The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1835-04-03 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SINGULAR SUICIDE' BY POISON.  On Wednesday an inquisition was taken before Jas. Pownall,: Esq., one of theibailiffs,- and coroner for the -borough, on view. of.the body.ofiHenry Humphreys, a cart owner, who met with his deatlifby taking a quantity of arsenic, underthe following singular circurnstauces:— lir. R. G. Sheldon, druggist, residing on the west side of Vauxhall-read; stated thathe had known the deceased:for several years. .He was a cart-owner and resided with-his father, who keeps a provision shop in Chisenlialestreet,. Vauxhallroad. About ten o'clock on Monday night last, .a young man, then unknown to him, but whose name he had since learned to be Richard Thornton came. to the shop and asked for a pennyworth of arsenic to kill rats with. Witness refused to sell it him unless in the presence of a third.person. Thornton then said that it was for HerirysHumphreys, and witness told him that 'Humphreys must come himself. Th-oratou then went away, and in a few minutes returned with the deceased, who said "It is all right, I want the arsenic to kill rats with in our stable." Witness then served him with half an ounce of arsenic, for which he paid a penny. Deceased and Thornton then went away. Previous, however, to their going, deceased asked how he was to mie the arsenic, and witness told him either in meal ttt iii • fat. In about ten minutes after this, deceased and another young man 'came into, the shop, and the former observod that he was afraid the arsenic was not good, and asked if there wits any stronger in the shop; -Witness said that he had no other sort, and added that a less qusntity than a pinch would take any person's life away. In an hour afterwards Mrs. Humphreys, the mother of the deceased, came to the shop; and asked if 'witness had sold deceased any arsenic, and on hi 4 answering in the allirrnative, she replied, "My God, then he has taken it?' Witness then accompanied Mrs. Humphreys to her house, and, there saw the deceased. fie did not seem to ail anything more than being in a passion. Witness asked him if he had taken the arsenic; but he received no' answer. The young man who last came to witness's shop with deceased was -p-resent, and said that he believed deceased had not taken it, but bad thrown it under the fire grate in a public; house where he had been drinking. For fear deceased might have taken it, witness mixed an antidote for hint, but he refused to take it. Witness advised that a surgeon, should be sent for; but. in consequence of the young man before alluded to, a surgeon was not sent for. Witness then went home, and the next morning at eight o'clock his mother came and said that hirevai very ill, and she desired witness to go and see him; he did so; and found him cold, and apparently very ill. Deceased acknowledged that he had taken a small quantity of arsenic, and , ho was prevailed upon to take some of the antidote. Witness, then advised that Mr. Turner, the surgeon, should be sent for, which was done, and at nine o'clock the Caine night Mr. Turner called at witness's shop, and was informed of what had taken place. Mr. Turner, after seeing deceased, thought that he would not recover. Witneis administered the medicines that Mr. Turner prescribed, but the deceased died the same night at about eleven o'clock. Richard Thornton,, a baker, said that he met the deceased coming out of a public-house in Veuxhill4oid, about five o clock on Monday evening. They went to another public-house togea Cher, where they had four glasses of ale each, and then witness accompanied:the deceased to Union-street to see the mite of an American ship, and the mate went with them to Dale-street. The steward on the road to Dale-street informed the deceased that he could not have the situation of second steward to go to New Nark. Deceased seemed much disappointed, and when they arrived opposite Mr. Sheldon's door, on their way house, he desired witness to go in and purchase some arsenic, to kill the rats in the stable with. Deceased subsequently went in himself for the poison, and having received it put it in his pocket. Sarah Jones, the keeper of a public-house in Vauxhall-feed, said that the deceased frequented her house, and came in about half-past ten o'clock on Monday night last. He asked for a glass of ale. lie appeared to have a white powder on his mouth, something like flour. Witness asked bins what the flour was doing about his mouth, when he .answered with a stern voice Will it prove to ,be flour ?" D.iceased then went to. the door, and witness heard him vomiting. Ilesoon came in again, with apparently more flour .about his mouth, and he drank another glass of ale. He theu asked what his account was, and on being told said that he could not pay it, but his parents' would. lle-laid-hold of witnoss's hand, and saidehat he rtat-a dead man. He had a strange appearance, and witness serit'for his mother, and told her What had occurred, and she took him home.  Wtn. Humphreys, deceased's brother, said that the deceased was addicted to excessive drinking, and during• the last three weeks he hUd drank more than usual. He had 'for some time talked of a trip to New York. Mr. Wm. Turner, a surgeon, saidthattho deceased confessed to him that he had taken arsenic.. He examined the'stontach after death, and was of opinion that death was caused by inilammation and ulceration of the stomach, in consequence of taking arsenic.—Verdiet, insanity  THE TWO Fatcrios !—On Friday night, just before Lord John 4uspell' s reply to Sir R. Peel's inquiry as. to the character of,his motion for7.l!donday night, the. Marquis Wellesley was accommodated with a seat belp'w,,the bar, on the right of the Sergeant-at-Arrns's chair., While.there Mr. O'.Connell entered the house, and he and the marquis cordially,shnok hands, and afterwards eanyers,ed for some time.