The following is a report of the inquest into William LINTOTT's death.
The Brighton Examiner Tuesday
18th June 1867
SUICIDE OF A SAWYER
Yesterday afternoon, Mr Black held an inquest at the Hospital,
on the body of William Lintott, a sawyer, aged 33, who committed
suicide by cutting his throat.
Ellen Lintott, the wife of deceased, who lived in Crescent cottages,
stated that her husband was at work on Tuesday, although he was very strange
in his manner. He had been raving on the previous Saturday, and when he
came home from work on Tuesday night he seemed better, but after they had been
in bed some time he jumped out, saying, There he is dont
you see him? and his actions then were those of a madman. Witness
obtained the assistance of his brother, who remained with him until about half-past
four on Wednesday morning, when he came downstairs, thinking he was quiet.
Witness made some tea, and she and deceased's brother were about to partake
of it, when they heard a cry like the whine of a dog. Both of them went
upstairs and saw the deceased standing before the looking glass with his throat
cut, and he had a razor in his hand. Witness sent him to the hospital.
Deceased had not drunk much for the last twelve months, although he had before
then been a hard drinker.
Charles Lintott, a labourer, brother of the deceased, gave corroborative
evidence. When he heard deceased cry out he went upstairs, and deceased
was then tearing the wound he had made in his throat open with his fingers.
When witness entered the room deceased fixed hold of him, and he had a dreadful
struggle to get the razor from deceased.
John Rowland, a sawyer, who had worked with deceased off and
on for twenty years, stated that on Monday and Tuesday he was working
with him, and his demeanour appeared then to be that of a madman. He had
never before noticed anything peculiar in his manner. He was not the worse
for liquor on Monday or Tuesday.
Police-constable Stoffel having given evidence as to the removal
of the deceased to the Hospital, Mr N. P. Blaker, house-surgeon
at the Hospital, stated that deceased when admitted had a large wound in the
upper part of the throat, and was in a state of delirium. He died on Saturday
from the effect of the wound, combined with constitutional disturbance.
The jury returned a verdict of Suicide while in a state of temporary insanity.