The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1880-12-18 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE.  An inquest was held on Thursday evening last, ak the "Three Tunns " Inn, Coventry, before Mr. Deputy-Coroner Willis, on the body of Thomas Makepeace, tailor, aged 65, who resided in Hertfordstreet. The following evidence was given :—Mrs. Makepeace, wife of deceased, said: About twenty minutes to twelve, on Wednesday, my daughter called me, and I at once went to my husband's room. I found deceased ill on the bed. He seemed as if be could not speak, and when I asked him what was the matter, he pointed with his hand to an empty bottle which lay upon the pillow. I sent for Dr. MoVeagh, and he came at once. Deceased has been very much depressed on and off for the last six months, and at various times he gave different reasons for his depression, but I think it was mainly on account of the badness of his business. His manner has been very strange at times to myself and daughter, but he has never made any allusion to suicide or threatened to do any violence to himself. I recognised the bottle which lay on the pillow as having contained some stuff which my grandson used for chemical experiments.—Emma Louisa Whitehall, daughter of the previous witness, said: About half. past eleven, yesterday, my father called to me and I went upstairs to him. He spoke so strangely that I dared not go into the room, so I called my mother, who went in first and I followed her. I saw deceased on the bed very ill, and at first thought he was in a fit. I asked him what he had done, but he did not reply. I then ran out of the room and went for Dr. MoVeagh. I saw my father twice again before he died, but I did not hear him speak at all, except when the doctor asked him how he was, and he said he was very bad.—By the Coroner: When I asked my father whether he had done anything, I did so because I suspected be had done some violence to himself. The cause of that suspicion was the manner he hall had for months. He has appeared very dull, and would not speak for hours at a time, and when ho did he often spoke very loudly and strangely. I believe his depression arose from the bad state of trade.—Dr. Denris McVeagh said just after twelve o'clock he was called to deceased by Mrs. Whitehall. He found him suffering from the effects of taking sulphuric acid. The usual antidotes were applied, but deceased gradually sank and died at midnight. Deceased had taken a large quantity at acid, and he asked him what made him take it. He replied, "It is all owing to poverty." James Makepeace Whitehall, grandson of the deceased, said that he kept a bottle c ,ntaining sulphuric acid, similar to the one produced, along with a bottle of zinc sulphate, on a shelf of the dresser in the kitchen. lie had used it for making hydrogen for toy balloons. It never struck him as dangerous to leave it where it stood. The bottle had been labelled "poison," but some of the acid got on it and took it off. Deceased never asked him what was in the bottles, nor did he tell him that it was sulphuric acid. He had asked him what he was doing with it and he had told him, bat as far as he was aware, deceased did not know the nature of the acid.—The jury returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind.--Dr. McVeagh expressed his thanks for the great kindness he had received from Dr. Read, whom he asked to accompany him to the residence of the deceased. He was most devoted in his attention and ably assisted him (Dr. McVeagh), in the difficult and trying work they had to perform.