The National Register.
London, England, 1818-02-15 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Monday morning a Coroner's inquest was held at the White Hart
Tavern, Grcenwie:s. before Mr. Carter, the Coroner, on the bodies
of Nit. Bird, aged tot, and his hocsekeeper. Mary Simmons. The
Jury, after being sworn, went to take a view of the !Kari, s. They
next took a view of the premises : O. brick wall, about I I tint high,
divides the deceased's g:aden from another io the rear,.called l'owis's
garden. In Powis's garden the marks of many foes:cps .vest traced,
the tile of a summer house: lay on the ground, and appeartal to be
newly broken by some person itOelimbing over the wall, as the marks
of footsteps appeared quite plain in the mould on the do eltiltal'S gar
den. In this garden the old genskotsan chicly passed the day, and
took much delight in beautifyin,; it.. Two bjttlr,, winch appeared to
have been recently emptied, and a tobacco pipe. lay un the parlour
table, having the marks of blood on them, from whence it is conjec-
tured the murderer or murderers must have regaled theinsels es. The
jury then returned to their room, and adjourned till seven o'clock in
the evening. The jury then re-assembled and the following col
deuce was adduced ra—Nir. K hitch, surgeon, swore the: t e woands
in his opinion where inflicted with a bricklayer's hewn:cr.—Mr. It.
Thomas swore-4 rattle next dour to the de...eased. On Sunday about
a quarter before ane o'clock. t' brother or the deer-ward, Mr. Bird,
called at n:y house, and said that he wished to get Lao his brother's
110LIsC, w loaf was up. Ile told me that his brother's hair
dresor was ordered to ottani upon the deceased on that morniog at
nine o'clock, and he had found toe house closed, and Ins wished to sex
ii they were gone out es he suspected. The deeeased's brother wished
to get over my van!, which leads to the ditreaseti's back door ; he did
so. Effirts had been previously .nnulc to get in at the front door by
knocking at it and ringing. The parties who endeavoured to get in
were. Mr. Pluer. Mr. Richard Bird ttletwitsed's brothety. Smith, the
beadle and many °titers. I went round to the bock of the boom
with sumearther persons, and opened the kitchen window by forcing
the shutters. I titan entered at the window, and went to the back
door, unlatched End unbolted it. and ,let several persons in. We
walked towards the stairs, and there I s.LW the body of Mary Simmons
lying at the bottom of ihe stairs, on her hack, quite dead, her head
twat in a moat dt. aditil manuer, anti a vast trialuity of blood on the
door which had issiied (ruin the wounds. It nearly reached to our
.11m tops. In the front parlour I saw Mr. Bird lying on tie floor;
his wig was off; on one side hot hhn lay his spectacle., which were
broken. On the table lay a pocket-book, with soine papers in it, and
a Lottery ticket lying on the side of it. A candle and stick stood on
the ground. A pen knife I.ty on the door by his right hand hooches
pocket. There was no watch in his Gds poeker. I remarked the fire
which was in the kitchen, the coal on it appeared to have been put on
within five hours, it was not burnt at all. 'rise fire would have last
el an hour or two longer. The.fentale, Simmons lay wth her 'wad
against the stairs and her feet towards the front Mir. The banisters
of the stairs were broken. I went up stairs ; the beds appeared
net to have been laid an. Sonic of the bed tit:mturew were Moody.
The: drawers were all open, and the articles thrown out on Lue floor ;
some of them were also bloody.—Juryman—i. appears :bat the per-
petroturs of the tunnies eutenAl tho house tm Saturday iiii;ht Wien,