The Sun. — 1858-08-19 (London, England)

SUICIDES; BY POISON AT HAMPSTE.ID. shl  Yesterday afternoon Mr. Wakley, the coroner for ;West Middlesex, held inquests at Hampa'ead Workhouse, on the bodies of two gentlemen, who died by poison, administered by themselves, on Hampstead-heath. Both cases were of .1,1 very distressing character. The first case was. that of 'lr. Edward Prior, who has for some years past carried ea the business of a hosier, in Finsbury-place North. Mr. Edward Prior, the father cf the deceased, said he last sa4v.his son alive at his own residence No. 22, Manchesterterrace, Liverpool-road, Islington. He was then poorly, and witness sent for a medical man. On the Friday previously, the mother of the deceased went to his house In FinsburyPlace, and offered to mind his business, as was her custom on a Friday, when the deceased usually went out. Ile declined tc avail himself of his mother's services, and afterwards wrote her a letter staring that he knew his family intended to betray him, and that he had at last discovered a safe way of putting an end to his miserable life. He mentioned the name of a young lady, which the coroner very Properly refused to make public. I Policeman 413 S deposed that he found the deceased !hug on the heath al,ont two o'clock on Monday nestling, near the Spaniards public-house, in a state of Insensibility. At first he thought he was intoxicated, the he immediately afterwards found that be was on re point of death. He removed him to the workhoase, sJut he was dead before be arrived there. He took from she person of the deceased three half-sovereigns, B'. in silver, 131 d. in coppers, a small bottle full of tincture myrrh, and a Testament, the ribands which pointed to Lee fith chapter of St. Malls and the 9th chapter of St. John. The jury returned as their verdict that the deceased destrLyed himself by poison while in an unsound state of /13s and passed a eulogium upen the chemist's ass:stant, r the discretion he had exercised in refusing to serve the deceased with the large amount of laudanum applied for. The second case was that of Mr. William Ashcombe, surneon, of No. 5, King street, Cheapside. health Frederick Mountford, of Woodbine Cottage, Vale of flealtb, Hampstead, said he was a wine-merehant, and an L'lltituate friend of the deceased, who called upon him at about "alf-past seven o'clock on Tuesday night, and purposed teturning by the last OMD ibus for London, which left H amptilit'ati at half-past nine. Witness offered to accompany Int as far as the starting place of the omnibus, and had proceeded as far as his garden gate when he fuund that ilii—friend was not following him. He went back and 'Und him sitting in a dying state in the easy-chair. tit.. Richard Gossett ritrown, the medical gentleman whO ra, sent for, said he found that the deceased had taken a Cite close of prussic acid, and this was confirmed by the fact I:,tpoliceman on searching the lace found an eturty Itle, labelled " Acidum hydrecyauup rn." that the uecet.sed insist appeared from subsequent evidence F,'" had an execution put in his house for £3l, and that this I.°l)Ably preyed upon his mind. At Mr. to`nfo house, °,!ever, be was merry, and appeared be very happy. tr 4.4 jury returned as their verdict that the deceased deeb°3'ed himself by taking poison but that there was not "'levee to lead them to a conelLion as to the state of his kind.  The Countess of Antrim and Lady Helen Mae-014101 have left town on a tour of visits. ,The Lord Chancellor left town on Tuesday, to i°La Lady Chelmsford and family at l‘lalvern.  Stock,  _  4Look  stock