The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-09-20 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

FORTUNE Tieisixo.—On Saturday Elizabeth Lee, an old
hag, upwards of eighty years of age, mother to the numerous
gipsey tribe of that name, was brought berme 1i.8.A ELL N, Esq.,
charged by a servant girl with having threstental her with her vw..
knee, for refusing to listen to her future destiny.
• /rapers Baker, the complainalt, stated, that on Weduesday last
an old woman, having a moat forbidding countenance, stood against
the railing, and pronounced some words, which she dhl not
understand. The girl asked bee what she wanted ? upon which the
withered soreness exclaimed, " Young woman, I am sent to reveal
your future prosperity in life, cross my hand ? She was desired to
go away, and threatened with the watchman, but she remained
fixed to the spot, and declared that she would not stir an inch until
site revealed thegrard secret, and as an inducement for the girl to
believe in the faith of her predictions, told her at she was allowed
a 'tension of 201. a year for apprising her late Majesty of the plate
where a quantity of plate was secreted, which had been stolen from
Brunswick House, Blackliesith. "if this circumstance," cot.
touted the obi Sybil, " won't make you hear what I have got to
any, you will have reason to repent it tine day." Thegirl became
alarmed at the manner in which this sentence was pronounced,
thinking really that she had sonic dealings with " Old Nick," and
called one of her fellow.sr.rra3ts to hasten down to the area, saying
there vegan old witch who refused to more away front the house,
The gipsey, finding that she bail nothing to expect in that quarter,
changed her tone, and bestowed the epithets of thief and w—c
upon the compLainant, who called a constable that was passing by,
and stated the above circumstances to him, when the „old one'
was carried off to the watchhouse, where it was stated she kicked
up a moot desperate run upon being locked up. These facts being
stated to the Magistrate, he observed, that the old harridan ass as
tit a subject tor Brixton as had come before him for a length of
time, and he only lamented that her extreme age would prevent her
from being put on the wheel to week.

A WOMA' SHOT.
CORONER'S 1 NQU ES T.
An Inquest was held on Friday afternoon last, at the Middlesex
Hospital. hethre Thomas Stirling, Esq. Coroner, on the body of
Catherine Murray, aged 31, whose death was occasioned in the fol-
lowing manner.
glary Young said, that on Monday week last she was walking
with the deceased and another woman, named Ellen Allen, near a
place Alley, trading to Charles-stmet, Drury.
Ou their arrival in the Alley, a man came up to them, and
said, " Get out of the way, a cannon is going to be let olf" and
sent Runt down the court. Witness and demised procectied to the
bottom, on which witness placed her back against the wall, and the
deceased was at the opposite side, turned round, as witness thought,
to see whether what the man said was true, on which she heard the
report of tire arms, and a great smoke took place. Immediately
abet the cannon was discharged, the deceased exclaimed, " What-
ever it is, I have got it, I sin a dead woman," and the staggered,
but did not fall. 'fhe contents of the cannon struck the deceased
on the side of the throat, and billeted a must desperate wound,
from which the blood dewed copiously. Witr.ess, who had a
narrow escape with her own life, instantly ran for assistance, and the
deceased was carried to her odgings in a dreadful state, when a
surgeon utilised that she should be taken to the hospital.
A Solicitor stated that there =several manufactories in the neigh-
bourhood, and the son of Mr. Towler, the owner of one of them,
had arrived at 21 years of age, on the day of the accident, in conse-
quence of which the workmen were treated by their master, and
they were rejoicing, by letting off' fire-arms, no doubt in estate of
drunkenness, anti he regretted to say, that ever since the accident
occurred the greatest want of hdonality had been shown, fur the
parties who had caused the melancholy event hod not afforded the
least assistance to the poor woman, or her family, and only made
Inquiries utter hez in the most secret manner, and according to
report, the young man who was said to have fired off the cannon
hail absconded into the country since her ila.
Mr. Hammond, house-surgeon of Middlesex Hospital, deposed
that the deceased was brought to the Hospital with a wound on her
neck. The wound contained some wadding, whiet witness ex-
tracted. She remained in the Hospital eleven days, when she died,
in consequence of the loss of blood from the womb—the deceased
having uth.carried. The wound was going on very well, and he had
no reason to believe that it would prove mortal.
The Coroner remarked, that judging front the evidence he could
not imagine that the persons who discharged the cannon had t.ny
mischievous intention. If the Jury were of that opinion, their
verdict would be accidental death, but on the contrary, If they
thought they would be justified in involving the pules in a cri-
minal pmcscding, theywouhl either return a verdict of murder or
manslaughter.
The Jury, after consulting together fur upwards of two hours,
returned a verdict, •• That the de tensed met her death aceidenisliv
in consequence of the imerudence of some persons whose names to
the Jurors are unknown."

The Coroner remarked that as the life of the poor woman had
beta taken away through such imprudence, it wee incumbent upon
Mr. Towser, and the partia, to enter i::to soul:: provision for the
unfortunate childrez:.