The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-18 00:00:00

On Friday mot ning, nt the general hour • of bllsir*:•3s;
the absence of Mr. William Un win Sims w, is regarded
as ominous at his place of business, the lteel-Yard,
Upper Thames-street, his punctuality being ; ,roverbial.
Between the hours of 10 and eleven OV° ckha mes-
senger arrived from his residence in Medi [ox-street,
announcing the melancholy intelligence, w bids soon
spread through the commercial circles in the ( ity. At
first the suicidal act was so irreconcilable to t b e habits
of Mr. Sims, that it was regarded as ahnost imt x "obable,
and it was not until a confirmation of the e" nt was
broadly asserted upon the Royal Each:lnge al d the
City Clubs, of which the unfortunate ge.'stlema n was
a member, that the news obtained creden,le. Upon
inquiries at the deceased's house, the fate of Mr.
Sims was no longer doubtful. The unfortt mate
gentleman, h appeared, had returned home a bou
half.past ten o'clock on Thursday evening, appare at];
very dejected ;he hesitated, contrary to his usual cus
torn, in the passage of his residence before pro'c'vt lion
to his room, but no importance was attached to the e
cumstance, as he was a man of generally reserved di s'
position, and had been labouring under depression o
spirits for the last fortnight, consequent upon the de-
privation of intellect of a beloved sister. It is an extra-
ordinary circumstance that nbne of the inmates of the
house heard the report of fire-arms during the night,
although persons were sleeping immediately above and
below his chamber, where the fatal act was committed.
The next morning the first person who discovered ihim
was his valet, named Bent, and information was :for-
warded to Mr. Higgs, one of the Coroners for West-
minster, who isued his warrant for the holding of ttha
inquest at six o'clock on Saturday evening.

THE INQUEST.
On Saturday evening at six o'clock an inquisition wao
.aken before Mr. Higgs and a Jury of highly respect-
able inhabitant householders of the parish of St. George,
Hanover-square, at the Coach and Horses, Maddox-
street, Regent-street, on the body of William Unwin
Sims, Esq., aged 43, lately residing at No. 12 in the
same street for upwards of eleven years past, and who
terminated his existence on Friday morning by blowing
his brains out.
The respectability of the deceased, and the influence
he had acquired in the commercial world for seve-
ral years past, rendered the investigation one of painful
interest, and among those present in the inquest-room
were several gentlemen connected with mercantile affairs
who had formerly enjoyed the friendship of the deceased
during his lifetime. The unfortunate gentleman, in ad-
dition to holding the distinguished post of a Director of
the Bank of England, was also Chairman of the Great
Western Railway Company, and Chairman of the
Glenarvon Iron Company.
Mr. 'reasdale, solicitor, of Fenchureh-street, attended
on behalf of the friends and relatives of the deceased..
The jury having been sworn, they proceeded to the
deceased's residence, to execute the painful task of
viewing the body. Upon entering the back room of the
first floor, they discovered the mutilated remains of the
deceased in bed ; he was undressed, and in his right
hand was firmly clenched a large horse-pistol, the con-
tents of which had evidently been discharged into the
deceased's mouth, as the shattered remnant of his head
was reclining on the pillow. The candle and stick, with
the extinguisher, was placed upon a table near the bed.
The jury having returned to the inquest-room, the fol-
lowing evidence was adduced.
William Brent sworn—l was servant to the deceased,
and was present when the jury viewed the body, at No.
12, Maddox-street, which is that of my late master ; I
was in the habit of calling Mr. Sims about eight
o'clock, and five minutes before that hour on Friday
morning I went to his bed-room with some hot water ;
his door was open ; it was not usual for him to lock it.
I went into hi ;'sitting-room and opened the shutters,
and took out his dirty boats and trousers ; I then re-
turned into the bed-room ; the curtains of the bed were
drawn, and I did not sec the deceaied ; I returned to
the door, as it was usual for him to give me my orders
as I left the room; he was a single man, and slept
alone ; I cleaned his boots and brushed his trousers and
hat, and placed them, as was my custom, in the draw-
ing-room ; I then went home to Avery-row, and had my
breakfast ; I returned to 12, Maddox-street, about a
.quarter-past nine o'clock, and a lady, named Hosen,
knocked and rang at the door ; she asked me to see
Mr. Sims, and Miss Gressier, the daughter of the
landlady, went up stairs and knocked at the deceased's
bed-room door ; she returned down stairs in a few mi-
nutes, and said that she could get no answer. She then
told me to go up and inform the deceased that Mrs. Ho-
sen had called, and wished to know if she should wait, or
call again. I went up and knocked at the door and repeated
the message twice, but received no answer. I then en-
tered the room, and I observed to Miss Gressier that
he must be dead. She said I had better send for a
doctor, but I replied that we had first better be sure that
something was the matter. I drew back the curtains,
and I found my master in the position he now is. He
had a pistol, with the lock down, in his right hand, and
the upper part of the bedclothes were partly off him.
He was in his night shirt.
By the CORONER—He had put out the light. I
never saw the pistol before. I have not observed the
pistol-case in the drawing-room. I can give no account
of the previous state of his mind. He was reserved in
his habits, and was a gentleman that seldom changed
words with his servant. On Thursday morning he ap-
peared as usual, and desired Mrs. Gressier to let him
have his breakfast as soon as she could, and shortly after
I took it up to him. I did not see the deceased on
Thursday night.
By the Jury—When I saw, the state of the deceased
I went immediately for Mr. Cantis, a surgeon, who at-
tended promptly, The room was dark, and the surgeon
was obliged to have a light to exithine the body. The
pistol case might have been in the drawing-room for
several days without my noticing it.
Mr. Henry Cantis, 8, Maddox-street, surgeon, was
next sworn. I was sent for on Friday morning about
a quarter past nine o'clock. I attended immediately,
and. found the deceased in the position the Jury have
seen him. lam of opinion he had been dead from four
to six hours. I found the ball had entered the mouth
and passed through the brain into the back part of
the head or scalp. I felt quite plainly that the ball
had lodged there.
A Juror said that it was a remarkable thing the ball
had not passed through the head of the deceased.
By the Jury—lt is impossible for me to say whether
he committed the act while he was in a sitting position
or not ; but I think it is likely he was in a sitting po-
sition, and that he fell backwards in the agony of death,
There was clotted blood trickling from the bed. I
did not know the deceased during his lifetime.
The beadle said he was informed by Mr. Curtis, a
tailor, in Maddox-street, that he was awoke between
three and four o'clock on Friday morning by what he
thought was a slamming of a door, but since he had
heard of this unfortunate occurrence he believed it was
the discharge of a pistol.
Miss Ann Gressicr, of No. 12, Maddox-street, exa-
mined—The deceased was a merchant, and has lodged
with me for above eleven years. I believe his age was
thirty-eight.
[This was contradicted by Mr. Teasdale, who said
the deceased was about 43.]
Examination continued.--I let the deceased in on
Thursday afternoon about four o'clock, and I observed
that he was depressed in spirits. He was not in the
habit of speaking except when he desired anything.
He left the house about five o'clock, and I then per-
ceived, as he passed the window, that his under-lip was
firmly compressed, and that there was more care about
his countenance than usual. He returned home at half-
past ten o'clock at night, and then he stood behind me
on the mat, which was not usual ; he generally advanced
forward in the passage, and I thought that he was re-
maining behind to pull off his dirty boots. I gave him
lights, and he went directly up to his room, and I think
went to bed. At 12 o'clock I looked through the cracks
of his bed-room door, and saw that he had put out his
lights. I did not hear the report of a pistol during the
night. There were in the house, besides myself, my
mother and a young lady, a visitor. I sleep in the attic,
my mother in the room directly underneath the de-
ceased's bed-room, The pistols and case have for some
time been in the same place, as the case now is, in the
drawing-room. The pistols were bought for his brother
Charles when he went to India, but they did not suit
him.

By the Jury—He did not appear to be mad or frantic
on Thursday, but he was melancholy and dejected. His
appetite, particularly at breakfast time, was very indif
ferent lately ; be had not spoken for four days to his
servant, which was very unusual.