The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-29 00:00:00

DISTRESSING SUICIDE.

Yesterday evening the deputy coroner for West
Middlesex held an inquest on the body of Captain
E. C. Symonds, aged 57 years, who committed
suicide under the following painful circumstances.
It appears that on Tuesday evening two little
girls observed the deceased distributing tracts at the
houses in the neighbourhood of Brook-green, Ham-
mersmith. After he had handed a tract to a gentle-
man he suddenly darted across the road and walked
quickly into the middle of Brook-green, and plac-
ing his back up against a tree, he drew from his
pocket a large double-barrelled pistol. One of the
girls attracted the attention of the passers-by by
calling out, " Look, the gentleman is going to
shoot birds," but before they could rush to the de-
ceased he placed the barrel of the pistol in his
mouth, and, drawing the trigger, blew the roof of
his skull completely off. His brains were scattered
about the grass, and the unfortunate man fell upon
thekround in a pool of blood. The noise of the
explosion caused the police to hasten to the spot,
and police - constable Dillon, 293 T, instantl
sent for Mr. Barrett, M.R.C.S., but that gentle-
man's services were of course of no avail, the
whole skull of the deceased being completely
shattered. The deceased's body was then removed
by the police on a stretcher to the district dead-
house. The deceased was a married man, re-
siding at No. 15, Elm-grove, Hammersmith, and
he had served in India as an officer in the Hon.
East India Company's service. He was well known
and much respected throughout the locality in
which he resided. Latterly he had devoted much
of his time to religious subjects, and had written
several tracts and pamphlets. In his pocket was
found a card on which was inscribed "E. C. Sy-
monds." A police-constable discovered in the coat
pocket of the deceased 150 pamphlet headings,
" Symonds' Recommendations." The melancholy
occurrence was quite unexpected by the deceased's
friends, for on Christmas-day he was in high spirits
and gave a party.
Mr. Henry Stock, an architect residing at N 0.45,
Bedford-gardens, Kensington, said that the de-
ceased was his brother-in-law. He was a gentle-
man living on his property, and up to 1859 had
been a captain in the Bengal Artillery. After he
left the army he joined the South Middlesex Volun-
teers. He became insane, in consequence of a sun-
stroke by which he was attacked at the siege of
Mooltan, and in 1852 he returned to England de-
ranged. He then married without the knowledge
of his family. Dr. Sutherland was called in by the
family, and he pionounced him insane, but said
that it was unnecessary to put him under restraint,
as the best attendant he could have would be his
wife. When the Indian mutiny broke out, the de-
ceased said, " I will go to India and do my duty,"
acid the doctor thought he might recover if he went
out. A commission was got for him, and he went
out to India. During the mutiny he marched 200
men 900 miles to Cawnpore. In 1859 he sold out,
and returned to England in a very depressed state
of mind, And was in the habit of saying, "It is a
burthen to me to live." He was very mad upon
political and religious subjects. He showed witness
an article written by a Jersey newspaper editor
upon himself, in which it was said—" He is a jolly
looking person of about 60 years of age ; a regular
specimen of a John Bull." Deceased said to wit-
ness, "Shall Igo over to Jersey and shoot the man
who wrote it ?"

William G. Brice, a boy living at No. 2, Lower
Vale-place, Hammersmith, said that on Tuesday
afternoon he saw the deceased walk up to a tree in
the centre of Brook-green, Hammersmith. He leant
his back against it, and then placed a double-bar-
relled pistol to his mouth. Witness then heard a
loud report, and saw the deceased fall on the grass,
covered with blood. A doctor and the police came
to the spot, and found deceased dead.
Dr. Barrett proved that the roof of deceased's
skull had been blown off by the explosion.
Inspector Serrell said he found a bullet in the
bark of the tree near which the deceased shot him-
self. Just previous to the commission of the fatal
act the deceased had been distributing tracts in the
houses in the neighbourhood.
The jury returned a verdict that deceased killed
himself while in a state of chronic unsoundness of
mind.

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NEWSPAPER
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Thu Eseapa of Si6thlebeß S

The proposed inquiry by the Board of Superin-
tendence into the circumstances connected with the
escape of James Stephens from Richmond Bride-
well has collapsed. The board met at 11 o'clock
(says Saunders' News) on Wednesday, at the Bride-
well, for the purpose of holding the investigation ;
and the following summary of what took place on
the occasion will show the reason why the inquiry
was not proceeded with, and of the opinions ex-
pressed on the subject by the several members. The
chair was occupied by the Lord Mayor, who, in
opening the proceedings, said that he did not feel
that the board were in the position of persons who
were blameable in this matter, and he expressed his
opinion that in conducting the inquiry they should
simply confine themselves to vindicating the elm-
' racter of the board, without casting censure upon
the Government.—Mr. Magrath did not think it
I possible they could carry on an investigation with-
' out implicating others.—Mr. Casson said it was
not .the intention of the board to cast censure ou
the Government, but having regard to the facts
that they had been refused a copy of the en-
I tries taken by the inspectors-general of prisons,
and that one of their privileges had been with-
drawn, they were bound to take every means to
remove the censures which had been cast upon them.
—Mr. Davittexpressed his concurrence in what had
fallen from the Lord Mayor, and his belief that the
board would be able to vindicate all its proceedings
in the most complete manner.—Alderman M'Swiney
said they should seek the truth, and they would
accordingly be obliged to say which of three parties
—namely, the Government, the governor who was
appointed by the Government, or the board of
superintendence--was to blame.—Alderman Tarpey
Complained that the board had been insulted, and
said he would reserve to himself the right of judging
as to who was accountable for the escape of Stephens.
Mr. Martin, secretary to the board, mentioned, at
the request of the Lord Mayor, that a notice of the
intention to hold the inquiry had been given to Mr
Gavin, the local inspector ; Mr. Marquis, the late
governor ; Mr. Philpotts, the deputy governor ;
Mr. Maher, the warder ; the night watchman, and
the police who were on duty on the night of Stephens's
escape, with an intimation of the necessity of their
attending ; and he read a letter from the office of
the inspectors-general of prisons to the effect that
they did not feel it their duty to attend the inquiry.
—Mr. R. D. Kane, solicitor, said he attended on
the part of Mr. Marquis, the late governor, who,
without meaning the slightest disrespect to the board,
and with every desire to afford all the information
in his power to the board, had been advised to de-
cline attending to give evidence, for the following
reasons--first, that he was the principal witness in
a criminal prosecution against one of the officers of
the prison, who was committed on a charge of as-
sisting in the escape of Stephens ; secondly, that he
had been already examined by the Inspectors-Gene-
ral of Prisons who had taken evidence from him on
oath, a copy of which evidence he had been re-
fused ; and, thirdly, that the copy of his journal
and other material documents were not in his pos-
session. Alderman M'Swiney said under those
circumstances to proceed with the inquiry that day
would be like the play without the character of
Hamlet.—Mr. Devitt concurred in this view, and
mentioned that Mr. Philpotts, the deputy-governor,
was at present in Scotland, giving evidence in a
criminal trial. He moved that the inquiry be ad-
journed sine die. Mr. O'Brien seconded the resolu-
tion. Alderman M'Swiney, Mr. Devitt, and Mr.
O'Brien expressed their belief that the public would
be of opinion that the board had done all they could
to vindicate themselves, and that the obstacles they
had met in so doing were a perfect justification for
their not proceeding any further that day. Mr.
Magrath did not at all concur in this view, believing
that there existed abundance of documentary and
other evidence which it was in the power of the board
to adduce. He moved that they proceed with the
evidence at their command. Alderman Tarpey
seconded the amendment. The local inspector, lie
said, was present, and could be examined. He
(Alderman Tarpey) thought, with Mr. Magrath,
that the public would not be sstisfied unless the
board took the course indicated in the amendment.
Alderman Atkinson did not believe that the public
in general looked upon the board as being blameable
in reference to the escape of Stephens. He thought
it would be unwise to proceed with the inquiry that
day under the circumstances. Mr. Casson was also
in favour of an adjournment. The Lord Mayor,
before putting the amendment, said he had no doubt
that the inquiry at present would be ineffectual. He
considered Mr. Marquis an essential witness, and
the documentary evidence would keep until the
proper time for holding the inquiry had arrived.
The amendment was then put and negatived by a
majority of 6 to 2, the members voting for it being
Alderman Tarpey and Councillor Magrath ; and
those against it Alderman Atkinson and M'Swiney ;
Councillors Deivtt, Casson, O'Brien, and the Lord
Mayor. The motion for adjournment sine die was
then declared carried, and the board rose.