The Workman's Advocate. — 1866-02-03 (London, England)

SUICIDE OF A FRENCH GENTLEMAN AND HIS MOTHER. Nine weeks ago a French gentleman applied for furnished apartments at 2, Norfolk-road, Paddington, stating that he and his mother desired a drawing-room floor and a bedroom, and added that he was a French nobleman, who, from political motives, had been compelled to leave his country. The landlady of the house, Mrs. Connor, asked for references, which were given, and which comprised the names of some of the high dignitaries of the Roman Catholic Church, and the inquiries having proved satisfactory, the apartments were let to the Frenchman and his mother at 255. per week. Since then several weeks elapsed, when the landlady found that she need not expect any rent from her lodgers, and she further discovered that the Frenchman and his mother were living in a state of eemi-starvation ; that, notwithstanding they were in the habit of constantly receiving visitors, the majority of whom came in their carriages, very little food came into the house for them. Last week Mrs. Connor gave her lodgers notice to quit, the said notice to take effect on Thursday, the 25th. The gentleman asked her the latest hour, he shotild be• allowed to remain, and he was told that he and his mother might stop until eight o'clock on the Thursday evening. He then informed his landlady that on the day in question , he should be certain to receive some money from , France, through his friend the French consul in London, when he would pay her for all rent due. In I the interim the Frenchman wrote a great many letters, but received very few in return. At half-past eight o'clock on Thursday night Mrs. Connor went upstairs to inquire the reason why her lodgers had not left, and on knocking several times at the door and receiving no ans wer she concluded they had gone to bed; out as she was going downstairs the old lady came out of the room and said it would be all right on the following morning. At ten o'clock next morning Mrs. Connor again went to the door of the rooms occupied by her lodgers, and after knocking for several minutes and receiving no answer she became alarmed, and sent for the police. Sergeant Hawtree, 1 X, was speedily On the spot, and he effected an entry into the room by way of the back window. From what he saw he sent for Inspector Egerton, and they found the Frenchman and his mother suspended by cords from the opposite ends of the window cornice roller, and both of them quite dead. The Frenchman was suspended by a piece of window cord, and the mother had hung herself with a small rope pulled from the bed sacking. Therelvere indications showing that after the nooses were affixed both mother and son stood on a high footstool at the centre of the window, and threw themselves off simultaneously; at that moment the end of the cornice pole, which suspended the mother, splintered, which caused a depression at the other end, the consequence being that the feet of both parties touched the ground; but so determined were they to commit suicide that both of them drew up their legs and thus consummated their purpose. With their legs bent in this wise they were found by the inspector, who at once sent for Mr. J. S—Beale, of Porteous-road, the police surgeon for the X Division, who pronounced that life had been extinct several hours. On a sofa near the window was fosmd•on one end the Frenchman's coat, cravat, and collar, and on the end the woman's cap and silk ribbon. On an adjacent table were several articles of antique jewellery, evidently heirlooms, and letters from several English and French .noblemen. Close to where they lay were two sheets marked with ink in large letters. One was marked "This for myself," the other "This for my mother." On the table was found the following letter:—  Mrs. Connor,—You are a Christian and a Catholic, therefore you will know how to fulfil the last prayers of a dying woman,and that it is a holy duty. My beloved son and myself are just going to die; we ask from you to look over that, and see that our dress is not taken from us, and that my son's false lag (the gentleman wore a cork leg) be not taken from him. I have prepared two pieces of bed sheets, and I Wished us to be wrapped in them, all drested. I also wish you to take care we are both placed in the same grave. My beloved son has struggled against his enemies with a courage that a good conscience alone can give. We have suffered a great many humiliations and privations, and we have been consenting to bear such sufferings so long as our religious feelings would permit us. God does know our thoughts and consciences. He will forgive us. We shall pray Him for you for what you fI3AV not. Do by yourself what I ask from you; take care that it is done. I thank you for your kindness to us in our misfortune, and I regret the trouble we are giving you now; but I wished to die here. I leave to you, line a reward, eight cards (pawnbrOkers' duplicates) of very good clothes. They are in for £8; their value is indeed thirty guineas. I had not had the means to give something to the .man who has rendered to us some -service, aaid who in this last moment will have something to do. I leave hire all the clothes of my son. I speak of what 'give to you, because I am persuaded that . . . Ido not know; but I think our property in your house has been a security'for our expenses up to this time. You may have the two hats of my son's, but burn all which you consider should be thrown. away. .For a long time I have seen my son suffering and slowly dying. God only knoweth all the torments of my soul. I pray you again to do all that; God will bless you. A. DE