The Sun. — 1844-09-04 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE. The neighbourhood of Henham-park, the country eat of the Earl of Stradbroke, was thrown into a state of great excitement on Saturday morning last, August 31, by the rumour being spread that his Lordship's headkeeper, whose name WAS Easey, had destroyed himself. This report, on inquiry, was found to be but too true. About eleven o'clock on the morning of that day the unfortunate man, it appeared, whose character for quietness and general worth was high, left his cottage, which is situate on the Henham-park estate, taking a double-barrelled gun with him. He proceeded to a spot at the back of his house, where grow a quantity of bullrushes; and of these he managed in an ingenious and most original manner to form the means of his death and fearful mutilation. From the relative positions in which the body and gun were found, it would seem that he had fixed some of the rushes across the two triggers of his piece, and placed his foot upon the end of those rushes in such a manner as to enable him, haring Lilt the end of the barrels in his mouth, to fire Off the gun! The effect of this most extraordinary and determined act of suicide was, of course, the immediate death of the unhappy man. The whole of the head was shattered in a frightful manner, particularly the left side, which was blo-wn completely away. The brain was found in a tolerably perfect condition, at a distance from the corpse. A more resolute and horrible mode of self-slaughter can scarcely ever, if ever, have occurred. As may be imagined, the circumstance has created great excitement in the immediate vicinity of the park, and indeed around that part of the country; and the various .circumstances attending the melancholy act are such as to be well calculated to increase the peculiar and painful interest of the case. From the situation held by the deceased he necessarily had the chief care and direction of the Earl of Stradbroke's game preserves; and as the Noble Lord was expected to arrive on Saturday at Henham Park with his family, Easey was anxious to have all duly prepared for his reception and sporting amusement on Monday. However, for some time past the poachers have been active on the estate, and great quantities of the game have been destroyed and taken by them, including several of his Lordship's favourite breeding birds among numbers of pheasants that have fallen before these illegal sportsmen. The vexation and annoyance caused to the deceased by these predatory acts have been very great. Persons who had seen and conversed with him during the past week all remarked how unusually dull and depressed his manner was. It is imagined by his wife and those most intimate with him that this has been the cause of that state of mind which led to the commission of the fatal deed, combined with the expectation of meeting his master so soon, and the fear excited that the Noble Earl would impute blame to him fur negligence of his duties in permitting the continuance of such robberies of his preserves. Whether such were really the origin of the suicide or not it is, of course, quite impossible now to decide ; but it would seem to afford a very probable and likely cause for the melancholy circumstance in the absence of any domestic and private motive for the act. It is also stated that he was to have been a witness at the examination of some poachers, who will be brought before the magistrates on Wednesday. These men he saw leave with game in their possession, he being afraid to attack them, they -being four or fire in number. This may have added to the troubled state of mind under which the unfortunate man had evidently for some days laboured. It ryas expected that the inquest would be held yesterday (Monday).