The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-06-13 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS•

CORONER'S INQUEST AT C.4RLISI,E.

At about six o'clock on Wedneadny evening, Richard Lowry, i
Esq. proceeded to take the inquisition on view of the deceased
females, at the house of Mr. Joseph Ritson, the Joiners' Arms, in
Caldewgate, when
Mr. Robert Abraham, surgeon, of Carlisle, was sworn. The
examination was as follows :—I was this day called in to view the
bodies of the deceased, Isabella Pattinson ard Mary P.irreil. It
appeared that the deceased, Isabella Paitinson, received a wound
from a musket-shot on the upper part of the skull, which caused the
fragments to press oar the beam, which pressure caused such injury
M the brain as produced death. I also examined the body of Mary
liirreil, yesterday afternoon, who was in the ogonies of &nit; she
had received a wound, on her left temple; and I find that the left
temporal bone was broken and part of it carried away, which', a used
her death. It was evidently from a musket ball striking against
the temporal bone. I believe it came kart' behind. About a quarter
before eleven on Tuesday morning. I hail occasion to go down to
Caldewgste, when I saw Sir l'hilip Musgrave and several gentle-
men in the street. not receiving any molestation. I left Caldew-
gate about half an hour afterwards, and neither saw nor heard of
any disturbance. About • quarter before one, I went down again,
and saw several crowds collected, some of whom were before a
house in Shadilongate. Inquiring into the cause, I was informed
that Sir Philip had been mobbed, and had taken refuge in that
house, and dent not venture out again. I went away, and called
at Mr. Carrick's, the druggist, in .friahgate Brow, and in a few
minutes I saw the Mayor and some other gentlemen coming down
towards the bridges. Mr. Carrick and I then went on the bridges,
at a little distance from the Mayor, where we stopped and had a
full view of the house where Sir Polito was said to be. We saw
the Mayor and his party proceed towards the house. The tnob
then pelted them with missiles, during which the gentlen.ca still
advanced but when they came opposite a wall, on the right, 011, y
received a volley of stones, from behind the wall, which comptll.ll
them to retreat. The gentlemen did retreat ; part of them scented to
go towards Calilewgate, and part towards the city. I thought some
mischief would occur, and I went back to Mr. Carriek's shop,
where I stayed about an hour, and saw that the mob had consi-
derably increased. Shortly alterwards an officer of artillery, •
aerjeant, and three privates, followed by two companies of the 55th
regiment of foot, along with whom were Mr. John Dixon and
several other gentlemen, with others, whom I understood to be
special constables. I followed else behind them into Shaddon-
gate ; and when the soldiers approached within a stone's-throw of
the mob. they were assailed by vine's of stones and brick-bats.
The soldiers continued to advance, and the mob continued to assail
them. The soldiers then halted fora few moments, and seemed
to be doing something with their arms, but I do not know what.
They then rushed rapidly forward with fixed bayonets. The
people then dispersed in all direetione as fast as possible; and while
they were in full retreat, I saw a musket fired by one of the
soldiers towards Queen-street. Its discharge WAS followed, at re-
gular intervals, by discharges of from twelve to i;ettly other
musket., which seemed to be fired in different directions vivant,
the retreating mob. I thought at that time that they were blank.
cartridges, tired over the heads of the people. Immediately after.
wards Sir Philip and his friends, accompanied by the artillerymen,
passed me, on their way to the city. The foot soldiers, after stay-
ing • minute or two on the bridge, returned to the city also.
I was returning, when a woman called me back, and told me in
great agony that her husband was shot. I accordingly went down
to the place, and saw Isabella Pattinson, and remained with her
while Mr. Thom performed the operation of trepanning the skull,
which did no gond, for she died the same evening. I went also
to see Mary Birrell. whom I found wounded; but I told her
frichds that there were no possible hopes, fur she was in a dying
state.
After Mr. Abraham's evidence, the Coroner adjourned the In-
quest until next morning at nine o'clock, when
Mr. W. Thom, surgeon, was examined, and deposed that he
was called to the assistance of the deceased females. That he went
to Isabella Pattinson, and performed the operation of trepanning
the skull; and remained with her two hoots, during which time
she was insensible. I understand she died the same evening.
It is my opinion that the wound was caused by a muskct.shut.
Dinah Clark.--I ant a widow. I reside in Shadtiongate, in
which place I keep • school. Isabella Pattinaon, the deceased,
was at my door on Tuesday. I brought her and several other
children into the room, for safety, when I saw the soldiers coming
across the Caldew-bridge. I then shut the window of the school.
The deceased was not one of my ',coolant, but my sister brought
her in with the rest. I fastened the door, and afterwards went into
the school. [ expressed to the children haw thankful I was that
we were safe. Isabella Pattinson was standing on the floor, at
some distance from the window, with two other littlegirls. They
had hold of each other's hands, the deceased being in the middle.
I took care again that the door was fastened ; and when I re-
turned the children had all retired into the hack room, and I found
Pse deceased lying on the floor. Site said site had been moot; and
I lifted her into my arms, and endeavoured to take her out, to get
• little air; but hndipg it impossible to take her any further, on
account of weakness, I sat down at the room door, and rested her
head upon my lap. I saw a quantity of blood on her head, and
began to look where bhe was wounded. I saw on the crown, or
rather on the back 'part of her head, a large hole. I laid her
head down on the rug at the door, and went into the house to pro-
cure a towel. I afterwards called in some of the neighbours to tuy
assistance, but who they were, from the confused state of my mind,
I cannot recollect, except one Wm. Rigg. We then carried her
into the back room, laid her on a chair, and applied a cloth to
her head, for the purpose of absorbing the blood. I sent Rigg for
the girl's brother, Richard Pattinson, who accordingly came in a
few moments, and went away again for Mr. Thom, who came
about three, or a little before ; and after the wound was dressed
the deceased languished, till about 25 minutes before eight in the
evening, when she died. I examined the place where the ball en-
tered ; and it came through the window-abutter, and through the
glass. While I was shutting up the windows a great number of
people were there, and a quantity of stones were thrown about—
from what source I know not.
Mr. John Cockburn sworn—When I received information that

Sir Philip had been towelled by a crowd and had taken refuge in
my buildings, I went down to see what was transpiring. This was,
I believe, after dinner time, perhaps between two and three; I oaw
a great crowd of people together, and went into the square just be-
' hind where Sir Philip was confined. After making inquiry where Sir
Philip was, several persons came up to me, and asked me to have
the goodness to get Sir Philip out of his confinement. I begged
that they would not ask me any questions at all. They replied,
" Sir, we give you our word, we pledgeour word that we will escort
him safely to his quarters." The man who spoke to me seemed to
be a very civil mar.; but I begged them not to urge me any more;
and I then went away to the zoom above that in which Isabella
Pattinson was afterwards shot. 6liortly afterwards the Mayor and
Mr. Ferguson and two or three gentlemen came ; the report of their
coming induced me to go up. When they came, they attempted
to proceed to the place where Sir Philip was confined, but were re.
pulsed by stones. This was before the military came. There was
then a short cessation of disturbance; and almost immediately af-
terwards a report prevailed that the military were coming. The
military did come ; about half an hour after the Mayor first came,
and halted at the place opposite the brewery. above u hundred yards
from the place where Sir Philip was. They went under covet of
the building, as for safety ; stones were flying in all directions. I
suppose that the stonek pouring in this manlier upon them, induced
them thus to seek a kind of shelter. They remained here a very
short time, during which they acre apparently charging their
pieces, and they then advanced, preceded in front by an officer.
Morley the constable was also preceding them. Whilst the sol-
diers were advancing stones still flew about, but in nothing like so
great n number as before ; for wherever the soldiers marched, the
crowd dispersed; and in a short time the streets became nearly
cleared. Orders were then given (I believe by the officer in front)
to lire. There was a great deal of noise, so that I could scarcely
distinguish one from the other; but it was the commanding'
officer who gave the order to fire. At this time very few of the
crowd were to be seen. The soldiers advanced, and two or three
shots were fired by some of them. I was then looking out of the
front window. The soldiers were exactly opposite to the house
where I was. I believe the pieces were all of them, without ex-
ception, levelled in different directions. I believed then that they
were firing blank cartridges. They marched up the street and in.
stand). rescued Sir Philip. 1 did not see the Riot Act read ; I can.
not say whether it was ()snot; I saw nothing like it. I could not
see any one tall, because there was scarcely any one to be seen ;
but I afterwards saw the woman, Mary Ilirrell, as she was carried,
and whom I understood to have been killed by a shot. [The father
here addressed one of the jurors, and the Coroner said he coul t nut
permit ally private talking between the jury and an interested indi-
vidual.l
Ily a Juror—Just before the soldiers began to march I believe
there were about 200, chiefly of both sexes. When they were
charging, I really believe Mere were not more than half a score to
be seen from the window where I was. The soldiers directed their
muskets up Queen-street. I did not then sec any stones thrown
from Queen-street.
George Irwin, of Carlisle, sworn—ln consequence of the reports
which prevailed in Carlisle, I went down to Shaddongate, front
curiosity, to see what was going on. The first thing I took notice
of was four or five groups GI people. chiefly women. They were
talking only ; and far fewer people than I had expected to see. I
mixed among them, and joined in conversation with them. They
told me that Sir Philip had been taken into a yard in Milnbum's
Buildings, where he had been canvassing one Matthews, a freeman.
When in this yard, they said the people had come round him.
They said it was a mere passage which led into the yard ; and that
Sir P. might as well have attempted to go through the walls as
amongst the dense crowd which was then in the passage. They told
me Sir Philip had said, he desired any one or two to step forward,
and he would answer any question they might think proper to put
to him. Then, (said they,) two men stepped forward ; and one of
them began by saying that Sir Philip was not a proper man to re-
present a commercial town. A long conversation ensued between
them, when they got him through the passage, from the place
where he was confined. As he was coming out he was pelted with
stones, and he then took refuge. When I went to Shaddongate,
there was not a person standing near the house where Sir Philip
had taken refuge; but they all seemed talking among themselves
in groups. I mixed in the crowd, and attempted to dissuade them
from any acts of violence. Mr. Cockburn then came up to me.
The witness now only corroborated the evidence as given by Mr.
John Cockburn, excepting the following:—l went with Mr. Cock-
burn up stairs; I heard the artillery officer cry "forward.forward,"
when about twenty or thirty rushed out of the ranks, and fired
towards the houses and down Queen-street. I heard Junes
Morley, the constable, giving orders to fire. The people were
running into passages and down the street, and the soldiers
fired after them. I do not know whether or not any one
obeyed Morley. Morley pointed to the house where we were,
and cried out to oue officer, "Fire then—there are some—