The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-18 00:00:00

GERMANY.

It appears from the accounts from Berlin and
Vienna that the differences between Austria and
Prussia may be considered as arranged, and that
there will be no war as between those Powers ;
but a fresh danger has arisen : the Red Emperor and
the weathercock King are in danger of being devoured,
Acteon-like, by their own hounds. The Prussian
soldiers, the Prussian Landwher, and the Prussian
people, consider themselves disgraced and in
suited by the pusillanimity of the King. They
are furious, and it is not improbable but that
they may give vent to their fury in acts as well as
words. The Emperor of Austria is to the full as
embarrassed by his soldiers as is the King of Prussia,
and has pecuniary embarrassments superadded to his
other desagrernens. " Already," says the correspon-
dent of the Kolner Zeitung, " part of the remainder
of the Bank bullion has been taken in hand, and
a decree, commanding another levy of 75,000 men,
waits but for the Emperor's signature. A spirit of
opposition is abroad in Croatia, and the regiments
which have of late arrived from that province ex-
hibited a disgust, which almost raerged :into re-
sistance, when compelled to proceed by rail to Bo-
hemia. Up to that moment they were deluded by a
vain belief that their services were again required
against the wealthy citizens of Vienna. The war
against the German countries is unpopular, even
among the population of the Austrian Empire,
and the news of the warlike enthusiasm which
now prevails in Prussia has made a profound im-
pression. It was stated that in the last Cabinet
Councils General Radetzky was so violent in his op-
position against the measures which Prince Schwar-
zenberg proposed that the Premier left the Council
with evident disgust, and a rumour (though a totally
unfounded one) went abroad of his impending abdi-
cation. It is said that the General silenced his pro-
testations by exclaiming, 'You may be a diplomatist
sir, but I am sure you are not a politician !' '

INQUEST ON MR. PENNINGTON
On Saturday, at half-past one o'clock, Mr. Bed-
ford, coroner for Westminster, and a jury of sixteen
parishioners, held an inquest at the Brown Bear,
Knightsbridge, on the body of Mr. George James
Pennington, recently Auditor of the Civil List. Sir
Frederick Thesiger and Mr. Horatio Waddington,
Under-Secretary for the Home Department, and other
friends of the deceased, were present.
Mr. P. Hood, surgeon, of 15, George-street, Port-
man-square, examined—l have known deceased for
many years. The body the jury have just seen in the
next room was his. Ido not know his age.
Sir F. Thesiger—Fifty-six the 23d of January
next. _ _

Mr. Hood, in continuation—He was the Auditor of
the Civil List formerly—a few days before his death.
He was also tl barrister. I have attended him pro-
fessionally.
The CORONER-Will you state anything you know
of your own knowledge necessary for the purpose of
this inquiry ?
Mr. Hood—He was seized with an attack of paraly-
sis on the Bth August last, which left him both mentally
and bodily in a state of great prostration. He reco-
vered partially from the paralysis, but his mind re-
mained much weaker than it was before. This was
more evident, because he had always been remark-
able amongst his friends as being a man of a very
decided and strong mind. I ranked myself amongst
them, and was aware of what I state. After he
had recovered in some measure from the effects of
disease I advised him to go down into the country;
and he went to the Isle of Wight first, and then to
Brighton. After he had been there a week he came
back unexpectedly, and called on me. This was
about a month ago. He told me he had come up from
Brighton on account of the agonising feelings he had
had the day before, which caused him to contemplate
suicide. He said he felt something that was impelling
him to throw himself over the cliff, and that it was
with the greatest difficulty he could restrain himself
from doing so. He also said he felt sure that if he
had had a pistol within his reach he should have blown
his brains out. I calmed him as well as I could, and
told him that his bodily health was much deranged,
and that I would prescribe to restore him, and again
advised a sojourn in the country. He went again to
Brighton. When he returned, about a fortnight
ago, I saw him. He did not complain of having
any return of those feelings I mentioned ; but on
Thursday week last more papers were brought to
him than usual by one of the clerks. I think I
ought to have stated that I recommended him to
go back to the Treasury, as I thought it
would do him good provided he did not do too much
work. He did go back to the Treasury, and was
there for a few days. He was so frightened at the
sight of the papers I have alluded to that he ran
down to the Treasury and resigned his situation to
Sir Charles Trevellyan. He told him this on Friday
week, and he told me that he felt unable to undertake
any more calculations, and that he had in conse-
quence resigned. He appeared then very nervous,
and seemed to regret having done it. I have no doubt
that his mind was much weakened, and that he never
recovered from the effects of paralysis, which left his
mind' hi very weak state. I have nb doubt he was
labouring under affection of the mind. I continued
to see him after that. He continued very much the
same, viz., desponding. I saw him last, Wednesday.
I did not think it was necessary to place him under
restraint, because he was perfectly master of his
actions, and struggled as much as man could do
against the depression of his mind. I am decidedly of
opinion that he was labouring under disease of the
brain, and very extensive disease of the heart also. A
person labouring under such disease would be likely
to commit self-destruction. He never talked to me
on the subject except upon his return from Brighton
the first time.
Sir Frederick Thesiger, who appeared deeply
affected, deposed—l was intimately acquainied with
deceased for upwards of 20 years. He did not prac-
tise as a barrister, and was on the civil list of the
Treasury. Few persons were better acquainted with
him than I. He had a cultivated mind and a parti-
cularly cheerful disposition, and was one who bore the
events of life with great calmness; he was the last
man in the world to commit suicide if he were in a
right state of mind. The attack of paralysis was the
cause of the postponement of a marriage in his family.
About this time I left lEngland, and on my return I
saw a marked change in him. He scarcely recog-
nised me when I visited him, and instead of his re-
ceiving me in his usual affectionate way, he said
nothing to me, more than merely answering my ques-
tions. This was about the 14th or 15th of August
last. On his return from Brighton I called on him,
and found him much improved, but be was not the
man he had been before. It was evident his mind had
received a shock from which it had not entirely re-
covered, though it appeared much better. The last
time I saw him I had no conversation with him that
could be called conversation. I understood he intended
to resign his situation at the Treasury, and I recom-
mended him not to take that step until he had con-
sulted Drs. !Watson and Latham, his physicians.
When I heard of his resignation I called on him, and
went into his library. He did not seem to notice me,
and was engaged in putting bills on a file. He went
out of the room and came hack again, and asked me
to assist him in filing the papers, which I did; but
seeing that he was not inclined for conversation I left
him, and was then satisfied his mind was not in a
sound state. I do not know that I have anything
more to add.
Mr. Horatio Waddington examined—l am Under-
Secretary of State for the Home Department. I have
known the deceased most intimately for 25 years.
We were most intimate friends. I saw him the day
after the attack of which you have heard. He was
much in the same state as described by Sir F. The-
si„ger. He did not know me at all. He afterwards
improved gradually, though he was scarcely in pos-
session of his faculties. He first went to Richmond
and made some improvement there, but his intellect
seemed to me broken down, and I did not expect he
would ever recover. He then went to Brighton, and
onllais return came to me at the Home-office, and he
did not seem to me so well as before. He appeared to be
labouring under disease of the brain. He would speak
coherently fbr. aJime, and then lose the thread of his
discourse. He then went to the Treasury on his
usual business, though I was sure he would fail in
transacting it. The next day he seemed better, and
went through the business of it. What I consider
most remarkable was that he never told me he in-
tended to resign. He never called on me, and I never
saw him since. His mind was gone, and if be had

not died in the way he has done, he would, in my opi-
nion, have had another attack of paralysis. The cha- I
racter given of him by S!r F. Thesiger is correct.
He was in happy circumstances as regarded the world
and his own family.
Mr. H. Parker, solicitor, said he had had frequent
opportunities of seeing deceased before the attack of
paralysis, and could bear testimony to the powers of
his mind. He saw him a few days after the attack,
and his mind was completely prostrated. Had an
interview with him on Tuesday last, and saw that his
mind was greatly affected. He complained of deaf-
ness and pain in the heart, and seemed greatly de-
pressed. He said, " You know what I have done,"
alluding to his retirement from the Treasury. He said
two or three papers had been placed before him ' • that
he got through the first two well, but when he ex-
amined the third he could not get through it, and
seeing a considerable quantity of papers on the table
he said he made up his mind to resign, and did so at
once. He was afterwards vexed at what he had done.
Witness wished to talk. to him concerning some
affairs of his uncle. He made a repugnant gesture,
saying, " No, no ; George Pennington is dead. The
witness added, that deceased called on him on Thurs-
day last (the day he shot himself), and made an ap-
pointment with him for the following morning (Fri-
day). He appeared much more cheerful, but witness
was satisfied that his mind went on gradually decli-
ning
ever since the paralytic attack, and that if he
had remained in the same state of mind he enjoyed
before the attack he would never have made away
with himself.

Mr. W. Collins, of 14, Westbourne-groie, said, that
on Thursday evening last, about half-past 4 o'clock,
after leaving the buildings in the Park, he was walk-
ing along nearly opposite the entrance of the late
Lady Blessington's. He shut in that direction a flash,
and heard the report of fire-arms. Advancing
towards the spot he saw a policeman running
towards it, and when witness came up he saw a
man (deceased) lying under a small fir-tree. He
had a wound in the head, which witness saw
at once was fatal. Witness took a double-
barrelled pistol from the hands of the policeman, and
took the cap off the left nipple, and put the hammer
down, because the left barrel was not discharged.
The other barrel had been recently discharged.
Deceased appeared perfectly insensible, and with the
exception of opening his mouth two or three times
after the lapse of as many minutes gave no signs
of life.

Henry John, police constable 223 T, said that at

he hour indicated he was coming out of Gore House,

Kensington-lane, when he heard the report of fire-
arms in the park. He jumped over the palings and
saw a person just falling to the ground under a tree.
When witness got close to him he found a pistol in his
right hand, and saw blood flowing from his right
temple and a large quantity coming from his mouth.
In four or five minutes he moved his tongue and
bottom lip, but not any of his limbs. He found on
deceased's person, besides some property, a card. case
with two cards, on which was printed "Mr. Penning-
ton, 20, Cumberland-street, Portman-square." Wit-
ness sent for a surgeon, but in the meantime Mr.
Bonney, surgeon, of Knightsbridge, came up and pro-
nounced deceased dead.

Mr. Bonney described deceased's wounds. There
was a circular wound in the temple, admitting the
finger for two inches into the brain. There was a
corresponding wound on the other side of the head,
more jagged, with a small portion of the skull de-
tached. Looking to the nature of the orifice, the
wound was likely b have been inflicted with buck-
shot. He had no d3ubt that the wound caused death.
In answer to the CORONER,
Mr. Waddingto said deceased was not in the habit
of using pistols. He was fond of shooting with a
double-barreled gun.
The CORONER. said the jury had three points to de-
termine ; whether deceased died of a pistol-shot
wound; and whether he inflicted that wound himself;
and, if so, under what condition of mind. He thought
the evidence so full and clear on all these points that
they could easily come to a right decision.
The jury immediately returned a verdict, " That
deceased destroyed his own life whilst in an unsound
!tate of mind."