—An inquisition was held yesterday before Mr. Statham, the deputy coroner, on view of the body of Jane Lucas, a married female, aged 37 years, and the case excited considerable interest in the court. The following are the principal portions of the evidence. Elizabeth Halsall, a child of ten years old, who lived with her sisters, bonnet-makers, in Limekiln-lane, said she knew the deceased, who lived at the opposite house. On Tuesday afternoon last, deceased sent one of her little girls for her. She went, and deceased asked her what her sisters cleaned bonnets with,—to which she replied, " oxalic acid." Deceased then said she wanted to clean her little boy's hat, and her own bonnet, and gave her twopence, telling her to get swine of the stuff at the druggist's for her. Witness had been in the habit of going for it for her sisters, and she went to Mr. Dean's, druggist, and being known at the shop, was served by the young man, who wrote " poison" on the paper. She gave it to the deceased.—James Lucas, husband of the deceased, (who appeared to be much affected,) said he was a file manufacturer, and his wife (the deceased) also kept a small provision shop. He saw her between five and six o'clock on Tuesday afternoon last, and she was then much excited. She might have had a little drink, but was not much excited from that cause. They owed a quarter's rent, and the landlord had put the officers into the house some days previously, but had withdrawn them on an arrangement being made. Ile gave up some property as security. They returned again on Friday, and agreed to take the fixtures for the rent, and that he should take away his furniture and stock. They came again. The house was taken in deceased's name, who said she had no objection to their taking them if they would wait till dark, but they wished to take them there and then. Deceased then told the landlord's wife, who was with them, that if they took them out she would not live to see them. 'Witness then went out to get a settlement made through the assistance of his brother-in-law, and was absent about half-an-hour. On his return he was told by his little daughter that the deceased had taken poison, which had been brought to her by a little girl. He went to Mr. Dean's, and that gentleman went with him to several places for a medical man to attend deceased, and finally found Mr. Ackerly, who went with him, but on reaching the house where deceased was, they found her dead. Witness stated that deceased was not much addicted to drink, though he had known her to be intoxicated a little occasionally. She was liable to be very passionate, and when in that state was frequently incapable of judging for herself. When in that state she had frequently attempted to do him bodily harm ; and when she recovered herself would acknowledge that she did not know what she was doing. He was afraid of her destroying herself, and had taken such steps as he thought advisable to prevent it.—Elizabeth Rimmer, a respectable elderly female, who lived next door, said the deceased for the last fortnight had been greatly troubled in her mind in consequence of the conduct of the bailiffs; her feelings, she said, were quite overturned by it, and she frequently spoke of selfdestruction. Deceased had told her they had promised to come on Monday and settle, as agreed upon, for the fixtures, but they did not come, and she became dreadfully troubled and excited, saying that she (witness) must see her die. Witness remonstrated with her, but her mind was unsettled at the idea of the bailiffs corning and taking her furniture. On Tuesday they did come, and she requested the principal one to go up stairs, which she prevailed upon him to do. She saw deceased again same afternoon, and she was still much troubled. Shortly afterwards deceased came into her house, and on seeing her in the passage, she sent the washerwoman who was working in the house and knew deceased, saying it was Mrs. Lucas. That person went to her, and shortly after cried out to witness to come, as deceased was dying. Witness went into her front parlour and found deceased on the sofa dying. She died almost instantly. Witness had never seen her incapable from liquor of attending to her business or her shop. In her opinion her trouble during the last fortnight was so great as to put her sometimes out of her mind.—Mr. Ackerley, surgeon, said be was called to attend her, but on reaching the house found her quite dead. On a post-mortem examination, he found from the inflamed and softened state of the membranes of the stomach, also from an analysis of its contents, that a large quantity of oxalic acid had been taken, arid had caused death. He also found about half an ounce of laudnum in the deceased's bedroom in a wine glass: Mr. Dean's assistant said he had sold the poison to the little girl whom he knew as having frequently bought it before for her sister's to clean bonnets with. He had no suspicion that it was for any other purpose. Mr. Dean was not in at the time. The coroner said that no blame whatever could, under the circumstances, be attached to Mr. Dean, or the young mau. A daughter of the deceased, aged 15, said that on Tuesday evening between five and six, she saw deceased put something into her mouth like salts, apparently in little white lumps. She afterwards went up stairs to the room over the shop, and returned soon after, when she seemed as if she was throwing up in her apron. Witness asked her if she would have a cup of tea, and she could not speak, but went out, and witness never saw her again alive. Police-officer, Heydon found in the room above stairs a small quantity of oxalic acid in the cloth that covered the table, also a tea-spoon in which there was also some, and which appeared wet, as if recently used.—The coroner summed up the principal parts of the evidence, leaving the jury to decide the main question, namely, whether the deceased, when she took the poison, was in a deranged state of mind ?—The jury immediately returned a verdict, to the effect, that the deceased had destroyed her. self by taking oxalic acid, while labouring under temporary derangement of mind.—The quantity of the poison sold was half an ounce ; and as very little of it was found in the house, the deceased had taken nearly the whole—a dose so great, that its effects were fatal in a very short time.