The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-27 00:00:00

THE MURDER BY A BOY AT BRISTOL,
Yesterday,
npresent
n,weeufttruint!cmuesedtoindqyau.tenthTtehnepiir
eonvpiedthe body
0 and AfwhomflYritirytazum_
ne or, itedclill
in
nce
bill, and again excited a considerable amount of Jet
the inquest room being densely crowded. The prisonertu-i,
witheeses having been reed over,
William Roach, of King-street, Bedminster, who is
driver of a van to and from Beth, was examtned at e
length, and deposed to having been present ig
the
New-cut when the struggle between Collins sod
the deceased took place, and which he deueieit
generally, in similar terms to thou, used by the other
witnesses. He fully identified the prisoner Si the boy
had fired the pistol, and further said, I saw the prisoner le
take the pistol from his broke. One of the young men t3ri:4
to take it from him, and said, "Yon do not mean to fire that
thing." He replied, " No, I know myself better then that,
but if he (pointing. to deceased with the pistol) dew eopo'
leave my companion alone I will fire at him or at yen
either." I then passed oa a little way and onlooking rooad
I saw the prisoner step on one aids of the young wen, eon
few yards towards the pavement, and fire at the deceased.
I Deceased put his hand up to hie mouth and immediately
fall on his face. After he had fired the pistol, the • w-
nm up the New-cut. I pursued him, and as I wee chi
I neon him, he threw the pistol at my head with all his tarp,
It struck me on the fingers, but did not recision any injure
' followed him into Stillnouse lane, where I took him. Tie
etreggle which took place between deceased a:4 Collins wee
not of a very violent nature. There woe nothing in it as I
I saw to excite alarm, either in the boy who had the Melee.
server or the boy who had the pistol. Before I took the pet.
NOWT I picked up the pistol, which I banded over to Sergeant
Black at the station.
In reply to questions put on behalf of the prisoner, the
witness said, I did not hear the prisoner call out, before be
Brad the pistol, for &mistier ce. From the distance I nubile
him I do net think that I should have beard it if he had
done so.
By the Coroner—No blows passed between any cf the
parsons while I was present. At the time when he flasoba
pistol at me, the bay was running and trying to escape,
When I overtook him in Stillhouse-lane, he had Mee
down, and he asked me to let him rest. I asked him how it
was hei had come is do such a thing, and he said that he dig
it in the heat of passion, and he wished some one to gob:
surgeon.
Police sergeant Black, No. 18, of the Bedminster diva*
of police, deposed that be was on duty at the stition-home
when the prisoner was brought in. While he was being
asked his name and the charge was being written down, he
said, voluntarily, " It was done in the heat of passion"
This witness produced the pistol, which had a bras, strew
barrel, and also several articles found on the prisoner's
worsen, among which were seven bullets, one imperfect
I indict in a bullet•mould, four percussion cope, a puree
isontaining 31. le. 6d., a picklock, a pack of cards,
I some pieces of printer's type,_ battered, &c. The witness
also produced the clothes which the deceased had on at the
time of the fatal occurrence, which he bad received from
the surgeon of the Bristol General Hospital. The uncle
were much stained with blood, and there were hobs app.
ready made by a bullet through the coat, waistcoat, &c., a
the right side near the arm pit.
Susan Brown also deposed to having witnessed the
fatal occurrence. She was standing wi 11 some caw
passions at the top of Brown's-row, and saw the eb.
ceased and his companion, and afterwards Collies mid
the prisoner, whose person she had before known, eau
up. The prisoner kept calling Horgan an asked and Alt
abusive names, upon which Horgan said, "If you don't ge •
on I'll give you a good hiding." The prisoner replied that +
1 he was not big enough to do it, and wept calling him mash
' Collins then flourished some kind of a stick, and the deceased
I ran towards him and they had a struggle and fell. The
prisoner said to Horgan • I'll ire at him (deceased) if lie
does not let that boy go." Witness saw a pistol in his tend,
and being alarmed, she and her companion moved on me
side. The prisoner said, " fire at him," and Horganuid
"If you do I'll throw you into the water." The prima
then pointed the pistol at Horgan, and said, "I'll fire at
thee in a minute." He then ran round Horgan, sidles-
sented the pistol, and she saw the flub of the lire. Out/
witness's companions fainted, and witness attended or ha
for some minutes, but she afterwards saw the deceased
bleeding. very much at the mouth and nose.
FMCS Steeple, sawyer, of Windmill-bill, likewise de
Peed to the circumstances of the straggle and death al
the deceased, but varied in one or two particulars from the
I testimony of all the other witnesses. He said that while
passing along the Cut he saw one of deceased's
eompanlons throw a stone at the prisoner and
Collins. It pitched between them, but did not strike
either of them. When deceased exiled Collins he threw the
boy, but did not fall himself. Prisoner drew a pinch sad
Roe ran said, " You would not shoot him," to which prises
' replied that he knew himself better if he (deceased) wield
let his companion go. Deceased then pushed Collins again
the railings of Mr. Brown's honer, upon which the Oman
went up to deceased and fired at and shot him.
Bliss Jenkins, widow, of Charlotte-street, Bedminster,
deposed to having witnessed the transaction from the time
when Horgan had the scuffle with Collins by Zion Chapel
till the final catastrophe, and she denied that any store ins
thrown at the boys, and described deceased as having jut
risen from the fall with Collins when the shot was tired.
Dr. Alexander Fairbrother, one of the phyaitisns of the
Bristol General Hospital, deposed to the postmortem apples•
anoe of the body. There was a hole, apparently made by a
gun or pistol bullet, through the right side, near the arse
pit. The bullet bad passed through the second rib or dr
right side, through the right lung, then through the windpipe,
Mood-vessels.
the windpipe, and wounding some of the lama
blood-vessels. It then passed through the left lung, through
the second rib on the left aide, leaving some of the drat
in that bone and then it had lodged in the flaky
part above the left shoulder. Witness had weighed the bast
and compared it in weight and otherwise with the bats
found upon the prisoner, and with the pistol, with which it
corresponded. I have not the slightest doubt that the death
of the deceased was caused by the bullet. His du/hand
have been nearly instantaneous, the bullet baring gee
through the windpipe.
This being the whole of the evidence, the coroner niestely
summed up, commenting on the different points, and uplais-
ing the laws of homicide. The jury reti, and in a few
minutes returned with a verdict of ' red
Murder Apia/
Alfred Dam."
The coroner at occe 'sued his warrant, and the prisma
was committed to take his trial for that offence. The pri-
soner, who throughout the inquiry had displayed great
indifference' was somewhat affected by the verdict, and m
some of hisfriends taking leave of hiss shed tears.
some I

TER NAVIGATION LAWS.:

Man the Lie erpool Moil.]
The following letter ban been received by the
Chairman of the Shipowners' Association from the Snyder
Trade:

" Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade,
Whitehall, Dec. 19.
" Sir,—l am directed by the Lords of the Committee d
Privy Council for Trade to acknowledge the receipt of you
letter of the 30th ult., requesting, en behalf of the Liverpxl
Shipowners' Association the opinion of their lordships oaths
two following points, arising out of the circular of the Uinta
States Treasury, on the sated of the British nevigents
laws, and dated 03t. 15, 1849:
"1. Whether, under the terms our existing laws,' and
is the circular, this association may rely that a foragn-Inalt
vestal, sailing under the British flag, a Brunk
register, will be emitted in the United State s' yorts shit
the Ist January next, to the privileges granted to a Britsdr
built ship? and
" 2. Whether, after the Ist January next, citizens of do
United States may purchase and hold Britiah-budt ship,
and that government will grant registers to such ships, if to
purch ?
" Withased regard to the first question, the Liv.rpool Slip
owners' Association will, of course, be aware that it is im-
possible for my lords to put an official interpretation ups
the law of a foreign country. They would, however, all the
attention of the association to the wording of the Americas
Navigation Act. It provides that no goods, wares, o
merchandise shall be imported into the United States foes
any foreign port or place, except in vessels of the Liana
States, or in such foreign trench as truly and wholly beton
to the citizens or subjects of that country of which do
goods are the growth, production, or manufacture,' By
the terms of the before-mentioned circular, British remise%
be relieved from this restriction after the Ist January Das
" It will be seen that the only definition given in do
above clause to the retied' of a foreign county is, !Sett's"!
shall truly and wholly belong to the inflects of that moor,
and my lords are not aware of any provision in any Amman,
statute which limits the nationality of foreign rem* ti
reference to their place of build.
" As respects the second question put by the Lirerptal
Shipowners' Association, my lords regret that they are sot
at the present moment in a position to give the informants
desired by the association.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
" John Lockett, Esq." " Dixie Li MARCRIV.

DEATH OF A LADY FROM EXCESSIVE DRINKING'
—Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held before 111*
M. Wakley, at the King's Head publiebouse, Oral
road, respecting the death of Mrs. Anne Coote, seedt ~
six years. The deceased was a lady of indepenclesr'
petty, and was the widow of the proprietor of the Womb,
egar works in Old•street, St. Luke's, who died from is
attack of Asiatic cholera in 1832. S lace the deathef
husband she had gradually become an inveterate OriaSef,,
ardent spirits, and on Saturday last she drank upwerwr
half a pint of brandy, and the large quantity of V
and ale which was her daily allowance. The
*eased was not seen on Sunday mornine
no notice was taken in consequence of her bog
re/
as
eccentric in her manner, and she would neva pecaitull
persons in her rooms. Shortly after five o'clock, on these.'
afternoon, the landlord of the house became alarmed st
continued absence, and acquainted two police conatabeart
the fact, who immediately obtained a ladder, by soln
means they opened the deceased's bedroom window,
.:
discovered the unfort lady lying upon cud, isr,
agonies of death, Mnr. Hill, a surgeon, was
the deceased died in a very few minutes afterward!._.ll
bottle, containing • small portion of brandy, was
lying upon the floor by the side of the deceased, go
surgeon was of opinion that death was caused by
sive drinking and expasure to the cold. The jury Irsts
a verdictin accordance with the medical testimony.
FIRE AT STACRPOLE COURT,—The sea
tt yo.:
Earl of Cawdor, in Pembrokeshire, was on sds !!!!,
threatened with destruction, in consequence o' • fire hell
broken out in the music room. The mischief was fortunata2
discovered by one of the servants in time to P
uff o"
spread of the flames beyond the room, which sered ss.
damage in its waissootiog and dilatations.