The Poole Telegram. — 1881-10-28 (Poole, Dorset, England)

SAD SUIGIDE OF A YOUNG MAN. An inquest was held on Tuesday evening on the body of William Cambridge Ellis, of Market Lavington, near Salisbury, an assistant to Mr. William Penny, chemist, of High-street. Mr. Norbury was the foreman of the jury, and the Borough Coroner, G. B. Aldridge, Esq., conducted the enquiry. After the jury had viewed the body, which presented a very calm and placid appearance, and was that of a young man apparently about 22, the following evidence was called : Eliza Best, housekeeper to Mr. William Penny, of High-street, chemist, stated the decease 1 had been with them about three months, and ducing that time he bad not appeared paTticularly strange, although at times she thought him rather I. hildph. She had never heard that he had quarrelled with anyone, and had never complained to her. By the Foremau : He seemed at times rather peculiar. Mr. William Penny, member of the Pharmacuetical Society of Great Britain, in whose employ the deceased was, stated be had bean in his employ since the first week in July, and had proved himself one of the most valuable as-istants he had ever had. He was a very steady young man—in fact, he was a teetotaler. He always seemed in good health until Monday, the I 10th of this month, when, after a visit to Bournemouth, he returned with his hands looking perfectly blue. He said he had been' put into a damp bed there. Be was suffering from an ulcerated throat, and he (witness) sent for Dr. Lawton, who, having examined him, said that he was weak in his bead, and be must not study. Deceased became so unwell that he sent for his mother, who came over from Bournemouth, and she then told him the father of the deceased bad died in a lunatic asylum. His mother thanked him (Mr. Penny) for his kindness to her SOO, and stated that he had expressed himself as very happy in his situation. They had never had an unpleasant word. The deceased at times seemed abstracted. About half-past four that same morning the deceased came Into his bedroom and said that he had heard that a cabman at the London Hotel had cut his throat. This was the first instance of aberration he had seen. He quieted him, and got him to go back into bed. At breakfast time this morning he asked him what had happened, and he said he did not know as his head was perfectly confused. This morning deceased ate a good breakfast, and went to his work as usual. About 11 o'clock a medical gentleman came in for half-anounce of Schield's Prussic Acid to poison a dog. He supplied him with it, and put the bottle, from which be took it, at the back of the shop, PO that no one could get at it. About half an hour after, he found the deceased's apron on the counter, and thought he had gone to the closet. Shortly after that, his (witness's) housekeeper came in and said she heard awful groans in the yard. He instinctively looked for the bottle of Prussic Acid, and found it was gone. He rushed out and found the deceased in the closet cold and pulseless. He was evidently dead. He sent for Dr. Lawton sad Dr. Mackintosh, and they endeavoured with him to restore animation, but without avail. By the Coroner: The deceased must have taken enough poison to kill 12 men in five minutes. Dr. Henry Mackintosh, surgeon, practising in Poole, said about half-past 11 this morning he was called in to Mr. Penny's. He found the deceased in the watercloset, seated on the fib n• with hie head thrown back and his knees doubled up. He was dead, but how long he had been he could not tell. His pupils were dilated, which indicated be had not taken an opiate. He and Dr. Lawton endeavoured to restore him, and Dr. Lawton, on searching Ws pocket, found in it two bottles, one of which cult:tined prosaic acid, and the other a tincture of mix cornice—both deadly poisons. The symptoms all pointed to his having taken the former. Dr. Lawton said some fortnight previous he attended the deceased, and told Mr. Penny his opinion that he was not perfectly sane, and that it would be very desirable he should leave him as soon as possible, but that It should be done quietly, unless the excitement should cause him either to commit suicide, or make some fatal mistake in diapensine. Mr. Penny, he believed, acted on the advice. This morning, he was summoned hastily to Mr. Penny's. and found the body of the deceased lying as described by the previous witness. On searching the pockets, he found the bottles that had been spoken to. By the Coroner • There would be time and only just time for the deceased to have drunk the contents of the bottle, and then to have returned it to his pocket. . .  If applied to the eye of a rabbit the poison would be fatal. Twenty drops would kill anyone. Olive Cberrot, servant to Mr. Penny, stated that the housekeeper having told her she had heatri a noise, she went out to see what it was, and, on going to the closet, she saw a boot of the deceas..d's, and then ran hack to Mr. Penny and asked him to go out as they thought there was something the matter. He seemed rather childish at Mune, but nothing worth noticing. Mr. Penny added that the deceased had filled several good situations, among others that of Beach and Barnicott, of Bridport, and from each he bad received good testimonials. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide whilst in a state of " Temporary Insanity."  - "