The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-09-30 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

STRANGE AND DETERMINED SUICIDE FROM LOVE.—A young man, named John Ashmore, died in the Royal Infirmary, on Tuesday morning, from the effects of poison taken by himself, on Friday week. The deceased was twenty-one years of age, and worked at Shaw's mill, Butler-street, as It stripper. He resided with his parents in Gegg's Buildings, in the same street. On Friday night week, the parents of the deceased went to bed, leaving him sitting at the tire reading, as was his usual habit. About five o'clock next morning, they were awakened by a knocking at the door. The father went down stairs, and found that the deceased had been out, and wanted admission. On going out he had locked the door, and thrust the key in under it. On admitting him, his father found that he was cold and wet, and trembling all over. Some questions were put to him by his father and mother, and he confessed at last that he had swallowed poison. Mr. Storey, the druggist, was sent for, and prescribed the necessary antidotes; but the deceased doggedly refused to swallow anything. They then had him carried to the where he abated in his obstinacy; but the quantity of poison which he had taken was too large for counteractive medicines to be of any use, and, after lingering in great agony, he died on Tuesday. He had purchased the poison (two penny worth of white arsenic) from the shop of Mr. Reece, Oldham Road, a young man whom he knew, and who was in the shop at the time, being witness of the purchase, which he said was to kill vermin. At the inquest, which was held by Mr. Chapman, on the following day, the principal evidence as to the cause of death was Isabella Hudson, a respectable young woman, with whom the deceased worked in the mill. She was a frame-tenter in the same room as Ashmore, and they had kept company as lovers for about two years. About seven months ago the deceased and she quarrelled. The deceased had often expressed a wish for a reconcilement, but severalshea lallow wr e f hu estrei times ,teosa nkda te etposlhdoeAnr ns hpimnatnoeyrne t,altt ahhneirr .parents would not he said to her, "If you wont be friend Sioshwnteeeinthesoeac.:mve:esh,iicoomnlf am determined to put an end to my existence." course she expostulated with him ,for entertaining such wicked thoughts, but to no effect, for he added, "I cannot live in such a miserable state of mind." On Friday afternoon (the day on which he committed suicide) he came to her at her frame and said, "Oh, Bella, my heart is nearly burst." She advised him to mind his work, and he afterwards told her he would send her a letter "willi two black seals." On the morning of the following day (Saturday) last which, with wdeitlhiv-earen:l) ugh the ssleinet,dwiderere leTthteer, keeper. These letters revealed post office by the lodge uring. There was fervent prayers the terrible state of passion. and excitement under which the deceased had been labo d 1 • 1 pceroivdeuctehed for forgiveness for , ' self, an happiness to her when n the object of his wretched verse apostrophising he was away. Mixed with these were snatches of affections, followed by bitter denungc.iations of her parents for their cruelty to him. He cr words, " Isabella, sibly can. My body lies at rest now, under the second to commit suicide in the follow 10 171i4 as soon as you posintunat.ed his determination you must inform my parents, and t have gone to the of the Rochdale Road bridge, over which we arch Queen's Park. You will find me there poisoned or drowned, perhaps both. I hope you will not let me stay there long, for if the water get high I will be washed over the Ware [wear.] Then follows a description of the articles of dress which he would have on. He had not, as seen above, carried out his to intention of drowning himself. In politics, he seems have been nearly as ardent as in love; for at the close of his first letter he ejaculates a fervent prayer "for the preservation of the republic of France, and for all the other republics of the world,' as well as for the speedy and absolute annihilation of monarchy everywhere! The jury found an unanimous verdict of Self-poisoning under insanity."