The Sun. — 1844-12-31 (London, England)

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE•  SUICIDE OF A -FATHER, AND ATTEMPTED DE. STR,UCTION OF AN ONLY CHlLD.—Shortly before noon on Saturday last, a great sensation was excited in fhbneighbourhood of Lea er Initecross-street Cripple" gate, by the prevalence of a rumour that a news! vender, named Noah Flood, carrying on business at No. 50 in that street, a most respectable and thrivinE tradesman, had poisoned himself; after having at• tempted to destroy the life of his daughter, a child no' more than eight years of age, a circumstance which as the sequel will prove, was discovered after patient investigation to be too true, It appears that on Tuesday last the unfortunate mat followed to the grave the remains of his wife. L'Pel the Saturday morning after her funeral he was oti• served to be unusually dejected, and begged of a fe• male of the name of Scott, who lodges, with hei husband, at a neighbouring cornchandler's, to loot after his shop and his daughter while he-weet to th( several offices for his weekly supply of newspaper and periodicals. Subsequently to this period up t, Friday last, he exhibited the same deep melancholy and upon one occasion he said to his child, " Bathe rine, shall you and I follow your dear mother, and gt with her into the grave ?" Upon another occasion hi said to Mrs. Scott, " You have been very kind to me and so has your husband, since the death of rq poor wife ; if I die first, see that I am properly buried and follow me to the grave; if either of you de before me, I will do the same for you." On Friday night, just before closing his shop, deceased appearet to be very melancholy, and quite in a despondini state. He was heard to say, " I wonder how lan to get on to-morrow ; who can I leave to take charg( of my leisiness kt home while I go to supply rn.l customers?" About :)even o'clock that night le closed his shop, anu it. the morning of the en. suing day (Saturday last) a Mrs. Smith, to whoa he was in the habit of supplying a newspaper daily thinking he was very late, went to the shop, anc was surprised at finding the shutters closed Wondering what could be the matter, nhe went of stairs, and after having informed the neighbours to the fact, she went to the door of the si,-7)ing. room, to which she was attracted by the pite.",ll cries of a child calling upon her father In 4''e most imploring manner to " awake." Upoo trying the door of the room it was found to be fs" tened on the inside. Assistance was immediately procured, and upon entering the room the poor fellow' was discovered upon the bed, apparently in a dying state, from the effect of some narcotic poison, a bottle which had contained laudanum lying beside him, and his daughter unable to move from the effects of similar dose, her extremities being partially in a pit' ralysed state. Medical assistance was sent for, the stomach pump was had recourse to without delay, and some portion of the stupifying liquor was ejected. Other remedial measures were tried, but the patient appearing to be sinking fast, immediate steps were taken for his removal to the hospital of St. Bartholomew, where he was received about two o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday. Notwithstanding the utmost exertions of Mr. Reid, the house' surgeon on duty, and the utmost attention on the part of W. Lawrence, Esq., and other eminent men connected with the establishment, it proved that the deadly draught had done its work, and deceased expired within an hour and a half of his admission. Remedial measures were resorted to for the recovery of the child, through which she so far recovered as to be able to give an account of the tragical occurrence, which she does with the most artless simplicity, and with a degree of intelligence far beyond her years. Upon the table in the room was found a letter folded, of which the following is a copy : " My wish is to be buried with my poor wife Mrs. Scott, of 51, Whitecross.street, and Mrs. Ji mill, living at a cornchandler's, just by St church, at the top of Holborn—that these sons bury me, and they shall have all my g (Signed) 4, N. • " Mrs. Scott, 61, Whitecross-street."