The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1886-04-16 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SUICIDE OF LORD SHAFTESBURY.  The Earl of Shaftesbury committed suicide in London on Monday afternoon by shooting himself with a revolver while riding in a cal: in Regent-street. He engaged a cab in the upper part of Regent-street shortly after four o'clock, and directed the cabman to drive down the street. The driver did so, and on reaching the lower end of the street was told by the Earl to return. This the man did, and when the upper end of the street was reached, his lordship again directed the cab to turn round. This was done several times, and when the cab was near Oxfordstreet, about half-past four o'clock, the driver heard a shot. He jumped down, and the Earl, who was unknown to bun, said, "It's all right, cabman, drive on !" The man replied, "Yes, I know it's all right ; hut what is this?" pointing to a bullet hole in the front part of the cab near the glass panel, on the left side, and adding, " but I value my life too much to drive on." He was, however, about to mount the box again, when a second report was heard, and this time the unfortunate man shot himself in the left temple. At this moment a policeman, who had heard the first report, came up, and told the cabman to drive to the Middlesex Hospital. A crowd gathered round the vehicle, but the Earl was not recognised until the hospital was reached, a few minutes afterwards. There the policeman and the driver of the cab carried the Earl, who was still alive, into the in-patients' ward, and summoned the assistance of the house surgeon, Dr. Bartlett, but Lord haft esbury was just breathing his last, and was beyond all surgical aid, the bullet having penetrated the brain. An intimation of the occurrence had been sent to the friends of the Earl, and in a short time the Countess of Shaftesbury arrived, followed by his lordship's butler. The weapon used was a sixchambered revolver. The position of the first shot indicated that it had been fired accidentally, but the situation of the fatal wound showed that it was fired with a very deliberate aim. The body was removed to the mortuary of the hospital. According to the statement of the cabman, the deceased engaged the vehicle about half-past three o'clock at a spot nearly opposite York House Stores in Waterloo-place, Piccadilly-circus. No one was with him. He appeared calm and collected, and carried an umbrella. He instructed the man to drive up Regent-street. Having proceeded as far as the Langham Hotel, the driver looked round in order to ascertain where to pull U. LOrd Shaftesbury beckoned with his hand for the man to proceed. When \Vest-terrace had been reached his lordship told the man to drive back again. On returning to Regent-street, the deceased asked the driver how much the fare each way would be, and the latter replied, "I do not know, sir." The deceased then said, "Say one shilling each way," and the cabman elosed the bargain The deceased remained in the cab, and was driven tit York House Stores. The cabman here descended, and asked his lordship whether he would like to ride anywhere else. In reply the deceased expressed a desire to cross the Park, but immediately altering his intention he added, "Never mind ; go up Regent-street and I'll stop you." The man drove on to Oxford-street, where he looked round, but the deceased did not take any notice. He loaned back in the cab, and rested his legs on the front seat, with his umbrella between his legs and his hands grasping the umbrella. When they were nearly opposite the Polytechnic Institution a revolver was fired inside the cab. The driver, jumping down, said, "Governor, what are you up to ?" The deceased replied, "All right, cabby, its gone off in mistake." The man thought otherwise, and said, "Good mistake on your part, governor, if you happened to shoot me," whereupon Lord Shaftesbury put in the rejoinder, "I didn't intend to shoot you." The driver intimated that he did not want any of those games in his cab, refused to take .the deceased any further, and threatened to call a policeman. The deceased then said, "Don't be so silly as that, drive me on and I will give you a fiver," but the driver replied, "I don't want any of your flyers; your fivers won't satisfy my life." The deceased then put the revolver aside, and a police constable appeared on the scene at the same time. Before, however, the officer had time to interfere the deceased fired the second shot. Lord Shaftesbury was born in June, 1831, and sat in the House of Commons for Hull from 1857 to 1859, and for Cricklade from the latter year to 1865. He married, in 1857, the only daughter of the Marquess of Di.negal, and has left one son, born in 1869, and five daughters.