The Sun.
London, England, 1832-01-16 00:00:00

BRISTOL, JAN. 14.

(From the Private Correspondence of the Herald.)
I have this moment returned from what may be
truly called the " house of mourning." The inquest
on the body of the unfortunate Colonel Brereton
was held this morning at eleven o'clock, at a place
called Redfield Lodge, about two miles from the
town. The deceased resided here, and here it was
that he committed the fatal act which has deprived
society of a most excellent man, arid his two heir
le,s children of a most kind and affectionate father.
As those who were, to attend the inquest approached
the door, every countenance they beheld was a per-
fect emblem of woe. The gardener standing at the
give motionless as a statue, wanted words to give
utterance to his feelings; but the big tears which
chased each other down his cheeks too plainly told
how deep was the fountain of sorrow from which
they gushed.

Shortly after eleven o'clock a very respectable
arid inteliigent Jury assembled in the drawing-room.
Colonel Cighlau, the uncle of the deceased, had
previously arrived from Bath, but remained all the
time in an adjoining room, and the poor little orphan
children, dressed in deep mourning, were in an apart•
merit by themselves, looking out of the window,
apparently unconscious of their irreparable loss.
Major Ellard, an intimate private friend of Colonel
Brereton, attended on the melancholy occasion, and
was greatly affected throughout. Ou the arrival of
the Coroner for the county, John Eilis,Esq., the Jury
were sworn in the usual mariner, and afterwards
they proceeded up stairs to the bed-room of the de-
ceased, for the purpose of examining the body. Here
a most appalling spectacle presented itself. The
body was found lying in a horizontal position, with
the head inclined a little to the right. The mouth
tied eyes were wide open, the latter glazed in the
frightful stillness of death. The left hand, that
which had held the pistol, was firmly clenched, and
the right was stretched out on the opposite side,
with the palm expended. On the left side, di.
rectly over the seat of the heart, a horrid aperture
presented itself, from which the life's blood had
issued, and the part of the bed on which it had
fallen exhibited a pool of clotted gore ; the fatal
pistol being at the same time found lying on the
fl or close underneath. The deceased, previously to
his carrying his dreadful purpose into effect, had
divested himself of all kis clothes, with the excer
tion of his shirt, trousers, and stockings. Besides
the pistol there were also other fire-arms in the room,
and it appeared that Colonel Brereton always kept
them loaded, in order to be prepared for any attack
that might be made by robbers. The Jury, after
inspecting the body for a few minutes, were ttbruptll
called off by an alarm that the ceiling was givin%
way, and it was discovered that it had cracked its
several places, in consequence of the pressure upon
it, though there were not more than seventy persons
in the room. The danger, however, was imminent,
and there can be no doubt that if warning had no;
been given at the critical moment, many individu:oo
must have lost their lives, while an awful calamity
would he thus superadded to that which has already
occurred in the same place.
Before I close this letter I must notice a particular
circumstance which deserves to be mentioned only
as it shows a remarkable coincidence of dates in re'
fercnce to two sorrowful occasions. In the family
Bible, on which both the Jury and the witnesses
were sworn, I observed the following entry in the
hand-writing of Colonel Brereton :—" Died at three
o'clock in the morning of the llth of January'
1829, my beloved wife, Olivia, at Clifton Woos
House." The inquest on the body of the writer 01,
these words has been held on the 14th January, 18:0'

COLONEL BREREToN.---This gallant officer
and humane man was the son of Mrs. JOHN KEMBLE b9t.
h"r first husband, Mr. BRERETON, the comedian, of
D. ury-Lane Theatre.
COURT MAxims.---The maxims of any great
man at Court are, always to keep his countenance, and
n:ver !o keep his word.—Swift.
MYSTERIOUS DUEL—Tuesday a duel WO9
fought in a field near Castleknock, between two gentleroe°
of respectability,
form. They were somewhat disguised in cloaks while
who were attended by seconds in due
.sassing to the appointed soot ; and from the lateness
of
the hour, near one in the day, it WnS conjectured that the
quarrel had originated from some hot disputation in a p":
li7ical arena. One was a tall individual, rather grey, at"
idvance./ in life; the other, HS MAURICE QUILL used t 0
',ay) "a capital figure for going down a pump." The
deadly weapons were handed to the parties, one of theo
tired, but without effect ; the other sternly addressed }ld
opponent thus You have fired, Sir, I shall Cot so;
hail net deprive a man of family of his He tiw'
fired in the, air, and stepping into his carriage and fiat"'
.Irove.,forward, taking Illsekcguich-road,— Dtthan Time"

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