The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1910-04-27 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

LTFE. The circumstances surroundini death of the man, John Thomas, wh'e mitted suicide in Birkenhead en y ecnt. afternoon by swallowing carbolic rld were inquired into by the aeld, Coroner (Mr. Cecil Holden) o Bor n m°4 morning. It appears that the deeceased' who was 35 years of age, resided in led' ings at 3, Rowland-street, and seas ca4g.,ally employed as a fitter's labourer. I police inquisies showed that through:: I the week he had been drinking beax,ii t I and on Friday he went out at 6 coeY' ostensibly to look for work, but retaraxi I about 10 a.m., drunk. After being in the house a few minutes, he went out lethal telling his landlady where he was pin: and about 11.30 a.m. he called at the hook' of his step-sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Sullivao, 44, Salisbury-street. Mrs. Sullivan is of the opinion that the deceased was „ober then. He had a bottle of stout aeon 12.15 p.m., and when another relatire q his—Mrs. Catherine Jones---came hit3ths house about 2.45 p.m., be asked her to and get two or three pennyworth of 0 bolic acid for him, saying that be timed"' it to kill rata, which were plentiful at ha lodgings. Mrs. Jones went to Thompson and Capper's, and there, ee she took stating the reason the deceased gate for wanting the carbolic acid, she was supplied excuse btthk tT a o sixpenny bottle. This , who put it in the pocket of his coat. He made some hied, for going into the back-yard, ad *leo o, came back his step-sister noticed the Oe emelt strongly of carbolic, and that gob, fluid was trickling out of the twat, his mouth. Mrs. Johnson (a neigtlec) took the bottle out of his pocket, awn; that some of the acid was gone from it. noceevcd sat on a sofa, and in a let minutes his face became discoloured na he collapsed 7.  P.C. Coulthard, 33 C., was called ill, and the ambulance was sent for, and doomed was removed to the Borough finspl4l where he was received by Dr. Struthers. In spite of all that could be done for hira died at about 5.30 the same day. Dr. Struthers, senior house sigoni, at the Borough Hospital. was the ness called. He deposed to hsmag re. ceived the deceased, suffering hoz bolic acid poisoning. Death. 'thigh took place about 5.30 p.m., was due to shod, brought on by the effects of the poison. Elisabeth Sullivan and Catherine hoe gave evidence in corroboration of the bete stated above, while Annie Ryan, deceamds landlady, gave evidence testifying to the fact that there were no rats in her house, and deceased had never complained of all. P.C. Coulthazd also gave evidence.  The Coroner, in sumniing np,--saTithero• was no doubt that the poison was Fell: administered, and the only questin th, jury had to settle was the state of els. ceased's mind at the time he took the soid, He (the Coroner) was of the opinion tit, coupling together the facts that deceased had been drinking heavily and that he spoke of imaginary rats, the deceawd in the first stages of delirium tremens. The **try returned a verdict to thee% that deceased died from carbolic ail poisoning; as stated in the medical en dence, but there was no evidence to in the state of his mind at the time he todc the poison,  1 a to ad to 16, the hey Lae go. to the . of ap Bud Pre' the he upon ter. NIL ee• noel the inset Nig Low' Er otter the hed , held iberel Wet?sided. . chief 'ea the igs that Le soug ch cOnS age we the with 11. 311.' .The )114 er out s ,onga Vs on' der. , his us' los" ia a littl! iv Bea' Virpol ja the outed two tercel Mt ',auk; to Vise r a wel. ansout :NO hai 7-e seVa.,,,n. r playme 11.":14 „ 1I ,11