The Sun. — 1829-11-11 (London, England)

SUICIDE.  Yesterday an inquest was held at the Horse and Groom Tavern, John-street, Edgware-road, before Mr. STIRLING, coroner, touching the death of Capt. George Newman, aged 56, who destroyed himself under the following circumstances : Benjamin Hall deposed, that he resided in the deceased's house, No. 12, Homer-street, New-road, and occasionally attended on him; he was a single gentleman, and had been in a very low desponding way for several months past. On Sunday morning witness was passing the bed-room door of the deceased, when he observed a quantity of blood flowing underneath; witness called to the deceased, but receiving no answer, he burst open the door, when he found the deceased stretched on his back on the floor, near the bed, and apparently quite dead. His head was nearly severed from his body, and a razor, with which it was evident the deceased had destroyed himself, lay near him, covered with blood. Although witness knew that a medical man could be of no service, yet he thought it his duty to get one, and in less than ten minutes he got Mr. Hamilton, of the Edgware-road, who pronounced the deceased to be quite dead.  Mr. Edward Hamilton, surgeon, of No. 50, Edgware-road, deposed, that on the preceding witness coming for him, he went to the deceased's residence, and found him in the situation already described.— Life was quite extinct, and it must have become so immediately on the infliction of the wound in the throat, which had severed the windpipe and all the principal arteries. Witness had not attended the deceased in his lifetime, and could not speak to the state of his mind.  'm. Gregory, Esq , of 53, Bell-street, Edgware-road, stated, that he had known the deceased for many years ; the deceased was a captain in the army, and had been abroad during the greater part of h s life ; on his return to England, five or six years ago, he found that all his relations had died. Within the last three er four years, witness had been in the habit of spending his evenings with the deceased ; about a year ago, the deceased became security to a considerable amount for a person who absconded, and the deceased had to pay the amount, which seemed to affect his mind severely. Within the last few months the deceased had shown decided symptoms of derangement. Witness saw him about a /reek previous to his death, when he talked very incoherently, and intimated that he wished for death. Elizzdaeth Whitfield deposed, that she lived as servant with the deceased .gentleman upwards of a twelvemonth. He had for some time been affected in his mind, and upon two occasions had endeavoured to destroy him►elf, once by hanging, and attempting to cut his throat, but his purpose was each time frustrated. She was so alarmed at these attempts to destroy life, that she quitted his service in consequence. She did not know what was the cause of his derangement. In answer to a question by the Jury, it was stated that the deceased was in good circumstances; his half-pay was Bs. or 9s. per day, and he had other property. The Jury returned a verdict, " That the deceased had cut his throat while labouring under temporary mental derangement."  No less than 250 articled clerks have applied to be Admitted as attorneys in the Courts of King's Bench and Common Pleas next Hilary Term.  On Monday afternoon, while the ten bells in the tower of St. Sepulchre's Church, Snow-hill, were ringing a merry peal, as the Lord Mayot's procession was passing, the tenor or great bell, weighing 3,3001135., fell out of its hangings with a most tremendous crash into the pit beneath, to the peat alarm ( f the ringers, who were three floors under. The accident was caused by the gudgeons by which the bell was suspended giving way, owing to their having been worn by constant ft iction for nearly two centuries. The most singular part of the accident is, that the crown and upper part of the bell ate completely severed from the remaining part as if cut with a knife, notwithstanding its great thickness. No blame whatever attaches to the ringers, who wi re ringing the telehreed " Whittington Change," in honour of the