Kentish Gazette, 27 January 1857.

GRAVESEND. Suicide.

On Monday a young man named Frederick Brooks committed suicide by cutting his throat with a pen-knife, at his lodgings at the "Pilot Tavern." The deceased had been to London, and on his return nothing unusual was observed. He complained of being tired, and lay down and went to sleep in the bar parlour. Some time after he got up, and went upstairs into his bedroom. The company in the smoking room were soon afterwards startled by the sound as of a heavy body falling in the room above; and, on going up stairs, they found the deceased lying on the floor in a pool of blood. He was not then dead, but he told them he did not wish to live. Dr. Russell was sent for, and closed the wound, but the deceased expired shortly after, the wound having divided the jugular vein. The deceased had been formerly employed by the General Steam Navigation Company as a pilot, but had been lately discharged, which had evidently preyed upon his mind.

At an inquest held on Wednesday, the jury returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity."