Inquest into the Death Of Samuel Prosser 26th Sept. 1862

Coroners Finding & Deposition Of Witnesses:

Witness - Caroline Prosser. The deceased was my husband his name was Samuel Prosser his age 45 years He has left 8 children. My husband has been drinking for the last 6 years. He has been drunk nearly every day during that whole period. He used to commence drinking at 4 o'clock every morning, get drunk. He would then come home and lie in bed until he got sober and then he would get drunk again. We had constant quarrels about money. Yesterday at about five o'clock we had a quarrel. He wanted money to get drunk with. I would not give him any. He went away he had two or three shillings in his pocket. He went away from home. He returned home at about seven o'clock, he went to bed at about eight o'clock, he was drunk. He fell asleep Before he went to bed I saw that my husband had something in a glass. He said it was a black draught. My sister tasted what was left in the glass. She said she thought it was a black draught. My husband has threatened to poison himself many times he might have done so yesterday. I did not think that the deceased was taking poison when he took the black draught. He went out after he took it. I saw nothing more of my husband until this morning as my husband did not get up. I sent a man into the room where my husband sleeps. He called to me that my husband would not wake up. I went in and found my husband apparently asleep. He could be roused but would speak and then went off to sleep. I sent for a doctor who came and attended to my husband until he died at eight o'clock this morning. I found two bottles where my husband keeps his books. They were each labeled Laudanum poison. My little son said he had seen his father with two bottles it was then that a search was made and the bottles were found thie morning.  Signed with an X as the mark of Caroline Prosser