The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-04-23 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

EXTRAORDINARY VERDICT.—We have heard of a Yorkshire
Jury, who, in the case of a man standing indicted for stealing a
pair of leathern breeches, and being unwilling from the peculiar
circumstances of the case to subject him to the penalty of the law,
returned the incongruous verdict of Mamikughter I—but we did
not expect ever to have cognizance of an absurdity almost so ex-
treme, within the precincts of our circulation. Such however is
the fact, and the following are the particulars:—
An Inquest was held last week at Clativonhy, near Wivelis-
combe, on the body of William 'tidier' aged 22. The deceased
was a labourer in Taunton, and lodged ID the house of Samuel
Dummett, a miller, at Wilton, near this town. The deceased
proving a troublesome inmate, and being considerably in sneer
for his lodgings, was requested to quit, and a few days before his
departure, it wag discovered that he had the small-pox. Dummett,
his landlord, never having had that disorder—having a child in
the house, and his wife in daily expectation of being put to bed
(an event which has since happened) became naturally appre-
liensive of his own safety, and mildly but anxiously urged his
guest to leave him. The deceased consented accordingly, and,
without saying anything to Duunuett's family, rose on Friday morn.
ing the 9th inst., went to his employers, from whom he received
65., and adjourned to several public-houses in Taunton, where he
drank brandy and water, beer, and other equally improper beverage
for a man in his state of incipient disease. He then proceeded to
his father's house a: Clateorthy, a distance of fifteen miles, and
arrived there at ten o'clock the state night, having walked the
whole distance, and expended nearly all his money in drink on the
He remained in a lodgi.:lg which his filthy/ procured for him
boa that time until Thars&y, being the seventh day &timid& ar-
rival, and then died of a coodluent small-pox. Übe Cesetsee's
Jury hnegining;filire methane, that the death of the deceased was
occasioned by his havlngibeen inhumanly turned out of his loch.
beg, returned& verdict, " That there did not appear to them any
malice had been proved against Dummett, but that he was guilty
ttf Masula tighter ;" and he was committed accordingly, under the
Daeoner's warrant, to %Mon Gaol, to take his trial at the next
Assizes !

James Stacey, a fellow-lodger in Dummett's house, testifies that
there never was the slightest insult or unkindness exhibited by
Dummett or his Cfe towards the deceased; and the character of
Dummett being that of an industrious inoffensive man, his case has
excited a very general commiseration. Several respectable persons
of this town have volunteered their services in his behalf, and have
offered bail to any amount; but as the offence charged is not bail-
able, the poor fellow must remain in gaol until the Summer Assizes,
ales. the Home Secretary of State should think tit, from the pecu-
liar hardship of his case, to sanction his liberation, under proper
sureties fog his forthcoming at the appointed Omelet trial.
It is almost superfluous to add that there was nothing in the
Coroner's summing lip to the Jury which could have influenced
them in their extraordinary decision—Toanty/ Cowries.