The Sun. — 1846-03-28 (London, England)

SUICIDE BY A CORONER.  (From Woolnzer's Exeter Gazette of this day.) On Tu es day afternoon Mr. James Partridge, a solicitor, residing in Tiverton, and who was one of the coroners of the county of Devon, committed suicide by throwing himself into the Tiverton Canal, near Tidcombe bridge. Just before five o'clock the deceased was observed walking through Gold-street, in the direction of the canal, and was accosted by several persons, to whom he replied with affability, and even with blandness, nor was anything unusual observed in his manner. About half-past five o'clock Mr. William Hepper, of Tiverton, gardener, who was engaged at Tidcombe, the seat of the Rev. W. Rayer, on looking out of the window of the garden-house, saw the deceased walking on the banks of the canal towards Halberton. Near Tidcombe-bridge he stopped and looked about him fur a minute or two, and then walked towards an opening in the bank, and there went down to the water. He then took his hat from his head and placed it upon the surface of the water, and immediately walked into the middle of the canal. His head, however, was n6t entirely under water, but his bald crown appeared above the surface and remained dry. Mr. Hepper immediately came out of the garden-house, and with a person named Stephen Boobier, whom he called to his assistance, proceeded to the canal. Here they found they could do nothing, as neither of them could swim ; and Mr. Ilepper then ran back to the house to get better assistance. About twenty minutes after the deceased had walked into the water, William Carew Rayer, Esq., son of the Rev. W. Bayer, arrived, and immediately swam in and brought the deceased to the canal bank. Under the direction, and with the assistance of Mr. Rayer, the body was conveyed to Tidcombe House, and a messenger dispatched for medical assistance. About twenty minutes afterwards, F. Mackenzie, Esq., surgeon, of Tiverton, arrived and applied every means for restoring animation, but without success. J. E. Coward, Esq., surgeon, of Tiverton, also attended in a few minutes afterwards. The body was subsequently brought home to the late residence of the deceased in Bampton-street, Tiverton. On Wednesday afternoon the inquest on the body took place, before F. Mackenzie, Esq., coroner for the borough. The jury returned a verdict of Temporary Insanity. The immediate causes which worked on the mind of the deceased, and induced him to commit the rash act, have been variously stated. But it is certain that for some time past his affairs have been embarrassed, and his failure in some legal proceedings with reference to valuable landed property in the vicinity of Tiverton, it is said, would have involved him in ruin. He has been recently disposing of various portions of his property ; and on issuing the hand-bill for the sale of some houses or land at Taunton, he is said to have dated the bill three weeks after the day of sale, and to have refused to alter it when informed that it was an error. The determination to commit suicide has, no doubt, been present in his mind for some time ; as about a month ago he applied to Mr. Frost, of Tiverton, druggist, for half a phial of prussic acid.