The Sun. — 1862-09-05 (London, England)

ROMANTIC SUICIDE.  Dr. Lankester, the coroner, held an inquest at the Dudley Arms, Harrow-road, Paddington, yesterday, on view of the body of Ellen Austin, aged 42, lodging at 4, Hall-place, Hall Park, Paddington. Mr. Austin, tradesman, of Hardington-street, Lisson-grove, deposed that deceased was his wife, with whom he did not live on account of her habits of intemperance, and which he believed had affected her mind. He last saw her alive on Saturday evening, at the corner of Princess-street, under the influence of liquor. William Lindley said Mrs. Austin occupied a front room in his house. On Monday his wife called his attention to the unaccountable absence of the deceased, and he requested two policemen to accompany him to her room. He found the door locked inside, and unlocked it by another key in his possession, and found the deceased lying dead in bed. Mrs. Lindley saw deceased on Saturday night come home very much excited, but she did not appear to be tipsy. She accounted for the excitement by saying her husband would not give her any money. She assisted witness in her work up to half-past four that day, and then went to meet her husband to get some money from him to pay her rent. Two months ago she tried to make away with herself by poison, when witness knocked a phial of poison, which she had obtained for that purpose, out of her hand. At that time she had been to her husband for money, and had been refused in a similar manner. She of late frequently assured witness of her intention to destroy herself. Witness had occasionally seen her the worse for drink, but she appeared to be in no way under its influence either on Saturday night or Sunday, when she last saw her alive.  Other evidence elicited went to show that-a phial containing a very small drop of laudanum, a packet of sugar of lead, and a glass tumbler smelling of beer and laudanum, were found on the dressing table, and some poetry was found on a slip of paper lying upon the mantel-piece, the handwriting of which was admitted by Mr. Austin to be that of his wife, and dedicated to him as follows :  " The treasure T have had and lost. Oh, could I but regain, Not for all the wealth the world might cost I would not act the same. " My Harry, to my arms once more, Oh, could I have you again, Then to my God I would implore For happiness to remain. " Oh, Harry, is your heart so hard That it can no more relent To the prayer of your penitent, When she says she does repent ?"  The foregoing appeared to have been written just before her death, and other facts seemed to show that the deceased woman was of a romantic tendency and of an unsound state of mind. Dr. J. S. Beale, of Paddington-green, attended and performed a post mortem examination of the body. He had no doubt that deceased died from a dose of laudanum, which she appeared to have swallowed after getting into bed, and some hours before she was found dead. The state of the brain indicated unsoundness of mind.  Mr. Austin admitted that he refused her money on Saturday night, and declared that he was compelled to part from her to save himself from being imprisoned for debt. Verdict—Suicide from poison whilst in an unsound state of mind.