Thomas and Sarah Marshall 2nd Part (General)

by unknown, Sunday, December 16, 2012, 19:34 (4434 days ago) @ Jean Herbert

what he had done: I remained with him in the saddle room for some
time; he did not eat his dinner, but said that I had better take it home as
he would not want it; soon after this he hid his face in his hat, so that I
could not see it, but he kept talking to me; he told me what money was
owing to him and also the parties to who he owed money and requested me to
settle it; I told him that he was the proper person to settle that business; I
was about leaving him to go home, when he asked me to stay a little longer,
and I did so; I said that I was going several times, and he on every
occasion asked me to stay, as he seemed to have something the matter with him,
and could scarcely speak; he kept getting worse; after we had gone into the
saddle room I observed that he pounded some white substance which he put in
a cup, and went into the kitchen for some water, and returned in the
saddle room with the cup and its contents, which he placed on the corbin, with a
smock- frock over it; I took the cup from under the frock; it was three
parts full of water, with some white stuff at the bottom resembling what I
saw him pound; I asked him what it was, when he replied that it was some
salts that he had got to dip the sheep with, as he was a shepherd; I asked him
when he was going to use it and he said he was going to mix some stuff in a
jar and that he should use it directly; he then got up stirred it himself,
and began to drink of it; I had tasted it and it tasted like copper; he
asked me to drink some or taste some of it (I don't know which); I observed a
change in his look as soon as he began to drink and I took the cup from
him, and threw the remainder of the contents on the ground; I think he
swallowed twice before, I took it from him, soon after which is breath appeared to
be stopped, so that he could not speak, and he went and sat down; I asked
him what he had been taking, but he could not answer me; I observed that he
could scarcely breathe, and his eyes turned red; I then called to William,
the groom, and told him what had happened; the deceased was seized with
vomiting in about tow minutes after he had taken the contents of the cup;
soon after this Miss Winnall came and gave him something; which caused him to
vomit a great deal, and I observed that he threw up a great deal of white
stuff like that which was in the cup; after he had been sick Williams
removed him into the stable and put him to lie down on some hay. Miss Winnall
asked him if he had been taking poison, when he replied that he had; she asked
him what it was, but I do not remember what he said; I asked him why he
had done such a thing, but he made me no answer; I said that I had mentioned
nothing to induce him to do so, and I meant to tell him that I forgave him;
soon afterwards the deceased was sent home in a cart, and as I had left
the children for a long time I went a shorter way, and arrived at home before
the deceased; he was taken upstairs to bed and seemed in great pain; Mr.
Hollister's assistant was sent for, who gave the deceased something to take,
which caused him to vomit; he kept groaning all night and all the next day
and said but little; I asked him about the servant girl, when he replied
that he knew nothing about her- for his part he did not know whether she was
a man or a woman.; I then said, "never mind what people say", I will not
believe anything about it and I also said that if he did recover I would
never mention it to him again; he would sometimes say that he wished he had not
done it; the Rev. Mr. Curteis was with him twice, and prayed with him,
when he said that he was sorry for what he had done, and that it was all
through his own bad conduct; I had heard that the girl was much hurt at what had
happened; and I asked him if he would like to see her, when he replied
that he should if it was my wish, as he wanted to wish her goodbye; he lived
eleven days after this, and died last Sunday morning at six o'clock; he was
32 years of age.
William Probyn deposed: I am groom at Mr. Winnall's, of Ecoleshall Court,
in this parish; I have lived with Mr. Winnall for these six or seven years
past; I know the deceased, he was a shepherd; about four o'clock on
Thursday, the 30th of June last, the last witness (the wife of the deceased)
called me out to the gardne; she said her husband had been drinking the stuff
that was in the cup; I went to the saddle room and asked him what he had been
doing; he made me no reply at all; he sat down on the bench, leaning on
his arm; I thought he was incapable of speaking; I then went into the house
and told Miss Winnall; my master was not at home; I then returned to him and
Miss W. along with me; I then assisted him into the stable; I have
attentively listened to the evidence of the wife of the deceased, and , as far as
I know of the matter, all she had said is true; I have seen, on the part
of the housemaid (Jane Juffgott) and the deceased that which leaves no doubt
in mymind of an improper intimacy between them; I think the master had an
idea of it; she left on the following morning after then man took the
poison; she was sent away; on the following Sunday I went to him at his house,
and I asked him why he had taken poison; he made me no reply, but said he
was drove to it, but he did not say by whom; I heard the deceased tell Miss
Winnall that he had taken white mercury; I asked him why he did such a thing
when he had such a good wife as any man need have; I asked him about he
young woman, and he said he did not know, excepting by her clothes, whether
she was a man or woman;I observed that his countenance was not the same at
dinner time on Thursday; he seemed as thought he had something on his mind;
he has often before now told me that he had something on his mind.
Upon this evidence, the jury returned a verdict that "Thomas Marshall, not
having the fear of God before his eyes, but being moved and seduced by the
devil, and of his malice aforethought, did kill and murder himself by
swallowing poison."

Article 4: July 23rd 1853
Linton. The late suicide- An inquest was held on the body of the
misguided man, named John Marshall, (the particulars of whose death we recorded in
a previous publication) before H. Underwood, Esq., on Tuesday se'nnight,
when a verdict of felo de se was returned.