The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1854-02-28 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

EXTRAORDINARY AND MELANCHOLY SUICIDE OF A YOUNG LADY, YESTERDAY.  Axetsa the inquests held before P. F. Curry, Esq., the borough coroner, yesterday, was one of a very distressing character. A respectable jury was empannelled to inquire into the cause of the death of Martha Gandy, daughter of Mr. Gandy, solicitor, of this town,. which took place under the circumstances which will perhaps be best gleaned from the evidence. Elizabeth Gandy called, said that she resided with her parents at No. 9', Castle-street, Kirkdale. The deceased, who was her sister,. was 36 years of age. She had met with a disappointment in love, and had become lowspirited in consequence, It was observed more particularly on Sunday. She (witness) was in her bed-room yesterday morning about seven o'clock, when she heard a report of fire-arms. On thisysiiewent down stairs into a sparebedroom, when she found the deceased lying on her balk on the floor, with her head much injured as if from a pistol shot. The window of the room was broken. Mr. Johnson,. surgeon, was immediately sent for, but he pronounced the: deceased to be dead. The note produced was found by him lying upon the table of the'room. Mary Ashcroft said she was-a widow, living near to the last witness, and was sent fOr by her yesterday morning.. On going to the room allatted' to she found the deceased upon her back on the floor: Ifer. head was dreadfully mutilated, and it was her (witness'sy opinion that she had discharged the pistol into her'mouth.. Both of her hands were covered with powder, =din one of them were some lucifer matches, one of which had been lighted. Henry Gandy, a young man,. said that the deceased was his sister. He was in bed when the occurrence took place. The pistotwas his. He had placedlit in• the kitchen drawer six weeks since, and missed it a: fortnight ago. That morning he' was directed into thegarden near the house, and' opposite the broken window lteibund the pistol, which he produced. It was lying stock upwards, and the month in the mud. It appeared to have been recently discharged. The hammer was at full cock, so that he inferred that the deceased had not End strength to puirthelrigger, and had therefore used'a match to set it off instkad of a percussion cap.  By a juror,--1" do net know where the powder and shoe were got'from ; we iktd none in the house. When I put it by it was not- Ended.  The Coroner then stated that Mr. Ghudy, the father of the deceased, had sent him a note, requesting that he would. get a'Mtter from the young mattlwho had disappointed. deceased, and which she had forwarded to him, which would' disclOse some important tfilOgs. Now he (the Coroner) had the greatest possible desire to carry out any wish of Mr. Gandy is the matter, but he questioned how far it would. dO MM• a benefit to do sot because there might be things in that letter which shouldinot be stated if the poor creature was out of her mind: Besides, they could not take it' without hiS consent, because being sent and deliveredlO him, it was his property. He might be summoned as a witness, but they did not know how far those questions might wounds the feelings 'orthe relatives, to prevent which was all that they (the court) could now effect. The Coroner then called attention to the lega view of suicide, and read as follows the• note which had been produced,. and which was deposed to lieiug in the handwriting of the deceased :1— " My dear father,. forgive me the rash act l am about to commit. I cannot live in misery.. Adant-- will not come when he promised us.. He never performs it. Whenever I see him he treats me with lie greatest cruelty, and I have not had' a happy hour for the last two or three years. Never mind. Grieve net after me. I shall be far happier -in heaven. than beingin,tiiis world. All that I have to name is not toullow Ned to follow me to the grave. [Adam; the coroner- explained,. was her lover ; Ned, her brother.] The Almighty. will reward him for his conduct to me. Adieu;.fOr ever !-31.-GANny." A verdict was returnedlof "Suicide under-temporary insanity." One of • the • jurors flir some tine-refused to agree to the verdict,. on the. ground that if the deceased were mad, then all murderers wore; and also that it was very unlikely that a woman of the advaneed!age of 36 would turn insane through love; but he'eventnally gave way to the majority_