The State vs. the Dead Body of Samuel Bates

Date: 
July 9, 1851

Deceased

Samuel Bates
Sex: 
Male
Race: 
White
COD Category: 
Suicide
COD: 
Overdose
COD Method/Implement: 
laudanum
COD Inquest Finding: 

upon their oaths do say that the said Samuel W. Bates cause to his death from drinking and taking into his stomach on yesterday morning a quantity of laudanum

Coroner

Coroner: 
C. J. Elford
Coroner Title: 
magistrate acting as coroner

Location

Inquest Location: 
at McBride's Hotel
County: 
Greenville County, SC

Source

South Carolina Department of Archives & History
Columbia, SC
Inquest Images: 
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Transcription: 

Deceased has been a dissipated man for about twenty years. Deceased was formerly a man of pretty good property, but squandered it all.

he [Samuel] told witness that he intended to kill himself by taking laudanum, he produced what appeared to be a vial wrapped in paper, said it contained laudanum and that he intended taking it. Witness saw him again on Monday Evening, he repeated his threats of taking his life with laudanum

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