The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1825-09-21 (London, England)

DREADFUL SUICIDE.  On Alonelay evening a Coroner's Inquest was held at the Bricklayers' Arms, Gresse-street, Rathbone-place, on the body of Frances Darnell, the wife of a green-grocer, residing in the same street.  It appeared from the evidence, that about a week previous to last Friday, the deceased had sent a servant out with one of her chil. dren, to carry some damsons to Carmarthen-street, Tottenham Court.road, who, staying much longer than was necessary, alarmed the deceased, who sent a person out in search of the child, but not succeeding, she went herself, and found the servant quite drunk,' and the child in the arms of a barrow.woman, in the street. She returned home with the child, but in consequence of the fright was taken ill, and never recovered ; she complained very much of her head, and had medical assistance ; leeches were applied to her temples, and she appeared better, but in two or three days relapsed, and became worse each succeeding day, talking wildly and Incoherently about her children and her affairs. On Friday last she again had leeches applied to her temples. On the morning of that day the deceased met one of the lodgers in the house' as she was I returning from a vault below to her room, and told her she had had a very dreadful night, and been in a deranged state—that she must leave her home and run away for she was not able to attend to her concerns and her children. fin the morning of the same day a washerwoman had come to work for the deceased—she was a stranger, and had never worked for her before—who found it difii. cult to get either materials or instructions from the deceased as to what she was to do or begin upon, and remarked the strange. ness of her behaviour ; front eight &clock in the morning until half-past six in the evening it was visible to every person in the house that the deceased was not right in her mind, about which time she was missed. Search was made for her, and some of the lodgers and the washerwoman went into the street to look for her, but not finding her, returned, and it was suggested by one of the lodgers that the cellar should be searched. The husband of the deceased went down for that purpose; but, it being the dusk of the evening, and having no light, he slid not discover her. Shortly afterwards two female lodgers in the house went down with a light, and, in the vault where the privy is situate, they saw the boards of the seat tons off, and discovered the foot and ancle of the deceased just above the top. They gave an alarm, and the husband of the deceased, and a man lodging In the house, extricated her. A stir. geon was sent for, and attended, and every means tried to restore her, but she was quite dead. On washing the filth from her head and neck, it was discovered that she bad cut her throat, and, on searching the privy, a razor was found. The wound inflicted was but small, and, in the opinion of the surgeon, would not have caused her death, which had been produced by suffocation in the vault of the privy. It is a singular circumstance that the place where the washer. woman stood to do ber work was within two yards of the vault in which the deed was perpetrated, but she heard co kind of noise that in the least attracted her attention. So very quiet had the deceased been in the execution of the fatal deed, that no person in the house I had the slightest idea of the circumstance. The vault is under the foot-pavement, and so dark that no person could with safety ap. hroach the privy, which is at the tar end, without a light ; a more orrible place cannot be well imagined, the dungeon of a prison not , excepted. The corpse of the unfortunate woman, a sight truly terrilic, was in a state of decomposition, and as much discoloured as if it had been painted black. After a patient and lung investigation the Jury returned a verdict of " Insanity."  A great sensation was excited in Gulston-square and its vicinity by the death of Mr. Aaron Cohen, a wealthy merchant, of the Jewish persuasion, who on Sanday morning committed selfdestruction. l'lte mind of the above unfortunate gentleman had been for a long time past depressed and agitated, caused, it is said, by the unexpected death some time since of an only child. resterday evening an inquisition was taken on his remains at the Coach and Horses Tavern, Gulston-street, when the following were the details given as accounting for his death : Mr. 'Benjamin Bitch, a surgeon,, residing in 3lansel-street, stated, that he was an attendant on the deceased for the last 36 years. On Sunday morning, at eight o'clock, his assistance was requited. On reaching his house he found the deceased lying on the ground, and, as he understood, just taken out of a water. cistern. He was inanimate, and every effort used for resuscitation was useless. Mr. Cohen hail for some time been in a low desponding state of mind, and about six years since was under the super. inteniance of a keeper. Harriet Allen, a servant-maid of the deceased, said, that on' Sunday morning, about six o'clock, she heard the deceased coming down stairs, bat this she did not particularly remark, as she thought be was, as usual, going to the Synagogue ; in two hours afterwards she went into the yard, and discovered the deceased in the cistern. He appeared to have gone in head foremost, as his legs protruded in front of it. She with assistance immediately removed him, and sent for medical aid. She lived with the deceased for two years, and during the ,thole of that time he was of unsound mine.  Mr. Moses Barnet stated, that he resided next door to the deceased. On an alarm being given by the last witness he went to her assistance, and they took the deceased from the cistern. He was quite dead at the time. The Coroner recapitulated the evidence, and the Jury returned a verdict of " Suicide, committed while labouring under temporary derangement."