The Sun. — 1830-01-22 (London, England)

SUICIDE AT THE RESIDENCE OF THE PRINCESS SOPHIA OF GLOUCESTER.  Yesterday about two o'clock, a tragical event took place at the mansion of the Princess Sophia of Gloucester, on Blackheath, by which her Royal Highness and her establishment were thrown into great alarm and confusion. The circumstances of the dreadful affair are as follows :—About a fortnight back his Majesty, being in want of a couple of fine doe deer for his palace at Windsor, sent word to the Princess, requesting that two, the finest that could be selected from Greenwich-park, might be shot, and forwarded at the expiration of two slays to the Royal Palace. Her Royal Highness immediately issued her warrant for the destruction of the deer, and gave it to Mr. Buck, the deputy ranger, who without delay, gave the necessary instructions to Mr. John Eggleston, the parkkeeper, who had the sole care of them. Mr. Eggleston, who had unfortunately of late addicted himself to drinking, neglected to attend to the warrant, and four days having elapsed without the arrival of the deer at Windsor, Mr. Robert Eggleston, his brother, who has the superintendence of the deer in Hyde•park, proceeded immediately to Blackheath to ascertain the cause of the neglect, where he found his relative in such a state of inebriation that he could not obtain from him any information, and under these circumstances be (the brother) took his rifle and shot the couple of deer required, which were without delay forwarded to Windsor. The negligence of Eggleston next day reached the ear of her Royal Highness (who was particularly partial to him, his family having been in the Royal service for above a century), and she thereupon gave instructions that she might see him yesterday afternoon, at one o'clock, in order that she might remonstrate with him on the impropriety of his behaviour. Her Royal Highness's commands were communicated to him by one of the household, and he said they should be attended to. On Wednesday he received instructions to shoot a doe for the table of the Princess, and to bring it with him on the following morning. Pursuant to his orders the unfortunate man loaded his rifle, and about twelve o'clock yesterday he sallied forth for the purpose of slaying the deer.— Upon leaving his cottage, which is situate in the orchard immediately behind the royal residence, his brother Henry (who was in the habit of following him upon these occasions with a knife, in order to cut the deer's throat immediately it receives the fire) attempted to accompany him, but his services were rejected, and the unhappy man went into the deer-park alone; his brother returned into the cottage, when shortly after he heard the report of his brother's rifle, and still thinking that he might afford him some assistance in the destruction ef the deer, he went out, when on passing an outhouse in the orchard he perceived smoke issuing thereout ; lie opened the door, when to his dismay lie beheld the headless body of his brother, lying on the ground, and the piece which had been discharged by his side, as also the knife. The brother made an immediate alarm, and Mr. Buck, the deputy-ranger, as soon as it was possible, made the horrible affair known to her Royal Highness, who was deeply affected. Surgeons Harrison and Wattsford were despatched at the moment by the Princess, but their services were of no use, as the head of the unfortunate man was blown to atoms. It would seem that the deceased had seated himself on a stool, placed the muzzle of the rifle to his forehead between the eyes, with the butend between his legs, and with the ramrod touched the trigger; the charge of the gun passed through his head, and through the roof of the outhouse, and the brains were scattered in all directions. The body was removed into the cottage, snd information was given to the coroner, who has fixed his inquest for Saturday evening at seven o'clock. The deceased was a widower, and has left two children.