The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-10-04 00:00:00

COROIV E RS' INQUESTL

Yesterday evening an inquisition was taken at the Compasses
Osborne street, WitWbit chapel,. before J. W. Usewiw,
Esq.. the Coroner, on the body of Margaret Smith, a married wo-
man, aged 48.
The inquiry excited considerable interest, as rumours had been in
circulation that the deceased had suffered death by violence, In con.
sequence of the appearance of a severe contusion on her head.
There was no crideuee to show how this wound had been inflicied,
by which, according to the testimony of the surgeon, her death was
occasioned.
Some friends of the deceased said, that she had been lately sub-
ject to fits. The Jury, after some consideration, returned the fol.
lowing verdict—.. That the deceased's death was occasioned by an
effusion of blood on the brain :" but bow that effusion was produced
the evidence before them did not go to determine.
The Coroner then addressed himself to the watchman, and said
that it was the opinion of the Jury that his conduct was highly
culpable—for had he either himself given or procured assistance,
the life of the deceased might have been preserved.

ECCIWTarc CttaaacTEß.—On Friday evening an inquest was
held, before THOMAS STIRLING, Esq. Coroner, and a respectable
Jury, at the Jolly Butchers, Brook's-market, Holborn, on the
body of Mr. John Hall, an elderly gentleman, of singular habits,
who was found dead in his bed on Thursday morning last. The
deceased had lodged in a room by himself for a considerable time,
anti seldom or et er would let any person into his apartment, which
was never swept or cleaned. He was very irregular in his living;
sometimes he would eat a great quantity of beef-steaks, and very
frequently without either bread or vegetables, and was then observed
Ito go a long time before he again eat any thing: at other times he
would eat more than three dozen oysters at one meal, and had fre-
quently regaled himself, in lieu of food, with drinking from four to
six quarts of porter at one sitting. There is no doubt he possessed
Property, but to what amount is yet unknown, as are also his eels-
tions, it he has any. It was supposed by some persons who live in
the neighbourhood that he had been a law-stationer. Ile formerly
lived in the Oh Bailey. In his pockets were found 14 sovereigns,
the duplicate of a gold watch, and some parchments and deeds,
from which it appeared that he was the owner of the Bull public-
house, at the corner of Petticoat-lane, li'hitechapel. The room in
which he died was in such a filthy state that the overseers of the pa.
rich thought it necessary that it should be cleansed and fumigated
previous to the holding the inquest ; and which was done pursuant
to their orders, in the best manner the short space of time would
admit, but even in the improved state, after being partially cleansed,
the Coroner and Jury, on visiting it to take a view of the body, felt
astonished and •liockect at the wretched dismal and dirty state of
the apartment, and made an observation to that efliet.
The first witness examined was Richard Samuel Gundrell, a
lodger in the same house, who, being sworn, said he had known the
deceased about three months. He believed deceased was a gentle-
man about 66 years of age ; never knew any one to wait on or assist
him, as he would not let any person enter his room. On Monday
evening saw him in the tap-room of the Jolly Butchers public-house,
and thought he appeared very much wasted. On liretinesday,
about noon, took him a basin of broth to his room, and asked him
if he would like to take any. He answered—" Yes, and thank you
too." He said he was very bad. The room was filled with filth
and dirt. Deceased took the broth, and requested to have some
porter. Witness fetched • pint, and he drank it directly, and said
he felt better. Witness asked him if he would have any medical
advice. Deceased replied—" No, I shall be better to.mor.
row, and will go to a doctor." Witness went up to him about
half-past seven o'clock in the evening. He then said he was better,
and refused to have any tea. Witness told him if he should want
any thing to knock, witness's room being immediately under the
deceased's. About eight o'clock on Thursday morning witness
went to deceased's room door, and knocked three times, but receiv-
ing no answer, looked through the key-hole, and saw deceased
ding on the bed on his back, with his eyes closed, as if dead. The
oor was on the latch. Witness opened it, hut, being alarmed, did
not go in, but called his wife, and told her Mr. Hall was dead. He
met the landlord on the stairs, and they both went into the de.
ceased's room, and found him quite dead and cold. Mr. Comp-
ton, the landlord, took up deceased's clothes, and examined the
pockets, and found some keys and some broken glass, a canvass
bag. containing 14 sovereigns, and on the table lay a few shillings
and some copper coins. lie immediately went with Mr. Compton
to the overseers of the pariah, to acqwaint them with the death, and
from thence to the beadle. Witness had no doubt deceased died a
natural death. Ile lay, when found, in a composed state. De.
ceased did not state any particulars of the complaint under which
he laboured. Witness had no idea that he had received any Injury,
or that he had done any thing to inure himself.
John Compton, landlord of the Jolly Butcher, deposed that the
deceased lodged in his house; that he had been in a declining state
of health for the last three months. He did not know that be took
any medicine. Saw him in the tap-room on Tuesday evening,
where he sat some time. Observed the deceased broke very fast
within the last two months. He appeared very low that evening.
Vas not intoxicated. He retired to his room about eleven o'clock.
The last witness came down in the middle of the day on Wednes-
day for a pint of potter for the deceased, and witness heard no more
of him until lie was informed he was dud. He must have been
dead some time, as he was quite cold when he first saw him.
After a few observations tram the Coroner,
The Jury returned their verdict—" That the deceased died by
the visitation of God."

An Inquest was also held on the evening of the same day, before
the same Coroner, at the Guy Earl of Warwick, Belton-street,
Long-acre, on the body of John iVilkinann, who dropped down
dead whilst going down the stairs of the first floor in a house in
Andrew-strcet.

It appeared in evidence that the deceased and another young man
had been assistiag to move his mother-in-law's goods, about eight
o'clock on Tuesday evening. They had just carried a chest of
drawers on the first floor, and were returning down stairs to fetch
more of the goods, when the deceased, being first, suddenly fell,
and rolled down the stairs. lie was taken up, and a surgeon
fetched, who attempted to bleed him in both arms, but it was in
vain, as he was quite dead ; and the surgeon was of opinion that
he had ruptured a blood-vessel on the brain, which had caused a
fit of apoplexy and instantaneous death. The deceased's face was
dreadfully cut in the fall.
Verdict—" Died by the visitation of God."

SOUTH A m rro x.—The local advantages which this port
possesses over many others, both for mercantile pursuits
and as a port for embarkation, are beginning to be strongly
felt by our merchants, who are rapidly extending their
trade, and adding as much as possible to the convenience
of the community. No less a sum than fifty thousand
pounds has been expended in steam vessels, of which we
have now five at this port, forming a constant communi-
cation with France, the Isle of Wight, &c., and two
more are on the stocks, intended for the Isle of Wight
passage. Southampton having of late become a port of
considerable importance for embarkation, attention has
been directed to the inconvenience long experienced by
passengers in landing and embarking at low water: and
the proprietors of the various steam-boats have applied to
the Commissioners of the Pier for a lease of the Break-
water, over which they purpose erecting a handsome chain-
pier, and now only wait the compliance of the Commis-
sioners to carry the undertaking into effect, sufficient funds
being provided for the purpose. Further improvements
are then determined on, by pulling down the houses at the
bottom of French-street and Bugle-street, and thus throw-
ing open the whole line of quay extending to the intended
pier.
IRISH PROVISION CONTRACT.—II is curious, and, in-
deed, important, to mark the great advance that has taken
place in the Provision Contract since the year 1822 ; during
this period the contracts for Irish Provisions have been
taken at the following rates:-
11122 - 17 6
1823 . . 13 0
1824 6 2 8
1825 7 12 6
Dublin Morning Port.
_

ANCEcNT Aawoua.—A few days ago an ancient cuirau
was dug up at East Brent, from a depth of five or six feet.
It is in good preservation, and of unusual thickness and
weight. There are no certain means of ascertaining the age
to which it belonged, but from the circumstance of there
having been a large Roman encampment on the Knowl in
the immediate vicinity, taken in connexion with the depth
at which it was found, it is quite possible that it once de-
fended the breast of a Roman warrior.—Fosse Strutt, one
of the four grand Roman roads which intersected this king-
dom, passed through the level adjacent to Brent-hill.—De-
von port Telegraph.
Those immense piles of stones, the rubbish of the late
fires, which have ao long obstructed the High-street, have
of late become a complete nuisance, from the prodigious co-
lony of rats which have effected a settlement among them.
One day this week some boys killed a dozen of these dis-
gusting vermin. Troops of them may be seen, at all hours,
peeping from among the stones.—Fdinbargh Paper.
Jurr tw TIME.—On Wednesday morning last, Mr
Hewit, the trunk-maker, whose shop is situated under the
warehouse which was burnt down in Lord-street, Liver-
pool, applied at the Manchester Insurance office, in that
town, for a fireman, to ascertain from whence the smell of
burning which prevailed in his premises proceeded. The
man, after making the examination, and finding, as he
supposed, all safe, advised Mr. H. to insure his properly.
This advice he was not slow to take, and repairing to the
fire-office, said that he wished to insure his property to the
amount of a hundred pounds ! " A hundred pounds," said
the active agent, " you had better insure two hundred."
" Very well," said Mr. Hewitt, " two hundred be it."
The instructions were accordingly received for that sum,
and before the ink was well dry upon the paper, the pre-
mise:l were burnt down.—Morning Paper.