Eambezzlement And Dreadfu...
The Times, 1824-08-28T00:00:00

A suicide hm - Godaminriig, Suirrey, Thiursdlay night. AuiiehsJust taken Place hiere, under circunmstances of the maost appalling an~d affecting nature. The evidlence at the Coroner's inques11t, andI commni mitionit imade by several respectable persons, have furnished us wi:h the foIlowing particulars : The dleceaRed, Allr. EdtwardI Chapmann, was the son of a gentleman of considleration resinga rod n, I an iaving been placed at the niereantile house of Mess.Pxtn Cockerell, andI Co., in the city of London, at ant early age, csnducted himself with so much pro- priety and attentiotn ast to gain the esteem of these gentlemen, to win their confide0nce, and finally to be intrusteel by thenm in a situation in the C alting.-hou,i of the highest importance. Forrsomietime his con- duct was marked by thlesam~eclo3e application and devotiotnto business.- oewhichhlehad been previously1 dtistinguiished; bu-t, as his connexions% inlife weremost respectable, the number of his acquiaintrance daily en- lagd andhisinneome, which increased withbhis promotion, gavehim the meansof joinling with themn in scene- of pleasure from iwhich his linmitedI mreans before diebarred hilm. Thle love of ple-asuire has beon the Source of rulin to many young mien, andI the ardenit and s(ay temiseruture of poor Mhaplman was not proof agains9t its sLlhiremente.- One excess led to aniother; extravagance dlissipa- tedl his resources, u'ntil pecuniary diffie,ulties. and habits whichb bie couldl not stilake off, corruptedI his principles, andI eventually prevailedl over his inteRrity. The confidence of Messrs. Pax- tOnl and Co. left him, the comm-andI of their fuinds. It would seem that this wvretched victim to vice anid flilv took ati- vantage of t.heiT gnodness.,and mnadesml peculations as his necessi- ties complelled hlim. Thecse pecttlations he corntrived, by mianage- mient i,n him accounts, to keep uindiscoivered. in some timie he was4 lced into mnore serious exipenses : the lovfe of play-the turf-engaged hi, attention;- and his ruini is said to he azczdIerated by one of those thoughtless; colnnexions wheLre the heart and feelings of a young man beom nsaedt one caxlculatted to be thie blessting of roan, hut in risR a. in- many other instances, oroving his grea,test cur.se. The de- preuattons on his ernployers' capital becaiiie of considerable amoiunt -it is said to 3,0J' and Chapmar,'s ingenuitv was succe-sful in concealing it. One cannot hielp) being suirprised that such practice% can go on nder the strict and systeinatic eye of a London Merchasnt ;blit in cuonncerns of great magnitude, confidetice must of necessity he placedi in icomec person, and it was the province of Sthe wretched man in qitestion to see that the accounts of the other Clerks were correct, rathier than havea his own subject to inspiection. Vice andI virtue were strangely comnbinedI in this unhappy man's dis- hprisition, ati tough perhavi lsi. good actions may add thie name of hypcrt to that of a miore criminal character. yet, in justice. to hi,lttegood be recordleti withi the bad. There are manY in- stances eiveti of his actions whiichj wouild dlo honouir to the rn.ist ro- fined and gencrrnlls mind. To sum up this skcetchi, Edward Chap- man was of zentle andI refinel mnanners, comnbining all the graces of sco-d breedirew to the thnrrns of a cuitivated and improved mind. A few weeks sic.itrs ; mindi afFecting, titis Young man's con- !;tit ution, hie solicited and obtained !eave of absence, and went to BSrigliton for the benebit of sea-bathing. In the mean time, at the cour.ting4touse, is becamec necessary to ref'er to his papers, anti some crror~s,` n. lsov d suspicion was awakened : a further inventi- gstti-. $.o4ok place, and the whiole system of fratid laid opcnt. The shock which this- discoverv occasioned to Messrs. Paxton and Cock- erell may be easily imiagiried, ant ihowever enraged thtese gentlemen may, hase been at their confidlence betraYed and their property )uTlu- dlered, ConsiderAtion, fa,r the vouing tssan's fanily, andI perhtafis'ome remains of kindly feeling to himsqelf, indnced them not to m-ake a public exposure, until they gave him a1 full opportunity of ex- plaining thie transactions, andl of miaking, with the assistance of his friends, sonme reparation of thour loss. WVith this view a letter, not calcutlated to alarm him, was written to Brighton, recalling him to town, for the purnose of aranin sme i'esir.ess of the iion bitt, however catutiouisly th"1e letter might have been warded, suspicion tortured the tirnfortunate mian's mind, anil he saw in it discovery, infamny, nrd ruis. Ile instanti v left Brie~hton, where lie was last seen on tile rac-e-grouind, anti wenit, in cn:npas4y with a lad,', whose name or situation in life does not ap- per, across the country to Suttton, nlear Epsom, whiere all trace of hnorhis compa%nion were lost to those who followetl hils movements b (ide f the firm in liondon, whose tspicions were confirmed on thi ot receiving an answer to thle lette-r of recall. After Fomne tiebing expiended in vain to disRcover his route, bills were pia- cadddesc,ibintg his person, and offering a rewxard toe hii appre- IieniM. About thiree weeks since, a gentleman (since provedi to he the tin- forsnnatein,livitlual in question) drove titp to sthe King's Arnis Inn, at, (odaltig, in a very handlsome dennet. Tte horse was a remiark.. ably fine animal ,andl the appearance of the gentlemati and carriage %e:.s calculated not to excite.-any doubtof'ltisrespectab)ility. fHesaid liteshould have occasion tostay aafewvtdays, anidlie was treated with suitable attention by the landlordI anti hii farmily. Elis hiabits were regular, and he Wa,, stipposed to be by the inhabitants of the town and the people of the inn, a gentlemnan escaped from business to a few 'lays' enjovyment of the country-tlte vicinity of Godtslning af- fording beautiful walk, and rides, andi being freqitently visited by parties frotn London for recreation anti change of air. lie rose early, and retired at nigrht at seasonable hours-read a great deal, and walked about the country. Ile lived modleraitely, and never exceeded one bottle of witiie after dinner. It was remnark- able that he never usted lila gig or horse, but lounged about the viil Inue street or took shiort ruraul excursions 4oti foot. h-his mild deport- ment, gentlemanly appearance,atue adtlress, won the confidence of Mr. Abooti, the landlord of the inn. Thie only occasions whren be mnixed in society was at the cricket matches, and he seemed an en- ihustaistic admirer of the grame. On a la-te occasion when the God. ailming Clrob play-ed a grand mantch agaiinstt all Sussex,he took a very promiaent interest in the sport, amid won several smtall wagers, bY bazking the Godalmning Club. who proved the victors; and 'With the liberality of a gentleman of fortune, refusqed totakce the bets, hut g-ave :hemn in liquor to the play-ers. This cricket-match collected a greatinany of the gentry of both the counties of Surrey anti Sussex, and it appears one of the strongest parts of thle unfortunate man's story, that he hati the hardiholod to appear at a place where he was almost certain to be recennized. Is is equally unaccountable that he rover aiffected anv concealment of himstelf at the 1mmi, but stood at the window, whlere the London coaches went by at every hourT otf the dlay ; looked on vs the horses wvere chianged, and madch remarks on~ the psssengers. Codalmiing is a great posting town, andi it wasq Chapmanl's every.day culstom to watchl the carriages as rtlev' drove ituto the mtown, and, as if boasting of his know- ledg f sc ety eonize to the landlord the armsK and equipages of the noiiyadtrincipal gentry, withi whose namenq and persons lie ais evienl Jwl acquiainted. Thisi was his regulair abit, andi it ais aloticmrhensible that he could have tite boldtness to appear inpbic ianaret-town on the London road, everyy day for three weeks; a.'d still niiore tinaccointnable that thie police who were emn- plowyed to apprehend hini shottld have failed to trace hint frotn Sttt- inn to odalmting, atnd sliout(i have been totally at fAtitlt, thotugh he retnained open atid( unconcealed within .34 miles of town. On Saturday last, the hand-bill) of whlich rite folloswitig is a copy w-as pit up as the window of tile Post-office of this town L,filftv PorundA Rewnuri.-Wlterea Edwarl Ch2pmnan. late a clerk in a mercantile hiouise in the city of L,ondon. stands charged upon oath with felony, anti has abscondled fromR his ettiplorvers; whoever 'WtI apprehendl or give information hy a'hichm the said Edwardi Chap- mnan may- heapprehtended. amid loddged in soy of his "Majesty's gao1s. shall m-ceivc a reward of .501. from his enmployers. Tite said Etdwardl (lapman ist ahostt 30 yvears of age, tive feect seven inches hiigh, slender muid, da-rk straighlt lair. -harp nose, sallow complexion, bhit now r!'her t:Lnned. stoop.; in his walk, antilgenerallv wiears an black coat, 'i-ah kemsememrc breeclics. andi top boot,, an(I resitled in Covent- rarden Ch, -inheea. lie was seen last ott Tucaul my, the .31I of Auigust i'.smant, at the C.ock-inn, at Sutiton. in Stirret-, whiichi place lie left on that(day, on his way froit lBri~htton to 1`,ondon, withi a la1y, thressedi io black, in a yellow ulennet rcut in withi black, drab lining, a lhand- .some chestnuit horse, firetd in tuoth hiocks, intl bra~-sslharness. Apply to MIr. ilarrison. one of the ie 11shalmen of thec City of Lontdon, at the Marshal's O)ffice, Alansion-liouse, London._20ihiA August, 182'4." This wasR an acctrate, thetigh not fiatteting portrait of the unfor- tunate sutliject blitt even withlilai face and person answerinig the tIe. veripd.i.n to a nicctv, he mighlt have remained stimll undliscovered in a1 towzn where eachi man has only a thought for liis own business, situI uttrer the waiterrofan inn, as% that of ithe King's Arms, said otl btn- s,lf bc had not been as f3r as the Postioffice for six mionthis, btitt for time ac.ttcnca onf the stable-borve, whose love of horse-flesh excites c.Ariosityv even itt therir, slugish tiatitres. One ouf these has ihad seen ti,e bill at the post-offie, anti was struck with lie ex cact description of the t'.enuet anti the finie horse belonging to ithe strangecgentheuiian, &n, was commmnunicating tite icircumstatnce to his complanions, ahenm he wa.s ovelethucrti by Mr. MIoon, thic lantdlord, whio reimmdently not appea'ing to' tioticc thecir cwmiversatioti, went ntissantly to time Post-office, andi was struck wvith grief anti pain by the certainty that the nereson described was time on- f4rturiate vikitcr at his hos.It will be observed that the hors is describeil as being fired in both itlocks, anti Mr. Aloon hiaving resum-d to the stable, fouind the horse exactlv to correspon(l. andI thus the fact was placed beyond a doubt. The discovery of the Landlord took place on Tiiesday last, anti at that time he was not informed that Chapmnan had an y1 notice of the hill at the P'ost-office;- hut it has since atppeared that, ott the previous evenin!T (Monday) the utnfortunate maLn saw the record of liash e Rlained, guilt, 'it v, iich he was so shocke.' that his reason gave way, and lie retutmred to fhe inn in a stAte of the miost acute mnental sufferting. On the waiter attending him, he exclaimetd, ".Yoln, Joh n, it is titne to be off, there is a reward ofi'ered for rnit;" anti, on sayine so, appearedti t fall into a most dest.ondinu' state. Tuie waiter, not undlesatancling what be meant, tried to rouse iim, and staid " Ylou niust be rtis- tnken..4t cannot be youl." On whichl lie flew into a inosf violetit rit of pr7,sTion, swore at the waiter for contradicting hint, antI asserted that he emily' was. meant. 1laving exhausted thiis fury, lie fel again into' lcrfew,'ritit, and seemed quite heart-broken, It woul(i appear risas -P at ceni-nrey inins are in the habit of mieeting strange cus- tamers, tr trtimes actit of extravapance dlid not make any ittpression on him of the King's Arms; but withi the usual "4 Coining, Sir 1" went his was' and sent the chaimberinaid with a light. The chambermaid 'foutnd himn buriedt in profosind grief, his elbows retring on the table, and his face coveredi with lilalhands. 1He started on her enterinz the room,and then attendled hler to lisasloepi'ng apart- Tner.t, writere she left himi, gave hiun the light, anti closed the door. The next morning (Tuesday), the last of his existence, the ill. fated voung omenr camie dowti to breakfast at his usual hour of nine o'cle,s. fie llad paid the common attentions to his person, and was .ellydcze ie wore a green riding frock coat, light stipned_waist- cow, white ribbell suLall clOtheS, drab gaiters, and shoes * he ate atfiGe brrakfast, bhut still scemd to be in the most desponthing Mta ,.reJchetl and dejected, though lie made no observa- tnts to the waiter who attended him. l1e remained with. il dnors until twelve o'clock, w?hen be walked a little on tbe London road, where he was noticed by a son of Atr. Parsons, thin 'seon. About 2 o'clock, he was noticed again in the town, and On flaning the Post-office saw a person with whom he had formed a ighta acquaintance at the cricket-gromind, and nodded to him, at the tt.e time pointing to the bill for has apprehension, which still re- ed at the window. He p-assed on his way, and was not again 1ctied, until aftcr tJme commission of the dreadfal act twhich ter- *iu3 his existence.~ It Should be observed, dirl tihe rretched being mvrote on the Mon- rtn or thlree letter', one of thiei to a clerk in lessrs. Paxton rad Cemckerelh's house, and another to a genitican of great respRct- '.htly, well known to the landlord, to vwhoml the letters were given ^er *th5 urpose of hieing fosrwarded to the post. Thedreadful act of self-miurder vwas committea about ilre o'cloc4 n a n 1=called S.and.l.ine. at a spot callecl l ove Barn. The place "ll suitedl to a work of secrecy and wickedness, being a retirel aes aqaartcr if a mile from tIte highs road, with high banks at each Sd thickly plan.ted, still ani gloomy even at full tlay. Not far fonf the laac wverea n _Ircel of boys playing at cricket, and a littuk rtetir be bra the fatafa Act, the workmen employed at ts neigh. brinx bleach-grcen fiassed through the lane. Aboiut fouro'clock rne ti those orckmcen, returnirg the same way, saw a gent- t.ltet1 lvti,g on the ground, as le tisough, .asleep, witli his face der. llc atteropteil to rouse hint, b'ut found that ilie botly was tt tiio5life. Another moar conming up at time inttant, sne6f them h ir Ilr. Pasons, a respec.nble surgeon in Godaining, 3Ind the 5tia reistairmesi t,erttch the body, hut did not attempt to digturb it. lIir, Pasons lost not a iioment tin hastening to the place, but founnl that all nredical skill was of ilo avail-the vital sipark wag fled for ever. From the appearance of the body, anl tihe situation in whichi it lav, the wretched suicide must have been kneeling-at the time of the dreadful acr, and the pistol put into the mouth and tii,c disehargedl. Deat i must have been instantaneous, as the body presented no symptom l of a struggle liaving taken place; it appeated to have fallen forwardl, and remained, with the hend slightly averted, in the exact situalion in whiich it fell. The bndy being recognized to be that of the unfortunate Chapman, was taken up, placed on a hurdle, and left at the parish workhouse, and notice immediately sent to Mr- Jemmett, the coroner, at Kingston. Such was the shocking termination of this young man's life; and, as if to render the event more tragic and impressive, it appears, had he deferred the dlreadful purpose for one day, he might have been re-established in society, as the friends to whom he had written had exerted themselves most powerfully in his beh rlf, not only in procuring for him pecuniary assistance, but in soft- ening the severi y of those gentlemen whom he had trested wcith so much ingratitude as well a3 dishonesty. On Wed- nesday two gentlemen came to the King's Arms, and inquired if a person, describing the deceased, was staying there. The landlord recognized one of them to be the gentleman to whom the deceased had written, and with whotn he intended to cons- municate in town. Milr. Aloon made hint acquainted with all the particulars of the melancholv story, at which he was deeply affect- ed-the more so, as be was ;he bearer of good news, having made some suocessful arrangement for his misgtrided friendl, and then had with him three hundred sovereigns, to be devoted to satisfy the immediate necessities of tire case. fn the course of the same day Air. Harrison, one of the Marshalmen of the city of Londotn, came to Godalming, accompanied bv tire clerk of Messrs. Paxtoo antI Co., to whiom the deceased had aleo written, and which being cornn,rrnicate(l by him to the house, was the first intima- tion they bad of the unhappy mar's res-dence since the trace of him was lost at Sutton. All these parties were adunittedi to see the body at the workirouse, anti identified it as that of the guilty but unfortunate Chapmian. It was tmnderstood that, tlhortgh Mr. Ilarrison was sent by AMessrs. Paxton and Co. to take Ihim into custody, it wax not the intentiorn of those respectable gentlemen to have treatedl him with the severity Iris condruct deserved. This day h, coroner's inquest was held on the body at tbe work- house. before Mlr. Jemmett annd a respectable jury, when the man wlio first saw the body, Joln Stevens, the waiter, ande Mary Good- child the chambermaid, and Dr. Parsons, were examined. A fter a patient investigation,and after thedeliberation of the Jury, a verdict of " Tenzporary derau,nrnernt" was given. The friends of the deceased, who, as it nasv be imaginedl, are plungedi in the greatest afflictiont, have given orders that his remains should be treated with becoming respect. A learlen ceffii lias been orderedl by tlhem, and the body is to be deposited in the churclh-yard of this town on Satunlav next. The hody was laid*this evening in a shell, clad in the sad furniture of the girave The face wvas not disfigured in the least, save a sliglit discolouration at each corner of the rrmouth from whence the blood had flowed. It was omitted to be stated, that in the poekets of the deceased a few shillings only were found, a letter to the ostler at Clarges- mews, Piccadilly, informing him wlhere the horse arrd chaise were, and a check addressed to a Mr. S., to pay MIr. Aloon 201. BAfBBZZLEMENT ANrD DRE,fDPUL SUICIDE.