The Sun. — 1859-07-16 (London, England)

THAMES.  SUICIDE OF JOHN BARDOE, THE LIBERATED SLAVE.— This morning was appointed for the re •examination of Oude Ajur, the liberated African slave, better known as John Bardoe, for wounding four Asiatic seamen in the Strangers' Home, West India-road, Limehouse, to which place he was removed after his trial, and acquitted on a charge of assaulting and wounding a city police-constable named Oliver on the roof of a house in the Minories. The witnesses, interpreters, and others were in attendance on the magistrate. The Court was filled -with persons anxious to hear the proceedings. At 12 o'clock the police van arrived with the prisoners under remand, but without Bardoe, and soon afterwards Sergeant Walker, who has charge of the van, announced that the unfortunate creature had put an end to his oxistence by hanging himself in his cell in the Clerkenwell House of Detention. This morring, at two o'clock, the night watchman in the prison while going his rounds called to the prisoner, and he answered him. Two hours afterwards the same watchman again called to him, and no answer being returned he opened the door of the cell and found the unfortunate man quite dead. The manner in which the deceased hung himself did not transpire, but it is believod he strangled himself with his handkerchief. There is no doubt that his misfortunes, his fear of being sent into slavery again, and the severe wounds he received in the terrible conflict with the city police constable, preyed upon his mind and caused him to commit suicide.  At half-vest 12 o'clock Lieut.-Colonel R. Marsh Hughes, the Secretary of the Sailors' Home, addressed the magisrate, and said the black man, Bardoe, was dead. He had ommitted suicide.  Mr. Yardley—Has he indeed. When did that occur? Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes—This morning, sir, he tore his sheet to pieces and hung himself. G Sergeant Mather, of the police van, here said that the of the Clerkenwell House of Detention informed him the poor fellow had strangled himself at an early hour this morning. Mr. Yardley said this -was a most lamentable end to a most lamentable affair. No one in this country was to blame but the person who brought the deceased, and made a slave of him, and who intended to treat him as a slave again, was very much to blame. Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes—lt was a most disgraceful transaction on the part of the foreigners. Can there be any objection to my seeing the body of the deceased ? I understand there are some very remarkable marks on his person which I am most anxious to see. Mr. Yardley said that, from the kind manner in which Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes behaved to the deceased, and the great interest he had taken, and the humanity he had evinced towards all destitute and friendless men of colour who arrived in this country, there was no doubt his wishes would be consulted by the authorities. He could see no objection whatever to Lieut.-Colonel Hughes seeing the body. The case, however, was out of his hands. The man was dead, and the coroner and a jury would hold an inquiry. He inquired how the wounded men were progressing.  Mr. Corner, a respectable surgeon, of Poplar, said he had been in attendance on the wounded men daily, and they were all doing well. Two were nearly recovered. The other two were invalids at the time they were wounded, and their recovery would, consequently, be slower. Lieut.-Colonel Hughes—ls there any occasion for the wounded men to attend here ? Mr. Yardley—None at all. As far as lam concerned there is an end of the matter.