The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1844-08-13 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.—An inquest was held on Friday before P. F. Currie, Esq., at the Coroner's Court, on the body of a respectable person, named Samuel Lewthwaite, aged 24, a mathematical instrument maker, who had, on Thursday afternoon, shot himself with a pistol. It appeared from the evidence of Mrs. Sarah Potter, that on Tuesday last the deceased took apartments from her for his sister-in-law and her family, situate in Faircloughrow, Mill-lane, Everton. The parties took possession of the lodgings on Wednesday. On Thursday afternoon the deceased visited his sister-in-law, when shortly after hearing the report of fire-arms and screams, she ran into the parlour where the parties were, and found the deceased bleeding from his ears. She immediately procured medical assistance. but the deceased died the same evening. Mrs. Lewthwaite, the sister-in-law of the deceased, stated, that he engaged the lodgings for her at the house of the last witness, and met her at Dublin on Sunday, for the purpose of accompanying her to Liverpool. He appeared in his usual health and spirits. On Wednesday evening she saw him, when he appeared rather low, and stated that he was about to start for London the next morning. On Thursday, however, about two o'clock in the afternoon, witness was sitting in her parlour, with the window open, when the deceased made his appearance before it, but did not speak. She opened the door and he walked in. He then said, " I suppose you did not expect to see me ?" She replied she did not. Nothing further passed for a few minutes, both standing together in the room. She then heard the report of fire-arms, and on turning round the deceased gave a great sigh, raised his hand to his forehead, and said, " 0 my God, it will soon be over with me—l shan't see any person longer." She then ran out of the room and called out for assistance. The surgeon stated that the deceased had shot off his right ear, fractured part of his skull, and injured the carotid artery, The ball, which was a brass one, and produced, bad passed to the back of the head, and lodged under the brain. He died the same afternoon. The uncle of the deceased and Mrs. Ann Smith, of Bridgewater-street, with whom the deceased lodged, were next examined as to the state of his mind, but they had not observed anything particular with respect to him. The former deposed to the deceased having shown him a letter from a young lady of respectability residing in London, to whom he was engaged to be married, and had promised to ask her father's consent. This and two other letters were produced. One was the copy of a letter to the young lady in question, and the others were from her, couched in terms of attachment. Mrs. Smith stated that she had given a letter to the deceased, which was hatidedtoher by the postman on Thursday morning, and immediately after receiving it he had left the house. This letter, thougl diligently searched for, could not be found : therefore, the cause which had immediately led to the sad catastrophe was involved in some degree of obscurity. A letter from the father of the deceased was discovered, but as it had reference to pecuniary and domestic affairs, it threw no additional light on the matter. Some scraps of poetry and several love sonnets were also discovered. The deceased's aunt observed, that the young lady residing at Goldsworthy-terrace was the daughter of a London merchant, of very respectable connections ; that it was a " looking up" on the part of her nephew, to solicit the hand of such a gentleman's daughter, and that she should not be at all surprised if the letter he had received was a rejection of his proposal. The jury returned a verdict of felo de se; and the body was interred, at twelve o'clock on Saturday night, in the parish burial-ground, of course without the usual funeral rites being performed. A