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London, England, 1825-03-03 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

it vas said by Cooper's pan; that thus wore uvula. I wok
Wood's part.
Coroosr—l understood that you took no decided part with either
but assisted both when down ?...-I wu certainly for Wood ; I

backed hint up.
Cormier—What age was the deceased P—About 14 years.
Conmen--NVere the boys fairly matched 7—At first they was,
but Cooper's strength failed, and he was restored by taking brandy.
Coroner—Did you set any violent blows iiiven by Wood to the
deceased ?-1 saw repeated blows during the fight.
Coroner—On what pan of the body 2—On different parts of the
head. I remember, in one period of tits fight, a severe blow being
given on the temple.
Corona—Did the deceased Instantly fall I,—Yes, instantly.
Juror—What time of the fight was that blow given ?—About
the middle.
Coroner—Did the deceased get up soon after the fall?—Ile lay
on the ground about half a minute; tt was half...minute time.
Coroner—Did the blow appear to occasion much injury to the
deceased ?—Yes, he was hurt, and there were loud shouts from
Wood's party in consequence of his being the best.
Coroner—You saw blows given by the deceased to Wood ?
Yes.
Coroner-1n your opinion, was it what is called a fair fight ? I
mean, was there no undue advantage taken by any of the parties ?
It was a fair fight.
Juror—Was fair play shown to both parties?
Coroner—That is the proper question.
Witness—l saw no unfair advantage taken.
Coroner—Had Wood any second?—No; but • young gentle-
man, named Leith, seconded the deceased; he was the avowal
second. The fight lasted above en hour. Thelieceased's spirits
were kept up in a most extraordinary manner, by I.elth giving h;ni
brandy in the eleventh and subsequent rounds. I remember that,
before the last round, Wood said he wanted to go to his tutor,
Oittary, to attend his private business (studies), and he would
make it up afterwards. Mr. Leith, the second, said, that an Wood
wanted to go, he would appeal to the deceased's party, and hear
what they had to say. The deceased's party exclaimed, "We
will have another round—we are in no hurry." I know Mr. Ottery
hail appointed Wood to attend hint.
Coroner—What took place after that observation of Wood's?
Witness—The parties fought another round, and the deceased,
at the conclusion, fell front a severe blow ; Wood fell heavily on
him. After this round, Wood said he must go, and he would
.make it up. Leith advised it to be made up on the spot, and
directly the propmition was made to make it up the deceased fell
back senseless. Wood walked up to the deceased, and lifted his
hand. I did not hear Wood say any thing.
Juro.—lt is the wish of the Jury to know if the deceased did not
propose, about the fourth round, to stop fighting and make it up ?
Witness—l was told by his party that he did do so.
Coroner—That is hearsay, and cannot be received as evidence.
Juror—What quantity of brandy did the deceased drink, as you
believe P
IVitllebr—Above half a pint. He drank repeatedly during the
fight.
Coroner—Nonsense, he could not drink so much neat brandy.
Why, that would have been sufficient to have killed him.
Mr. Ottery, the tutor of Wood, said, that on Sunday he re-
quested Wood to attend him on Monday evening about six o'clock.
Mr. O'Reilly, surgeon, of Windsor, sworn—l was called to see
the deceased last night; he was then dead; he died before medical
assistance arrived. I have seen the body again to-day.
Coroner—Did you see any external marks from which you can
say what caused the death ?
Witneu—There were several contusions on the head; the eyes
were black. From the sudden manner of his death, 1 was con.
vinced there must have been a rupture of some internal artery. I
opened the head surgically, and found, tinder the Jura woke a
considerable extravasation of blood covering the whole of the left
hemisphere of the brain, which was the cause of his death.
Coroner—Can you account for the cause of the injury which
produced death ?—I believe it wasnot produced by any blow that
his opponent gave him, but by a violent fall ; and I am of this
opinion from the extent of the rupture, and the great quantity of
blood that issued therefrom.
Coroner—Would any natural cause produce this effect, such as
apoplexy IL-Certainly not.
Coroner—NVould his drinking a great quantity of brandy have
caused such effect ?—Certainly not.
Coroner—You say, that in your opinion a blow did not cause the
rupture of the vessels of the head ?
Witness—l do not think a blow could have been given with suffi-
cient force to have caused such an extensive injury. During my
experience—and I hare for years been in the habit, in a public in-
stitution, of opening the heads of deceased persons--I never saw
so great a quantity of blood extravasated on the brain.
The Jury now expressed their general opinion that this was a
fair fight.
Mr. O'Reilly requested here to state to the Jury, that on his ar-
rival at the house where the deceased lay, he .'u told by one of his
brothers, that when he brought the deceased from the play-ground
after the fight, he appeared asleep—that he put him to bed, and
supposing he would be qutte well when he awoke, he did not send
for medical assistance, and about ten o'clock the same night he
was alarmed on discovering that he was in a dying state.
Dorothy barge-1 am savant to the Rev. Mr. Knapp, of Eton,
where the deceased boarded and lodged ; he was brought home by
some of the young gentlemen last night. about ten minutes before
six o'clock; he appeared as if he was asleep, and he was put to
bed ; I asked his brother if I should send for a doctor, and he told
me there was no occasion for it, as the deceased was fast asleep ; I
went into the room about seven o'clock, and he was still asleep—he
was breathing. About nine o'clock I found him the same. His
brother said lie was very comfortable, and that I had no occasion
rotate any further trouble, as he would see him safe before he went
lobed. The deceased had his trowsers on, but no shirt ; he was
wrapped in a blanket. A little after ten o'clock the brother of the
deceased came down stairs, and said he was worse. I went up to
the room, and a surgeon was sent for : we were so frightened, that
we did not know what to do. Mr. Moss, a surgeon, first arrived ;
the deceased had then ceased to breathe.
Coroner—l wish you had sent at first for surgical aid.
Witness-1 should, but the brother insisted that there was no ne-
cessity for it.
Coroner—l wish you had not been influenced by his brother, who
was in some degree blamable ; but 1 will not undertake to assert
that the life of the deceased might have been saved, if surgical assist.
once had been obtained as soon as lie was brought home. I en-
tirely acquit you of any improper inter.tion ; you had no idea of
the youth's dangerous condition.
The Coroner inquired the Christian name of Mr. Leith.
Juror—ls Mr. Leith culpable as well as Mr. Wood ?
Coroner—lf you find the death was caused by fighting, you
must, by your verdict, implicate him as well as Mr. Wood.
Juror—l do not think there was anything like malice existing
in the breasts of any of the gentlemen.
Coroner—This is a most unfortunate case, and I am very un-
pleasantly situated. It is my painful duty to state the law on the
subject of fights of this description. You must know they are
: but it to for you to fled your verdict on the evidence.
The constable was despatched to the College, to learn the Chris-
tian name of Mr. Leith. In a short time a gentleman named
Oaks, en under-utaster of the College, arrived, with the con-
stable. The latter stated, that he had endeavoured io vain to get
the name.
The Coroner asked Mr. Oaks to inform him the name. Mr.
Oaks, who was greatly agitated, said that he was not aware that the
Jury was sitting. end he declined giving the name.
The Coroner ordered the constable to make proclamation at
the door, " that all persons who could give evidence touching
the death of the deceased do give their attendance ;" but no per-
son cane forward.
Mr. Oaks said, that be did not wish to withhold the name of
Mr. Leith, if the Coroner required him to give it.
T.ie Coroner said, that he could put him on his oath, and insist
upon his disclosing the name.
Mr. Oaks said, the name was Alexander Wellesley Leith.
The Coroner said, that if the Jury should be of opinion that Mr.
Leith had violated the law. it would be necessary that his name
should be inserted in the inquisition.
No other evidence being brought forward, the Coroner proceeded
to address the Jury. He quoted authorities to satisfy them as to
the law relating to murder, manslaughter, and justifiable homicide.
Although the parties is this contest had quarrelled, ar.d fought on
the Sunday till they were separated, and again renewed their cont.
bat on al onday, he had no hesitation in saying, that lie did not be-
lieve they entertained a feeling of malice towards each other, which
(supposing the blows occasioned the death of the deceased) would
make die offence amount to murder. The killing a person, in the
exercise of- an unlawful set, amounted to manslaughter, nd the
Jury, however painful it might be to their feelings, were bound by
their oaths to deede this case according to the evidence. If the
deceased died front the blows or falls he received in the fight, his
antagonist and the second, and, in fact, all present aiding and
abetting in the breach of the peace, were guilty of manslaughter.
He bad already said that he did not believe the youths entertained
malicious feelings towards each other ; but he was of opinion that
they were backed on by their companions, and their natural cou-
rage or prowess induced them to combat with each other. The
deceased, it appeared, was the weaker of the two. The fight
was amid to have been a fair trial of strength, and the Jury
would give such • verdict as they conceived the justice of the case
demanded.
The Jury retired, and were in consultation fur a very consider.
able time. At a late hour last evening they returned a verdict of
Manslaughter against Mr. Wood, the principal, and Mr. Alex-
ander Wellesley Leith, the second.
'flie result of the inquiry produced an extraordinary sensation in
the College.
The Coroner leased his warrant against the parties, and placed it
in the hands of the constable to execute.
We understand that bail to any amount will be offered for their
appearance to take their Dials, shottld a Grand Jury find true bills
against them ; but the felony with which they stand charged, is
not a bailable offence.
Mr. Leith is said to be closely allied to a noble family, as well
as Mr. Wood.

There are ninety-nine prisoners for trial at the Devon
Assizes.
There are now confined in the gaol at Shcpton-Mallet
stS prisoners, and four bastard children.
The buds on the apple trees in the South of Devon are
said to look well; but the heavy storms of November have
blown down, and otherwise so much injured many of the
treks, C.: it this year's crop is not expected to be a very pro-
ductive one.—Exerer