The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-07 00:00:00

THE STII4I, LONDON, THEM SDA 'V EVENING, 7A P IL 7, 1864.

Suicide in Pentonville Prison,

An inquiry of a melancholy character was insti-
tuted by Dr. Lankester on Tuesday at the Penton-
yille INiodel Prison, relative to the death of a pri-
soner, Valentine Bambrick, aged 28 years, who was
found dead and hanging in his cell on Friday even-
ing last. Last week a similar inquest was held.
Mr. Charles L. Bradley, medical officer of the
prison, said he had been told that he (prisoner)
fretted, as he was being unjustly punished for a
crime of which he was not guilty. His mind was
no doubt impaired, and he had suffered from delirium
tremens, A letter was written on a slate by deceased,
which might be worth the attention of the jury.
On the production of the slate the Coroner read
the following letter :

" My dear, dear Friends and Family,—Becoming
quite tired of my truly miserable existence, I am
about to rush into the presence of my Maker un-
called and unasked. To you I appeal forgiveness
and pardon for all the unhappiness I have ever
caused you. I dare not ask for mercy of God. I am
doing that which admits of no pardon, but if He
will hear my prayer, I pray to Him to grant you
consolation in your hour of efiliction, for I know
that, notwithstanding all my faults, that love which
you always manifested towards me is not withheld
yet, and therefore the news of my unfortunate fate
will make time sorrowful. Pray for your unfortu-
nate son. " VAL. BAMBRICK."

" P.S.—Before I die, I protest solemnly my entire
innocence of the charge for which I was punished,
all but the assault, and that was done under the
circumstances before mentioned to you in my letter.
" God bless you all. Love to all my relations.
Pity even while you condemn " Pooß VAL."
John Potter, a p":;soner, said he was in the next
cell to the deceased. Ho did not know until that
afternoon that he was dead, when the deputy-
governor sent for him and told him. He only knew
deceased by his number, C 21. Deceased had spoken
to him twice. The first time he said, " 1 have sent
out a special letter, and I expect to be discharged."
The second time he said he was an innocent man.

Tha Coroner—Have you any complaint to make
of the diet you have given to you ?
Prisoner—No, sir ; I have meat every day.
A juror—When the deputy-governor called you
down, did he instruct you as to what you were to
to say here ?
Prisoner—No, sir.

The foreman, referring to the statement made
by the prisoner they had just examined, wished to
know whether that special letter had been for-
warded to the friends.
C.lptain Craig (the governor, who had been sent
for) informed the jury that on February 26 the pri-
soner applied to him for permission to write a spe-
cial letter, and as he was a well behaved man he
granted the application. Prisoners were only allowed
to write a letter on their entry, and then on every
three months. The deceased was not entitled to
write until this month. That special letter was for-
warded to his family directly. A petition followed,
and there was no doubt that if a certain woman had
been found the deceased would have obtained his
release. The deceased came from Winchester Gaol;
the governor there, feeling highly interested in the
prisoner, endeavoured to get a commutation of his
sentence. He considered ho was perfectly inno-
cent, as did also he (Captain Craig). The de-
ceased was charged with stealing a Victoria Cross
and several medals from a soldier who had
created a disturbonce in a brothel at Aldershot
with a prostitute. The woman screamed Murder,'
and the deceased (who was also a soldier) went to
protect her. He thrashed the other soldier, during
which his medals fell off. Deceased picked them up
and put them on the mantel-shelf. They were,
however, lose., and the deceased was accused of the
robb2ry. The deceased also had a Victoria Cross
and medals, and a pension of £lO a year for life;
the latter was, however, forfeited by the conviction.
While the deceased was in that prison an order from
the Secretary of State arrived, directing that the
Victoria Cross which bad been obtained by the de-
ceased should be also forfeited, and this also affected
the deceased.
A juror wished to know if a copy of the letter on
the slate would be forwarded to the friends.
Captain Craig replied that no transcript would be

made, but the original became their property, and
would be forwarded to them with the decision of the
coroner's jury. The body could either be buried by
them or otherwise. After some remarks on the
very melancholy character of the case,
The jury returned a verdict of ' Suicide, while
labouring under unsound mind.'
Naval and Military Intelligence,