The Sun.
London, England, 1830-06-29 00:00:00

DREADFUL SUICIDE.

The inhabitants of the Vauxhall-road and its
cinity have been thrown into the utmost state of
excitation and alarm, in consequence of the follow-
ing tragical event, which took place on Saturday
,last :—A Mr. Ambrose Proctor, a gentleman well
known in the sporting world, and who held a respon-
sible situation in the service of the East India Com-
. parry, came, about a fortnight since, to reside at
No. 74, in the Vauxhall-road. Mr. Proctor was, it
is said, much addicted to the vice of gambling, and
was a constant frequenter of the sporting houses in
the metropolis, where he cut a gay and conspicuous
figure ; but latterly, it is said, he had become
divested of his usual gaiety of disposition, in conse-
quence of having lost large sums of money in betting
and other gambling transactions. Ott Thursday
night he made his appearance at a well-known sport-
ling house in Bond-street, kept by James Burn, when
[termed
good deal of what, in the language of the fancy, is
[termed " chaffing," took place upon the subject of

his recent unfortunate speculations : this seemed to
cut him to the quick, and he went home exceedingly
mortified and dejected. The following day his con-
duct was observed to be very strange and wild by
his neighbours ; but still no one supposed that he
meditated self-destruction, and he retired to rest at
his usual hour on Friday night. About nine o'clock
on Saturday morning, Mr. Dennison, the landlord of
the Lot d High Admiral public-house, next door but
one to the house occupied by Mr. Proctor, hap-
pened to be standing at his door, when, to his horror
and amazement, he beheld that gentleman rush out
into the street, with a carving knife in his hand,
which, after brandishing about for a short time, he
drew twice across his throat, and inflicted a severe
wound. Mr. Dennison, seeing the blood rush from
the unfortunate man's throat, ran up to him for the
purpose of wrenching the destructive weapon from
his grasp ; the wretched man, however, defended
himself in such a resolute and determined manner,
that Mr. D. deemed it prudent to desist. The alarm
becoming general, several police constables were at-
tracted to the spot, who drew their staves and at-
tempted to disarm the unhappy man, who made
several cuts at them ; but, finding himself closely
pursued, he retreated into the house and ran up
stairs, followed by the constables, when a most despe-
rate scuffle ensued, in the course of which several
large looking-glasses were shivered to pieces and
most of the furniture in the room sprinkled with blood,
or destroyed; it is impossible, indeed to give a descrip-
tion of t he sanguinary scene, and it was not until the un-
happy man was quite exhausted, from loss of blood, that
the officers succeeded in overpowering and disarming
him. A surgeon was then immediately sent for, and, in
a short time, Mr. Hastings, of the Vauxhall-road, ar-
rived, who sewed up the wound, and the unfortu-
nate patient was then put to bed. Having recovered
himself a little (the wound not being mortal), he
inquired of one of the constables if it was true that
his Majesty was no more ? The constable replying
in the affirmative, the wretched sufferer exclaimed,
" Then I am determined not to survive him
Upon his appearing more tranquil and composed,
the attendants withdrew, having previously searched
the room and taken every thing away which they
considered dangerous. On going to his chamber
again, between four and fire o'clock, to see how he
was, nothing could equal the surprise and astonish-
ment which prevailed on beholding the unhappy
man stretched on the bed, with his head nearly se-
vered from his body, and quite dead. A bloody
razor was found by his side, which he had concealed
in some part of the room, and with which it appears
he completed the sanguinary deed.