On Monday, an inquest was held before Gzonae Frexcu, Esq., Chief Justice, sitting as Coroner, and the following Jury Messrs, W. ©. Ward, foreman; Comer and E, Byrne.' The deceased was James Wilson Shepherd, lately clerk employed in this Settlement, who committed suicide on Sunday night last by blowing out his brains with a Martini-'Henry rifle, under the circumstances fully detailed in the following testimony night was carrying some books in one coat in the other. He had not the oppos of being tipsy. I saw him next at the out-aide gate at about eleven o'clock the same ight, Ho one in at the gate, and I did not see where ho went, Idid not seo bim any more. He walked.quickly, and then had no appearance of being drank. Did not hear apy noire in the house after the deceased went in. Did not hear the noise of the discharge of any gun at any time during the night or in the, morning.
JOHNSTON deposed—I am a doctor of medicine practising in Shanghai. [examined the body of, the deceased, whom I knew personally. I examined ft' at tex o'clock this morning. I found that death lad been caused by a gunshot wound in his skull, which had penetrated his forehead and shattered the roof of the greater portions of the brain were scattered on the floor; small pieces of bone were strewed about, also on the floor. They were bones of the skull, There was a large pool of blood on the floor near deceased's head. I think death must have been instantaneous. The body was quite cold when I saw it. Deceased must have been dead, at least, I should say, five or si hours—I am judging from the state it was i made no internal examination of the body, only of the wound on the skull, I made no other examination. I last saw the deceased a few days ago in the street. I did not speak to him on that occasion. From appearance the body presented when I saw it, and the position of the rifle, I believe the wound was self-inflicted. The body was lying partly on the left side and partly on the ab-women; the rifle was below the body, and the arms were stretched across the chest, as if clasping the rifle. 1 did not know the deceased. intimately, but had attended him on business. I considered him a mau of perfectly sound but very taciturn, snd of late when I have'seen him passing along the street, he seemed in a despondent state of mind. I have had no other opportunity of judging of his mental condition, By the Jury—From what I saw of the ition of the body of deceased, and the fle, I am of opinion that he must have held the rifle standing up-right, with the butt Drobably between his feet lant lown on the muzzle of the rift right one—had been taken off was lying on the floor, and it is very probable he discharged the rifle with one of the toes of the right foot.
Wartsam Buick Jauzesox next deposed—I am a share broker in Shanghai, I knew t deceased very well, Imt was not intimate with him, I had' known him for several T last saw him on Saturday afternoon Tapoke to him about four o'clock. Th house, in which deceased rented two rooms, belonged to me, and I wanted him to leave at the end of the mouth. Some time before last Saturday, I had given bim notice to quit the rome, On Saturday, he asked me if would no, he hal better leave. id, "AMI right, and perbays I may pay you the money on Monday lo owed me some money. 1 did not seo him afterwards,—Decensed seemed unusually silent in his mauver. He was a go oil office man—a good clerk. Iliad had opportunities of seeing his qualifications as to that, I did not see him alive after Saturday afternoon. 1 ji on the floor below the rooms occupied by the deceased. I heard Lim go into his rooms on Sunday night. © He had to pass my door to get to his rooms. He cane in between ten Ca ere o'ateok 1 seal 4 fied gone to bed.
Teauuot judge exactly, It was after was no peculiarity in the way in which he went upstairs—nothing to attract my attention. I thinkdurin the night I heard him go down stairs an come up again; and this morning was awoke by a peculiar noise. I should judge it was about three o'clock. It was some time before daylight. I listened, but heard nothing further. 1 took no notice of the noise. This morning, at 7.30, my boy case and {oformed me Mr. Shepherd was dead. 1 immediately sent word to Mr. Penfold, the Superintendent of Police. I did not go to see the body until Mr. Penfold came. The doors of deceased's room were locked, and I told the boys not to open them. A back door was unlocked, by which the Uarber came to th deceased. When Mr, Penfold came, 1 sav the body for the first time, [\Vituess then described the position the body as it was lying in nearly similar terms to those of Dr.
Questioned by the Jury as to deceaseil's circumstances, witness sald—Decessed owed money tome, and I believe to some people. Personally, 1 know nothing of deceased's habits. L'believe he had been trying to get another situation, but he never spoke to me about it or as to his state of mind. [had never lately had any conversation with bin, We were not on the best of terms, on account of my asking him to leave, Hagvex Groxoz Vacnext deposed—I was ately in the employ of Adamson, Bell and Ca. T occupy the rooms in which assembled. came home on Sanday night about 10.15, and shortly afterwards heard Air, Shepherd's' door ope. He went into his room, I did not see him. I heard him talking for " considerable time afterwards in the room under my bedroom, 1 did not take any notice of -it, "having on previous occasions heard him do the same thing, expecially one evening last week—I do not know whether it, was Thursday or Friday. He was then talking much more loudly. After I had 50 heard him on one of those nights, he went out, and come back Iate,—I think it must have been at least twelve. Soon after ho opened his door, I heard " noise, as if he had fallen down, Last night, I was awoke by hearing an almost precisely similar sound, It was not light, but I think it was so mow! about one o'¢lock—not so late as has Bd. It was not daylight, 1 did not getup, I Jay snd listened and went to sleep. At 6.801 got up, went on to the veranda, and noticed some plaster lying about. My be; Came upstairs snorty afterwards, and Inaked him what the mess 90 caused was, He said it was not there at $.30 the previous night. 1 then remembered the noise I heard the previous night, went up to the place where the plaster was lying, and saw a hole in the floor, 1 looked down the hole and saw a part of the body of the deceased. I went down stairs and told Mr. Jamieson, who said his boy had just told him of the death of the deceased—bé said, hind just told hi it knew the deceased knew nothing about his mind, From what I heard bim say, on.
y or Friday, I could gather that in his mind about somely heard a word now and then—not a connected sentence. No name was mentioned by deceased, but some appeared to have annoyed him, aust have been sober. He was walking up. and down the room and verandah very quickly. I infer from that fact that be was sober.
Tuostas Ssurrm deposed—I am a wine mer+ chawt in Shanghai. I knew the deconsed very well, and last saw him on Saturday night, We went to the entertainment at the Teuperauco Hall We arranged for a ride on Sunday morning, but early on that. morn L received a note from him, saying ho wished to go much earlier than 1 bad ranged, and that he wished to go by bim-self, I lave not seen him since, "Deceased habits latterly were pretty regular. known hi for several years, Ho had spoken to me about his circumstances, They distressed him very much, He told me be was very much troubled and worried about being discharged from his late employ, and that people were worrying him for payment of small bills he owned them. When I have been with him in a room, he has jumped uj and marched about in a wild sort of state, took no notice of that on account of his sensitive and irritable temperament, said if he Lad some poison, take it, That was about " wee id he could not stand hie present trouble, id_not sce deceased at all on Sunday. Knowing him so well as I did, I think his troubles were too much for him, and that they drove him to take away his life, Before we arranged the ride, I asked hin if he would go for a sail on' Sunday, Ho declined to do so on account of having a lot of work to do, He was winding up' Mr. Holdsworth's estate, That was the work be referred to, He mentioned Huldworth's estate, Unt did not say whether he was to got paid for it.
By the Jury—I believe that at times, his mind was thrown off its balance by' his troubles; but on Saturday he seemed in very nich better spirits than 1 observed he had been in for some time previously. He was.a nian likely to make more of his troubles than necessary. His principal troubles were caused by small debts he owed—pressing debts, do not think he owed much, His troubles commenced when be was discharged from his last situation, He left about the early pact the present mouth, Les T1as¢-t10s¢ deposed—I ivas boy to the deceased. I last saw him at five o'clock on Sunday, in his room. He said, To-morrow, shall' not be here, 1 have takao another room, No. 3,-Szechtien road." He promised to ive mo a chit, and when he got pidgin, hie would pay me. Ho owed me altogether $29, for wager, &e,, for two months—February and March. 1 showed hin the March bill on Sunday, and asked him if he could pay mo next day. I did not see him after five on
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