The Sun. — 1850-12-17 (London, England)

SUICIDE OF MR. GEORGE SPENCE Q.C., OF THE CHANCERY BAR. Yesterday, at eleven o'c'ock, Nr. Wakley, M.P., coroner for Middlesex, and a jury of highly respectable inhabitants of the parish of Paddington, assembled at the late residence of Mr. Ge( rge e, Q.C., 42, Hyde-park-square, for the purpose of inquiring into the circumstances attending the death of that gentle. man, which took place on Thursday last under the melancholy circumstances disclosed in the following evidence :  The jury having viewed the remains of the unfortunate gentleman, Henry Payne was first called—He said he was a footman in the service of the deceased, and was present at his death, which took place about twenty minutes past two o'clock on Thursday last. Witness was roused up about a quarter past two on the morning of the Tuesday previous by the lady's maid, who came to the door of his room and said that something had happened to her master. Witness got up directly and went to Mr. Spence's bedroom, at the door of which he was met by Mrs. Spence, who desired him to go immediately for medical assistance. Witness went for Dr. Mackenzie and Mr. Squibb, the family medical attendant. Dr. Mackenzie arrived first, and Mr. Squibb came very shortly afterwards. Witness had lived with the deceased two years and eight months; was aware that his master had suffered from spasms for a long time, and that he had not slept well lately. Tee deceased s'ept in a room by himself, Mrs. Spence occupying the adjoining apartment. Mr. Squibb bad attended the deceased every day for the last month, and had sometimes seen him twice a day. During that period the deceased slept worse and worse, was constantly low spirited, and frequently said that he should never get over his complaint. Witness went into his master's bedroom about five o'clock on Tuesday morning, and then saw the bedclothes deluged with blood. Witness had never observed anything extraordinary or strange in his master's manner except the lowness of spirits, to which he had already alluded, and this he always supposed to have arisen from the deceased's sufferings. Mr. Spence was 63 years of age. Anne Lancaster, lady's maid, said she bad lived in the service of the family for 14 years. On Tuesday morning, shortly after two o'clock, Mrs. Spence came into witness's room and told her that Mr. Spence had destroyed himself. Witness went immediately to the deceased's room, and saw her master lying upon the bed, which was covered with blood. The deceased was sensible, and addressing witness said, "Anne, my sufferings were greater than I could bear." Medical assistance was sent for directly, as described by the footman. 'Witness had never seen her master do anything which could induce her to think him of unsound mind. She was, however, aware that he had been very low-spirited lately, and that he had complained more than he was accustomed to do of internal pain and palpitation of the heart.  In reply to a question from one of the jury as to bow Mrs. Spence became aware of what had happened to her husband, the witness explained that the deceased had knocked against the wall, which was his usual signal when be wanted Mrs. Spence. Mr. F. W. Mackenzie, of Chester-place, Hydepark, said he was called in to see the deceased shortly alter two o'clock on Tuesday morning. He found the unfortunate gentleman in a state of collapse, with wounds of an incised character on both sides of the neck, on the thigh, and on both wrists. The chief hemorrhage was from the wounds in the neck. The deceased was rational and collected when witness saw him. He said he had been in a very desponding state previously, and had inflicted the wounds upon himself while in a fit of despondency. He added, that it was useless to adopt means to save him, as he felt that his life could not be preserved. Witness did all that was necessary, and remained with the deceased until Mr. Squibb arrived. Mr. George James Squibb, surgeon, of Orchardstreet, said—He saw the deceased between three and four on Tuesday morning. He was then in a state of extreme depression arising from excessive haemorrhage. Dr. Mackenzie was present when witness arrived. On seeing witness the deceased said, " You see what a dreadful thing I have done. I am pleased I have been punished in this world, and I hope I shall escape hereafter." The deceased never rallied, and died on Thursday from exhaustion and loss of blood. Witness saw the deceased on the Monday, and he then appeared more calm than usual. He had long been labouring under the delusion that he had a disease of the urethra or bladder. He had none whatever. He was perfectly sound in those organs and had no symptoms of such a disease. The deceased had told witness that his father had died of such a malady, and he believed that such would be his own fate. This delusion had produced great despondency of mind—a feeling which he could not surmount. After he had inflicted the wounds upon himself this delusion continued with unabated force and pervaded his mind to the last. It mas quite clear that the death of the unfortunate gentleman had arisen from exhaustion produced by the wounds. There being no other evidence. The Coroner said, the facts of the case appeared to have been so clearly proved by the witnesses who had been called that the jury would probably consider it unnecessary to subject the widow of the deceased to the pain and anxiety of giving her testimony. After adverting to the delusion under which the deceased had been labouring for a long time past, and also to his own statement when first seen after having inflicted the wounds, that the act had been done in a fit of despondency, the Coroner said he thought the jury would have no difficulty in arriving at the conclusion that the deceased had destroyed himself at a moment when he was not accountable for his actions. The jury concurred without hesitation in the view taken by the coroner, and returned a verdict to the following effect :—" That the death of the said George Spence was caused by exhaustion arising from loss of blood by and from certain wounds in his neck and divers parts of his body, and that the said wounds were inflicted by himself while in an unsound state of mind."  The deceased gentleman was very much respected at the bar and in his private circle. He has left one son and one daughter.