The Sun. — 1844-11-22 (London, England)

CORONER'S INQUESF.—An inquest, adjourned from Monday last, was yesterday held before Mr. Wakley at the Prince of Wales' Inn, Frederick-place, Hampsteadroad, on the body of Isabella Thompson, a girl of about seventeen years of age, the daughter of a respectable baker carrying on his business at No. 21, St. James'splace. It appears that she was found dead in the kitchen about a quarter-past eight o'clock on Friday evening last by her brother, who had seen her alive and cheerful a short time previously. her father and mother were both from home at the time, the former not being absent altogether more than half an hour, as wore all the other members of the family, with the exception of two young children who had been left under her charge, and with whom she had been seen playing with apparent good temper by her father before he left and the brother above-mentioned, who was employed in tke bakehouse. From the evidence of Mr. Collins, surgeon, of Marystreet, it appeared that the deceased met with her death from the effects of oxalic acid, not less than half an ounce being found in her stomach, the contents of which were analysed by Dr. Guy, of King's College, in conjunction with Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins stated, that, after a very careful post mortem examination, he could find no traces of disease of any kind, and that she was not in a state of pregnancy. He was of opinion that she died from the effect of an enormous dose of the poison mentioned. The brother and sister of the deceased, both of whom were in sad distress, stated that oxalic acid was kept in the house for the purpose of cleaning straw bonnets, the sister being by trade a bonnet-maker. The deceased had been in the habit of purchasing it, but it could not be ascertained that she had bought any latety, nor was any portion of the quantity known to be in the house missing. No bottle or paper of any kind which might cause suspicion was found near the deceased, nor would the fact of her having died by poison have been discovered but for the post mortem examination. It appeared that she was on good terms with the whole of her family, that she was of a rather stubborn and sulky disposition, but that nothing had occurred to exasperate her, except that she had been desired to carry out some bakings by her father, an office of which she had often expressed her dislike. There was nothing to throw any further light on the subject, and the jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict to the effect, that she had died from taking oxalic acid, but that there was no evidence to prove what was her state of mind. In the course of the investigation Mr. Wakley stated, that he had frequently met with cases of suicide in which the party had evidently determined on and perpetrated the deed within the space of two or three minutes, and in the absence of any apparent motive. He mentioned also the case of a woman who took oxalic acid in mistake for Epsom salts, and fell dead on the instant. __  •THHE PROTECTION OF PUBLIC RlGHTS.—Yesterday a preliminary meeting was held in the Council Chamber —the Lord Provost in the chair—for the purpose of considering the propriety of forming an association for the protection of public rights of way and footpath and places of recreation ; and a Committee was appointed to consider what steps should be taken in reference to the subject, with instructions to report to a subsequent meeting the result of their inquiries and deliberations. Edinburgh Advertiser of Tuesday.