The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-25 00:00:00

SURREY SESSIONS, MAY 2t.

DESPERATE AFFRAY.
Jame* Roy, John Keogh, Dennis CuFlint, and Michael Cal.
laghan, stood indicted for an outrageous and violent assault upon
some police officers of Surrey, in the exercise of their duty.
Valentine Roberts deposed that he is beadle of St. John the
Baptist, in the IVaterloo-road '• on the Ifith of April he was at-
tending in the church, when he was informed that a number of
Irishmen were fighting. Ile proceeded to the spot, and saw about
200 men fighting, and among the most conspicuous was the pri.
soner Keogh, who was striking every one near him. The moment
witness appeared in company with other officers, the mob attempted
to overpower them. Witness secured the defendant Keogh, as he
appeared to be the ringleader of one of the parties. and took him to
the watch.house ; and by three o'clock in :tie afternoon the four de-
fendants at the bar were secured, as well as nine others, for the
same offence. but who were now out upon bail, and had traversed
until the next Session. Witness was ill.treated by both parties.
At one time there were upwards of 2,000 persons collected.
Charles Reid, one of the Bow.street patrol, stated, that he was
in Oakley-street, and saw the defendants Keogh and Ray leading
Gn their party. Such was the violence of the mob, that for self-
protection he was obliged to draw his Whits, which was wrested
from him by one of the defendants' party, who attempted to run
him through. Witness then drew forth his pistols, to preserve his
life. Witness had been in many riots, but never saw so much
brutality exercised as by the defendants. There were several
in the crowd who were covered with blood. Collins, Callaghan,
and several others, had a supply of brick-bats, with which they
beat and otherwise assaulted persons in the crowd.
Several other officers corroborated the testimony of the above
witnesses.

The CHAIRMAN summed up the evidence, and impressed upon
the minds of the Jury the violent conduct of the defendants.
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty against all the defendants.
The CHAIRMAN, in addressing the defendants, said he regretted
he was under the necessity of remarking upon the conth;ct of the
lower order of Irish, but the fact was, they always selected Sunday
for settling their matters in dispute. The Legislature would no
doubt endeavour by some means or other to detroy this system of
party faction, which generally ended with loss of life.
The defendants Keogh and Ray were sentenced to four months'
imprisonment in the House of Correction at Brixton, and Collins
and Callaghan to two months.

CORONERS' INQUESTS.
FEMALE SUICIDE.—On Tuesday evening an Inquisition was
taken at the Ship Tavern. Stepney-greet, before J. Ihrwix, Esq,
on. the body of Mrs. Elizabeth Isabella Sales, a widow lady, agd
22, who put a period o her existence by taking arsenic.
Mr.ll . Clarke examined—l am a surgeon, and reside on thaMie-
end.road. Deceased confessed she had taken arsenic, and pained
out the dregs which remained in a tea-cup on the table; butoot-
withstanding all my efforts, she became gradually worse, and died
about three o'clock on Monday. I have since opened the lady,
and found the coats of the stomach much inflamed by the ffects
of the poison. There were no external marks of violence m the
body. The poison was the cause of her death.
Mrs. Sarah Gill examined—l live next door to the deceased, and
became acquainted with her since she came to live thee, about
three weeks ago. For the last week she has appeared much de.
jested. On Monday morning she sent for me, and on gong to her
I found her crying. She requested me to take a letter, nreeted to
a Mr. Walsh, residing in Aidgate, to the Post-office, tv, if I had
time, to Mr. Welsh's house. The deceased asked me chat time I
thought it would come to hand, remarking at the saint time, that
if Walsh did not come to her before four o'clock, she vould break
her heart. She appeared in the greatest anguish at the time. This,
I believe, was owing to the ill-treatment of the /wen who lived
with her.

Juror—Did she tell you so? Witness—Yes, she said her grief
arose from reflecting on her folly, in submitting to .he wishes of a
man, who had, on accomplishing his object, slighted and neglected
her.

Thomas Walsh examined—l have known the deceased for eight
or nine years. She has been in great trouble since the death of her
husband, about 15 months since. It was owing, I believe, to the
heartless indifference of her seducer, who has since absconded. On
Monday I received this letter from the deceased. [The letter was
here banded to and read by the Coroner: i.s purport was, craving
forgiveness from the witness and family, for the rash alternative she
had adopted, to put an end to her mental sufferings, which were
produced by the causes above stated, and requesting the witness,with
other friends, to look with an eye of pity on and protect her orphan
ann, a fine boy, four years old, to whom she bequeathed the whole
of her household furniture, ik.c.)
Examination resumed—On receipt of this letter I instantly pro.
ceetled to the residence of the deceased, where I found her in the
agonies of death.
The next witness called was the father of the deceased, an old
gentleman upwards of eighty, who was much affected while giving
his testimony. He stated that the deceased was the youngest of
til children. The last time he saw her alive was about three
weeks since. She was not on terms of friendship with any of her
family. in consequence of her unfortunate connexion with a man
named Banes. He had no doubt but that, urged by the consciousness
of her diqrrace, she had prepared and taken the fatal draught her-
self, Here the old man's utterance became quite choked, and he
was obliged to be supported out of the room.
The Coroner recapitulated the evidence, and the Jury returned a
verdict of Suicide, committed while labouring under mental
derangement."

Tuesday afternoon, at three o'clock, another inquest was held
at the Regent's Park Barracks, to inquire into the death of a hack-
ney coachman, named Abraham Watson. who came by his death
from having been given a very large quantity of spirits, wine, ale,
&e. on Sunday night last, by some persons connected with the Offi-
cers' mess of the 2d Life Guards. A dinner had been given by the
Officers to a party of 2fi gentlemen, and the deceased was called oft'
his stand to take up some of the gentlemen ; but the fare not being
ready, the coach was left waiting, and the above fatal consequences
were the result. The Jury returned a verdict that " The deceased
died through drinking a large quantity of spirits, which had been
incautiously given him by some person or persons unknown." The
inquest lasted till ten o'clock at night.

The following is from a Correspondent :—A fracas, of
rather an unusual nature, took place at a sporting house in the
West last night, between a Noble Lord and a well-known betting
Gentleman. The Marquis, after offering to bet heavy sums against
the General, asserted more than once that he felt convinced he was
sold ; and the other party alluded to, conceiving that he was pointed
at as having bought him, vented his Indignation in strong terms,
at the same time distinctly disavowing the supposed insinuation.
After some warm language had partied, the affair was terminated
by the Noble Lord making the amende hanorable.—Errning Paper.
Ft its .—Yesterday morning, about one o'clock, a fire was
discovered on the premises of Mr. May, a chair-maker, Mint-street,
Southwark, which threatened serious consequences. The family
had retired to rest a considerable time, when Mr. May was alarmed
by the knocking of the watchman, and on opening his bed-room
door, was nearly suffocated by the smoke that ascended in cloudi by
the staircase, which he had scarcely time to descend before the en.
tire flight was in flames. The lire originated beneath it, among some
shaving+, but by what means was not known, and before the pro-
gress of the flames could be arrested, or any retain be effected to the
bed-room, the whole of the staircase was burnt down. At this mo.
ment the most dreadful anxiety prevailed for the safety of Mrs.
May and two children, whose lives were, however, happily saved
by their being lowered from the windows into the street by
the praiseworthy exertions of the firemen, who had gained the
roof. In an hour the fire was extinguished ; but not before con-
siderable damage was done to the stock and premises.—Another
fire took place at four in the afternoon of the same day, at Tooting,
occasioned by the falling of some sparks fmm the chimney of an
out-house belonging to Mr. Noyes, a baker, on a stack of faggots,
which was wholly consumed, together with a barn and several other
out-buildings, the flames raging for upwards of two hours; the
dwelling-house was but slightly injured; the property was insured
principally in the Sun Office. The quick arrival of the London
engines was matter of astonishment, particularly the Surrey and
Sussex, with four horses, which was but twenty-seven, minutes on
the road.

A young woman from Redgrave, returning from Pal-
grave Fair, on Thursday night, was attacked and set upon by three
men, who assaulted, abused, and stripped her of all her clothes,
which they took away, leaving her naked in a field, where she was
afterwards found nearly dead. She has since charged three men of
the names of Elvin, Minter, and Rix, with baring perpetrated
this gross and unmanly assault.
On Monday, as unman-!y
Dove, a poor man in the employ
Robert Sherrifie, Esq., of Cock-street brewery, Liss, was driving
a heavy load of beer do,' the bill on the south side of the Red
Lion Inn, In the parish of Yaxley, by some accident be fell down,
and his chest was so much crushed by the wheel that several of his
ribs were fractured, and he now lies at the Red Lion, to which he
wax conveyed, and but slender Imps are catertairied of Ws rewrap
.-43Nry Gazette.