The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-03 00:00:00

DE.1711 OF BENJAMIN HALL, ESQ.

An awful instance of sudden death occurred on Friday niaht. at
Drury-lane Theatre. Mr. Benjamin Hall, banker, of Dublin,
and principal partner in the him of Hall and Co., of that place,
whilst sitting, surrounded by his friends, in a private box, sud-
denly dropped back and expired.
The anxiety of his friends to have the inquisition immediately
taken was so great, that the beadle was actually despatched at the
early hour of one o'clock in the morning to the residence cp` the
Coroner. Thomas Higgs: whom he knocked op ; and hay.
ing announced his busmen,. obtained a warrant, under which a
Jury assembled at nine o'clock on Saturday morning, at the Crown
am] Cushion public-house. In Little Russell-street.
The tollowing WAS the evidence taken on the occasion :
Ale. J.e.m Cole, surgeon, of Great Russel-street. stated that he
was sent for about 12 o'clock on Friday night, and found the de.
ceased in a private room, in Drury-lane Theatre, supported by as-
sistants, who were endeavouring to restore him. On examination
witness (wind he was quite dead. The body was quite warm. He
opened a. rein, hut no blood issued.

Mr. Wm. West deposed, that about five minutes before the
dropping of the cumin, he heard that the deceased was taken ill.
He immediately attended t the deceased watt, when he adrived, in a
passage opposite the door of box So. I. Some of his friends were
with him. and also the box-keeper. The deceased was quite sense_
less. He was taken into a private room. One of his friends told
witness that the deceased was suddenly taken ill while sitting in the
bcfore-mentioned box. ‘Vittiess understood that the gentleman
who gave him this information had left town immediately after the
melancholy event, for the purpose of ernarnaMeatiag it to some of
the deceased's friends, residing in Sussex.
There being no other evitlmee, the Coroner summed up to the
Jury, telling them that although it would have been more eadsfac.
tory if the gentleman who sus with the (I:ceased had attended to
give his evidence, ►till, if they were satisfied that the decemeddied
a natural death, it would be unnecessary to adjourn to obtain his
attendance. If, on the contrary, they were not satisfied, he would
adjourn the inquest to any hour which might be convenient to
than. The inquest had been held that early, for the eapresa pur-
pose of accommodating the unfortunate gentleman's friends, and it
was, therefore, the more surprising they 'mould be absent.
The Foreman of the Jury, after consulting his brethren, stated,
that they were unanimous in their opinion •• that the deceased had
died a natural death, by the visitation of God."
Just after the verdict bad been recorded. and the Court was about
breaking up, the gentleman bethre alluded to entered the room.
The Coroner informed him of the result of the proceedings, and
that the Court b.ing dissolved, he could not take hit deposition.
A statement of the NMI of the case might, however, be satisfactory
to the Jury.
The gentleman (hit name did not transpire) said be entail merely
have proved the Get of the deceased having suddenly fallen back
and expired, while sitting with him, viewing the perFormance.
He was upwards of 70 years old, and was principal partner io the
banking firm of Hall and Co. at Dablitt. For some time lie had
laboured under an affection of the lungs, and bud come up to this
metropolis a few months back, for the purpose of obtaining medical
advice.

The deceased was a fine looking man, and was apparently in a
Stitt of robust health.

THE BRITISH PRESS.

DISTRESSINC: SUICIDE•

We regret to annonnee the death of a highly respected irAl iv i d n al ,
111 r. Plaistowe, of itickusanawonn.
Herta,' under 'cireutlisilances
most painful ta his immediate connexions and triends. Mr. Plats-
:owe was an old resident of that town. and for some yenta had oc-
cupied a large paper mill there. etnplloiing about sixty persons in
that department, and in apiculture. He was an active tudividual
anti had filled at dillerent perieds the various parish offices, aril in-
deed at the time of hie death teas one of the churchrrardeas. On
Friday morning he rove at his usual hour and took breakfast with
his family. Ile then proceeded from the parlsnr, having secreted
a breakfast knife, and went into the harness room, where he very
deliberately at down on a renal, onhattoned his coat, which he
always wore dose up to the throat, took off tit 3 cravats, and gave
himself a severe • stab in the !hroat. He then walked, the blood
Sowing ell the wry, across the yard, a distance of about t'XI yards.
and stepping into a boat usually lying at that spot threw himself
into the mill head. This last eircun.stance was observed by a
child of one of In. manufacturers, who ran into the mill and said
that Air. P. had fallen into the water. Assistance was Immediately
afforded, aati he was taken oat after the I
_ 'pee of three or four
minutes, at which time life was not extinct. A mnateager nay sent
off into the town for medics' assistance, but brfore it arrived he
ceased to breath. livery possible means of resuscitation was resorted
to by the highly respectable professional p s.sons suaimuned, but
witheut effect.e His earthly career was closed.
An express was tent off to Hertford, requiring the attendance of
the Coroner
.(:Ilr. Hooke), end in the evening he arrived. A Jury
were inunrdsately summoned, and they proceeded to view the body,
after which they examined three witnesses, by whim) testimony it
appeared, that for some time past Air. Plaistowe had evinced a
considerable depression of spirits. walking
.with his arms feldete,
and indulging in exclamations of" What is to become of me;"
the whole tending to show souse heavy calamity, imaginary or real,
to be pressing on his mind.
The Jury, without hesitation, retarned ft verdict of " Insanity."
Mr. Plaistowe was twice married, anti at lb; period of his death
bad seven children living by both marriages. It is hardly possible
to conceive the sensation occasioned by the promulgation of this
fatal intelligence in Rickmanswerth, particularly as it was the day
of the annual meeting of the perish officers to settle the accounts
of the year. It is needless to observe. that • meeting, pro forma,
took place, and that a short adjournment was immediately, deter.
mined on. It is supposed that the late failures have tended to pro-
duce this calamity; but as Mr. Plaistowe was entirely the dullest-
tory of his own secrets, every thing as let rests upon supposition.
He was sixty-one years of age, and considered one of the strangest.
minded men of the neighbourhood in which he resided. As a
master he was beloved by his workmen, and in his conduct as a
parish officer we are given to understand his conduct was ex-
emplary.