The Sun. — 1841-05-29 (London, England)

DETERMINED SUICIDE.  On Thursday an inquest was held before Mr. Wakley, M.P. Coroner, and a respectable Jury, at the King's Head, Moscowroad, Black Lion-lane, Bayswater, on view of the body of Je-. , seph Whittacks, aged fifteen, who committed self destruction by shooting himself through the heart, on Monday last, under the followine. circumstances Jane Broadbridge deposed that she was a single woman. and was living in the service of Mr. Grimstone, an artist, siding at No. 1, Petersburgh-place, Bayswater-hill, in the ebpacity of housemaid. The deceased was page to Mrs. Grimstone, and was between fifteen and sixteen years of age. lie was the son of a labourer on the metropolis roads, and had been living as an out-door servant to Mr. Grimstone two or three years, but within the last eight or nine weeks had been , in-doors as page. On the afternoon of Monday last witness way ' about five o'clock at the gate of the house, having gone there to call some person in, as the deceased had said he would shoot himself, when she heard the report of the-discharge of a pistol on the premises. She immediately called Uri man who was passing, and returned with him into the house, and running up to issaased's bed-room, on the stairs leading to which she had just before lett the deceased sitting, when stae found him lying across the bed, with a wound in his breast, front which the blood was flowing fast, having shot himself with a pistol, which was in his hand, or near it. Deceased was quite dead, and his clothes were on fire, which were torn off with a pair of tongs by the strangers whom she had called in. Deceased had Just before come in from the garden, where he had been out to play, as was frequently his custom when he could get at his master's pistols or guns. No one was it the garden with the deceased, but some of the dogs. About foie o'clock the same afternoon, deceased had knocked at the don] of witness's bedroom where she was dressing, no one hit witness and the deceased being in the house at the time. Witness would not open the door, but he repeated his desire to come iii. After witness would not let him in, deceased went (loon stairs, and then came up again in about five 'minutes, when witness saw him, and he sat on the bed. Witness brushed out his kir for him, after which he left and went tutu his master's room again. Witness again warned him not to touch the pistols. In a minute or two he came running up again...led asked kir a piece of paper, and caught up a book called "The Comp'lion to the Sacrament," when witness slid, "Oh ! Joseph don't tear that." Deceased said " I want a piece of paper, as lam going to load master's pistol." Witness immediately urged him for Heaven's sake not to do soi when be said he did want a piece of paper to load it with, for he thought he should shoot himself. Witness told him if he would read that book, he would never again think of shooting himself. Witness did not think the deceased was serious, as he bad so often talked about it before. He then caught up one of witness's cc.: papers, and ran out of the room, and went down to the cottage in the garden with the dogs. Witness did not fellow him, but deceased soon came up the yard and flung up a stone at witness's bed-room window, at the same time playing with one of the little dogs in the garden. Deceased then came in, leaving the pistol, witness believed, jn one of tl., green-houses. He repeated that lie should, lie thought, shoot himself, but he would like to shoot witness first, and with that he caught her kindly round the neck, and also by the hand, and said " I certainly mean to shoot soyself." Witness replied, " You never mean it, surely." Deceased had often before said to witness and the other servants, that he should like to be in battle, where there was nothing but bloodshed and killing one another, and where the streets wee. moistened with blood, and that he should like to shoot some one die first, and himself afterwards. Deceased then went. to the green-house, and brought back theistol, and dropped Ija II bullet. Witi..ss believed he had charged it with powder ins witness if she knew where there were any more 'Master's room, as the powder was kept there. Ile then asked witness p bullets. Witness replied she did not know, and if sheas him, and she dared him to go into hism Jane, as •ou won't cam,. ttleirdstztrialdinnoteoull after that deceased said, "Good bye, 00,3 t shoot yourself. Too It ith me." She said to him, " Surelyiy myself before, but I scoiud have ,'‘ I haveteidn aotft e that tlte abteteforr.rep't had not the heart; cheek' to do it." She btout tyineoit°duon% mean it." Ile' to find some one, and WY only a him, on which she went out . I the ,he ran in again, and deceased man playing an organ, so then watched him, and he wanted her to go into his room with. found. fallen ran from him to the gate, and alplayer to come in, and to a matt and his on se, ing her hell asked her olkieer, theniliViansh ‘‘, istintteisnsgino:Lat:t;bed with the:in-iisatol....a_ tshitisbfyorethheeasdid,eamt deceasedlhend man va cames in, when the place was fu Baled to the organ back en the Led, and quite , dead. Deceased was ' quite sane passing. dsciontmlgie: like a boy, but• exceedingly like killing, lle was not Wile with a child who were is a mar. es cry thing but ialkine like a mad person about shooting ass( in his boldness. He was very cruel to animals. The Coaosna said the housemaid appeared to have had a most miraculous escape front being murdered. The father of the deceased was then called in, and said the atidmteas.ughltl.e Hweowualds adrvoeirty bsate,caktryaarndds quiet boy about four years ago the deceased had had very strong fitr ihrre tfter adtroirblickigiggrthe whole of the evidence, the Jury, without hesitation, expressed an opinion that the deceased could not have been in a sound state of mind at the time he committee! the rash act, and returned a verdict of " Insanity." After the verdict was returned, the Coroner suggested to Mr. Grimstone, jun., that science might be greatly benefited if the head of the deceased could be obtained' by• a medic-' man. An a; plieation was afterwards made to the father of the deceased on the subject, but it ass met by a refusal.  - _ ST.