The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1842-05-17 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.—An inquest was held yesterday before H. Statham, Esq., deputy coroner, on view of the body of Mr. Joseph Horn, tobacco and snuff mauufacturer, Penrith, who put a period to his existence on Saturday last, at the Royal Hotel, in this town, by taking prussic acid. It appeared that the deceased had been in the habit of frequently visiting Liverpool for the last four or five years, and arrived here on Tuesday last. He was observed to be very much depressed in spirits, so much so that the waiter at the inn considered his mind was affected. On Thursday he purchased at Mr. Bradford's, chemist, Oldhaymarket, four ounces of prussic acid, saying, that it was for a dyer at Penrith, that article, as was known to the assistant in the shop, being used in the business of dyeing. This, however, did not satisfy Mr. Bradford's young man, who told the unfortunate deceased that he could not give it him unless he brought some respectable person who could testify to the truth of the statement. This was accordingly done, and the poison was given to Mr. Horn, who took it to the hotel, and sometime in the course of Saturday, he accomplished his purpose. When discovered at eight o'clock on the evening of that day by one of the Waiters, who went up to see why he did not return from his room, he was quite dead; and from the evidence of the surgeon (Mr. Cripps) is appeared he had expired five or six hours before. The poison was contained in four bottles, only one of which the deceased had taken, the remaining three being found in a portmanteau by his bedside. It did not transpire that tire deceased was at all embarrassed in his circumstances, but his father, who was present at the inquest, deposed that in February last, he sustained a very severe fall, which injured him very seriously, and since then his father stated that he had observed his son's manner was very different to what it had been previously, and from his vehement conversation and singular conduct at many periods lately he (the father) had no doubt his son was subject to aberration of mind. The jury returned a verdict of " temporary insanity." The deceased was only thirty-eight years of age.  GRAND FETE AT THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS  The spirited proprietor of our Zoological Gardens has prepared a splendid treat for the sight-seeing people, during the present holiday time, by the production of " The Roman Festa,"—a representation of the illumination of San Angelo, and tire-works, annually exhibited during the Carnival at Rome. We had the pleasure of being present at its first public exhibition last night; and, although we have seen the same representation during last summer at the Surrey Zoological Gardens, we can affirm without hesitation, that it was— (putting out of view the unevenness and want of precision natural in the first display of an exhibition of such magnitude)—superior in effect to that produced by the proprietors of the metropolitan gardens.  It would be folly In us to attempt, at such a late hour as that in which we write, a description of the scenery and effect of this splendid effort. Certain we are, however, that ❑o view of the original itself—the City of Seven Hills—as illuminated by the most lavish of its popes, could be procured, which would shadow more completely to the mind's eye the whole of the magnificent reality than that presented by the labours of the artist and his talented assistants. As a day scene, even representing Modern Rome, with the town and bridge of San Angelo—the Tiber, with its crowd of pleasure barges at anchor upon its bosom—the magnificent structure of St. Peter's beyond, with the palace of the pope on the right, and the streets and dwellings of Rome crowded in panoramic view around, and the blue hills mingling with the distant horizon, the effect is inimitable ; and from the excellence of the perspective, the spectator would imagine that it extended over some hundred yards of land, in addition to the limits of the garden itself. When illuminated, however, and presenting to the spectator the dome of St. Peter's in a blaze of lamps, whilst myriads of lights shine forth from the buildings beneath, the effect is magical. The superaddtion of the fireworks which are discharged from the dome of St. Angelo, from the bridge and from the craft in the river, and the illumination of the streets by yellow, white, and red fire, is magnificent ; and called forth, last night, from one of the most numerous assemblages we ever witnessed at these gardens, the most rapturous applause. The gardens themselves are in most beautiful order, and afforded the greatest pleasure to the visitors who had retired from the dusty world to enjoy their freshness. The excellent brass band of Mr. Stubbs performed several enlivening airs during the evening.