Inquest On Sir Geo. Ralph...
The Times, 1824-03-26T00:00:00

Yecterday afternoon, at hve o'Clock, Mtr. STI FtN?s, thecosoner, andajury of the mest respectsble ixhabitants of Fitxroy-square, assembled at the Yorkshire Grey publc-house, atthe corner f Clip. ston.e and Fitzroy.streets Fitzroy-square, to inquirenobte lsenent.. abe death of the above unforiunategentleetn. The house where the jury was e2panelled is almost opposite that of the deceased's brother, vwhere the sad catastrophe took plce. The jury having been swom, the following evidence was brought forward: Henry Berridge sworn._I am servant to Thomas Collier, Esq., of No. 4, Fitzroy.stree., Fitzroy-square. A day or two ago a gen- tleman, a friend of my master's, caUled, anld said be was aireid Sir Georee was not well mn health, and he thought that be was not in a sound state of mind. The deceased did Dot usually live with hbi brother, After the gentleman had gone away, my x aster went to the deceased at his lodgings in Fludyer-street. I folowed him, an when we arrived there I thought Sir George was deranged.- He had previously lodged at Gordon's Hotel, in Alberrarle.strect, but had latterly removed to Fludyer.street. The deceased being in an apparent state of insanity, my master prevailed on him to accompany him home to Fitzroy-sereet where he dined; another person dined with them. The deceased appeared very dull and desponing, and talked very little. A*er dinner be took some- coffee and retired to bed about ll o'clock. During the night he (tne deceased) awoke and spoke several times; his man. tner was altogether unusual and etraordinary; he desired me in a peremptory tone to destroy all his papers, and asked me twice to procure him some water. I took him some, but- he did not drink iLt. The deceased asked me if I was gone to bed ? I told him I was not, but that I was there waiting upon him. About two o'clock the dece.sed stirred a little, and I went to him, and discovered he had cut his throat. I imrnediately ran up stairs, and called another person who wAs sleeping above, for the purpose of attending Sir George, and I instantly ran for medical assistance, and z surgeon promptly attended ; Sir GeorXe survived only a few minutes after he had frrived. EverY thing that could be done to saYe him was resrted to, but proved abortive. MIr. Thomnas Colliers my master, blept in the adjobnining reoila to that of the deceased, end came the inistant the sad intelligence was communicated to him. The deceased was never before iteranged, but it had been remasrked bv severalnaval and military officers, Ihat he was strangely altered of late, and many declare) it to be thebr opinion that he was labourink under mental derangement. His conduct had been much noticed at the United Service Club-hduse. I amn of opinion that in consequence of the great agitation of mind, caused by the publication of a vwork catled JamWe x arl His- tory, a passage of wlhich went to throw a slur upon thecharacter of Sir George, he- became deranged, and I have no doubt that circumstance aloue was the eause of the committal of the dreacd_ ful act. The deceased's brotherhad a few days before ordered "ia razors to he taken from the hotel where he resided; and l consider he must have had one concealed about his person as the rszor with which he committed the horrid deed was founa afterwards in a bloody condition in the bed. Coroner.-IVhat was the reason you had for sitting up with Sir George ?-Mly master, nor thinking it safe that be Should be left by- himself, ordered me to sit up with him. Coroner._'Were you to sit up with him, or merely to sleep in the saise room ?-Mlerely to sleep ij the room and to administer cer- tain draughts presedbed by Dr. Sutherland. Forenian of the Jurv.-WVas there any precaution taken to prevent the deceased destroyingbimself Were his clotbeasearctd ?--The clottes were taken from him when he went to bed; so thatb e must have concealet the razor. C,roner.-Ditl any medical gentleman attend him in Fludyer. street ?-Yes; Dr. Sutherland attended him there, and wrote a pre- scription, part of which the deceased had taken, and& the remainder was to have been taken had he survived, at two o'cloclc Foreman.-Did the teceased articulate, after he had inficted the wound ?-No; he could not speak. Vice-Admiral Sir Richard King, of Great Cumberland-streit, sworn.-I knew the deceased Sir George Ralph Collier, and have been acquainted with himn for ten years. The last time I saw him was on Suntlav last; he came to my house. There was a geeat dif- ference i'. his beha-.iour; he evidently was labouring uader great. aitation of rmind. He altogether appeared different to what I had hitherto seen him. I endeavoured to sooth him, and he told me his mind was greatly injured by somDe aspersions that bad been pub- lished against him in James's I-I i4ory ofte autc Naval tVar. Juror._I believe the passage Sir George alluded to was published to-dav in; the daily papers. Atdmuiral Eing.-I really don't knowr: I never saw the book. A gentleman said, the passage thathad been published was that tO wh1ich he alluded. Juror.-The momentt I raw it, it occurred to me it 'was suflcient to cause derangement ia the mind of Sir George. .dmiral Sing said he considered him quite insane: he never sap his brother, Air. T. Collier, till this morning. Juror.-Do you consider tke climate that Sir George lately ?e- turned fron^ was calculatecd to produce derangement P AdzniralKing.-I don't know. It might: ho1was two ye:r om the African station. Juror.- [lad lie any wounds on the head ? Adsnira; King.-Why, he hadl wounda in every psrt of his body, wyhich he received in the service. He was a man of atroat feelings, and very sensitive. I never knew him to be deranged befre. A gentleman wvho had served with Sir George, here aid he wats man of very sensitive feeling and mind. The Coroner repea ed the question as to the woatxdsis- the head: observing, it was most likely to affect his miud, and received tht same snswer. John Dyer, Esq. sworn.-_I am chief clerk at tle Admiralty;- r have known the deceased these )30 years, and saw him for tbe last time on Thursdlay last, he came to meat my office, and said he hbd. just then arrived from Exeter; he apettd m is ustadl guiod heallth, and on my aLsking him, in a jocuar ruanner, wthat brought himn to town, he said he would take an onportunity of teling ne at a future period. On the folowingr morning lie cailled on nie again, and whtle in conversation s;ai, he had corme to town about the work above menttoned, which containea reflections on his naval character. Sir Edward Hamilton was present,who hadiineautiou.ly- niamed the offienive passage to him. Sir George sid be had toltd Lady Collier that he was deter.mined to go to towln rspecting it. He (Sir George) had not been able to get a copy of the work, but expressed his anxiety to see it. I, having a copy of it by me took down the fifth volume, and, on otir reading the pussage which an, ioyed himn, lie anpeared agitated ani hurt; thesubJececomplained of, I believe, is ini the 547th page of the work. Sir Edward iaminil ton and n:yself enleavoured to reason lhim oti of the irritation he' was in: the deceased appeared very desitous to know when Iard, Melville would be in town from Coombc Wood, where his Lord- ship was on a visit to Lord Liverpool. I told him he would bo-inx on Tuesday. Sir tidwardH amilton and the decestd soon left the room, and on Saturday Sir George came again, about ten o'CIocl in the maorning. He appeared anxious tosee some of the members of the board, to see if the publication had excited auy unpleas'tat feelings in them about hin; but he was very desirous to setSir George Cockburn,who had not then arrived, and did not come for sa hour. The deceased went to Sir George Cockburn's room, and re. turned some time after, saving thathe had been received in a irtost kint mnanner by SirG. Cockburn, wbhosaid, that nothin gally prsot couid say or wiite would' alter the higii olpinion he enttertained of i, character and conduct as an officer. The deceasedtbhtt appeawed; anxious about my Lord M lelville, aiud consulted with slte, anid I ad. vised him to write to his Lordship, and to state ir the lettez what his feelings were with respect to the publication. The lectez was a requtest thaLt he would state lns opinion of buti, that hl mihbt lay it bet'ore his brother officers for their satifaction, as hisJ.L.rdslipp had donein the cavseof LordWVilliam Fitzroy; he then returned me thanks for my kindness atid attention to hdirn, which he 2aid lie would never forget, and hoped that he should have an opportuuity ol dlisplaying his gratitude, alluding to a son I have in the iiavy. Be then promised to attend'to imi3' advice, and seetitedtsootled andtcatin. I did not see bim again until Monday, when there was indeed a de- cided change,boeth in lis D anner and appeasance.He came up tu my chair, and said, " 5ir. Dyer, I once possessed ytur irriendship, but tliaris passed." I tried to calm him, and he.walkcd over the roomt ha%tily, and turning round, stamping on the ground, he said '- T must see my wite, Lady Collier is in town." I agaiet tied to dsv.:et his attention, bat could not. Coroner.-Did his conduct induce you to thinkhe was insaa ? witness.-Yes, Sir; so convinced was I of it, that I weat out of, my rooni; and going up stairs, met Sir WinE. Hope, and ao, I havg just seeni Sir George (ollier, and he is evidenitly iferanlgecifeon the, attack of James upon him- Sir William Slope expreised hina iegret. I theni saw Sir George Cocltburn, and lie "ilso expressedt his regret, and asked where he was? I informed hiupihe had just left my office, and he dire. ted that he should bh shown to hin ort his again ca'ling. I also informed Sir Ed-vard H allton,who went away sayig he woniBcall at Gordon's Hotel 1was so uneasy, trom 'k;nowing his high sense of honour, that oil the following tuorn. ingr. Tuesday. I camte through Albectarle-slr.eet, wi W tha view of calling at the Hotel, but misscd it. I had eeek bitu Ott Tuesday, anti was shecked wben I hetml of the dreadful catastrophe } behieve that almosit every part of his body has beeD perfotatel He was an extremely gallant officer. Juror.-You conlsider the edfect of the bhtatment, or rmis.stte- meat, properly speaking, was the cause of his inanity ?-l.ost un- doubtedly I do. The CORONERD here said that evidently itinttst havre done so, as Sir George bad lett Devons^hire for the soLe purpote of nierting the attack. And when absent from those gentlemen who soothed and cained bis mind. he was brootding upon this; aridias*pjara thathie mind was continually in a state of agitation. Juror._You may as well take a nav4 offir'aiifb as his MNr. Dyer explain ed, that the affkair allucded to in} Jamnes's work occurred dnringthe American war, in theetscape of somke frigates, by getting the weather -gage, anti Captain Sfir George Collier's squadron was lost in the fog at the time he was on boara the Leas. tier. He had previously chaDle ged the enemy's ships to action, but they.sheered o?f Thiq was merely a conversation with one of~ the jurors, and was not taken in evidence. MIr. Mtratford Alfred E:yru sworn-I amn a surgeon; 'T was called to the deceased, who I was told had cue his throat. ltoundl the large vessels on the left side of the neck severed. Mluch surprise was ex- pressed as to how lie could have dlone it ; bat on searching, a razor was found under his right hand, covered with bloodl, and was the in. strument with whbich he eEceced the fatal deed. Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Hamilton sworn.nOSaturdaylut r saw Sir lYcorge Colier about two o'lock. 1. should say I had seen hirn on the preceding day. e said he had-come to town frorx Exeter, in consequence of the publication of -Mr. James; that ke had not seen it, but be understood it affected hbis character f'ov allowzing the American frigate Consfitutione to get awiy from hium on a certain occasion. I saw he was greatly agitated,- and from that m noment bad predicted ome fata consequeneafapeasur were not taken to guard against them. WVe lets tbc ia Ity to gether; he said he was un.ahIe to walk, and scented desirous of taking a coach. I persuaded him to walk to PiewAilly, and there to take a coach. la walkinj up Regent.strcet; h o osrved, that Soome enemv had given Mr. James wrong inforimnoi, and "ke4 my opiriion, as he suspectel he knewtlhe perwo,.aMd iether it Iould not be right to call him out and shoot hlihthrough the ehead. I said that would not rlter the statement in te-bouk, $a pointed out a particular coarse. He said be disliktd ' t waro- I tried to change the conveisation, butfound him ab&et adsil* dt. On' the following Tuesday fro m what passed betwh: him A"d r. Dyer, I left the AlMity to go to his lodgings, mad on toy wa,I mUet Viscount Exmouth, to whom- I intimate my belief ttbir'Geo. Collier was actuallr insane. His Lordhip s aid 'tis Sir George bad m cade an extraordinary and unlucled-Wor_aPolog!t- him that morning for his comments on the precedinj-wevehin' - I arrived t hitjodgings, and I_ther informcd tben qf:mkoQ-los, s d begged them te be on their guard, and to take car#of :hum- have known the deceased thirty;five years as a most exetuplar officet on all occasions. Such a charge aa that migkt as weUl k p cd a st e immortnd Nelson, orany.otherexalted-chraejteta tIhe nvy. (A- seisatitn of applause in the routo, which. Ps &oWa w nvAal. Offccrt) RmiaA unlr Ii oat idii*# *sas. *s wl. Io iaval officerS' characters, o mTnas was safe, however great he m3ibt bc. The-deceas,d was arwan of undoubttefibravery. Colo11e1 Johna Drinkcwater saworn-..I baye known Sir George Col. lier2- ycars;- six or eighrt years intimately: but I am more ind- mate with his' brother,'Mr. 't'homas Collier. On Saturday afternoonl I saw him at the United Service Club House, and he told me that Sooe acandpI,t,is ,pnd Abominable, Publication, in which his chan- racer was implicatedh hlad brogbt him to Londson. He was iore animated andespoke blder than muse . 1 inquired afterLady Collier, and he-said sae feftheo very indifterent and much distressed, in con. seqience of' hei hba~ingcidentaoy seen the letter which had comr- 35unicated to him the part iculars containtE in he publication; and uPon a gentleman of his acquaintanace commneautng 'thereon, Sir George was much agitateel, so much as to use strong and violent expressibnc.uld His, meanners appeared vcry extraordincry, so much so, that I determined to follow himrto lave some conversation with him, inwhich. 1- flrttered m-self I succeeded in bringing him to a more gobet of what he a to (o. Ladly Collier's knowledge of the business appeSred. to me greatly to afvct hiir, fie told me of his- frieriidy satisfactory interview withi Sir G. Cockburn, and of his intended: interview with Lord Alelville. After he had seen his lordship, he said he should then know what course to par- sue. We then separated,- and I have not se en him since. Colonel Drinkwater be ged to state publicly, that y r. Collier, the brothed to the deceased, was extremhoy desirous that the world siould un- derstand -that every means were resorted to that prudence or calu. tion could dictate, and as the coinmon occirrences of our nature sbow that we are subject to mental aberrations, which pe-haps nighit flaily'occur, and shiortly go away ; and thierefore lie founcl it necessary to proceed cautiouslr he did not wish his brother for a -tonent to suppose thi the Was placed under the least re straints breven that it was supposed suchisteps were necessary. To shllow the state of mind of the deceaied, the gallant Colonel then ae d inways thefol owing do en t itd wealous fiin the shape of a letter write b Sr eogeColir o dmra Lke:- -- hiy deaF onda.. you aorenon the same friend yol once were, tndif ldesirc, Is onuctebud ame, tyou may save my life, andt uh at' d ear ver- to o no ur. b y givin g a n h d c am e a dv ic e. "GEORGE COLLIER." FI sbaU be aU hlome al the evening; I dine at 4, Fitzroydstrect, I live at Gordon's." LieutenantColonel Samuel Gordon Higgins, Aide-de-Canip to hisa Roya Highne&s the Duke of hlocester sworno -I have known thece asd for20 years intimately. On uriday evening I met him at Gloesteri,ouse. Hlisqnoanner waSu as describeds by the preceding witnesses. He wished to have his eoyal Highness's advice (rco specrting the attack iipon his character by Mlr. James), whara he anrays consieered Mes tarm and tealous friend, and was well assured of the readiness the sule always expressed to serve him ar ull itmes. nis Royal str 'ness saw him in his library, andc advised-bim what coursend thake, which seemed to apease him for the moment. I saw mie again on the Saturday, wen in e appear ed more composd, a and; poly ting to a carpet bag, he said, "Th t ere theyare.na t 1oshould have had occasinitob ave madetuse of them." On MNonday forenoon he came to Glocester-.house, t which time' alie appeired to be quite deranged; by histRonal rIoo ess desire, I conducted lirm to the Duke's library, nd thae uendeavouted to sootl im; and the deceased m-ade three at- ztempts toeave hisepresence, but the Dtike restrained him. On coming oat of the haoihe struck inc on the sloulder, and said, "Sir, the Duke of 1Glocester'has saved my life." The ga)ant Colonel hen said evidently miuch aff'ected even to tears, that it was the opi- nion o thae navy that the countrv lad lost the services of a most galant atnd meritorious ofticerB ratdhis opinion was,- that a braver man never existed: and he g was confident that Car. Thomas Collier hadl dne every tbing a fornd brother could do to secure the fsture peace akd lisacpiers Of the deceased. Alexander Vrqufr,te t er sq., of Satton, Surrey, deposu d to the samie ,effecL - The wholo tf tbe owitnesses having been examined, the coro-ier a'ndwaryef thep~d 'Sc6the house to view the body, whichl was stretched -onthe, an-l a the hamber nuthe second floor. Therazor layt lose touthe r"hert band e, and stream ofblooddenoted the sideiof the nehc ttbp.e rt1'efatal wroupindhad been inflicted. that inu ,asditoncs melancholyase, shaetowingks the etcts such attacks wero 'auateo and tolhaveronmant.s so pheculiarly sensitive. theadetails of it, although; pfar in:, therLestint pre oseinted> clearand distinct proofs oIS nat and the jr he wasocoi nt, mn strcmeto that cocuIon. The -Jury,unaninously returned theirecerdict- iThat the de- ceasecd, Captain Sir George RalPhl Collier, K.C.B., R.N., put a pe- riod to his existence whilst in a state of temporary derangement." The following is thte passage of AMr. James's book-:-" On the 7th of tolarche ll5, the Constitution (an American frigate) anchored with her two priazes (te late British sloops Cyane and Levant) ic the harbour of Porto Praya, isslnd of hStr) bJat Oni the I Ith, at a ar~ter past meridian, the British 50 guin ships Leander, Captain ~sr George Ralph Collier, K.C.B., and ANewcastle, Captain Lord George St hewar,and 40 geun ffigate Acasta, Captain Alexander Reo- ber'=KCIv, standipg in for the harbour in thick weather on the star- boartack, discoveredthlietlree American shipsatanchor. Ino essthan tean tinntes thelatter out their cables, and stoodyout on the larboardl tac'k.At thi'stime the Coist italion was between four anidfive-mile~sto 'ncolwardofthe Aca.vtawhowasoned ile4 Dtheweathera areeroftihe 'lrezcas&te, an fo the atter abnut two miles a-head of the Leatder. The threetBritishohipspresently tacked in chase,anathe Caonslitntioe cut away her firit cuiter, and gig towing a-stern. Finding that the Acasta 'was gaining her wake, andI that the ('vanc, the rearmost 3bip, was rather, drolpng astern, they('enitaton, at ten minutes atone,signalled the-latter to tack, atnd the Cyane did slo. No ritusl an oppacked abtesr her but allctontinued in chase of the Con- ,tiW!o nand-Levant. At theetaon'clock, observing thnat the Acasta Wais dw fas upon the Leomabty ef the Consticetr t directed the latert tak-;theLernt.did accordingly tack, and strange to say, hbthemsedelvde a signal, Whenwot for onee bitt for ail ted British jsips, of tc e Americr. Thlcers wass expaltry ship, as sheiafrerwards bore up tarodshed;n-hoate, w'atasbonoiared bt receivingthenfire of the Lcan- d- onre thandt, oheavr Basitiwasand destructive asit might have been, h ztaredtohhai'edo'oofthe Leratnoinjur iancherdpersonal, and very 2ittl,if amdozin othnerrsc ic, to The Levant was, of course, re-cap.. urethe navyby took.idn plasestsion of her), but the Constit.tion and Nr. eJeesd their a W t "u havespossessed Sir George to lert oact in this manner ? In shan threexhours t ieAcasta b;nldli,p I'robability. Sane ronght time Constitution to action; nn,sthe-lattar must now have been sixty or seventy men shiort of thc compliment, froimgaving manned her prizes, that fine British frgt,mounting 52 guns, and manned with 350 men, wanted no assitacewhatever from the Lcande-r or Newcastle. It is a fact that CayainSteartandthe officers had made up their minds to he cap- turdthybtae to thie British officers on hboard an alarm on the wbect suha rtsh officers ouglht lnot to feel; and appeared,using a seaman'phrase, solubberly in'all, that they, contrary to what is usually an opponent's best hope in action, rested on their surviving to give confuisedt orders, rather than onx so fine and effective a crcwv biaring, hy the.death or disability of their officers, to mnanceuvre the bhi by themselves. Whien the three British ships tacked, the joy 'Ofth American officers was as extrava gant as their fears had bce'n well grounded; -.bat whiat ware the feldings of Captains Douglas and Falcon, and the other British officers ? What were they, indeed!I "'Vbat was the capItureof the Gner-riere,. M'aedonican, and (Java, or halfa dozen other such frigates, to the dusi-Wce entailed upon the British navy by this thiird and last es-cape of ruie Constitution t Alr. James adds, in anote, "Justice to Sir George Collier require.s us to mention, that the Leander, a ship fitted out expresslv to fight the large American frigates (as a proof how mnuchthiose whio sent her to sea cared about the natioial lhonour), possessedl one of the worst crews.in the service. WVell was it, indeed, that the Leande,' never felIl in ith one of th Amnerican forty-foiurs.'rhoeNewcastle was not much better off. Tlhe lWajestic, with hier finie crew, was a match for botlh of them," I INQUS2 ON SIR GEO. RAL?H CO6WjN, BIAAT.