The Sun. — 1824-12-24 (London, England)

CORONERS' INQUESTS.  DREADFUL SUICIDE. Yesterday, at noon, an Inquest was held at the sign of the Albany Arms, in the Albany-road, Camberwell, before C. J. JEMMETT, Esq. on the body of Captain Dennis Butler, aged 89, who put a period to his existence on Monday last, by shooting himself through the head. The Jury, after being sworn, proceeded to the house of the deceased, No., 4, in the Albany-crescent, and viewed the body, which had been moved from the posture in which it was discovered after the eh catastrophe;ds ,d t beenhatt haeequ thea acquainted featuresot l only iavdti visible bnt the eear dpg e a fatal act, and placed in a coffin. Some. of the Jurymen, who acransvetericyeinloi baying come by a violent death was, the oozing of a small htftl Istehl icefhetati iennegiceea, ss re ne race: the hyk quantity of blood from the mouth. Captain Butler, It apPenred, had retired many years from the service, was living in the bosom of his family, anti was greatly respected by all who were acquainted with him. Richard Nottingham, Esq. the first witness examined, deposed, that he had for many years been acquainted with the deceased and his family. On Monday evening last, about halfpast seven o'clock, he called at the deceased's house for the purpose of taking tea with the family: On approaching the iron railings in front of the house, be was surprised upon seeing the Captain standing there.- Witness expressed his surprise, , saying," Captain Roder, you should not be here exposing yon self to the night air ; had you not better walk into the house?" To this the deceased replied, that he was exceedingly unwell, and that lie wished "to' remain there for a little time. Witness here said, that on this occasion he perceived something very extraordinary in the manner of the deceased, who subsequently appeared not to know him, and when Witness mentioned his name, the deceased said, in a hurried tone, " Oh, ay, its you--go in and take tea, and I shall follow you immediately.' Witness ,went into the house, and saw Capt. Butler's daughter, to wham he mentioned his fears respecting the state of mind in which her father appeared. At this moment the deceased entered the parlour, but soon withdrew, saying, that he wanted tag° up stairs to his bed-room. In less than a minute after his departure, wjtness, while sitting. in the parlour, heard the report of a piste', upon which he instantly ran up stairs to the front bed-room, and saw Captain Butler lying stretched on his back on the bed, and a pistol, which had the appearance of having been recently discharged,' lying at his side. Blood was issuing fromhis nose and mouth in great quantities. Thedeceased, lie added, appeared to be quite dead. The witness then proceeded to state the dreadful affliction in which the deceased's family were thrown into in consequenco of the shocking event. Wells, the Albany-road patrol, deposed, that on Monday night, about half-past six o'clock, as lie was going his rounds, in passing Mr. Norton's house, which is next to that of Captain Butler, he observed the deceased come out of that gentleman's house. He followed witness, and said,," Is that you, ll'ells?" Witness replied in the affirmative. • The Captain then said, " Wells, have you got a pinch or two of. gunpowder about you ?" Witness told him that he had not get any then about him, but that he had plenty at home. The deceased desired him to fetch a little. Witness then proceeded on, and in about ten minutes afterwards the deceased came to .him and sr", " Wells, why you have forgot me; let me have two or dire pinches of powder, it's only to clean my spy-glass with. —;1 `Witness went home then, and took about a thimble full of powder out of his flask, andi returned with it to the deceased, whom he found waiting for him at the railing in front of the house. The deceased, upon taking the powder, thanked hini, and bid him a good night. One of'the Jury here observed, that the deceased in all probability was waiting for the return of the patrol with the powder when the first witness came up to the door. The patrol stated, that he was convinced Olathe did not giro the deceased as much tiowder as would take away life. Mr. Nottingham said that Captain Butler always Kel'l" loaded pistol in his room, in case elan attack upon the house it was probable that the powder he had borrowed was for the purpose of priming this pistol. Mr. Daley, a surgeon, deposed, that he bad known the .deceased for many years, and attended him latterly, The decease' Amosid, was for the last four or five years labouring under painful disease (strangury), the ageny from which he bad no doubt produced an occasional aberration of mind in the deceased. lie was firmly of opinion that it was during one d those paroxysms that the unfortunate gentleman had destroyed himself. The doctor then proceeded to describe the nature of die wound which deprived the deceased of life ; after which the jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict—" That the di.'" ceased destroyed himself whilst labouring under a lit of temporacy derangement."  Another Inquest was held at the sign of the Ship and Sun public-house, Walworth, on the body of Jesse Stoneham, a spectable eheesemonger, residing at No. 1, Ileckford-rows worth, who dropped down dead a few days ago, while In the act of 'sighing his hands. A female servantdeposcd, that on Tuesday last the deceased mcoenaclaali complained advice. .a plani naisiitiothrteticfiliteesaftt. afterwards taisd vtihseeddoceaseh int have came down into the kitchen ; still complained of pain, and called for.. water to wash his hands. Witness, after having set a basin 01 water before him, went up stairs, and on her return into the. kitchen, after having been absent but a few minutes, she found the deceased lying with his head upon the dreiser, and the sleeves of his coat tucked up as if he had been washing his hands. She discovered that he was then dead. A surgeon who examined the body of the deceased, deposed that he died of apoplexy. A verdict to that effect was returned. deceased came