The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-07-21 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

Dasaortre. SUlClDE.—Vemerday an inquest was held at the
sign of the Sun, Gray's inn-lune, before Tamales Sr nutwo.
Esq. Coroner, un the body of Mr. Wm. Risakbey, aged thirty.
two, a master saddler lately residing in Gray's Innassne, who
was the author of his own death under the following dreadful
circumstances:—
Richard Harwood, being sworn, deposed, that he lives at No.
22, King-street, Gulden-Num, anti had been in the employment ,
of the deceased for about a week as a joenispnan saddler,
during which period he frequently heard the deceased complain
of a giddiness in the had, and on one aceastiou he fell backwards ,
in the shop while witness was by his aide, sod hurt himself very
mech. lln Saturday last, while witness wan at work in the shop, ,
be was alarmed by the cries of MIL Roakbey, who called out {
that she was afraid her husband bad laid violent hands on him.;
self. Witness immediately proceeded to the yard. according to
the directions of hie mistteas, and on going to the door of the
water-closet he found it fastened, and the blood was flowing pro-
Neely front under the door, which lie immediately broke open, sod ,
discovered the deceased with his throat cut in a must dreadful
manner. His neckcloth was off', and lying near him was a clasp
knife with three blades, covered with blood, as were likewise the
decericti's clothes, hands, and the floor. The deceased was son- I
table, and witness instantly sent fur a surgeon, who arrived, but
although he used every etTart to save him, be expired soon after.
Witness has no doubt but the deceased committed the act him-
self, being at the time afflicted in his mind.
Mr. Mark Williams, surgeon, of 75, Gray's deposal
that he had.attentled the deceased prior to his death, and conceived
him to be deranged in his intellects. Ile frequently spoke to wit-
ness incoherently, and he thought it necessary to order sharp
Mall/ to be placed out of his reacb. Witness was called to attend
; the deceased on Saturday last ; on his arrival at his house, he
found him sitting on a chair in the yard, with his throat cut, the
wind-pipe being completely severed, which seemed to have been
inflicted by. a clasp knife, lying by his side. Witness rendered
every assistance, but the deceased died soon after his arrival ; had
no doubt the deceased diet in eousequmice of the injury in the
throat, slid that he committed the act himself, while labouring
under menu' derangement.
Mr. Solomon tiewney, of ?di, Bedford-row, corroborated the
above evidence.
The Jury returned a verdict, " That the deceased cut his throat,
being at the time in a state of mental derangement."
A second Inquest was held before the same Coroner, at the sign
of the Blue Posts, Aloninouth-street, St. Giles, on the body of
David Jones.
It appeared in the evidence, that the deceased on Saturday night
last returned to his residence, apparently in perfect_ health, and
conversed with his wife and family in the motet chesed semen i sad
prior to his going to bed, ate a hearty supper; mid on them= day
had eaten his meats with his Bud appetite. On going to bed his
wife went to the cupboard, and wax-gutting some bread and butter
for the deceased to carry with him on the following messing to his
shop, when she heard a rattling In the deceased's throat ; oa pro-
ceeding to the bed-side she found him in a dying state, and soot foe
a surgeon, but he died almost immediately of apoplexy.
Verdict—" Died by the visitation of God."
A third Inquest was held at the sign of the Royal Standard, on
thc body of Mary Lewin.
Thomas Wise, surgeon, deposed, that on Saturday last, between
two and three o'clock, he wars called on to attend the deceased,
whom he found sitting on a chair in • dying state. lie attempted
to bleed her, but it had no eat She died of apoplexy.
Mts. Susannah Day, of No. 22, Adam-street, Seymoir-place,
;deposed, that on Saturday last, about two o'clock, while she was
sitting at the parlour window, she observed the deceased walking
along the street, apparently excessively fatigued, and fell down on
the steps of the doer. Witness immediately opened the door, on
which the deceased requested permission as have a seat In the pas-
sage, which wittiest grained her, sad sent foe a wren, who used
every effort to se purism The deceased appmeed to be a poor
woman, and resided-in the neighbourhood.
Verdict--`, Died by the visitation of tied."
•

DlsaTaalOU DEATH.—Last eveaing an inquisition was taken
before T. Hicca, Esq. at the Feathers public-house, Dean-street,
Westminster, on the body of Jane Neale, who was supposed to
have committed suicide.
Joseph Mitchell, of Doekhead, Bermondsey, 'Merman, deposed,
that last Saturday, about twelve o'clock, when he was loading a
barge of sand in the river Thames, shove Vauxhall bridge, he
hauled the body of the deceased up with his sand-net. She was
dressed, and did nut appear to have been long drowned. lie did
not see any mark of violence.
Charles Neale, of header-street, Chelsea, deposed, the deceased
was his sister. She was between seventeen and eighteen years of
age, and wu servant to Mr. Cook, of llillbank, gardener. Yes.
terday week he saw her for the last time. flee head was then
much disuedered, which frequently occurred in warm weather.
She said she had had medical advice the preceding week.
Samuel Cook deposed, the deceased had ',ten his servant two
months. She was a giddy, goodmatured girl, but rather flighty.
She had been better lately. I never suffered her to dip water
front the Thames for my use ; but I employ a man for that
purpose.
W. 11. Staple deposed, that the deceased was mimed from Mr.
Cooke's on Wednesday maiming last. The deceased was on good
terms with every one, as far as he knew.
The Coroner said, as no evidence appeared how the deceased
came into the water, the cmly verdict the Jury could find, under
such circumstances, would be, that she was found drowned. It
was probable she hi.d committed suicide; but of that fact there
was no evidence.
The Jury returned a verdict that she was " Found drowned."

ANOTHER FATAL WAGER ON THE SERPENTINE RIVER.
—An inquisition was taken yestuday afternoon before T. thous,
Esq. at the Barley Mow, Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, on the
body of Wm. Eaton.
James Parker deposed be was coachman to Mu. Combo, of He,
Piccadilly; that no Sunday evening, between six and seven o'clock,
he was in Hyde Park, near the Serpentine River, and saw the de-
ceased and another man bathing: they had followed him (witness)
from Grosvenor mews ; he understood they were going to
swim fur a wager ; considers they were both sober ; they swam at
some distance, but endeavoured to cross each other ; when about
half over the Serpentine, the deceased seemed behind ; he suddenly
sank, and witness did not see him rise again. He then went away
about his business.
Thomas Holmes deposed,he was walking on the north side of the
Serpentine, and saw the deccanod sod another person swinnuing ;
they swain mar the middle of the river, the deceased was then
about twelve yards b.litnil ; in abaft two minutes the deemed
threw himself ono his back, and sunk once or twice ; the other man
did not see it, but kept swimming
.backwards. Witness considered
the deceased in danger frau the time he turned gbe stripped and
went in to his assistance, but be had Hun forth lass lieu. He
swam to the spot and dived cur him, but could not find him. A
Lost was brought as soon as possiblit, and he was found in about
three-quieten of an hour. Witness afterwards assisted et the re.
ceiring-house in attempting to ItStOte the deceased to animation,
but in vain.
John Gordon Smith, Esq. M.D. of Trevor-square, Brompton,
saw a boat searching fuethe deceased ; he hastened to the Society's
receiving-house, but found no one there ; the copper wps lighted,
and in about ten minutes the deceased was brought in ; the ope-
rations were carried on under his direction, without the slightest
prospect of success. The Humane Society's officers then came,
and witness resigned the further care to them. Holmes, the last
witness, was very littiSC and useful, as also was luard, a polite
officer.
Thomas lizard. a Bow street patrol, deposed, he was stationed
in Hyde Park, to prevent bathing between eight o'clock in the
morning and nine us the evening. Witness did not see the de-
ceased go into the water ; he was engaged at the other end of the
river ; as soon as he i!eard of the deceased being in the water, he
hastened out its the boat, and used every means to hod the body,
1 and at length succeeded by means of a net. The deceased had then
been in the water chow three-getters of an hour.
Wm. Simpson deposed, data on Sunday afternoon he met the de-
cemed at the Blue Post, in Grosvenor-street; they drank together,
and then talked of swimming, and ultimata,/ laid a wager to swim
across the Serpentine. Witness is a stranger to London, and did
not know it was improper to bathe in such altuations. We swam
about half way scrawl ; witness war then a-bead of deceased ; de-
ceased then turned and began swimming hack. Witness did the
same, bat hail no idea of danger; when witness caste to the shore
he heard of the deceased's situation, when a young man went in to
help him.
The Coroner said the witness must have known, hod it been only
from the abundance of respectable people that would be found
walking round the Serpentine at such an hour, that it was inde-
cent, if not illegal ; he however persisted it was most illegal, and
bore only a slight diference itOill the fact of a wager in lighting,
where a man was killed ; wagers laid fiir those dangerous purposes
were highly improper, and Simpson might think he had very son.
ruwly escaped punishment : besides, lie thought the Awes should
be more tractable in the prevention of this pracuce, as Alb is the
second death in less Gish la days.
The Jury returned a verdict of " Accidental Death."