The Sun. — 1866-07-18 (London, England)

LEFT SITTING.I  Attempted Murder and Suicide in Soho,  Yesterday morning Mr. Bedford held an inquiry [n St. Ann's Vestry-room, Dean-street, Soho, relaAve to the death of William Mold, who committed suicide after having attempted the life of a young woman with whom he had cohabited. Mrs. Elizabeth Handley Mold said—l live at 26, King-street. The deceased was my husband, who was 51 years of age, and a public-house broker. He had several times threatened to destroy himself, and generally kept poison by him. He sometimes threatened to do so owing to pecuniary pressures. He has been in a lunatic asylum. I have been married to him three years, and previous to that time he had twice attempted suicide. On Thursday last he said he should not live throughout the day. I said, " I don't believe you, for you have said it so often." He replied, " You will find it out." After tea he laid down, and a young woman being in the room he attempted to poisOn her. She screamed out. I rushed into the room and saw my husband lying on the bed. The young woman was also on the bed, both being dressed. All my husband could say was " Water ! water !" I gave ,:him some, which he drank, and he never spoke afterwards. Mr. John Hursley, of 66, Wardour-street, said —I am a surgeon. I was called to deceased about eight o'clock on Thursday evening. I found him lying partially on a bed and a box, with his legs drawn up. He was quite unconscious and collapsed. On the box there were about six drachms of fluid, and a bottle containing but a very small quantity of cyanide of potassium. I dashed water upon him, and endeavoured to administer antidotes, but he rapidly sank and died. - The cause of death was cyanide of potassium. Hannah Howden, a single woman, residing in the same house as de ;eased, gave the following evidence :—On Thursday last, about twelve o'clock, Mr. Mold came home and entered the room where I was at work, adjoining the one where Mrs. Mold was. He said, "You need not finish that work, as it will not be needed, for neither you nor I will live beyond the day." I said, " Don't talk in that way; I don't believe you, for you have so often said so." I took no heed of him, but I heard him say to Mrs. Mold that he wanted to provide for my child, as neither he nor I would live throughout the day. After dinner he laid down, and then at tea time he said, " You don't want tea," and snatched the cup from me and drank the contents. He continued, " You're going to die." After that he  laid down again and pulled me on the bed alongside him. He put his elbow across my neck and forced a bottle into my mouth, and I felt something run into my mouth. I struggled and got up. I did not swallow any of the stuff, but it touched my tongue and throat. None of it got into my stomach. I thought it was vitriol from the burning sensation.  I screamed out" I am burned ; lam poisoned. It is vitriol." I knew noth;ng more till he was dead. I  believe he died across my knees. Mrs. Mold was recalled, and the following questions put to her : The Coroner—ls it true that the last witness had a child by your husband ? Witness—Yes, sir ; but that was before I was married to him. The child is nearly five years old.  Lincoln LiVorpOo.  Curragh  Curragh