The Sun. — 1862-06-06 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.  Yesterday Mr. Humphrey, coroner for Middlesex, held an inquest at the Elephant and Castle, Camden Town, on the body of Gaetano do Lauretes, aged 40, an Italian, who committed suicide by swallowing a quantity of sulphate of ether, under most extraordinary circumstances. Ellen Butler said she resided with deceased at 5, Charlotte-street, Fitzroy-square. He was a professor of music. On Tuesday morning he went out in company with a person who called upon him, and returned about twelve o'clock, when he was accompanied by the man he went away with and two others, and who followed him up to his apartment. Deceased appeared much agitated, and after getting some papers witness suddenly saw him put a bottle to his mouth. She rushed towards him, and screamed, as she believed, for a doctor. Deceased replied to her in Italian, "It is too late," and died almost immediately. Deceased was very excited and depressed, being in a state of fear and in great pecuniary difficulty. She believed what he had taken to be sulphate of ether, which be used in photography. Mr. John Shaen, solicitor, of Bedford-row, said he had been instructed to institute criminal proceeding against the deceased and another man, on account of being charged with forging the signatures of some of the ministers of the King of Italy, with a view to obtain money. He alleged that the Italian Government owed him large sums of money, and that these forged documents were authority for receiving it. lie was traced to his lodgings in Charlotte-street, and was on the morning of his death brought to his (Mr, Shaeu's) office. lie said if he would allow him to return to his lodgings he would produce some important papers which would prove  that he was not so bad- as had been made out. Witness accompanied him, with the other parties, to Charlotte-street, and went up with him to his room. He went to a cupboard and took out some papers, which he sealed up, and then went back apparently for more. Having handed the papers to witness he turned round, and witness's attention was attracted by the scream of the previous witness, and on looking, as she rushed up and clasped him round the neck, witness observed him take a bottle from his mouth. She called for a doctor, and he said in Italian, "Too late, too late !" He staggered back to the bed, she still clinging to him. He gave one or two gasps and fell back apparently lifeless. Witness sent for a doctor instantly. There was a strong smell of ether. Mr. G. H. Wildbore, surgeon, of 2, Charlottestreet, Fitzroy-square, said when he arrived he found deceased dead. The phial produced had contained sulphate of ether. He had made a post mortem examination, and found the lungs congested, and had no doubt that the sulphate of ether was the cause of death. There was no case on record of a death having resulted from sulphate of ether, and therefore it was impossible to state with accuracy what quantity would produce it. The first witness was recalled, and said the bottle when she saw it was about a quarter full, and Mr. Wildbore gave it as his opinion that that was quite enough. The jury ultimately returned a verdict " That the deceased destroyed himself in a moment of aberration of intellect, arising from apprehensions of arrest on a charge of a criminal nature."