The National Register. — London, England, 1821-10-07 00:00:00

INQUESTS. On the 2Sth ult. an inquest was held at Headington, on view of the body of James Harris a labourer. This was a case which excited considerable attention, and the exami nation of several witnesses. It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Wingfield, surgeon, and Mr. Rusher, apothecary, of Oxford, that the deceased died in consequelice of taking corrosive sublimate on Sunday, the DA inst.; lint how he procured the sublimate could not be ascertained. Ile lingered in extreme agony until Sunday, the Yid, on which day he died. From the evidence given by Jane Harris, the wife of the deceased, and other witnesses, it appeared that in May lust she left her husband, rind cohabited tor about three weeks with Henry Hyatt, a labourer, of Ileudington, a married al/m.- 11,mi is a young twee; her liudi.ind oirs only SI years of age. She did not leave her husband on account of Hoy quarrel. She left Ilyttit, and yield to her sister's, from whose house her husband fetched her, lie never afterwards reproached her. On Saturday the eth nut. sho was re turning from work with her husband, when Hyatt came up to her, and asked her how she was, at which her husband was much irritated, and challenged Hyatt to fight, oho de clined it then, hut said he would fight hint at any oilier time. Barris and his is ife then went home. No conversation passed beaters them iu goim; home. He went up sirii.rs and said o. I will 7,0 away," and immediately rail dllll , ll stairs. His wife overtook hint, HMI locked him in ; he then jumped out of the window, and went away, but returned in a quarter of an hour, mid %eat to bed. OM Hilt speak all night, hut appeared much agitated and distressed iu niiiid. About eight o'clock the nett morning she asked dun to get up nail have his hieisklast ; lie refused. She them omit doors stairs and fat hest some milk, which she took up stairs. Slowly afterwards he said to hr r, " I have been and took some poi son," She linked at hint, and saw Min with it cup un his hand, which she took from hilt], alit he had 'hawk the greater part of the contents. Mr. !Lusher oils sent for, who examined the remainder of the liquid in the cup, and found it to be as before stated, corrosive sublimate. Elizabeth White, a near neighbour of the deceased, and one of the witnesses, stated. that, in her opinion, " this (IV ceased had not been in his proper tniusl fir some 011ie," which was evidently (ice:palmed by his jealousy of I I yatt.— It appeared also, by the evidence of other witnesses, that the conduct of Harris had latciy been very dilfereul to what it had berm previou-ly to his wife's elopeeneut. After the Coroner had summed rip the evidence, the Jury !Monad a vs rdict—" That the deceased died in consequence of having drank poison when iii a state of temporary insa nity." The Claimer then adds cased Jane Harris in strong terms, pointing out to her the gross impropriety of her con duct, which was clearly proved to have been the cause of her husband's premature death ; anal that, in fact, she was tally, though nut in point of law, guilty of murder. lit this address the Jury 1111:111iMOUSly C)) )) THE AOCIDENT AT ST. l'AUL's C•Tii 0011 A L.—On Mon day, at noun, an Inquisition was token before 7'. Shelt ))))) Esq. Coroner for the City of London, at St. Bartholosnew'a hospital, on the bodies of Thomas Melligan and James May, who were unfortunately Is illtd by the falling of a scaffold within the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, on Saturday morn ing last. James Delaney, one of the labourers, deposed, that on Saturday morning, a little before seven o'clock, lie and several others wete employed in hauliug up a pole, fur the purpose of erecting the scaffold, when suddenly the center ledger, which supports the planks, broke, and instantly the whole of the %%oilmen, eight in number, came down with the scaffolding, but most fortunately only the deceased per sons were precipitated on the flag stones; the others pro videntially become jammed between the hoards, and were soon rescued from their situation, without any material injury; witness fell with them, but saved himself by catching hold of a ladder. The height of the scallold was S 4 feet.— Melligan came down upon his head, which appeared to be dreadfully fractured, and when taken up was quite insensible and covered with blood; lie died betiire lie reached the hospital. May received several severe bruises on his body and limbs, but was sensible. The poor fellows were instantly conve)ed to the hospital. Mr. Linguard, a surveyor, stated, that he and several emi nent builders have examined the scaffold, which is perfectly secure and strong; it is their opinion the occurrence was purely accidental. They have examined the center ledger that broke, which appears to be perfectly sound, and in his opinion the weight of eight men occasioned it to break. On a question by a Juror, " Was it requisite to have so many persons employed to !mod up a scaffold pole 2" Wit ness said " No; he considered six would have been quite sufficient, anti th at they had done it without any instructions from their employer." Mr. A. Maxfield, one of the House Surgeons in St. Ilar tholomew's hospital, then described the situ:, of the auf• (eters. tie said, on examining Melligan, he found a severe fracture of the skull, and that part of the brain had !well beaten in; he was quite dead, May, the other individual, had his left thigh and leg broken; his right arm and some part of his bark bone appeared to have been driven in by the (all ; he survived only a few haws. . The J ury, without a 1111 l meet's hesitation, retained a ver diet of Accidental death." Monday evening at seven o'clock, an inquisition, which lasted several hours, was taken before 'l. Shelton, E. Coroner tier London and Southwark, in the Hoard-room of St. Thomas's Hospital, on view of the bud) of Joseph Harris, aged 64, by trade a trunk-maker, who t ame to his death tinder the following circumstances. l'he iu r room was much crowded, as the case excited more than ordinary interest, and several respectable friends of the deceased were in attendance. The first witness called was Joseph Harris. lie stated that he is no relative to the deceased, and is a carpenter by husiness. On the evening of last Saturday three wet ks, shoot half past eight o'clock, lie was passing along Orsci chinch-street, accompanied by his wife, and ida . ..veil two coaches coming hoot Ltilldall-briages to• ward, Corobill. They were each Mown by four horses, and were driving at a lotions rate, and seemed to be taring one against the oilier; one of them was a tittle a ilvatl. The tit ceased at that time was crossing from the end of Loinbard.street towards Oraceclitirch-street ; the coach which was in the rear got on first, and passed the deceased; seeing that he was likely to be run over, he (winless) called out to the driver of the latter coach to pidl in., but he drove on, and before the poor man had In gut mit ot• the way lie was knocked down by the leaders; the driver then pulled up the hoists, and lie rail and took hold of the reins to pi event the coach front going over ham; the tore wheel passed over one of his lees, but stopped before it went over the oilier. Several persona as Nell os witting& called out to tint coaclauau to stop, but THE NATIONAL REGISTER he cannot say whether he beard or not. The deceased, on being extricated from under the coach, was conveyed into Surgeon Wheeler's shop opposite, and afterwards taken to this hospital. Mrs. Sarah Harris, the wife of the witness, corrobo rated his testimony in every respect except seeing the deceased knocked down. A professional gentleman who said lie attended on the part of the coachman, stepped forward and •mNesied to the Co. roper that he had some question► to put to the last w when the latter said he would not allow any one to interfere with the witnesses, and that they had no business attempting to meddle in the discharge of his duty, upon which the soli citor withdrew. Mr. Robt. Richardma, of Clemenes-lane, Lombard-street, slated, that on the evening alluded to by the brat witness he was going from Little Eastcheap toward, ( iracechurch-street, when his attention was first called by hearing several person, vociferating very near London bridge, as if something alarms ing was likely to happen, and at the same time heard a great noise of carriages: the persons seemed to be iu a state of. alarm from the matinee they cried out : almost immediately two couches passed him in Graceeltutelest.eet, driving at a furious rate, and apparently rontending one against the other; the first was the Dover Margate coach, and the other was the Hirsch mail. As they passed, he heard some pelsllll, call out loudly, that a luau was run over, and Ott ;mice, ding to Feueh.arcb•s:reel, saw Cie mail lit a stand, and the ilecravti, who wits just taken flute under the wheel, suitpurted by tan teen a lair were tak mg him to a surgeon's. on the coach was ."1 . he Paris Diligenee."—lie did nut hear the Moms blow. The coaches were driving at such a terrific rate a, to excite general alarm, and lie con sidered they would not get to the Spread Eagle in Eetichurch street before some accident would occur. lie did oat take ally particular notice of the driver. Mr. Wheeler of Graceeltureit-street, surgeo.l, and several other respectable witnesses, deposed as to the manner the coaches a ere driving. Miss Sarah Finitklin stated, she resides at the Angel near St. Clemenee Church, Strand, she was iiside psasengei in the !'arts Diligence on the eveoleg of Saturday three week.: she ails Si , umelt alarmed, and in such deep conver sation with it gentleman tit the time of the itecideet, she eau not say in what street it occurred, hut it was near the Gene ral Po,t (Mice considers the coach was going ut the u•ual rate : she is very timorous ; if it had been going at au im proper rate she must have been sensible of it ; it stopped a storm as the accident happened. The coachman's name is Thomas Dovell ; he was perfectly ssiber at the time, nod drove the coach from Canterbury--sbe did not hear the horns blow. The coach usually pulls up at the Angel ism. Mr. Richard 1% add, dresser to Mr. Green, rote of the sur geon's of St. Thomas's Hospital, attended the deceased there uhnut 9 o'clock on the evening of last Saturday three weeks, tend on examination found a sine& fracture of both bouta of Cie left leg, and dressed the coatusaal mound. He ails going on pretty well until a fortnight atter. w hen the latter litjury went on speedily to mortilicatime and which caused nis death about four o'clock on Saturday morning. The solicitor for the d. fence produced four witnesses, who were examined at great length, but their te.timouy seemed (mite inconsistent, 11.1.1 no point b‘haterer aas adduced by them that might tend to exculpate the necused. Thomas flail, the guard, swot c he did slot know which was his right side of the street; and, on his eras-examination, was found to give most contradictory evidtoice. The ca•e buying been most folly and minutely sifted, the Coroner brolly recapitulated the evidence, and pointed out the law bearing ou the case to the Juiy, who, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict of— elanslatiehe ter against Thomas Doyen, the coachman; and faun., a a deodaitil of 401. on the coach and horses. The Coroner issued his warraut for Dovell's apprehension, who is yet at large. Atronortty.—Jupiter and Saturn, the most 10-autiful planets of our system, rise nearly due east at seven o'clock in the evening. The coloured belts of Jupiter, with his four little moons, and the luminous ring which surrounds the equatorial regions of Saturn, and presents one of the finest telescope objects in the heavens, may now be seen at eight or nice o'clock with a very good night glass. The approach of these planets till next Deceinner will be very trilling; they are at present little more than three degrees irom tach other by a quadrant, Saturn being to the south of Jupiter. The beautiful planet Venus, which has passed her superior conjunc tion, and is about 30 degrees south of the Sun, in the sign Scorpio, may be seen with the naked eye soon after sunset, a few degrees above the horizon, about W.S.W. Farious Uniting.—On Thursday week, at half-pa-t seven its the evening, some fellow drove a market-cart at lull speed along Fleet -street, and being drunk, or enable to direct his horse on the right side of the street, he came in contact. near Temple-bar, with a fine horse belimeing to Sir Richard Puillips, with such violence as to force one of the shafts completely through the ani mal's hip. The transaction was witnessed by nearly too persons, yet, as soon as the villain had disentangled hintselt, he galloped off, and has not since been traced though ;is the cart, its horse, and driver, cats be identi fied, there are hopes that such an atrocity will not escape its il,•.erved pintishlnetit. The wounded horse lingered in great suffering for three days. RoUeries.—Atout eight oclock on Tuesday evening Mr Maurice Hustle, of '2. Park•street, Islingt o n, was ,nipped ut Holywell-laite, Smireilitet, by twee vill.tins, one of whom knocked idol down, and one gang robbed hi m of a valuable gold repeating watch and zypendages, and' Kis. in money, with winch they escaped. The same shpt the coach-house of Mr. Peter, coatis-soaker,. in South Aoil -street, was broken into and robbed of right plate glasses, a dashing iron covered with patent leather, and two new leather aprons from gigs. On Wednesday some daring viilains found means to cutter the house of Mr. Stone, No. I. Pahner's Terrace, Is lington. The cloth was laid in the parlour for <limier, in which there was no parson as the time, and a vain ahle set of eight castor, cot, richly mounted an silver with a silver stand; boat shape, was carried off by the thieves. A few evenunp ago Mr. Stone ssas stopped at the cud of the terrace, near bus own house, and robbed of his watch and money. An outward-bound vessel foundered in the Irish channel, and all •on board perished, in the storm Which drove his Majesty's yacht into Milford. 119 Voltce. BOW-STREET. NOVEL OCCURRENCE.—On Thursday morning Doctor Vend., of Charlotte-place ' Pimlico, a gentleman whose attention is chiefly directed to the cure of persons labour• ing under mental derangements, applied to George Row land Minfinall, Esq. the sitting magistrate, and requested his assistance to recover a patient who had been surrep titiously removed from his care and protection. The Doctor stated, hat a gentleman who had been long deranged was played by his relations under his care some time ago, and lie appointed a man whom he thought com- Metal and trustworthy, to watch over him. The man executed the trust reposed in him with fidelity, nntil a few days ago, when he absconded, taking the patient with hi 111 l and was no where to be found or heard of. He (the Doctor) however, had some hope of finding hen, if the worthy magistrate would give him the assistance of en active and intelligent officer. Mr. Minslittll.--I do not think I have power to interfere in such a nutter. Ido not know that you have any au thority over the patient. Dr. Veiteh.—l have authority both as the physician and the friend of the patient. I have known him many years. Minshoill.—Have you other persons afflicted with the same malady under your care? Dr. Veitch.—l have. Mr. Minslitill.—Where is your establishment ? Dr. Veitch.—l have no distinct establishment. I have 'tidily patients under my care, but I place them in sepa rate cottages, ur toili,ings, with proper persons to attend upon them. Mr. Minslitill.—That I presume, is part of your mode of treatment ? Dr. Veitclt.—lt is, Sir; because I am of opinion that a cure is much mute likely to he effected when a patient is kept by I elf, than whin lie is suffered to mingle with others similarly afflicted. Such an association often tends to confirm the malady beyond the reach of mere. Mr. Aliuslitill.—l am afraid this is a case in which I have no power to interfere. I know of no law which attiliorises me to order the apprehension of the 111411 who is said to have Mist:united with the patient, or even to de tain the patient himself forcibly.' Dr. Veatch.—l spoke to Sir Richard Winne early this morning upon the subject, and he said that in such a ease, perhaps I should do tight to act rather with a vigour be yond the 14w. Mr. you clause to act, yon may; but it must be entirely upon your own resposibility. Itemeirbee I give you nu authority. Dr. Yeitch.—Olt certainly. I shall exonerate you, Sir, from all responsibility, rely upon it. 1 wily wish to have an officer with me to render nie Limper assistance if necessary. Mr. Mitsaull.— You may lake un officer with you to are that the peace is nut biuken, but his power will nut ezteud beyond that. Dr. V eitch.— I will take all risk upon myself. The pa tient is a man of Bich funily connexion., and I have un doubt be lids been taken away for some sinister purpose. - I nut determined to gt t him hack sr p ub .,ibl e , The Doctor then left the office, and drove off in a coach, accompanied by two of the patrol. M A RIT-L N E. George Cooper, driver of one of Salmon's Paddington coaches, appeated to an information tinder the stage coach act, charging him w lilt carryiug six rumble passen gers and luggage on his coach, heing one more than is allowed by the said act ; fur which offence lie had incur red a penalty of Ital. wall costs. It was proved in evidence that the defendant's coach was observed going to Paddington on the 11th of Sept. with six grown persons ou the roof, also a large hog, which was placed on the foot-board between the defend ant's legs, instead of being, according to the word* of the statute, in a boot either in front or bock of the said coach. This was the ease for the information. Mr. RANIi111101), the Magistrate, read the clause in the act, which states, that uo stage-coach drawn by two horses, shall carry any more than five outside passengers with luggage, or seven without any luggage. Sneh lug• gage, as aforesaid, shall he placed in a boot either in the front or back of the said coach. The defendant said that all coachmen on the Padding tou-road woule be liable by the above act, and he thought it was very severe. Mr. Rawlinson observed, that he was surprised Mr. Salmon, the proprietor of the coach, did not appear to protect the defendant if his offending the laws was for his interest. The informer stated, that on the affair being named Ito Mr. Salmon, he said lie derived no benefit from the mis conduct of the defendant, and should therefore leave him to his fate. The Magistrate convicted the defendant in the mitigated penalty of ,I. and costs. There is now a considerable degree of briskness in the iron trade of Staffirdshire; the furnaces are in operation, and most of the hands fully employed. The following conviction tinder the G one Laws took place at Barnstaple, a few days since :—A farmer of the name of Sloley, of Sherwin, was summoned to answer an information for having two young hares in his house. It appears by the evidence, that the farine:'s workman, in cutting a field of grass, accidentally mowed over two young hares or leverets, about a month old, that were concealed in the grass, and killed - them. Be informed his toaster or the circisinstanor, who gave his win I; man strict injunctions not to take the hares, but leave Diem its the &Ad ; contrary, however. to those or ders, the apprentice buy, the following day. whilst his master was at market, took the liars to the linos-, where a fellow who had been working for Sloley, saw them, and immediately gave ininination to the Ar,eciation for the Protection of Game, in that neighbourhood. The complaint was heard Wore James White, and several other magistrates, who arc members of that a:. sociation; and although Shiley proved het entire iesso ranee of their being in his house, amyl his servant girl proved that she had concealed them there tniknown 'o her master, yet the magistrates convicted him iu the full penalty of tol. and costs. Vie understand the convic tion will he' removed by certiorari into the Court of Kints's•Bench.