The Sun. — 1844-12-07 (London, England)

SUICIDE BY INHALING THE VAPOUR. OF CHARCOAL. Thursday afternoon, Mr. Walton, the Coroner for the Tower of London and its precincts, held an inquest at the Queen's Head public-house, Tower-hill, on the body of Thomas Smith, aged 35, late bookseller at 2, King-street, Tower-hill. The inquiry lasted nearly three hours. David Itiates Lewis, staymaker, 29, King-street, had known the deceased for about nine months, but until lately had not had any conversation with him, except on business. Last saw him alive on Monday evening about five o'clock ; but between nine and ten o'clock the same night witness heard him talk to somebody. Did not see deceased on Tuesday. 'Wednesday morning witness's wife informed him that the street-door was not fast, and that she did not think the deceased had come home on Tuesday night. Witness lives on the first floor of the premises, and deceased had a sitting-room on the second, and slept in a back attic. Wednesday morning witness went up stairs and knocked at deceased's bed-room, but not receiving'any answer, he pushed open the door and saw deceased lying on his back on the bed, apparently dead. Witness did not go into the room at the time, but went and informed Mr. 0. Dowling, the landlord, living at No. 30, in the same street, what he had witnessed. Mr. Dowling and Mr. Pringuer subsequently accompanied witness to the bed-room, and having felt deceased's feet they found them cold and stiff. There was no lock on the door, and a large flannel bed-gown was fastened between the door and door-post, and a brown cloth coat was found lying at the back of the door, evidently for the purpose of preventing the admission of air. The most important evidence given was that of Mr. Pringuer, who deposed to his having known the deceased between seven and eight years. Deceased had given up his shop in King-street about three weeks ago. Had formerly been a grocer, schoolmaster, linendraper, and lastly a bookseller, and had accumulated a little money, which he bad laid out in the purchase of a Dutch bond, said to be for 1,000 guilders. Latterly he had been getting into debt. Mr. John Hutchins, surgeon, Trinity-square, said he went to the residence of the deceased, and found that the body was partially warm, but in his opinion life had been extinct between two and three hours. Searched the room and bed along with Mr. Child, the summoning officer, but could not find anything calculated to produce death, except an ash-pan containing partially consumed charcoal. Attributes death to suffocation by the charcoal, and believes, from the contents of a letter addressed to Mr. Pringuer, and the care which had been taken to prevent the admission of air into the room, that deceased had purposely destroyed himself. Two letters, supposed to be in the handwriting of the deceased, were found in his coat-pocket, the one simply addressed " Mr. Pringeur," and the other to " Mr. Ruff, Hysted, Sittingbourne, Kent." The CORONER called for the production of Mr. Pringuer's letter, which was read to the jury. It was without signature or date. It commenced " Dear friend," and contained expressions of the most incoherent kind, that life was not worth enjoying when assailed by adversity, and he tells Mr. Pringuer that the " less publicity that is given to the letter the better." Verdict—That the deceased, being of unsound mind, killed himself by inhaling the vapour of effluvia of charcoal.