The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-23 00:00:00

INDIA.

The statement that General Stalker and Com-
modore Ethersey had each committed suicide is
confirmed. Full reports of the coroner's inquest in
each case have reached us. These melancholy
events occurred within two days of each other. For
some days prior to the 14th of March, on which
General Stalker destroyed himself, it was observed
that he was depressed, and it is generally believed
that recent heavy pecuniary losses, added to the
responsibilities of his position, and his great anxiety
for the health and care of the troops, induced this
lowness of spirits. It was determined that he
should command at Bushire, in the absence of
General Outram, who would conduct the operations
against Mohammerah. There is no suspicion that any
unpleasant feeling existed between him and General
Outram. "He always," said one witness, Capt. Felix
Jones," spoke with satisfaction of being associated tri
" the service with Sir James Outram, not only from his
long-standing friendship for him, but because his
arrival had relieved him from all political responsi-
bility." General Stalker and Sir J. Outram break-
fasted together, in the company of the staff, on the
morning of the 14th, and no one observed any
alteration in General Stalker's manner. He rose
from the table, and having called upon several of his
staff, all of whom unhappily were out, proceeded to
his own tent, where a pistol•ahot was heard ten

MAY 23, 1857.

minutes afterwards, and the unhappy general was
found in the agonies of death.
Colonel Lugard, chief of the staff, was of opinion
that it was an accident :

I was sitting (he says in his evidence) with Sir James
Outram in his tent this morning, after breakfast. I heard
the report of a pistol. I took no notice of it, as I thought
it was some one cleaning his arms. A few momenta after,
a native called through the door of the tent—" the
general has shot himself." I immediately rushed into
General Stalker's tent, followed by Sir James Outram.
was lying on his bed, on his back, with his feet hang-
ing down, the right hand grasping a pistol by his side. I
immediately requested those at the door to run for a
medical man. He appeared to be dying. There was
blood on the rinisquito curtains on the right side of his
head, and on the kanaut on the opposite side of the tent. Sir
James Outram and myself searched the table for any docu-
ment that might explain the catastrophe, but found none.
My full impression is, from all I know and all I have learnt,
that the act which has terminated General Stalker's life
was accidental. lam further strengthened in this opinion
by the major-general having entered his name in the mess-
book, noting that Major Taylor would be his guest at
dinner this evening. He was on the most intimate and
cordial terms with Sir James Outram, and over and over
again expressed the joy he felt at Sir James coming up
here.

Against this is the statement of his aide-de-camp,
Captain Hunter, who states that the general was
that morning excited to a degree unusual with him,
and that he had specially asked Captain Hunter to
load his pistols. The medical evidence was to the
effect that the wound had evidently been inflicted by
some firearm, the muzzle of which must have been
placed close to the head. The jury returned a
verdict that the general destroyed himself in a fit of
temporary insanity.
General Stalker, observes one of the Indian papers,
had been thirty-eight years in India, and was univer-
sally esteemed : the soldiers lcved him ; and bis
many acts of kindness had endeared him to every
officer of the army. His bravery was unquestion-
able, and had been proved on many fields. As a
general and tactician, he had few equals on this side
of India; and his loss, at a period like the present,
will be severely felt by the army and the State. He
was interred with all the honours of war ; and the
tears on many a bronzed cheek told how dearly he
was loved.

With respect to the death of Commodore Ethersey,
the proofs of his depression of spirits are numerous.
It arose, says Captain Felix Jones, in his evidence
before the court, from various causes, " the chief of
which was his disappointment at Sir Henry Leeke's
arrival to take command of the naval part of the ex-
pedition to this gulf " :
This was the original source of his disquietude ; it was
added to by being left to conduct the duties of the fleet,
while, as he supposed, he was virtually divested of his
command by his instructions. This, and the harassing
nature of his duties without the assistance of any staff,
pressed solely upon him. I could observe his failing
spirits from day to day ; in fact he communicated them to
me. I endeavoured all in my power to rally him, and
sometimes succeeded, but it was only to fall again into
greater depression on a reaction taking place. Latterly a
great sense of responsibility attaching to him in the coming
expedition, coupled with a presentiment that he was not
equal to it, from his diminished mental and physical powers,
weighed heavy upon him. He had restless nights and
was evidently suffering from great nervous irritability.
The use of opium to allay this irritability only ren-
dered him more miserable, and the death of General
Stalker affected him powerfully

:-

The late melancholy occurrence in the camp (says
Captain Felix Jones) affected him greatly ; he told me he
was frequently haunted by similar visions in respect
to himself. I endeavoured to dispel these, but without
effect.

Extracts from the commodore's diary were then
read :

Dated 11th March 1857, Saturday—Heard of poor
Stalker's melancholy death. His ease is similar to my
con. He felt he was unequal to the resp3nsibility imposed
ou him—( a blank line intervenes then ). I have had a
wretched night.

Dated 16th March 1957, Monday—A bad night—took
opium, but the dose was too large—it made me very ill for
some hours.

An unfinished paper found in his diary was also
read :

I feel that I am unequal to the responsibility of con-
ducting the present large Ileet.ly head is gone. I
have no longer any confidence in my own judgment,—
have lost all energy, and act entirely upon the suggestions
of those around me. I am dreadfully nervous, and the
slightest occurrence agitates me, more especially ( sic in
orig.) to a degree that renders me incapable of acting, or
of prompt action. Anything that goes wrong for which I
sin responsible, quite unnerves me for a time.
Captain Jones added, before closing his evidence, "I
may state the commodore spoke to me personally on
his altered condition, said that ho would invalid, but
was unable to do so on the eve of going into action.'
The commodore destroyed himself by blowing out
Ins brains on the night of the 16th of March in the
bedroom of his residence at 13ushire. On his table
were found several despatches to and from Sir

THE PRESS.

Henry Leeke, at Bombay. These were not read in
evidence. The court found a verdict of" Temporary
insanity."
Beyond the mutiny of the Sepoys, there is no
other intelligence of any great importance.
A letter from Cahul states that the family of
Dost Mohammed are resolutely opposed to any
close alliance with the English.

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