Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1881-03-19 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

SUICIDE AT AN HOTEL.  On Saturday, Mr. Paine, the Southwark and City of London Coroner, held an enquiry at the St. John's Vestry-hall, Horselydown, touching the death of Mr. E. Turner, a gentleman of independent means, lately residing in London at Melbourne-grove, Dulwich, who committed suicide at the Terminus Hotel, Londonbridge, under the following circumstances.  On Tuesday in last week he left the residence of his son-in-law with the avowed intention of going to Manchester, but on the following morning a post card was received from him, stating that he had lost his train, and his return would, therefore, be delayed till Friday. He appears then to have gone to the Terminus Hotel, London-bridge, and taken apartments for the night. He was seen several times during the evening, and finally left the smoking-room between twelve and one a.m. and retired to his bedroom. Nothing was seen or heard of him on the next day (Wednesday), until one of the chambermaids, having tried the door several times and found it locked, opened it with her pass-key shortly before eight p.m. She discovered the deceased stretch at full length upon the floor in a pool of blood, with only hii trousers and shirt on. His head was resting upon a pillow, and a revolver was in his right hand. She at once gave the alarm, and upon the arrival of Dr. Larkin, it was found that he had shot himself through the roof of the mouth with a Colt's revolver. The bullet was discovered between the scalp and the bone of the skull.  The medical evidence was to the effect that death had taken place some 18 or 20 hours before the deceased was discovered, and that the injuries were selfi nfi ict,pd. The coroner elicited that no one in the hotel heard the report of a pistol, and that the probable cause for the act was that the deceased had been suffering from symptoms Which threatened a paralytic stroke, of which he was in constant dread. He had also lately shown great irritability on account of the failure of some negotiations which would have enabled him to start again in business.  The -coroner having summed up the case, the jury returned a verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity."  There were 2,831 births and 1,590 deaths registered in London last week. Allowing for tncrease of population, the births exceeded by 106, while the deaths were 16E below, the average number in the corresponding week of .the last ten years. The annual death-rate from all causes, which Wad been equal to a• .6. and UV per 1,000 in the two preceding weeks, was 72'4.  The shipments of wheat from America to Europe during the put week amounted to 319,000 quarters, of which 199,000 were for the United Kingdom and 120,000 for the Continent; and of maize to 212,500 quarters, of which 152,500 were for the United Kingdom. To the same destination were also shipped 115,000 sacks of flour. The visible supply of wheat in the United States is now 24,400,000 bushels, and of maize 15,700,000 bushels.  The Local Government Board has issued a Circular to the Sanitary Authorities throughout the country, suggesting that special precautions should be Wren in regard to foreign pork and bacon, with a view to Id the disease of trichinosis, of the present existence of which in Great Britain the Board has no information. The report says :—" The only known means of avoiding diseases in man from this dangerous quality of meat from pigs is by very thorough and efficient cooking. If there is reason for thinking a particular sample of meat to contain the parasites, it ought not on any account to be eaten, no matter bow it is cooked." No information has reached the Local Government Board of the existence of trichinosis in any part of Great Britain. Attention is called to Sections 116-119 of the Public Health Act, 1875, relating to unwholesome meat, which the Inspectors are enjoined to use special vigilance to cam oat.