Brighton Herald - 1st March 1862
Determined Suicide at Lindfield - inquest yesterday.
Between five and six o'clock on Wednesday evening, the usual quiet of Lindfield, a village about one mile from Haywards Heath Station, was broken by a rumour that Mr George Kennedy, a gentleman, who has for the last 5 years resided there, and who formerly carried on the business of a cabinet maker and upholsterer in Upper St. James's Street, in this town, had committed suicide under the most appalling circumstances.
From information gathered by our Reporter on the spot, we learn that deceased was about 51 years of age, and had a wife and large family. On Wednesday afternoon his daughters went to a confirmation class, held by the Rev. R H Sewell, at the parish Vicarage, leaving deceased and a servant girl, named Rosina Cork, at home. During their absence deceased asked the servant for a pin, and proceeded to clean out the nipple of his gun, having done which he placed a cap on the gun and snapped it. He then loaded the piece with powder and shot, and proceeded at once into the garden at the rear of the house. Shortly afterwards the servant girl heard the report of a gun, and, on looking into the garden, she saw deceased lying in the pathway, with the gun by his side. She instantly gave an alarm, and Mr Comber, a butcher, who lives directly opposite deceased's house, in company with another neighbour, immediately went to deceased, whom the found half leaning against the door post of the coach house in the garden. A gun, which had been recently charged, lay by his side, and in the guard of the trigger was fixed a lath, by means of which, it is supposed, he drew the trigger, and letting it fly back again lodged the contents of the gun in his stomach.
Mr Porter, surgeon, at Lindfield, was immediately called in; but deceased's death must have been instantaneous, the charge having entered the vital parts.
An inquest was held on the body yesterday morning at the Bent Arms Hotel, Lindfield, before F.H. Gell, Esq., Coroner for East Sussex.
Mr Somers Clarke, solicitor, of Brighton, appeared to watch the case on behalf of the relatives of deceased.
Rosina Cork sworn: I reside at Lindfield and lived as servant with deceased. I saw deceased several times in the course of Wednesday last. I last saw him alive about half past four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. That was in the kitchen. He shortly left the kitchen, passed through the washhouse, and out into the garden. I saw him take his gun from out of the kitchen, where it was usually kept. I had seen him load it a few minutes previously to leaving the kitchen. Cannot say with what it was loaded, but saw him ram down the charge. Cannot say whether deceased was sober. I have no reason to think he was otherwise. I did not go out into the garden upon hearing the report of the gun, but, about an hour afterwards, I had occasion to to into the garden, to get in some clothes, when I found deceased lying in the garden, with the gun by his side, against the stable door. I did not notice any blood or wound about the deceased. Directly I discovered deceased I raised an alarm, and Miss Isabella (deceased's eldest daughter), who came in at the time, followed me out into the garden. Mr Comber, a butcher, in company with another person, soon followed.
By a juror: Deceased was in the habit of firing his gun in the garden at birds.
By Mr Clarke: I have never noticed anything the least indicative of insanity about deceased. I was alone in the house when deceased shot off the gun. Previous to deceased's coming into the kitchen he asked me for a pin to prick the nipple of his gun with it.
By the Coroner: After he had snapped the cap in the kitchen he said to me "Did I frighten you?" I replied "Yes", he said "Oh!"
Francis Comber sworn: I am a butcher and reside at Lindfield. I have known deceased for some time past. He was a retired tradesman, and formerly carried on the business of an upholsterer at Brighton. About one o'clock on Wednesday afternoon I was standing in front of my own house (which is directly opposite deceased's) when the Misses Kennedy called to me by name. They told me they were afraid something very bad was the matter, for their father was lying in the garden. I at once repaired to the garden, where I found the deceased lying, or rather leaning, against the stable door. Deceased appeared to be quite dead. I observed spots of blood upon deceased's waistcoat at the bottom of the stomach. I did not then see any wound. A gun, with its muzzle pointing towards deceased, was lying on the ground about two feet from him. I did not then examine the gun. Cannot say whether it had been recently discharged. I procured assistance and conveyed deceased at once into the parlour and laid him on a couch. I then discovered a large would in the lower part of deceased's stomach. It did not bleed much; but deceased's whole attire had been drawn into the wound by the blood. The shirt outside was blackened as if with gunpowder. I immediately sent for Mr Porter, surgeon, who soon arrived.
By Mr Clarke: I cannot speak as to the state of deceased's mind.
By juror: I afterwards went out into the garden to examine the gun more minutely; but it had been removed from the ground and placed in a different position the butt end downwards. Cannot say that the gun now produced is the same. Upon the second examination of the gun I came to the conclusion that it had been recently discharged.
William Elliott Porter sworn: I am a surgeon and reside at Lindfield. On Wednesday afternoon I was sent for to see deceased, and arrived at his house about half past five o'clock. I found deceased lying on a sofa in the parlour. Deceased's clothes had been somewhat disarranged, but I believe that the holes in the clothes correspond with the wound in the skin. The wound was situated at the lower part of the chest bone, and was about an inch deep and in a transverse position. Upon introducing my finger through the wound into the chest, I discovered that the chest bone was broken in several pieces. Upon probing the wound still further, I found it extended to one of the right cavities of the heart. Deceased's death must have been instantaneous. It had the appearance of being a gun shot wound; but the muzzle of the gun must have been placed close to the stomach, as there was only a little blackening, but no scorching.
Coroner: From the nature and direction of the wound might it have been the result of an accident? - No; it could not have been caused by an accident. I attended deceased about two months ago, when he was suffering from delirium tremens.
By Mr Clarke: I cannot speak as to deceased's sanity. A second attack of delirium tremens is easily brought on by drinking.
Coroner: Am I correct in surmising that an attack of delirium tremens is likely to produce a suicidal tendency? - Quite so - legally so too.
By Mr Clarke: When I attended deceased, I was firmly impressed with a conviction that he was but not a safe person to be left at liberty, and for that reason I ordered that all instruments of mischief should be placed out of his way.
John Jupp and Henry Eskew, neighbours, assisted in taking deceased into his house. The latter identified the gun produced by police constable Churchfield. The muzzle was pointing to deceased. It appeared to have been recently discharged. a lath was fixed to the guard of the trigger, and deceased had apparently placed the muzzle of the gun against his stomach, and letting the trigger fall back, lodged the contents of the gun in his stomach.
John Mercer sworn: I am landlord of the Bent Arms Hotel, Lindfield; I have known deceased for about three years, but not intimately until within the last twelve months. On Tuesday last deceased came into my house, with a friend, and stopped for about an hour. Deceased then appeared to be somewhat the worse for liquor.
By Mr Clarke: Of late I have noticed a something strange in the manner of deceased, which has increased within the last few weeks. He seemed to be lost and absent when spoken to. This change in deceased's manner has been noticed and spoken of by other persons in my house.
By Mr Clarke: It has appeared to me for some time past that deceased would either make off with himself or go out of his mind, without a change took place.
The Coroner, in summing up, remarked that everything seemed to point to the insanity of deceased - the medical evidence in particular. the deceased did not appear to be in difficulties, and no reason could be assigned for the act.
The jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict of "Temporary Insanity"