Deced pulled a Pistol out of his Pocket
That upon Depts. asking him what he wod
do with the Pistol Deced Answer'd that he
would shoot himself. and upon Dept.
going up to him and endeavouring to
hinder him Deced swore he would shoot
this Dept. Locked the Pistol and put
it to Depts Breast, upon which Dept
said John I never Injured you, if you
have a Mind to shoot me you may and
Dept. turned about towards the Fire
and immediately heard the Pistol
go off, Says that he asked Deced how
he came to do so, and Deced answered
that he brought the Pistol Down [..]
and that if was loaded only with Powder
to clean it, and Dept. believes that the
Pistol went off by accident, Says that the
Deced said he would carry the Pistol up
Stairs and went up immediately, Say
that Mrs [..] Maid knocked at the
Street Door which he opened, and
Immediately after heard the Report of
a Pistol above Stairs upon which Dept.
went up with the Maid and found the
Deced lying upon his Back on the Floor
in his Master's Middle Room on the First
Floor having a wound on his leftside
which appeared to be made with a
Pistol Ball, and Deced Loaded , Says
that he found a Pistol on the Floor
and believes that the Deced shot himself
with it, says that the Deced when the
put the Pistol to Depts. Breast in the Kitchen
looked very wild and confused and his
Countenanee much changed.

The Mark of
[mark]
William Mereditt< no role >

Ann Mitchell< no role > Nursery Maid to Mrs.
[..] Children on her Oath Saith
That Yesterday afternoon about a Quarter
after two o'Clock this Dept. was coming
down stairs when she met the Deced going
up near the top of the first Landine
Says that the Deced went through the
Middle Room into his Masters Closet atmost of the [..] That
she followed the Deced a little way into
the Middle Room, and the Cook asked Deced how
he came to do so rididulous a thing
(Meaning his Discharging the Pistol
below Stairs) and Deced made no
answer, but said to the Cook who was
crying, on the Stairs, what a Fool the
Woman is could not I clean my Master
Pistol, Says that she went down two
or three Stairs and in about a Minute
heard the Report of a Pistol, upon
which Dept went into the Middle Room
and saw the Deced lying upon the Floor
there, his Shirt being on Fire, and
Bloody on the Fore part says that
the Deced groaned and Stretched his Leg
that she was frightened and ran up
Stairs, and in a few Minutes saw the
wound on Deced left side, and a Pistol
on the Floor with which she believes the
Deced shot himself, Says that when she
met the Deced upon the Stairs, he looked
very Pale and confused & very Different
From what he used to be

[..]
[..]

Severally Sworn the Day Year and
Place abvementioned before me
Tho Prickad< no role > Coroner }