The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-30 00:00:00

CORONERS' II•QUESTS.

.MURDEI nr GRAY'S INN-LANE.—A Coronet's Tnquert was 1
last evening held at the sign of tie Peacock, Gray's Inn-lane, Hol-
born, on the body of lklaurias Fitzgerald, who met with his death on
Monday evening, by being stabbed with a knife in Home-alley,
in the above neighbourhood.
T. Stirling, Hag. sat as Coroner, and a respectable Jury having
been sworn, they proceeded to view the body. Such was the sen-ation
excited, that it was resolved by the Jury to have the body opened,
which was accordingly done, and on their return to the Jury-room
a great number of witnesses were called ; they consisted of the
neighbours, viz.—Bridget Ryley, Patrick Hybl, John Callaghan,
Samuel Cahir, and several others, whose testimony was not very
material. The gist of the evidence, afforded by the foregoing
was, in subatance, that on the evening in question, about nine
o'clock. the deceased was in a house in the above alley, where a
quarrel ensued. The watchman Cahir was called to assist, but the
door was shut against him, and lie for that time went away, being
unable to obtain an entrance. Ile returned In about ten minutes,
when be found the unfortunate deceased lying on the ground, sup-
ported by a female with one eye, but whom-he did not know. He
rendered every assistance, and medical aid was called in, but

The evidence of the nther witnesses rent to prove that there
had been very considerable quarrelling for some time, but there
seemed to be a more than ordinary care In abstaining on the part of
the witnesses, particularly on that of the daughter of Diary Caen,
to tell the truth. From what could be obtained, however, from
them, it appeared the decensed had gone to the house in question,
and in the course of the evening a quarrel ensued between Caen
r.nd his wife, and the deceased intertered, when the wife seized a
knife and plunged it into his left side. The unfortunate man was
at length discovered weltering in his blood, by several persons
who were only able to witness the departure of life from his body.
At the conclusion of the shove testimony, Wainwright, the offi-
cer, produced the clothes of the wife of Caen, his daughter, and
himself, which were stained with blood. Several knives were also
found in the room where the murder was committed. He had only
found one small piece of a cow-heel bone ; but he felt convinced
that from what he had already learned, they had had a cow-heel for
supper, but had after the murder destroyed by lire every vestige of
it, save the bone produced. A knife, which fitted the wounds on
the body of the deceased, had also been preserved from the lire ;
and front its general appearance a very strong feeling prevailed in
the minds of the Jury, that that was the weapon with wbich the
dreadful act had been committed. It also appeared that the stone+
in the alley had not only been washed, bat several had been torn up
and removed„

Several of the Jurors intimated a wish to have every point inves-
tigated, and at length it was found that a witness, who could throw
more additional light upon the circumstance, was in attendince ;
she was accordingly called in, and gave her namehas Mary Cash-
man. She deposed that she was the wife of John Cashman, and on
the evening of last Monday, as she was on her return home from a
visit to her sister, she heard a very serious quarrel at the house in
question ; she saw the deceased come to the door and immediately
fall down. He ealled out, with a groan, "Oh ! lam murdered—
lam murdered." Caen and his wife bad been quarrelling, and
the former came to the door and stood there for some time ; she
was quite positive Caen stood at the door fur some time, but she
could not speak as to his wife or daughter. When the deceased
fell, Cant helped him up; some time after, witness PAW Mrs. Caen,
with her daughter, and another woman, and heard Mrs. Caen say,
" What brought him here ?" She began to quarrel again, and
said, "Do you think I killed him ? He had no business here,
and that's cooling to the point at once." Mrs. Caen, in witness's
opinion, was sober at the time : at least she appeared to be so.
Other witnesses, however, described her to have been intoxicated.
The CORONER here remarked that the evidence was very strong
against Mrs. Caen and her daughter; but not so against the hus-
band,
as he might, by rendering assistance to the deceased, have
caught the blood on the shoulder of his coat.
The Jury accordingly found a verdict of Wilful Murdcr against
the mother and daughter.
The CORONER issued his warrant for their detention, and they
will be examined this day at Hatton-garden police rate.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT._-Vesterday afternoon an inquest was
held at the Magpie and Punch-bowl in Fenchurch-street, before
Thomas Shelton, Esq. Coroner for the City of London, on view of
the body of William Clarke, aged 70 years, who cause by his death
in the following manner:—
W. Thatcher, of No. 6, Botolph-alley, Botnlph.lane, carpenter,
stated that on Tuesday evening, about five o'clock, he was passing
along Eenchurch-street, and sew a mob collected round the pump.
at the corner of Church-passage. Witness inquired what was the
matter, and he was told that a man had been run over; he then
saw the deceased lying on the round, apparently dying. Witness
instantly assisted him into this house, and in a minute or two
after there came in a gentleman dressed in a fashionable drab great
coat, who declared himself to be the person who had run over the
deceased with his chaise, and offered to take him to the hospital ;
but witness objected, saying it would be better to send for a neigh-
bouring surgeon. A surgeon was sent for, but the deceased died
in about half an hour. Witness slid not know the gentleman.
Charles Ward, in theempttry of Messrs. Winter, coppersmith.,
in Houndaditeh. stated that at the time in question he was going
down Fenehurch.street, and heard some person call out " Hoy !"
but whether it was the deceased or not he cannot say and on

turning round he saw the deceased fall under a horse'i heels, in
the middle of tt,e road, and the near wheel of the chaise cart went
over his body. The gentleman in the chaise pulled up at London-
street, about fifty yntds further on. The accident happened oppo-
site Billiter-care. Witness picked the deceased up, and asaisted in
bringing him into this house. The gentleman afterwards came in
also, and seemed disposed to do all he could to assist him.
Coroner—Do you know the gentleman
Wltnesss- I do not.
Coroner—Wass he stall inebriated ?
Witness--I cannot say he was of my own knowledge ; but many
said he was.

Mr. W. Damant, assistant to Mr. Vanhoven, surgeon, Fen-
church-buildings, stated that he was called to attend the deceased.
He appeared to be in a dying state ; his pulse had nearly ceased
to beat. Witness administered a draught, but he swallowed very
little of it. Witness had not seen the deeeased since.
Mr. Frederick Ager, surgeon, of Whitechapel, said that he had
seen the deceased since death, and attributed his dissolution to the
violence he received.

The deceased was in the service of Mr. Owen, wine-merchant
in Chiswell-street, Finsbury-square, and was on his way to
Crutched-triars when the accident hammed.
There being no further evidence to produce, the Jury returned a
verdict of " Accidental Death. Deodand, 20s. on the wheel, thes
property of some person or persons unknown."