The Sun. — 1824-04-30 (London, England)

DISTRESSING SUICIDE.  An Inquisition was taken yesterday at two o'clock, before THOMAS Stir.r.Tosr, Esq. Coroner, at the Workhouse in Dunning's-alley, Bishopsgate-street, on the body of James Black, ages 34 years. The deceased's wife deposed, that on Tuesday last she wen t to the workshop where the deceased worked, in Bishopsgatestreet, and soon after she arrived he was called down by the foreman, who wanted him. He passed her, went partly down, and returned into the workshop; thence he went mto a closet where the workmen keep their paint-pots, &c., and he had not been there a minute when witness heard a noise, and, on lookiag in, -perceived a stream of blood flowing from under the door. IVitness then fainted ; and when she recovered, she found herself lying on one of the stairs leading from the work-. shop. About three weeks ago witness was much alarmed at an. expression the deceased used when he came home from worii. CoaovEn—Does it relate to his state of mind ?  Witness—He came home, and after he was in bed he said, " Till you do one thing, that is, kill me ? No one will ki)ow it ; and I have 201., which would kecp.you and your family from want. Take a razor and do it ; cut my throat." ‘Vi fleas was much alarmed, but attributed it to an effect left from. the typhus fever, which he had very severely last Christrads. Mr. Thomas.smith, foreman to Mr.. Vt'indus, coachinaker, Bishopsgate-street, deposed that last Tuesday evening; lie required the deceased to paint a chaise ; he did not come munediately, and witness went into the workshop where lie was, and perceived his wife there. 11e told deceased to do the job immediately, and he consequently followed, but forgot the gold size, and went back to fetch it. Directly after witness heard, the report of a pistol, and saw the smoke ascending from without the apertures of a cupboard that held some paint. Witness went up, and saw deceased had shot himself. The upper part of the skull was blown off, and the brain had fallen out. A. horse pistol lay by him, gored in blood and clotted hair. Witness thinks perhaps no man in existence has had more trouble.' or affliction in his family. Witness believes the pistol was loaded with small flint stones and not shot. The beadle here produced Inge pieces of the deceased's skull which had been blown olf.  . , JaMes Jacobs, a Jew, deposed to having sold the deceased fife • , pistol on the preceding day. A letter, of 'which the following is a copy, was, it appeared, • written by the deceased just before his death : " April 26, 1824. " Ir. Mason —lt is with the greatest reluctance that I leave 'Non this last token of my respect. May the grace of bower ; Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God be with you and all you: , family' not that I leave for any occasion on your part, hu myself': there is one thing that hurts me—that is, my leaving.' Mr. Windus, my employer and friend • and as it is a tiymt..; • man's prayer, may the mace of our Lord Jesus Christ rest upon him, and may the power of the Holy Ghost bring hiM . to the blessed Saviour, my Lord. Such a fatal end ! As my heart is gone, I dye in peace with all men, noing i never did any man any. wrong. My end is fatal, but I hope there's_ mercy in my Lord. I desire to have my head opened, and then I slay my soul to death, he can save me by his. word., so great is power, so free his will, that he to his have Said, He did not come to save the good, but sinners he would. Who could have thought that such a man as Peter ec.:ld have fell, or that he did, but did not fall to his hell -- y because • after he- .e had lost his own soul, by denying his ever-blessed Master, he was saved by his friend and his God, the maker of worlds:— .. My dear friends and shopmates, as I shall end— With what ? But as 1.->, said, I leave it to those that knows best about it. Oh, my children ! my children ! Mercy ! mercy ! to.mercy ! For Mr. Mason. O! O! O! O! After the reading of this letter, the Jury viewed the body.—. A great part of the skull was completely blown away, togethce with the brain, &c. leaving the body a most frightful spectacle. The Coroner said he never in the course of his duty saw a • more lamentable act of self-destruction, moreover as the dc.. ceased had left a widow and six orphan children to bewail his loss. A verdict of ccTemporary derengement'' was r^ccrde The Coroner and Jury subscribed 365. and gave the widow, who tankfully received it, and said she was before without a farthing.