Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1883-01-06 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE SUICIDE OF A DOCTOR.  EXTRAORDINARY PROCEEDINGS. The funeral of Dr. Edwards& who died at Hounslow on Wednesday week from the effects of poison, took place on Tuesday morning at Heston Cemetery with full military honours, and in the presence of an immense concourse of spectators. The deceased gentleman was a lieutenant of the Bth Middlesex Rifle Volunteers, and a large number of the officers and men of the regiment attended the funeral, together with many of the local gentry and influential residents of the town. Evidently the unfortunate doctor was highly respected by his fellow-townsmen. The excitement consequent on the tragic affair has not diminished, and the evidence to be adduced on Thursday at the adjourned enquiry is awaited with much impatience. The private residence at Hounslow of Dr. Whitmarsh, Dr. Edwardes's partner, outside which a serious disturbance took place on Monday night, presented on Tuesday morning a sorry spectacle, and the lower windows are now barricaded. His vaccination office in the centre of the town, also is wrecked. A correspondent, telegraphing from Hounslow on Tuesday, flays :—A remarkable ebullitionof public feeling witnessed at Hounslow last night against Dr. Whitmarsh, consequent upon the'sad death of Dr. Edwardes, his partner, is shown by later details to have been even a more serious affair than was at first supposed. The crowd, according to the police authorities, mustered fully four thousand people, and was mainly composed of respectable residents of Hounslow and district. It was soon after seven when the attack on Dr. Whitmarsh's residence • was commenced, and it was nearly midnight when the tumult i ceased. In fact, t was fully two o'clock in the morning before order was reestablished. Scarcely a window escaped being broken with stones, and to-day the front of the house presents a thoroughly wrecked appearance. The surgery belonging to the doctor. and Situate in the High-street, was attacked in a similar manner, and met with the same fate. The doctor's carriage in the stables at the rear of the premises was dragged ont by the crowd, overturned in the roadway, and the windows smashed. Indeed, but for the timely arrival of the police, the exasperated crowd would have broken the carriage to pieces. At the time when the residence of the doctor in StaMesroad was attacked only the servants employed on the premises were in the house, the doctor and his family having previously left Hounslow. The local police found themselves utterly powerless to quell the riot, and subsequently a reinforcement had to be summoned from Brentford to the spot. Two lads were apprehended for throwing stones, but so strong is the feeling in the district against Dr. Whitmarsh that the cost of the defence is being publicly subscribed. Much excitement still prevails." A correspondent of the Pell Ifell Ger...oe writes:—" The cause of this extra.ordinaryloutburst of popular antipathy is not far to seek. Daring the short period for which he lived at Hounslow Dr. Edwardes succeeded in becoming one of the most popular men in the place. He was, it is said,most devoted to his profession, and exceedingly attentive to the poorer class of patients. He became a partner in Dr. Whitmarsh's practice a little more than twelve months ago. Previously he had been in partnership with Dr. Andrews, of Oakleysquare, and he decided to settle at Hounslow, much against the advice of his eldest brother, who is also in the medical profession. For his share of Dr. Whitmarsh's practice Mr Edwardes paid £l,