The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1833-06-04 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SUICIDE OF A WEST INDIA MERCHANT-7 Wednesday morning, at ten o'clock, an inquest was holden at the Blue Posts TaVern, in Charlotte-street,- Fitzroy-square, before Mr. Stirling and a jury of respectable inhabitants, uponview of the body of Duncan 'Brown, Esq., a West India merchant, and recently arrived in this country, who destroyed himself in a very•extraordivary manner on Tuesday morning last. Mr. Cydwellyn Ellis, of 24, Charlotte-street, surgeon, deposed that on Tuesday morning, about half-past seven o'clock, he was called to the deceased at his residence, No. 59;Upper Charlottestreet, and found him in bed in a dying state. On examining the deceased, witness found a deep wound in the left arm, about an inch above the elbow. The- bed-clothes were saturated with blood, and a chamber utensil was on the bed; and it appeared to witness that the, deceased had held his arm over it atter inflicting the wound. The utensil contained about, 51b. of blood. Witness tried restoratives, but the deceased was too far gone, and he died in about an hour from loss of blood. He was too much exhausted to speak when witness first saw him. A razor was found on the bed, under the left side of the deceased. William Pitman, of No. 58, Upper Charlotte-street, lodginghouse keeper, deposed that the deceased engaged apartments at his house on, the 22d'inst. 'Witness had no previous knowledge of him. The deceased brought with him his wife and four children, and two native servants, a man and a woman. In agreeing with witness as to the rent of thd apartinents, the deceased said that in all probability he should remain in them several months. On Tuesday morning, soon after seven o'clock, witness heard a violent screaming in the house, and ran up to Mr. Brown's sleeping apartment, on the first floor, and found him in bed, and the sheets soaked in blood. Mrs. Brown and the children were in a state bordering on distraction. Witness was informed that Mr. Blown slept alone, his wife and children sleeping. in an upper apartment, and that the youngest son, a boy of seven or eight years, went into the room that moruing, as was, his custom, to ask how his papa did, and receiving no answer he pulled the clothes aside, and seeing the blood, ran up stairs and said " there was something the matter with his papa, for he was bleeding." Mrs. Brown ran down stairs and found her husband in the state described, and screamed loudly for help. Witness went instantly for a surgeon. Thesleceased appeared to be about 50 years of age. He was not in good health, and I remarked it to him, and he said '° I am not well, but I shall soon get better now I am come to England." Mr. John Langley, of No. 36, Tottenham-street, Tottenhamcourt-road, surgeon, stated that he was called in, and found the deceased in a dying state, and while engaged in examining hint recognized him as the same person who had applied to him on the previous Friday for an ounce of laudanum. Witness told him he hoped he would excuse his refusing to supply him with that quantity, for he made it a strict rule never to serve more than what he knew would not produce serious consequences. He replied that witness need not fear his having it, as he was in the habit of taking it every night. Witness, however, still persisted in his refusal to supply an ounce, and gave him one drachm and a half, which was sufficient for three doses, telling him that at the end of three nights he could come again and procure the same quantity. He walked very lame, and witness asked him if he was paralytic, and he said no, but that he had great weakness in his limbs. The Coroner.—Did it seem to you that there was any thing remarkable in the manner of the deceased? Mr. Langley.—lt struck me, Sir, that there was a remarkable degree of anxiety and despondency in his countenance, and I communicated that opinion to my family immediately after he was gone. He requested my card, which I gave him, and I saw no More of him till I was called in on Tuesday morning. Upon mentioning to Mrs. Brown the application of the deceased to me for laudanum, she told me he had never been in the habit of taking it, and the first she knew of that circumstance was from having seen my card; which was found in his pocket. The Coroner.—l am very glad, Sir, to find that some gentlemen of the medical profession act with such commendable caution. Your conduct is highly praiseworthy. The Jury joined in complimenting Mr. Langley. Mr. Peter Cosgrave, surgeon, of 14, Surrv-street, Strand. deposed, that the deceased Was under his care about 4 or 5 years ago, when he came home from the West Indies in ill health from dropsy. When he returned home this last time he sent for witness to attend him. Witness observed a great difference in his mental faculties from what he had observed formerly. He was labouring under a very severe form of universal dropsy, but such was the state of his mind that witness could scarely fix his.attention to his disease. He was continually reverting to the state of his affairs, and spoke almost incessantly upon the West India question. It wilt perhaps be considered merely conjectural on my part (continued Mr. Cosgrave), .but I should say that from his mind being in so agitated a state, and his disease so extensive, he was unable to withstand the shock which suds a letter as the one which was found in hjs desk from his agent at Glasgow (Mr. Thompson), must have produced upon hint. That letter stated that he (Mr. Thompson) had stopped the sailing of one of his ships, and it also contained a refusal to make some remittances, which it appeared were expected by the deceased. Mr. Patrick Cruikshank, of No. 8, Cornwall-terrace, sworn. —I am a West India merchant. The coroner here produced a letter which had been handed to him by Hutchings, the beadle, and which was found in the deceased's pocket, and Mr. Cruishank deposed that it .was in Pthe haudwriting of the deceased. The letter was then read by the coroner; the following is a copy " Dear Barclay,—l cannot bear the result of your letter.— My health is very bad. .I cannot bear to see my family neg. lected. You are one of my best and oldest friends. I made my will before I left the West Indies. You are one of my executors, pray act and do the best you can for my family.. God bless you. "DtsitlAN