The Northern Guardian. — 1893-05-29 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

SUICIDE AT NORTHAMPTON.  An inquest was held at Northampton on Saturday—before the Borough Coroner—on the body of Dr. Andrew Aikman, who committed suicide by taking prussic acid in the presence of his friend, the Rev. J. Ormsby Roberts, D.D.—Mr Charles Aiknian, the younger brother of the deceased, gave evidence regarding the absence of his brother from Northampton and his return on Thursday night. He said that his parents only desired a postponement of the wedding for 12 months. If at the end of that time the deceased had still desired to marry Miss Barritt, his parents would have put no impediment in the way. —The Rev. ,T. C. Roberts deposed that when he first spoke to the deceased, two hours before he took the poison, the deceased said to him, ' "To tell you the truth, Roberts, I am half drunk." He did not seem so, however, though in the conversation they had the deceased seemed to get. muddled. The deceased was upstairs in his surgery alone about ten minutes with the glass of whisky and water. When he returned with the whisky and water the conversation was resumed as if nothing bad occurred. In about five minutes the doctor got up and said "Roberts, do you know the meaning of the Scotch word 'fey ' " "No," replied Mr Roberts, and thinking Dr. Aikman was going to give him some details of a nasty disease he added, "Anti I don't want to know." " Well," returned the doctor, "You soon will know," putting the emphasis on the "will " ; and, sitting down, he immediately drank nearly the whole of the contents of the tumbler. At once lie began to breathe heavily and lost consciousness. Notwithstanding all the efforts of Dr. Cropley, who was immediately summoned, he died in about eight minutes. Dr. Cropley said that the post-mortem examination revealed the fact that the deceased had taken about half an ounce of prussic acid. The coroner's officer found an ounce bottle empty, and labelled "prussic acid," in one of the deceased's pockets ; and a cabinet photograph of Miss Barritt and two letters from her in another pocket —Two letters were read by the Coroner, one addressed to Miss Barritt. This, dated "1, Salisbury Road, Edinburgh, Sunday morning, 4.30 a.m., ' was addressed to "My bonnie darling," and was couched in most affectionate terms. The writer said : "My eyes are aching for sight of you. Many people have written me trying to prove you don't really care for me. Oh! for God's sake say or write whether you do or not. Write for yourself and say it. Don't think me heartless as I have heard of your state daily, and have many times wired to Dr. C. (Dr. Cropley) asking about you. I am under a promise—solemn promise—which you know I never break—not to write to you, but my love has proved stronger than any promise. I must write and tell you that I weary and long to see you once more before I die, my darling. lam writing unbeknown to any one, in my pyjamas and cloak; the former are my' nightdress, the cloak you know. I cannot live without you, and according to others cannot make you happy by living with you. Oh! my darling, whose hair I am continually kissing, let me know if you really love me. . _:—Your most. loving and dis.  tractedly Andrew." The second letter was sent to a Northampton friend on May 12th. The letter said: "I am in a state of abject mental collapse. Unaccountable as it may seem to you, I still love her dearly, and could I bring myself to believe that after this she could be happy in being married to me, I would visit her and make her my wife at once. "—The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of temporary insanity, adding that they very much regretted to state that they thought that unnecessary and undue influence was brought to bear upon the deceased by his friends.—Dr. Aikman's father, and brother James, and Mr and Mrs Barritt, were present at the inquiry, but none of them was called.—Miss Barritt, who is still confined to her house from the effects of the poison she took on May Bth, has not yet been informed of her lover's decease.