Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1877-06-09 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ALLEGED SUICIDE AT STOCKTON.  On Tuesday afternoon an inquest was held in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Stockton, before Mr J. Settle, coroner, touching the death of a man named Fawcett Snaith, who resided in Lawsonstreet, and who committed suicide by taking carbolic acid under circumstances already reported. —The first witness called was Catherine Snaith, wife of the deceased, who stated that her husband was 51 years of age. He followed the business of a pipe-maker. With the exception of disease of the heart he was a healthy man. Deceased used to take drink to excess. On Monday morning about' eight o'clock he left the house without having had his breakfast to deliver papers at various places, and he said that when he came in he would bring some more of the stuff they had got at Mr Brayshay's for killing bugs. They had only been in the house Due quarte), and the children could not rest. Witness did not see her husband again, as he did not return to the house. She heard of his death about eight o'clock at night. Had had no fear that he would commit suicide.—Thomas ' Stephenson, shoemaker, living at 3, Lodge-street, said thaChe saw the deceased last alive about five minutes to six o'clock in the evening. He " was standing just within the garden leading from Webster-street into Mr Weldou's garden. Witness was going to his own garden, which is also a parcel of Mr Weldon's land. Was well acquainted with deceased, and said to him, "Summer weather has come at last." He said, "It has been hot to-day." He seemed dvil and solid, and appeared as though he had had some drink. Witness went along the garden to get to his own, and deceased followed on, but he did not see wliere he went to. The distance between the place where witness had conversation with the deceased and the place where he, was found dead is about 70 or 80 yards. -Annie Ball, wife of Robert Hall, cow keeper. Lawsonstreet, deposed that the body of the deceased was found on the previous night between 7 and 8 o'clock in a summer house in Mr Pickle's garden. He Was on a seat in a reclining posture. Witness touched him, but he was quite dead. A man, named Eden, called witness's husband, who was in the garden, and requested her to see Mrs Snaith to tell her of the fact. She did so, after satisfying herself by seeing that deceased really was dead. Witness saw a police officer take a bottle containing carbolic acid out of deceased's pocket in his own house.— Edward Hartland, assistant at Mr Brayshay's, High-street, said he supplied the bottle now shown, containing eight ounces of impure carbolic acid. There was from 70 to 80 per cent, of pure in it. There was a label put on the bottle, stating its contents, carbolic acid, and there was also the word " posion", and the name and address of the seller. Deceased was the man who applied for it, and to  whom it was sold. Deceased said he wanted it for destroying bugs. He had on more than one emulsion got it before. He got the acid about a quarter past five in the afternoon. Witness thought be was sober. The quantity gone from the bottle was. from a dessert .. spoon  to a table spoon full. There was no restriction as to the quantity that should be sold. Dr Foss deposed that he saw the body of the deceased, and made an external examination of it. The inner surface of the lips and the whole of the tongue were white and corroded, as if from the action of some irritant poison. There was a strong odour of carbolic acid in the room, which might be due to what had been done to the room before. There was a smell of carbolic acid from the month. From the general evidence and his inspection of the body his opinion was that deceased died from poisoning by carbolic acid. He calculated that deceased had taken from the bottle what was equivalent to 150 grains of pure carbolic acid. Being a spirit drinker, his stomach would be in a more irritable state, and more easily to be acted upon by any corrosive poison.—By the jury: Witness calculated that the deceased died within half-au-hour after taking the poison. Had known carbolic acid impure to be mistaken for rum or brandy.—The jury returned the following verdict :—" That the deceased, whilst in a state of intoxication, took carbolic acid in mistake for spirit."  THE SHIPWRIGHTS or