The Sun. — 1845-10-16 (London, England)

FATAL OCCURRENCE MILITARY OFFICER. A very considerable and painful excitement 113.5rl 1118 dge, last few days prevailed in the village of Elstree, ware, from the general rumour that Liotennerv,f Edward James Metcalf, of the Royal Horse At" the ovt, been killed in a duel by a brother officer, and hattt; had been removed to his residence in the dead efri.ce,tl and that it. was the intention of his friends to c.olialt affair from the public, and to bury the corpse w.so,, vestigation of the circumstances leading to his 1 and rt port was so current that every body believed lic g atrair became so public that it was the general to.P_ versation. The parish authorities lost no time T.,0,01). the necessary inquiries, and succeeded in aseettai;e; illb: the report of the unfortunate gentleman havingx,d from duel was without foundation, although he had the effects of a pistol-bullet under circumstances circled to to afflicting nature. Notice was immediately for° jr.a,iii•pg Coroner, and an inquest was held at the Articholteeweido village, when the following evidence was given in 0 lie 0 the melancholy affair : „, to t" islet William Howard stated that he lived as gro°": tely' Colonel Metcalf. He uccupied the room iminedialith 10,01 that of his master. On Saturday night last, °lie poteiii witness saw him go into his apartment for tl °Oa, dressing to attend a party ; witness heard hint to his about an hour after, and he (witness) then 'volt iol°ol In a short time his master returned, and again ,tritvessf,,ht. room, but did not remain long before he left. ring" tbel99 to sleep, and did not hear any more of him duiot o°ooo At about seven o'clock the next morning, be,".oe-lies,„eig room, as was his custom, to call the decease"' dies b not rbol, entering, he was astonished at finding two c 5,13,,,. in the sockets of the candlesticks, and his illssit; nor had the bedclothes been disturbed. ','„f on ver'; ;be behind the screen, which divided the room, 1,0 sfrpt deceased sitting on the sofa, with his head reeilt;llo3, side, weltering in blood, which appeared to c° mouth, although his lips were closed, and lie Icl to rrei:ctile Witness made an immediate alarm, and hastene'declor, the attendance of a surgeon, who, on arriving'ieceel, deceased to have been dead some hours. The eist°e'raliij undressed, with the exception of his drawers 0,04 witness afterwards found the pistol, now Pro' tiees/ drawers, which were hanging about his legs. PThe deceased was a widower, and lived by 110 s Al tP about 57 years of age. tol,oo' " Captain Robert Maynard stated he was with the unfortunate gentleman, who wasfod ,sreae netted. Witness saw the remains of his Gallslijor,e.,s after the last witness gave the alarm. The nist'lll have - been recently discharged. On opening 510.'1,, „It whole of the upper jaw was found to be coninieletcot,;(l.ar and the ball had lodged in the hack of the beau' lot -otis" sequently extracted. Witness was confident th ceased never intended .suicide, but that his someway or other by accident. He was a nsttic,ool°l spirited man, and the last in the world t° murder. 1, 'Ol 0 In answer to questions, A 'llht, ° redo 1 Captain Maynard said he was strengtbene- had that it was accidental, from the examination iteA it t or„ the pistol. Upon looking at the ramrod be feitn-the difficult to remove, from which he believed that i was about to draw the charge of the pistol, had oppi,, could not shift the ramrod with his hand, lie,"3'top ii, teeth of his bottom jaw to a small ridge near t° go° in so doing the jerk must have caused the pistol ,d 1 ' tiv.'" produced the dreadful event. • e The pistol was closely inspected by the „ ant and the ramrod certainly was difficult to rem';,:er s4„',. Captain Maynard further stated that hen-. ;0'1'0" thing in the conduct of deceased indicating ne I`ei. Pe /0 could state that in all his experience he bad 'd. man more careless of fire-arms than the deceta the or continually trying experiments with therm wit!' ta lee, Major Thornton said he was at the party' tore ceased, who was in high spirits. He:-(deee9sed h d t upon a shooting excursion the day previous, Sn pheasants. ed datins By the Jury—There was no gambling introone- i tbt evening, by which the deceased lost money. Lieutenant Mahon said the pistol which "c-o`,bet calamity was his property. He lent that and Odeatti", of deceased a short time ago. Witness thinks his„rioa cidental, as the unfortunate gentleman was n°' ft* less of fire-arms. rdiet' After much discussion, the jury returned a'e bt I°' the deceased was accidently shot." Jed ten The inquiry lasted three hours, and was at-4,1): merous friends and brother officers of the doves' he was highly respected.