The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1904-12-03 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ATTEMPTED SUIOIDE  PRAISEWORTHY ACTION OF A BIRKENHEAD CHEMIST.  Before Messrs. T. Coat and A. E. dike, at the Borough Police Court on Wednesday morning. Siducy Beaumont. of .2. White-street.. was Charged With having a:tempted to commit suicide by swallowing a quantity of oxalic acid on November 25th. The circumstances of the caee, as related by the principal witness iMu. 11. R. Row. latickl, of 133. Chcetorstreet. chemist) are or a somewhat extraordinary character. It Pf 4.018 that on Friday last Mrs. Beaumont went to the shop of Mr. Rowlands, and rotated that her husband required some eralic acid to poison himself. lle gave her an ounce of Epsom salts, and labelled it "Oxalic acid." On receiving it, her husband told her it wasn't the right stuff, 90 he went out of the house straigin to Mr. Fite, and rerrobased three pennyworth of the acid. Mrs. Beaumont afterwards informed Mr. Rowlands that her husband hod been able to get it at Mr. Fore's, the chemist. and motored him to follow Mr. Beaumont Ohd Icy and get the oxalic acid from him. Mr. Rowlands found him in a pub:ic-house in Chester-street on the point of drinking a &am of brandy, into which he had emptied it portion of the acid purchased at Mr. Fore's. The barmaa. seeing Mr. Rowlands cater, and thinking something woe wrong. matched the glass from him. On ascertaining from the barman thas Mr. Beaumont mid put the packet of acid into his pocket. he asked him to hand it over. He stoutly 'eluded, and finally said he had not got it. He allowed Mr. Bow lauds to search hints ut the latter failed to find tin' packc.t. Mter long arguing during which Beaumont told Mr. Rowlands that he had no business to interfere. as he had not obtained the etuff from him, but from 11r. lore. and that he had it to clean the scales, to matter to him whether tho scales in the shop, or the scales of life. Ho prevailed upon Air. ilesumont to go into hi- shop 90 that he could give him a draught. Be went with him, mentioning on the way about a. little trouble he had had, and that he was .iiek of life. On arrival .1 the shop he refumd to take the draught. fita•l rug he could come for it the next MOtHillq. He then went Lome. Mr. Rowlands sromising to fetch the draught for him to his own house. How. ever, a few minutes later Mr. Rowlands espied him again passing his shop, so he followed him. Beaumont wow along Cheater-street as far as Mr. Hatley'a, the tobacconist, then along Croesstreet, and fiaally rail quickly to a public.houss in Monk-street. There he stayed only a few minutes. but evidently sulficimt to swallow the poison. Taking it for granted that ha had accomplished his purpose, Mr. Ifir.c. lands followed him to the house, cal:ing ou his way at the shop for an antidote. On arriving at the house he found that the man bad taken the poison, so he mixed the antidote and administered it. On the arrival of the ambulance Mr. Itowlanclo went with it to the Borough Hospital. TIWOMIO Fore, ohemist, of Market-street, said that at 3 p.m. on Friday prisoner Caine into tbo shop and asked him for some oxalic acid, explaining that it WA3 for cleaning braes. He appeared to be pt.. fctly sane, and witness served him with some, but from information received, he afterwards tried to persuade prisoner to return it, but ineffectually. Dr. W. Grant, house surgeon aL. the Borough Hospital, staled that pr;souer was admitted on the afternoon of the 25th Mt. He had taken a quantity of oxalic acid, and witness gave him an antidote for this. Later he told witness that he had taken it because ho was troubled about, money rr.va, tent.  Asked what ho bad to say. pion. who appeared to be greatly depressed, expressed his sorrow, adding that he had been drinking. Detective Inspector Eirka asiii that priaoner wire formerly in tile public-bones business and last a considerable nr.onnt of money in the bnainees, since which he had bees drinking. Prisoner was remanded to the workhouse isfirmary or fourteen days, and the Beach at the same time complimented Mr. Rowlands npan his promptitode, tdding that had it not been for this prisoner would not have been before them.  /3 t. is. I' rho wed than 4-.1E9 Omit 13 he touts Beach Rowr that ildot 144 aptha, soap; easibly s Worn naafi It I