The Sun. — 1852-03-08 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY AND DETERMINED SUICIDE.—" THE GAMBLER'S FATE." On Saturday night an inquest was held by Mr. W. Payne, at the Barley Mow, Upper Thames-street, on the body of William Mimmack, aged 59, who committed suicide on Saturday morning last, under rathcr extraordinary circumstances, at a coffee-house in Upper Thames-street, at which place he engaged a lodging on Friday night. The jury having been sworn proceeded to view the body, and it appeared that the deceased had effected strangulation by partly suspending himself by a cord from the post of a French bedstead that was little more than three feet from the floor. On their return the following evidence was taken:— Mr. Henry Griffiths said that he was a coffee-housekeeper, and lived at 209, Upper Thames-street. About seven o'clock on the evening of Friday, a man whom he had never seen before came into the house, and inquired if he could be accommodated with a bed for the night? He was answered in the affirmative, and at about a quarter-past seven he was at his request shown to his room, and nothing was heard of him until ten o'clock on Saturday morning, when a lodger in the adjoining room had looked through a pane of glass in the door of the room occupied by the deceased, and then saw him lying on the side of the bed. He came down stairs to the shop, and told witness that he thought there was something wrong up-stairs, and they went back to the room together. They then found the deceased hanging by a rope round his neck tied to the post of the bestead. He was lying flat on his belly, and his head was not suspended more than from seven to eight inches from the ground. Witness went up to him and put his hand on his chest, which he fancied was still warm. He cat the cord and let him down, and sent for a doctor, who, on his arrival, declared that life was extinct, and had been so for some time. When he engaged the bed he observed nothing peculiar in his manner. The bed appeared to have been lain on, bat not inside. At about three o'clock on Friday afternoon a person called at the house, and inquired if any person, having the appearance of a butcher, had been there writing a letter, as a letter, posted at Knight Riderstreet, had been received by his wife, in which it was said that when it came to hand he should be no more. Before the deceased went to bed witness's wife suggested to him as to whether he (the deceased) was the butcher. Ho accordingly went and looked at him while he was reading the paper, and then remarked to his wife that he thought he looked more like an engineer than a butcher, and took no further notice of him. By a juror—He must have brought the cord into the house with him, as he did not see it till he saw it round his neck. He did not appear in liquor. He had tied up his coat, shoes, &c., in a bundle, and had described the exact amount of money that would be found about him. The letter being posted in Knight Rider-street, his friends, when they got it, concluded he must be somewhere near to that place. Mr. W. Gardener, who occupied the next room, corroborated this evidence, and added that, although frequently awake during the night, he never heard any groan or struggle in the adjoining room. The door was kept shut by a chair being placed against it. William Joshua Mimmack said that he lived at No. 12, Derby-street, Gray's Inn-road. The deceased was his father. Ho left home at six o'clock on Friday morning, to 20 to his occupation in Newgate-market, and heard no more of him until about halt-past two o'clock in the afternoon, when a letter was received from him, which stated that in consequence of his great misfortune through investing his money in horse-racing, he had come to the determination of making away with himself. This letter was posted in Knight Rider-street, and although every inquiry had been made nothing had been ascertained until Saturday, when they were made acquainted with his end through the means of a book that had been found in his possession. He had lately been much depressed in spirits through misfortunes in losing largo sums of money in his business, as he understood. A juryman remarked that the deceased's mind might have been affected thereby. The CORONER said he had no doubt of it, from certain remarks that were written in different leaves of the book that had been found in his possession. The first was :•—•  " Thames-street, Six o'clock. " I now fly in the face of my friend and Maker. Horse racing has killed me. It would be a good thing if i was made felony to bet on any of them." Another was dated—  " March 5, 1852. yours has been the same. "Another G o d, s miserableo ndea.y , aanm d a poor wretch. This punishment I deserve." The last was a ecrap of paper, on which was written the following:— " My poor brothers appear so happy, and I am so miserable, that I must join them. The little money is left in my bureau at home, if I have any. The Lord have mercy on me. It is a rash act. Everything is against me—even the elements." After hearing these statements, he (the Coroner) thought the jury would have no doubt that the mind of the deceased was affected.  It was incidentally mentioned that two brothers of the deceased had committed suicide. The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of " Temporary Insanity."