The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-01-28 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

An Inquisition was last evening taken before TUOMAC Thaws,
Esq. at the George pnblic.house, George-court. Adelphi. on the
body of Mr. Leonard Parkinson, a gentleman of fortune, who ter-
minated his existence by suicide.
Mr. Thomas Hunt. surgeon, of 894), Strand, stated that. at about
three o'clock yesterday afternoon, he was celled in to attend the
deceased. whom he found lying on the floor before the fire, at his
takings in George-street, Adelphi. Ile was then dead, and ap-
peared to hare been so about an hour. There was a great quantity
of blood on the floor, end on examining his person witness observed
no less than three wounds in hia throat; two of them were superti-
but the other was a very serious one of about two inches in
length, and of very considerable depth. The cisro'id artery was
divided, and the wounds were the cause of death. A small knife
was found !yin ty his side.
Bridget Ogle, *errant to Mr. Clerk, at whose house the deceased
raided, stated that she had seen the deceased repeatedly; the last
time was on Thursday morning, hut she observed nothing particular
in his manner. In the afternoon she bad occesimi to go up stairs,
when she heard the deceased walking about die room, and after-
wards heard bin) moaning. She informed her master of the Mr-
eminence, and they both knocked at his room door, but could
obtain no answer. A carpenter was tent for, and the door broken
open, when the deceased was found lying on the floor covered with
blood. He was then quite dead. Witnesa was to much alarmed
that she was obliged to leave the room immediately.
Mr. Theophilus Clarke, the person in whose house the deceased
lodged, stated that he had lived with him about four years: he was
a tut of very retired habits' and appeared at times to be insane.
For the last three months lie had kept very irregular hours, hut on
Sunday evening last he came home very early, and on Monday
morning witness had a long conversation with him when he said
" I intend to keep better hours than I used to do; I find it will not
do; when I have been drinking freely it affects my head, anti I do
not know what lam about." On Thursday afternoon, in comm-
. quenue of inihntiation received front the last witness, deponent
caused the door to be broken in, when the deceased was found lying
on the floor covered with blond. The door was bolted on the inside.
A few hours before he inquired for his keys, and appeared con-
fused on the subject. He must afterwards have found them, as
they were hanging from a trunk, on the door being broken open.
Teesdale, a gentleman whose sleeping.room was contiguous
to that of the deceased. stated that during the last two years he had
repeatedly heard hint pacing about the room during the night, and
exclaiming, " what have I dune," and at other tones talking about
a NOW.

hlr William Scattergood, lanillord of the Salisbury Arms,
Strand, stated that the deceased was in the habit of dining at his
house. lye appeared to be averse to being left alone, and was re-
peatedly heard to moan when so left. He complained of having
last a great deal of money.
In explanation of this tact, Mr. Clarke stated, that the deceased
had lately mold out of the Eughsh funds, and purchased Spanish
Bonds.
Verdict—" Insanity."

CHILD MVllDED.—Yesterday evening an inquisition was taken
at the Elephant public-house, in the Kingsland•road, before J. W.
Cowin, Es q. the Coroner. and a respectable Jury, on view of the
body of a male infant, which had been discovered on Wednesday
uuder circumstances strongly indicative of its death having been
occasioned by unfair means. Various rumours were in cireulation as
to who were its parents, and the character, if not the life, of one
young female in particular was near falling a sacrifice to the rash
testimony of one of the witnesses. As there was every reason to
believe the child wan born alive, the Jury returned *verdict of
" Wilful 3lurder against some person or persons unknown."

On Thursday evening an inquest wail held at the Dorset Arms.
near Stockwell-green, before R CARTER, Esq. and a respettable
jury, touching the death of Thomas Femiough Bristow, Esq. who
put a period to his existence at an early hour the preceding
morning.

111 r. John Farley said, I have known lilt. Bristow several years.
For several nights preceding the unfortunate event I came up to
sleep at the deceased's house. On Tuestuty evening I staid in his
company until eleven, when he went to bed: A little after eight
o'clock the following morning a young lady who resides in the
house came to my room-door in great alarm and awoke me. 1 Un-
derstood her to say, "Good God, come up, Mr. Bristow is ins
I immediately jumped up, and ran up stairs to his bed-room ; on
examining !um as he was lying In bed, I perceived that his throat
was cut. He was then quite cold and dead. I believe that he had
committed the rash act with a razor, for on turning down the bed-
clothes I found one lying in the bed, having marks of blood upon
it. I have observed him latterly labouring under greet depression
of spirits. Recently any little difficulties which arose in his affairs,
that meet men would have considered mere trifles, he was inclined
to view as Eiricus evils, and even went so far as to conceive them
calculated to produce his rein. I knew his resources. and deemed
those things which troubled him so exceedingly as of no
moment. Meswis a inset of considerable property. Ile has been
in a desponding way some time, especially .detring•the last ten
days or a fortnight. The night preceding the fatal act, Newell as
several others, with the exception of one evening, as I have already
mentioned, I read prayers to him. He was, I believe, 59 years
of age.
The Jury, after hearing the evidence of the surgeon who at-
tended the deceased, returned their verdict--" That the deceased
destroyed himself, bringer unsound Mind at the time."