The Sun. — 1865-12-29 (London, England)

DISTRESSING SUICIDE.  Yesterday evening the deputy coroner for West Middlesex held an inquest on the body of Captain E. C. Symonds, aged 57 years, who committed suicide under the following painful circumstances. It appears that on Tuesday evening two little girls observed the deceased distributing tracts at the homes in the neighbourhood of Brook-green, Hammersmith. After he had handed a tract to a gentleman he suddenly darted across tha road and walked quickly into the middle of Brook-green, and placing his back up against a tree, he drew from his pocket a large double-barrelled pistol. One of the girls attracted the attention of the passers-by by calling out, " Look, .the gentleman is going to shoot birds," but before they could rush to the deceased he placed the barrel of the pistol in his mouth, and, drawing the trigger, blew the roof of his skull completely off. His brains were scattered about the grass, and- the unfortunate man fell upon thelground in a pool of blood. The noise of the explosion caused the police to hasten to the spot, and police-constable Dillon, 293 T, instantl sent for Mr. Barrett, M.R.C.S., but that gentleman's services were of course of no avail, the whole skull of the deceased being completely shattered. The deceased's body was then removed by the police on a stretcher to the district deadhouse. The deceased was a married man, residing at No. 15, Ehn-grove, Hammersmith, and he had served in India as an officer in the Hon. East India Company's service. He was well known and much respected throughout the locality in which he resided. Latterly he had devoted much of his time to religious subjects, and had written several tracts and pamphlets. In his pocket was found a, card on which was -itrzcribed " E. 0. Sr monds." A police-constable discovered in the coat pocket of the deceased 150 pamphlet headings, " Symonds' Recommendations." The melancholy occurrence was quite unexpected by the deceased's friends, for on Christmas-day l►e was in high spirits and gave a party.  Mr. Henry Stock, an architect residing at N 0.45, Bedford-gardens, Kensington, said that the deceased 'was his brother-in-law. He was a gentleman living on his property,- and up to 1859 had been a captain in the Bengal Artillery. After he left the army he joined the South Middlesex Volunteers. He became insane, in consequence of a sunstroke ,by which he was attacked at the siege of Mooltan, and in 1852 he returned to England deranged. He then married without the knowledge of his family. Dr. Sutherland was called in by the family, and he pronounced him insane, but said that it was unnecessary to put him under restraint, as the best attendant he could have would be his wife. When the Indian mutiny broke out, the deceased said, " I will go to India and do my duty," and the doctor thought he might recover if he went out. A commission was got for him, and he went out to India. During the mutiny he marched 200 men 900 miles to Cawnpore. In 1859 he sold out, and returned to England in a very depressed state of mind, and was in the habit of saying, "It is a burthen to me to live." He was very mad upon political and religious subjects. He showed witness an article written by a Jersey newspaper editor upon himself, in which it was said—" He is a jolly looking person of about 60 years of age ; a regular specimen of a John Bull." .Deceased said to witness, "Shall Igo over to Jersey and shoot the man who wrote it ?"  William G. Brice, a boy living at No. 2, Lower Vale-place, Hammersmith, said that on Tuesday afternoon he saw the deceased walk up to a tree in the centre of Brook-green, llammersmith. He leant his back against it, and then placed a double-barrelled pistol to his mouth. Witness then heard a loud report, and saw the deceased fall on the grass, covered with blood. A doctor and the police came to the spot, and found deceased dead. Dr. Barrett proved that the roof of dcceased's skull had been blown off by the explosion. Inspector Sorrell said he found a bullet in the bark of the tree near which the deceased shot himself. Just previous to the commission of the fatal act the deceased had been distributing tracts in the houses in the neighbourhood. The jury returned a verdict that deceased killed himself while in a state of chronic unsoundness of mind.  [