From the Maidstone Gazette and West Kent Courier, 5 June, 1827.

Distressing accident.

On Friday se'nnight, Mr. Austen, landlord of the "Shipwrights Arms," in West Street, Gravesend, went into a yard at the back of his house for the purpose of drawing the charge from a gun, in order to return it to the person from whom he had borrowed it, to affect which he appears to have placed the butt end on the stones and close against the wall. Shortly after he had retired for the above purpose, the report of the piece was heard by some gentlemen who were sitting in the room adjoining the yard, and they concluded that he then discharged the powder after having drawn the shot; but immediately afterwards hearing a groan, they repaired to the spot, and found the unfortunate man lying on the ground, having, buy some accident, received the whole of the charge in the abdomen, from the effects of which he died in about half an hour. Austen has left a wife with seven children to deplore their loss.