The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-05-01 00:00:00

CORONERS INQUESTS.

Yesterday afternoon, at four o'clock, before Mr. limos, Deputy
Coroner ror Westminster, an inquest was held at the Red Lion,
llongliton-street, Clare-market, on the body of Robert Pepperell,
an infant about 18 months old, whose death was occasioned by tale.
ing opium pills.
It appeared from the evidence, that the parents of the deceased
mile at No. 8, New-Inn-passage. Mrs. Pepperell had been ill
ror a long tills wi:h a had breast; site went last Wednesday to the
DiVeimerf• in Dish°P's-couti, Lincoln's-lon. where she received
a lotion and seven opium pill*. On retuning tonne she placed
them on the table, unconscious of lts effects. (In the following
morning she observed the deceased playing about the room, but
being drowsy, she soon afterwards fell asleep ; on waking, about
eiy:he o'clock, she round him lying insensible at the foot of the bed ;
his sister, five years of age, told her motile: that her brother had
ate four of the pit_ ,ls and that she had taken one herself. A surgeon
was scot for, who declared the child to be in convulsive bits, and
sent emetics, and immediatelg ordered a warmAiath ; but such was
the effect of the poison, that Me poor child died in the bath.
.Mr. belonging to the Dispenargy, proved giving the lo-
tion and pills to the mother; and his decided opinion was that four
of the pills was suMcient to cause death to an infant of that ten-
der lip.. . . . - -

It being Frosted that the pills occasioned the death of the child,
the Jury instantly returned a verdict, That the deceased died
from taking opium pills."

An Inquisition was yeaserday evening taken before Joseph
Canter, Esq., the Coroner Air the county. at the l'astle Inn, at
Markley. near Sydenliam, on the body m &ohm Fletcher,
who was found drowned in the Elsoydan ('anal. The deceased was
an elderly man, and had foe many years held an important station
in his M ijesty:s M int.
The tag witness called Wit Wm. Seale! who stated that on
Tuesday last he was a:ll:ing .akoi the boas of the Canal, in

company with 'liosnas Steel, and that he found, lyiag op the bank,
a walking.stick, which induced him to look into the water, sup.
l nosing it might hate belonged to some person who had drowned
h---Irnadf. On looking into tht. water, he saw the upper part of a
body, which, with the assistance of hie companion, he gut on shore.
Near to the same spot, in the water, he found a hat, and a note
addressed—

" Mr. Forbes, Camberwell green.
" The reward for taking this is in my hie
In answer to questions from the Coroner, the witness stated that
there was nothing in the hat. lle supposed that the wind had
blown the hat off the bank into the water, and hence the reward
alluded to had been lost.
Thomas Steel corroborated the above evidence. _ _

Thomas Hawkins, a man who attends the locks, deposed to
assisting in removing the body. In his pockets they found a
sovereign, about We. in silver, and a valuable gold watch and ap-
pendages in his fob. The watch had stopped, and the hands
pointed to five minutes past one o'clock, about which time it is
supposed the deceased committed the fatal act.
Mr. Forbes, surgeon, of Camberwell-green. deposed to being
acquainted with the deceased, whose person he identified. He had
known him upwards of twelve years, and had attended him pm.'
fessionally during the last twelve months ; he was afflicted with the
atone and gravel, front which he suffered very severely, and for
which he had twice, within that period, undergone an operation by
Sir Astley Cooper. He had received temporary relief from these
operations, but soon relapsed into his former state. The effects of
this affliction seemed to witness to have impaired his mental facul-
ties. He would frequently talk very irrationally on the subject of
his complaint. and was at times very desponding. The impression
on his mind woe. that the disease would terminate in a speedy and
more than ordinarily painful death. Witness saw the deceased
twice en the 51onitity n:orning. but did not at either of these in-
terviews ohscrve anything particular in his manner. (In the Tues-
day morning witness called at his residence, and was informed
that he was not at home, and about four o'clock on the same after-
noun received information of his having been found in the canal.
A note addressed to witness had been found near where the body
was lying, and which he produced. It was as follows:
Ott the outside.
" Mr. Forbes,

" Surgeon,
" Camberwell-green.
" Reward for taking this is in my bat."
In the inside.
" Adieu, dear Forbes
" I cannot bear my feeling% any longer.
" Yours,
" IL FLETCHER."

The ante Wli written in an agitated hand. Witness was of
opinion that the deceased was not in a sane state of mind at the
time he committed the act. _ . .

......
The Cottox En observed, that it was pretty dear from the evi-
dence that the unfortunate deceased was insane at the moment he
perpetrated the rash act.
The Jury alinint instantly returned a verdict—" That the de-
ceased had drowned himself, being at the time in a state of insanity."
Immediately after the Inquest the body was removed in a hearse,
brought down for this purpose, followed by the private carriage of
the deceased and those of two other gentlemen.

Another inquest was held before J. G. GEL L, Esq., Coroner for
Westminster, at the Feathers public-house, Dean-street, Wes►-
minter, on the body of Charles Schmitz, Esq., attached to the
Bavarian Court.

Robert Fenton, a lighterman, deposed, that on Thursday morn-
ing he was on board the Cornelis yacht, lying in the River Thames,
off the, westward of the Penitentiary, Milbank. There were on
board three Gentlemen, two named Russell, and a 31r. Defoe.
One of the party observed, that something had run foul of their
buoy, and on going ashore in the gig, one of the Russells ex-
claimed, "Oh! my God, it is a man !' He immediately fastened
a tope about his person, and towed the corpse ashore; it appeared
to him to have been a long. time in the water. On searching the
body he found forty sovereigns in his purse, and 16s. I Id. loose In
his pocket ; a gold watch was in his fob, also in his breast-pocket
a red leather pocket-book, with papers written in the Bavarian
language. He took them into the city, and had them translated.
He afterwards applied at the Alien-office, where he ascertained he
resided at No. 6, Norfolk-street, Strand.
Mr. Lawrence Caton, son of Mr. Caton, sumfeen deposed that the
deceased resided at his father's house, No. 6, Norfolk-street Strand,
for the last twelve months ; was a native of Bavaria ; had come to
this country for the purpose cf collecting patterns of porcelain and
minerals for the King of Bavaria. Ile went to the mines in Corn.
wall, and was absent about three months, with which exception he
constantly resided at his father's house. The last time witness saw
him alive was a fortnight since. lie was a man of very sober ha-
bits, not at all addicted to drinking, nor was he aware of his being
subject to insanity.
Coroner—Can you acquaint me if the Bavarian Minister is aware
of his melancholy death ?
Witness-1 waited upon the Ambassador this morning upon
hearing of his death, and he told me he would undertake the
charge of his property, and also to make proper arrangements for
his interment.

Juror—Was the deceased in the habit of seeing much company ?
The witness answered in the negative.
(The deceased's card was here handed to the Jury, on which the
following was written :—" C. Schmitz, Commissary Inspector cf
Alines to the Manufactory of Porcelain to his Majesty the King of
Bavaria, and Alember of tbeAcedemy of Scienceof Munich, Corres-
pondent of thehoetetyof the ?fionnd Histerreiraris, No. 6, Nor-
folk-street, Strand.")
The evidence being closed, the Colic ti Ea stated to the Jury, that
as no proof had been adduced before them to shew how or by what
means the deceased had got into the water, it was impossible to re.
cord any other verdict than that the deceased was found drowned.
The Jury returned a verdict to that effect.
The Coroner and Jury expressed their opinion that Fenton, the
lighterman, was richly deserving of wine reward for his conduct
and honesty, and recommended him to the notice of the Bavarian
Alinister.