The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-10-26 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

Sutctow.—Yesterday tnerning an Inquest was held at the sign
of the Fountain, King-street, St. Giles's, before Thos. Stirling.
Esq. Coroner, to inquire, into the circumstances connected with the
death of Win. Luff, who was found hanging in his bedroom on
Monday morning.
The deceased, a few years back, figured in the parish of St.
Giles's ass conspicuous character; he kept the house in which the
inquest was lieldeupwards of IS years, (luring which time it was used
constantly by the beggars in the metropolis as a general resort and
place of assembling together, and went by the name of the " Beg-
gars' Opera."
The deceased was allowed by all who knew him to be quite equal
o the government of his company, from the decisive and deter-
mined nature of his conduct. Hard drinking, loss of trade, and
family disputes, obl;ged him to leave the. house about four years
back, since which time he lived upon the remainder of what pro-
perty he had left, which being totally exhausted about the month of
May last, he became so much distressed, that his wife was obliged
to leave him, and go to service.
The Jury being impanelled, the following evidence was given :
Joseph Dail, jun. deposed that he lived with his father, who is a
pork-butcher, at No. 7, King-street, Seven-dials. The deceased
was a ludger in his father's house, and he had known him about
four years. Witness went up stairs about one o'clock on Monday
to call the deceased to dinner, found his room door shut, and
opened the door without knocking or calling. and mw the deceased
suspended by a line tied to the bed-post. He was dead, and nearly
cold ; but could not have been dead long, as he saw him alive about
half an hour before. %Vinton cut him down immediately he 1141/'
him, and Mr. Hill, a surgeon, was sent for, who attempted to bleed
him, but could only get a few drops. The declased enjoyed very
good health
.previous to his death ; and witness could not account
for his committing the act, but had observed, within the last month,
that he frequently betrayed great stmence of wind ittbis conver-
sation.
Mr. Thomas Hill, of No. 4, High.street, Bloomsbury: surgeon,
. .

his family when he kept the above house, an ri res—d7e7f. hest
seen him intoxicated ; was called epos to attend him about one
o'clock on Monday. and found him lying on a bed at No. 7, King-
street, apparently dead. Ile attempted to him: him, and to excite
the action of the lungs, but without affect.
Mr. Rickard Jarvis, landlord of the Fountain public-house,
stated, that the deceased had, during the time he had known him,
been in the itebit of drinking to excess, bet latterly he had not been
in possessio not the means to indulge himself in his propensity; he
was in his house a short time previous to his death, nod appeared I
in good health. When lie went out he said to Mr. Evens, one of
his lodgers, who was standing at the door, " Evans, I am quite
out of my mind and don't know what to do with myself." Suon
after he was informed the deceased had hung himself.
A Juror stated that on Monday morning the deceased went to the
Bank to inquire about some stock, and upon being informed that it
was all gone, returned to his lodgings much disappointed.
The Coroner and Jury proceeded to take a view of the body.—
The deceased appeared to have been a very powerful men, between
fifty and sixty years of age, and about five feet eight inches in
height, with a vety bold expression of countenance. He had cut
off mart of the bed-cord of the bed on which he lay to accomplish
his purpose, and must have been very determined in committing
the act, the bed-post from which he suspended himself being only
four feet high.
The Jur7 shortly deliberated, and returned a verdict, " That
the deccaseu hung himself in a tit of temporary derangement."
MELANCHOLY SClClDE.—Yesterday evening an inquest was
held at the Walbrook Free School, Ili, Walbrook, near the Man-
sion-house, before Thomas Shelton, Eeq. Coroner, on the body of
Mr. William Mantaule, a gentleman in the Idw, lately residing at
No. 28. Walbrnek.
Mr. George Mantaule, jun, deposed, that on Tuesday morning
last, about eight o'clock, he was in his apartment sitting at the
breakfast-table, in the expectation of having his father's company,
when he heard the voice of his sister making an alarm that her
father had hung himself. Witness immediately proceeded up stairs
to his father's bed-room, where he found his sister in a fainting
state, and the deceased suspended by a silk handkerchief from the
bed-post. He called for assistance, and procuring a knife, cut
down the deceased, and sent fur a surgeon. Dr. fleadiagton ar-
rived and rendered every assistance, but the deceased had breathed
his last. For some time past witne:s had observed a strange altera-
tion in the manners and conduct of the deceased, which he attri-
buted to his having met with considerable misfortunes in life,
which led him occasionally to indulge in excessive drinking, which
had the effect of causing a despondency of mind. He was fifty
years of age, and latterly had held a situation as clerk in the office
of Mr. Collins, of Queen-square.
Miss Mantaule. the daughter of the deceased, deposed that she
was in the habit of calling her father every morning at 8 o'clock,
to his breakfast. On entering the room, on Tuesday morning, she
found him suspended to the bed-post. Her brother came up and
cut him down ; her father, in her opinion, was downed in his in-
tellect. Here the unfortunate young lady was so overcome by her
feelings that she could not proceed with her evidence, and the Jury
forbore putting questions to her, and she was supported out of the

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

()RAND WRESTLING MATCH'.
(From the Ezekr Alfred of Octoba 241

WICTORY CISPOTIED-CLAIRIND WV CORNWALL.
Demnport, Six a evening,
We lament to announce that a dispute his arisen, Polkinhon
and his umpires claiming the championship, and Cann and his
umpires and committee contending Slat the lase fall. which war so
proclaimed, was only Dila We have no time to etpress our opi.
mon, and aa wir have this moment received en express frost the
scene of diversion, we give only the following :
Round I. At thresioartera past twelve o'clock the men aet-to
having cordially shaken hands, each earelbffy eyed his man, tah,,,
Cann grasped Polkinkorn with his right hand in his neck, and fixed
his left on his shoulder t Polkiohoen having secnred his hold. a
great deal of exertion was used at the sleds of proceeding ; in fire
minutes a close had laid a hill mole anomik.
Round 2. This round WAR maim of jell en the part of Cum ;
and decided advantage In swami" fs Pididaborn, who. with a des.
perate effort, contrived to thaw Cass egabs. Cries of foul, haring,
u is supposed, unfairly boned kin awn.
Res rd 3. Each man bad now hand out he hail enough to dn,
and thst caution must be the ardor of the day. Polkinhorn waikeo
his adversary round the comma some time, when Cana seized bin:
with an lietrulean hold, locked his leg within Polkinhom's. turned
his back upon him, and failed in all hie might to ffitar his weighty
compeer. Cann came down, which, after a deal of d!4pu•e. was
proelAimed a fall. Shouts of applause; beta in favour of roi-
!, kinhota.

SECOND nol.r.
This cornptised six rounds, all of which were most rotiout:7
and uninterestingly disposed of. In the sixth rowed, Cam haring
well punished by kicking, which Polkinhorn not once attempted,
he again locked himself as before described, and threw Polkinhorn
with a tremendous surge a back fall, subsequently disputed, and
derided by the toss of a halfpenny, only a foil ; Cano cortendiag
for its correcthess, but placing himself in the hands of the Cedn-
miuee.

THIRD ROUT.
TI fs was concluded in two rounds, when Cann was thrown, and
victory ahoJted for Polkinhorn, who threw ap his imilist In trlutnplt,
and la the ring.
lire a dispute was again introduced, Oven elittlitat Ms oppo-
nent nearly an hour, and bls umpire reradegte getellittlealtsuot
200 guineas. Polkinhorn was now ca/hel the. bet eat spleatlng,
Came was to be awarded the prize, at last such was the language
of the authorities when our 'spree left.
There was an agreement for 200 guineas signed by Cann and
Polkinhorn, which was read to the people mumbled. The Tries
I were Mr. Rundle, of Oakhampton, and Mr. Snell, orEaeter
For Cornwall, N. ()rose, of &dmin, and Air. Higgs, of St.
Malvern.

GREAT UNDERTAKTNG.—Capin Fanner stilled at nine
o'clock on Tuesday morning, to go on foot from Hyde-park.corner
to the thirty-eight mile-atone near Reading, Becks, and morn (71;
miles), in 19 hours. The match was made nearly a month ago at a
sportiug-house at the West-end, for 100 sovereigns. The betting
was nbout 5t04 on time. The pedestrian reached Longford (19
miles), where be refreshed; he next reached Maidenhead (20 miles),
and rested nearly an hour, and ate a mutton chop. Ile went out of
his road at Mire—hatch, and laid down at a friend's house, near
Wargrave, for an hour. Ile reached half the distance, fresh and
well, in nine hours, and returned to Wargrave, *Atte he again re.
freshed, and started to do the 33 miles back to London, allowing
himself eight hours to perfortn it in. He reached Longfonl, and
on arriving at Hounslow he had nearly three hours left He ar-
rived at the Park-gate in ten minutes under the given time, and won
his match cleverly. A friend of the pedentistee accompanied the
umpire in the chaise with the necessary refreshments.
Yesterday morning, Mr. Fairfield, ■ gentleman of fortune, un-
dertook the task of walking seven miles within the hour for a-bet of
541 sovereigns. He accomplished the match on the Staines road in
50 minutes 34 seconds. Every inch of ground was well contested,
and the match was won in grand style in one minute, and twenty.
six seconds under the time. A gentleman. named Bland, at the con-
clusion df the match, olfe-ed to trot hie hackney the seven miles in 20
minutes., which he accomplished half * minute within thehalf hour,
The last match was for 29 sovereigns.