The Sun. — 1848-06-15 (London, England)

THE SUPPOSED MURDER IN  BATTERSEA-FIELDS.  Yester afternoon Mr. W. Carter, the Coroner for East Surrey, resumed the inquest upon the body of a gentleman unknown, who was found lying on the shore of the river Thames, near the Albert Tavern, Battersea •fields, on the morning of Tuesday, the Bth instant, and who, from a subsequent post mortem examination, was believed to have been murdered.  Since the announcement of Dr. Wing that the deceased had met his death by violent means, the most active inquiries have been set on toot by Mr:Bicknell, the superintendent of the V division. to ascertain who the deceased was, but athough nearly fifty persons viewed the body and clothing, it was not identified until within a very brief period of the coroner renewing his inquiry, when the unfortunate man was recognised by his relatives. The evidence of the parties finding the beady having been read over,  Mr. Edwin Wing, the surgeon who had made the post mortem examination, was sworn, and depoised that he was a surgeon, and resided at Oak House, Battersea. He first saw the deceased on Tuesday, the 6th instant. He was lying in the stables of this house. He appeared to have been immersed in the water twelve or fourteen hours. Witness perceived a wound above the anterior angle of the left orbit, about half an inch in length, and somewhat circular. It had penetrated to the bone. He did not perceive any other cut. There were marks of violence visible on the forehead, nose, and back of each hand, consisting of very considerable contusions and echymosis of the entire forehead, with contusions and a slight abrasion of the skin on the back of the hands ; the nose was bruised. In removing the scalp at the post mortem examination, marks of three contusions were visible over the frontal bone, with coagular blood, and a fracture of the bone where it formed the anterior wall of the frontal sinus, corresponding to the external wound, nearly circular in form, and about the size of a sixpence ; a small splinter of bone was found loose. On the opening of the skull there was coagulated blood on the dura mater. When the brain was removed, a circular fracture of the posterior wall of the frontal sinus presented itself, with a bullet firmly impaned in it. About half the bullet projected i❑ the interior of the skull so as to press on the membranes of the brain. The brain was not lacerated and was perfectly healthy; the other portions of the body were perfectly healthy. The cause of death was severe concussion of the brain, resulting from the pistol shot, in conjunction with the blows on the head, aided by loss of blood. Presuming that the deceased shot himself, the concussion would cause him to lose all control of himself, and a contusion might ensue, but it would not produce the marks of three distinct blows. Witness considered, from the presence of the echymosis, that these injuries were inflicted during vitality. His head might have laid lower than his body, and the blood might have flowed from him without attaching to his clothes. Supposing he was killed, the blood might have been wiped away as they carried him to the river. He could come to no other conclusion than that he had died a violent death.  Mrs. Eliza Gosling, a widow lady residing at 68, Grove-place, Brompton, identified the deceased as her son ; he was 23 years of age, and his name was Charles James Gosling. He had formerly held an appointment under Lord John Somerset, as a clerk in the recruiting department, but he had done little or nothing the last two vears. He lived at 18, Queen•street, Golden•• square. Was married, and had two children. He lived on very bad terms with his wife. He was very violent at times, and threatened to kill his wife. The first intimation she had of the deceased being found was on the previous evening ; the last time witness saw him alive was on Monday week, as late as eleven o'clock at night. lie had come to her two days previously, when he said his wife had left him, and he was in search of her, and that he had walked the streets all night after her. He produced a bottle of vitriol, and gave it to witness, saying he had intended to use it against her person. On Sunday the deceased wrote a great deal, and on II inday he went out for two or •three hours, and returned with a small pistol, which he said was loaded, and would do better for Maria (meaning his wife) than paltry vitriol—with that he was sure to make a good aim. He added that after he had taken her life be would take his own; that he would go out to sea in a boat, shoot himself, and then throw himself• into the water, for no coroner's jury should ever sit on his body. Deceased left her house to go to his lodgings, and not having heard anything of them, she imagined be had gone to Wales, where his wife has some property, and where he expected she was gone. She did not think he had any money or valuables on him when he left her house. He was of very violent temper, but at times very affectionate. He had o, ten said, if he committed suicide he should do it in the manner he had stated. Witness had no doubt this was his own act.  Mr. Thomas C. Smith, the landlord of the house, 18, Queen-street, Golden-square, where deceased lodged, gave evidence as to the quarrels that had taken place between deceased and his wife, and on morn than one occasion he appeared decidedly deranged. Mrs. Gosling, the wife of the deceased, was examined briefly. She gave her evidence in an extraordinary collected manner, said she believed he was vexed with her, and that was the cause of his destroying himself. He had frequently exhibited symptoms of insanity, but she had not thought it necessary to obtain advice. After a short address from the Coroner, the court was cleared, and after some discussion the jury .returned as their verdict, " That the deceased destroyed himself by shooting himself with a pistol, he being at the time in an unsound state of mind."