The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-01 00:00:00

CORO.NEITS INQUEST.

On Tuesday evening a Corgeer's Inquest was held at the Guy
Earl of Warwick._ Belton-street, St. Gilee'n, before THOMAS
STIRLING, Esq. Coroner, on the body of Mr. A. Newel, who
for some time conducted the extensive business of Mr. White, of
411, Broad-street, boot and shoe maker. The unfortunate man has
left a wife and large family to lament his untimely death.
Mrs. Ann Upton, servant to the deceased, deposed that on Mon.
day morning, shout hnlf-past seven o'clock, as her mistress was pro.
ceeding up stain to let in Mr.'White, Ma. she beheld, on coming
out of the room, her husband suspended from the railing which
runs from the parlour to the kitchen. On his wife discovering the
spectacle, she at first thought to cry out, but fearing that by so doing
she would throw her family into fits, she gained sufficient courage,
passed by her husband, and proceeded to open the door for Mr. W.
She saw her master for the last time on Sunday, but she then took
no particular notice of him ; latterly, from his manner, she did
not think him to he in his right senses, and about three months
since he had a lit of illness, and since then he had been subject to
fits; and on one occasion, after the shop was closed, he took up the
knife which he used in his business, and knocked his wife down,
and on her remonstrating he thrust Ittr out of doors, and, on
entering the house again, she beheld him cutting off the heads of
several guinea. pigs. At times he threatened to do some injury to
his wife. On Thursday last he was discharged by Mr. White,
which made him very dejected ; and he was very much in the habit
of drinking.
Mr. %White, jun. deposed, that the deceased had been in his
father's employ about 20 months, ten of which he had been in
Broad-street. About half-past seven o'clock he went to the house
and knocked several times, but not being able to make any person
hear, he went and stamped upon the iron grating in Lascelles-
place, when, after being there for twenty-five minutes, the de.
ceased's wife opened the door to him. She was nearly naked, and
was standing on the third stair, and pointing to her husband, she
exclaimed, " Oh, Mr. White, there is a sad spectacle !^ Oa
looking up, he saw the deceased suspended from the banisters. Ile
directly pulled out a knife, but observing .this staircase to be cir-
cular, he considered that if there was life the fall would certainly'
kill him; when he went to the door, and called to a person who
was passing for assistance, but upon his observing what bad oc-
curred, he said, " Oh no, I will not meddle with him:" he then
got him to run to the workhouse for assistance. In the mean time
a person of the name cf Kent, who lived at the top of the house,
came down stairs, and with the assistance of two other persons,
they cut the deceased down : lie was instantly carried to the work-
house, but was quite dead, though warm; since then, the wife of the
deceased had told him that she did not bear him knock until he had
stamped on the grating ; they slept in the kitchen, but in separate
beds •, had seen the deceased occasionally, but had never ob.
served anything like derangement. He had not seen him since
Thursday, but his wife had told him he had only got out of bed
once since then. He had robbed them to a considerable amount.
but his father took the mildest course with him, and allowed the
wife 15s. per week to look after the shop ; the deceased was always
stupid.
Mr. Liddell, surgeon, of Drury-lane, deposed that lie used to
attend the deceased professionally for the last five months. When he
first saw him lie considered that he was deranged ; at times, how-
ever, he recovered, but whenever he had a relapse, although not
so severe as the first, they were of such a nature as to occasion
insanity. In his opinion the principal cause of the malady was
excessive drinking.
Mt. Chester also deposed to the same effect.
Bartlett, the beadle, now produced the cord, which was a clothe'.
line. The deceased, it appears, had doubled it, made a noose with
it, and tied it about a dusen times round the banister ; he had,
indeed, taken every precaution toeffeet his purpose.
The Jury, after consulting a short time, returned a verdict—
' " That the deceased had committed the rash act whilst Labouring
under temporary derangement."

A burglary was committed on Tuesday night at the
house of Mr. Widmer, Eton place, Spafields, and property to the
amount of about cot. was stolen, consisting of plate, linen, a dial,
and other portahic officio, with which the thitvii escaped without
haring caused the slightest alarm.