The Sun. — 1837-08-18 (London, England)

ATTEMPTS AT ASSASSINATION  AND SUICIDE.  Yesterday afternoon a Jury, composed of the most respectable inhabitants of the village of Enfield, Middlesex, was sworn before J. SAWYER, Esq., one of the Coroners for the Duchy of Lancaster, in which jurisdiction the village of Enfield is situated, at the Wheatsheaf Inn, to inquire into the circumstances attendant on the death of Siberal Buisson, a Frenchman, aged thirty, who had in the first instance made a most desperate attempt to assassinate a most respectable widow lady named Pegler, and then blew his own brains out. After the Jury had been sworn it was discovered that the most essential witness was not in attendance, and the Coroner and Jury, feeling that they could come to no satisfactory conclusion in his absence, adjourned the inquiry until this day. From the circumstances that had transpired of this tragical affair, which has created a most lively sensation throughout the village, it appears that the deceased had lived for upwards of twelve months as a French teacher at the respectable seminary of Mr. Mears, but had, for some cause or other, left that situation about three weeks ago. While there, however, it appeared he paid particular attention to Mrs Pegler, the widow of an officer who occupied apartments in the establishment of Mr. Mears, and who was considered as a parlour boarder, and used frequently to walk out with her, and from his conduct it appeared he conceived a most violent attachment towards her. On Wednesday evening, at about six o'clock, he was driven up in the front of Mr. Mears's house in a town cab, and on the door being opened to him he entered the apartment of Mrs. Pegler, and had some conversation with her, and she, in order to avoid his importunities, went into her bedchamber, into which the deceased had forced himself. 'While there he requested to know if she (Mrs. P.) would have him ; and on her replying in the negative, he forced her down on the ground, and presented two loaded pistols at her head ; but one after the other fortunately missed fire, and as he had drawn the third out his pocket, the cries of his intended victim brought to her assistance the son of Mr. Mears ; but on his rushing into the chamber the deceased presented the pistol at his head, and having fired it the ball carried away part of his right whisker. By this time the inmates of the house became generally alarmed, and the deceased fearing, no doubt, that he would be overpowered, rushed down stairs and got into the lawn at the rear of the house, and perceiving that one of the female domestics had led Mrs. Pegler up stairs, he fired another pistol through one of the back windows, where lie supposed she was passing, and then deliberately drew out another pistol, presented it at the left side of his face, fired it off, and the ball, having passed through his left eye, he instantly dropped lifeless on the ground. Mr. INliller, a surgeon in the neighbourhood, was sent for, but on his arrival life was quite extinct, as the ball was found to have passed through the head and come out at the back, so that death must have been instantaneous. Watkins, one of the mounted police, who resides in the village, was here sent for, and on his arrival he had the holy of the deceased removed to the Wheat Sheaf Inn, and on searching it found in the pockets three 5/. Bank of England notes, four sovereigns, a powder flask, with some powder in it, a mould for casting balls, with seven balls, and a box of percussion caps, together with five pistols, one of which was a double-barrel, and three of which remained loaded and undischarged. On examining the cabman he said he took up the deceased at about four o'clock in the precincts of St. Paul's, when he bargained to pay him sixteen shillings for his journey to Enfield and back, but promised ten shillings in addition if he took him quickly. In the first instance he directed to be driven to Furnival's Inn, and on passing up Snow-hill he stopped at a 'rruumaker's shop, where he purchased some pistols and loaded them, and this was all he (the cabman) knew of him.