The Sun. — 1850-11-15 (London, England)

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE OF MR. PENNINGTON, LATE OF THE TREASURY.  It is with the deepest regret we have to announce the melancholy suicide of Mr. Pennington a gentleman who for fifteen years past has filled highly important offices in her Majesty's Treasury, which took place yesterday afternoon. About half-past four o'clock, as police-constable Henry John, T 223, came out of Gore-house, Kensington-gore (late the residence of Lady Blessington), he heard the report of firearms discharged in one of the plantations in Hyde-park, abutting on the Great Western road, almost directly opposite Gore-house. He immediately ran across the road and entered the park at the small wicket-gate close to the spot, and discovered the unfortunate gentleman lying on his back in the plantation, with his arms extended. In his right hand a double-barrelled pistol was tightly grasped, one of the barrels of which had just been discharged, and on the lock of the other barrel was a percussioncap, and the lock was cocked. The unfortunate gentleman was then still breathing, a motion of the lips and mouth being distinctly perceptible for five or six minutes, after which he appeared to expire. In less than ten minutes after the fatal act bad been committed Police-Sergeant Davis, T 20, Ca 113411 up, and was followed by Mr. Bonney, a-surgeon of Knightsbridge, who, hearing of the occurrence, examined the body, which was lying at the root of firtree. He found that the deceased had shot himself through the right temple, and that the ball had passed out at the back of the head, where the brains were exuding. Mr. Bonney pronounced the deceased to be quite dead. Policeman 209 A, on duty in the park, then came up, and a stretcher was procured from the T station-house, Church-court, adjoining Kensington Church, and the body having been placesi on it was carefully removed to the residence of Mr, Spreadbrow the beadle, who immediately had it placed in the dead house of the parish in:Rose and Crown-yard, adjoining the house. The clothes of the deceased gentleman were then searched, and in his pockets were found a silver Geneva watch with a gold guard chain, and a silver Bramah key attached, a gold toothpick, three cambric handkerchiefs marked " G. J. P„" a sovereign purse, a blue silk pane, and 9s. in silver, and some other small articles ; also a card-case, in which were two cards, with the name " Mr. Pennington, N 0.20, Cumberland street, Portman-square." Mr. Spreadbrow immediately proceeded to that address, and inquired if Mr. Penniugton was from home, and was inform,d that he was. He then showed one of his cards and the card-case, which were identified as having belonged to the deceased. Subsequently the butler in the family went to Knightsbridge, and identified the body as that of his _ master. It appears that Mr. Pennington had a fit about three months since, from the effects of which he had scarcely recovered, and about a fortnight since he had resigned his situation. He bad left his house about half-past two o'clock in the afternoon, to take a walk with his daughter, and returned home in about au hour.  Shortly afterwards he again went out alone, saying hd would take another walk. The butler states that he had never seen before the double-barrelled pistol, a new powder flask, and 32 bullets, wrapped in a piece of brown paper. The body awaits a coroner's Inquest.