The Express. — 1867-02-04 (London, England)

THE SUICIDE OF A GENTLEMAN IN SALISBURY-SQUARE.  INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.) At 11 o'clock this forenoon, Mr. W. J. Payne, the Deputy Coroner for the City, held an inquiry at Watson s Hotel, Salisbury-square, respecting the death of Mr. William Davenport. Sophia Paulette said that she was employed at the Salisbury Hotel, Salisbury-square. The deceased came to the hotel on Thursday night. She showed him to by room on the second floor of the hotel. It Waa a back room, but it overlooked the yard. It was • considerable height from the ground. The room was lighted by one window. He brought a considerable quantity of lugger. with him. He came at 6 o'clock. At 10.30 he edledWi. ness, and saw her on the landing outside his dour. He said, " A lady has been confined in the room opp,aite to mine against her will. The doctor will not let let out. He has muffled her mouth. I knew the doctor abroad:, That statement was • pure fiction, but witness listened to him. He then asked for some 'ceders. but witness said that it was against the rides of the hotel to have matches. If be wanted • light the night porter should let him have one if he called. fie asked for matches twice. A gentleman slept in the room opposite to the de. ceased. He was asleep. There was no lady in the moo. The deceased was quite calm when he made the statement. He pushed at the gentleman's door and tried to open it. Witness then called the porter. The deceased then west into bed again. He did not come down stairs the next morning. Witness heard at a little after 12 o'clock that he had leaped from the window. Richard Sexton said that he was porter at the hotel. He heard the deceased talking to the last witness, via was one of the housemaids at the hotel He was pita calm and collected in his manner. Witness put the gy out. He did not become exalted. The next day witness was told that a gentleman was going to commit suicide. He went out into the yard and saw the demand sitting outside the window of his roam. Both of his legs were outside the window, sad he was seated on the window-ledge. The head pew brought • mattress and threw it out into the back yard is break the deceased's fall. Witness then heard a nu. He knew it was the deceased. He was striking his hyay ►gainst one of the window sills in hit fall. Witness then saw the deceased falling through the air. When be wss in the air he was falling on his beck. His legs were straight out. When be fell his head was struck son* the stones of the pavement, and his legs tell on the mattress. He was killed instantly. The police and the manager, Mr. Lewis, came and had the deceased removed. A juror asked the witness why he did not tell the ma. nager of the conversation that the deceased had had with the chambermaid the previous night. The first witness, Sophia Paulette, replied, and said that she had told the chambermaid of it, and when she heard shout the lady, she said, " Oh, gentlemen my curious things sometimes." The hotel manager was not aware of it. Among other witnesses, was Mr. John Davenport, who said that the deceased ins his brother. He was 32 years of age. Witness had not sem him for six years. He had been in Buenas Apes, in tooth America. He had been ill while he was abroad. He was a general merchant in South America. He said that the rivers there had affected his health. lie was attacked with brain fever while he was out in South America. He was not an exciteable man- The revolver found in the room had been sent out to the deceased by witness when he was in America. The statement about the lady was a pure fiction. He returned to England about a fortnight ago. He was not married. There was nothing in his letters to show that his weld was affected. He had not been disappointed in love. Witness did not know of any other witness who could throw any further light upon his brother's suicide. The Coroner having summed up, The jury returned a verdict of " Suicide whilst is a state of temporary insanity."