Kentish Chronicle, 16 June, 1828.

Kent. Suicide at Charlton.

The retired village of Charlton, in this County, has, since Sunday, been in a state of considerable excitement, produced by the discovery of a dead body of a gentleman in the lower Twelve Acre Field, near the seven mile stone, on the Great Dover Road.

On Sunday morning about 10 o'clock, a labouring gardener named Weekes, was employed and scaring the birds from a field of young oats, and his attention was particularly drawn to a vast assembly hovering over a very retired part of the field, as if they had found something unusual and extraordinary.

Weekes proceeded in the direction, and was surprised at tracing footsteps deviating through the oats from the footpath, upon reaching within a few yards of the spot he was horror struck at finding the dead body of a man, from which the head had been almost as effectively blown off, as if he had been decapitated.

The gardener was so alarms that he instantly went back to the village and gave information to Johnson the Constable.

The deceased was dressed in deep mourning, and upon his hands were white kid gloves; the right was thrown back, and the fingers were stained with blood. The death appeared to have been occasioned by pistol or gun shot; and after a minute search, the shattered stock and fragments of the lock and barrel of a pistol were found scattered near the dead body and about the field. Upon the circumstance of a dead body being found becoming known in Greenwich, it was ascertained that two gentlemen had been the whole of Sunday searching the park and it's shrubberies, and a place called the Wilderness, for a gentleman who had written a letter, dated Saturday, from Greenwich, apprising them of his intention to commit suicide. At 8 o'clock on Monday evening, a highly respectable Jury assembled at the "French Horn Tavern," Charlton to inquire into the circumstances which led to the deplorable event. A slip of paper was handed in, where on was written Gustavus W. Peipers, aged 26 years, with the Watch, money, letters, bullets, gloves, and the shattered pieces of the weapon. Mr. Hayes said, the writing was Mr. Peipers, but greatly altered from its usual style, which he thought might have been occasioned by agitation.

The document was them read:- This is the body of Gustavus Peipers, from Cologne, in Germany, aged 26 years. Misfortune had brought him to the extremity of killing himself. Living without honour is worse and death. He lives near some friendly soul, and hopes to be regretted by those who have known him. 6th of June, 1829.
The Coroner asked if the deceased was in embarrassment?

Mr. Hayes said he was rather wealthy.

Juror:- In what business was the deceased?

Mr. Hayes:- He was a wine merchant, and carried on a large business.

Juror:- Was he married or single?

Mr. Hayes:- he was a single man, and all his relatives are residing in Germany.

The coroner read the evidence, and observed that it was quite clear that the unfortunate gentleman had alone been the cause of his death by his own hand. It would be for the jury to decide upon the state of his mind at the time, and he thought it proved the deceased had been labouring under insanity.

The Jury returned a verdict of "Lunacy."

The deceased will be buried at Charlton.