The Sun. — 1846-03-23 (London, England)

SUICIDE OE CAPTAIN INPLEOD. The following is an extract from a letter written by Mr. Santos, agent for the Peninsular and Oriental Company at Cut-uvula, dated March 12 : " I returned from the wreck of the Great Liverpool cm the 11th inst., and have relieved Mr Baker, from the temporary duty as agent to your company at this place. "The melancholy death of Captain M'Leod, which took place on the morning of the Rth instant, has, as you may well suppose, added greatly to my labours, and, indeel, mu t plead for my present hasty report. relyi g upon your indulgence to permi me to furnish more details when the departure of the Q seen shall afford me more quiet and " Pocr Captain 11PLeod has been, ever since the unfortunate loss of the Liverpool, in an extremely &pressed sta•e, and caused me very serious apprehensions. At five o'clock in the morning I went to the habitation where he, with one of his officer-4 and the doctor, had been sleeping. I told them to get ready, as everything had been arrrnged by me fur an early start for Corunna. I asked Captain M'Leod how he had rested, when he replied that he had not chsed his eyes, went to the window, and agreed with me on our having fine weather for our journey; immediately alter he took off his coat and Rent into his sleepingroom, I thought to wash; we soon heard a noise, am" the landlord coming in to report the same, made us all rush into hi, room, where we found him weltering in his blood, and his throat cut from, ear to ear. All our efforts could not prevent his expiring within ten minutes, so effectually had the rash act been done. You may well conceive consternation we were thrown into, but, overcoming my feelings I immediately proceeded to go through everything that was necessary to be done. I sent for the judge, and arranged matters fqr holding an inquest. I interred the body of the untortunate Captain 31'1..44 the same evening, and early the next morning set out upon my journey with all the remaining officers and crew."  The following additional particulars are contained in a Fetter from Southampton:—  " I have very little to communicate in connexion with the melancholy death of poor Captain M'Leod, of the Great Liverpool steam-ship. It appears that everything WAS in readiness to depart from the inhospi table shore on which the remainder of the passenaers and crew had been located since the untbrtuna:e wreck, and (:aptain Nl'Leed had retired to his room to make prepa-ations for his departure. His protracted stay was remarked; and on one of the party knocking at the door of his room, to announce that every person was in readittess, no answer ,vas returned, a,+l af•er repeated knockings with the same !vault, the door was opened, when the horrid spectacle of the wife, tunate gentleman with his throat cut from ear to ear, presented itself to view. So determined was the suicidal act that lite was quite extinct. He was butiedia the village of Lee, where the distressing catastrophe was perpetrated, every :me of his fel:ow sufferers following his remains to the grave A ith heavy and mournful hearts. " Captain I%l'Leod was a gentleman of extremely high spirit and honour, and it is not improbable that the severe sufferng4, anxiety, and trials the loss of the vessel entailed upon superinduced the committal of the dreadful deed.  " Mrs M'Leod, with her yonthful family (and a prospect If further increase shortly), is resi=ient in Southampton. Die distressing intelligence was communicated to her as cately as possible immediately on the Queen's arrival, :rut it is impossible to describe the agonising state of mind of this truly unfortuirde lady. " Captain iNPLeod was a lieutenant in the navy; his com,ni,sion nears date the 19th of July, 1823. " The conduct =-t the natives is described by the pa,sen,,ers as villanous in the extreme; they openly gle!)ed everyfling they could I ty th: it hands upon, accompanied in many instances with acts of vi,leuce. Even the gulras sent by the British Consul at Coruna are, it appears, not exempt from the charge of robbery. An investigation, it is sa.d. is 'bout to take place on a charge brought forward against one of these worthies, and, if proved, no doubt the rascal will be ilia. •  " The unf.rtunate ship had entirely disappeared ; not a vestige of her was to be seen. Oecasiutlally, however, thins floated ashore, but they were qui, lily poulx,ed upon by tho!,e avenous wolves in human sit/Iw, and divided amongst 1 hem."  LOSS of T N E (-; it EA 'r LI E'ER