The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-30 00:00:00

LAMENTABLE SUICIDE.

BRISTOL, SEPT. 29.—This morning, between nine and
ten o'clock, the neighbourhood of St. Paul's, Bristol.
was startled by the intelligence that a very respectable
tradesman of the name of Baker, residing in Milk-street,
had committed suicide. It appeared from the evidence
adduced at the inquest, which was held this afternoon,
before Mr. Joseph Baker Grindon, the city coroner,
that the deceased, Mr. Francis John Baker, was a highly
respectable plasterer and painter, of about forty years
of age, carrying on business in partnership with his
father, and, until about four weeks since, in the usual
manner. At that time his two sons, who were his
only children, sailed in the Cosmo for the United
States, having been induced to do so by the continual
solicitations of Mr. Baker's sister, who has been a re-
sident of the United States for the last twenty years.
From the period of their departure his mind became
very depressed, and indeed so much so as to excite the
apprehension of his friends. This morning (Monday),
however, he rose at the usual hour and went about his
business, giving directions to his workmen. At between
nine and ten o'clock, the unfortunate gentleman not
having come to his breakfast, search was made for him,
when it was discovered that one of the upper workshops
was fastened, and being forced open, the body of Mr.
Baker was found lying on the floor quite dead, the greater
portion of his skull and brains being blown about the
room, and a gun lying with the barrel on a vice, and
some string fastened to the left hand of the deceased.
From the appearance of the gun, &c., the deceased must
have fastened the string to the trigger and to his hand,
and then placed the muzzle in his mouth, as the upper
jaw was broken, and the whole of the cranium blown off.
From the whole of the evidence it appeared that up to
the period of his children's departure the deceased was
of a very cheerful temperament, but since, he had fre-
quently been found crying about them, and lamenting
their departure. The jury returned a verdict of tempo-
rary insanity.

Du. 3/VITALE IN LIVERPOOL: In consequence of
a previous announcement that Archbishop M•Hale would
preach at St. Nicholas's Chapel, in this town, in aid of the
charity school attached to that place of worship, the chapel
was crowded to excess on Sunday last, although the charges
for admission were 2s. 6d. and ls.

A WHALE IN THE CLYDE•—On Friday afternoon
as Mr. Lamb, of Greenock, was rowing along in a a small
boat with two lads near the mouth of the Gareloch, he dis-
covered a whale grounded on the shore, when they immedi-
ately rowed towards it, and after a vigorous struggle of two
hours, succeeded in dispatching it with the boat-hook, when
it proved to be of the bottle-nosed species, measuring
twenty-two feet in length. It was towed towards Greenock,
and exhibited to the public on Saturday. We believe the
carcase was sold for 101. The appearance of this monster of
the deep in our water caused considerable excitement among
the denizens of the coast; and before it was secured, numer-
ous boats put to sea in chase, armed with pitchforks, spades,
beat-hooks, rusty swords, and every offensive weapon that
could be laid hold of. After it had taken the ground, and
before it was killed, it created a dreadful commotion in the
water, blowing and lashing the sea into foam, and sending
the spray from twenty to thirty feet into the air. The hugh
tish measured between six and seven feet in diameter, and
the tail was six feet broad.— Glasgow Poet.

NORTHUMBERLAND-110USE.—In consequence of the
great influx of visitors a rule has been adopted of granting
tickets of admission to those persons only who shall previ-
ously leave a printed card, and not a written one, as hereto-
fore, with the name and address of the applicant.