The National Register.
London, England, 1822-11-11 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQIEST.

On Thursday night an inquest was held at the sign of the
Black Swan, so Bermondsey-street, on the body of Mr. James
Kidd, formerly a sail-maker in Rochester, Kent, who had lately
retired from business, and wu in very aLuent circomstances.
The first witness called was William Brown, a painter and
glazier, who deposed that on Wednesday last, at about a
quarter befrre one o'clock, be was sitting by the fire-aide in the
shop of Mr. James, a hairdresser, of No. 154, Bermondsey-
street, and beard the door suddenly pushed open ; on turning
round he raw the deceased rush in, instantly snatch up a razor
which lay on the window board on the right hand side, and
without uttering a word to any person applied it to his throat
and drew it across. The witness saw the blond gosh Isom the
woand, and immediately ran out of the shop for medical aid,—
On his return with Dr.. Rolland, the deceased was lying on his
back on the floor in the tamp. He was lifted op, but be ap-
peared to be quite dead.
Joseph James deposed, that he lives at No. 154, Bermond-
sey-street, and is a barber and hairdresser. He was F.ttin,i in
his shop at the time the deceased rushed in. The witness rose
immediately for the purpose of attending to him, but before he
had time to get across the shop the deceased hastily took up •
razor, with which be instantly gave his throat a dreadful back-
handed gash. The witness immediately after the deed, seised
the fatal instrument from his band. The blood issued in a stream
from the wound, and the witness caught him in his arm■ u he
was falling, and laid him on a bench and ran off for assistance.
The deceased was in the last agonies on witness's return, and
died • few minutes afterwards. The witness added, that his
clothes were covered with blood whilst in the act of assisting
the deceased to the bench.

Elizabeth Ward, a chambermaid at the Bricklayer's Arms.
deposed, that on Tuesday night, about ten o'clock, the de-
ceased came to the house, and asked for a bed. He went into
the coffee-room, and SOME of the geodemen present spoke to
him, but he returned no answer, and appeared very strange—
neither did he call for any refreshment. After sitting about
ten minutes, he desired that be might be shown to his bed•ruoin
—the witness lighted hint up stairs, and on the following morn-
ing about ten o'clock she saw him standing at the bead of the
staircase with his body leaning over the banisters mad his hand
up to his head. He complained of having a headache, and asked
if any person had beeu inquiring fur him down stairs. He
then inquired what noise was that in the front of the house, end
was answered that it was the bustle of the coaches coming to
and leaving London. He desired the witness to walk iuto the
room be ha slept in, saying, " I bled a good deal in the 'sight
on the pillow, but if you turn it up issi will find some reepes-
pcnce tor the trouble I have giv..l }on." The witness went
into the room, and saw the pillow bloody, and underneath
found a shilling. The pillow case was here produced, and ex-
hibited a quantity of blood, from which circumstance it ap-
peared that the unfortunate man had made an attempt ou his
life in the course of the bight. In answer to a question from
the Coroner, the witness admitted the deceased !noised very
wild about the e'es, and appeared to be in a low desponding
state. The deceased left the house sour after. The aatuces
identified the boots now produced with the tops sprinkled with
Mood, as the pair worn at the Brickla)ers' Aims by the de-
ceased.

Mr. Henry Robert Payne ex nixed.—lle said that hr had
been acquainted with the deceased (ruin his childhood. 'I he
deceased had lived at Ronheater, and had 'lately reined flout
business on a very good property. There had been an estran;e-
meld in the conduct of the deceased for some time past, which
was perceptible to many of his friends, hut they had no idea
that it proceeded from insanity. The witness soon after the
catastrophe of the late Marquis of Londonderry was in conver-
sation with the deceased. the latter, in . Bailing to that event,
remarked, •' that we were not our own keepers, and that we
could not tell bow soon it might be the case with ourselve►."---
The witness had a conversation with the deceased a few days
ago, in which the latter spoke vs:tonally, and in alluding 'o
his properly said, it was not at all embarrassed. The witio,s
farther said that the deceased ap:•eared to he in a low de spolid-
ing state since the death of hi. lather, *Well took place about
12 months ago.
Dowsed, a watchman of Rochester, deposed that on Tue.-
day morning last, the deceit. e•el otened his wink". ',loint tile
o'clock in the inoiniug him. lie opened tb street
door, and desired the wita.: MI to wa:k in ..u.l OViIICII the hews:,


•-••••

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for bri the (deceased) was certain that there were persons con-
cealed in his !loose. The witness looked about, bet could are
no one. 'I he deceased then took witness up attire to his bed
room, and said that roaches, wile, Narrows, serpents, crackers,
and snappers, had been ►wotting aid chasing after him ell night
long. He then listened, and asked wit..ess if be did not hear
groaning under the bed, and said. " Look, here are two beds,
they mean to smother me." Ile lien led witness out into the
yard, and made him search all over the outhouses, frequently
exclaiming, " I know there are people concealed." Hr begged
of witness to remain with him until drldigbt, and witness left
him about halfiniat six o'clock.
The Coroner summed up the evidenee, and obvetved, that it
was evident the deceased had laboured under a deranged intel-
lect at the time of his death.

The Jury immediately returned a verdict of Insanity.

BREACH OF PROXISE OF MARRIAGE.

In the Court of Castle llathen, the Isle of !Um, on
the gals ult. ate action was brought by Miss kit lue,
(laughter of the late Captain Ritchie., of the East India
Company's naval service, against Lictit• 13hteu, It
Navy, fur a breach of promise of mai nage. 11 neo
the father of plaintiff. Capt. Ritchie, last kit 11141 a, Ile
1111C1IdCli to rellirli, ult.l therehire lie did nut Like that
pains in arranging his affairs that lie should heier dui ;
the consequence was, as is too Mien tile case, lit, 14,,-
perty was destroyed by those whose care he lett it t.i.—
Illness prevented his return; and ai his ilealii Ihe plain-
tiff, and a very delicate yoking mail, her boot her,
themselves I:tillerless, and almost I.einey less. Exprcliaz
to leave his children in a liclice, lie sp.ired naming me
their education; anti tile ;dahlia in her be%f iitectillt
year, found herself txcluded lay lien circuulataucrs iruin
that walk of Ile of wit cis her accomplishments
her to he an ornament In November, itlift, the de.
fendatit met the plainiaT at the house of 6u aunt. and
an intimacy was ilittrUpoll formed. He was rhea a
Lieutellaill is the N asy tin hall-p.y; but he 11.111 some
time previously (as Mr. Barry ) travelled ti.rougit
the several gradations of a player's Itie, fr a country
stroller up to a second rate pet funkier. From tits
of the first iiitimacy taking place, the defendant was
the practice of engaging Ritchie in parties whh his
family in various public places. 011 all those occasions
Miss linchte paid for toe party ; the defendant Caine to
attend the young lady, and received h. r purse; he at-
tended her home at night, and, in parting. returned it;
so that he had all the appearance of a gallant and liberal
lover, when in fact Ise A. Is sucking the last shilling front
the tinimtunate and innocent girl, who had ion nitwit
the feelings of a gent' .ew iiiii an 10 regret the money, an.l
too little knowledge of the world to know that this con.
duct was any thing extraordinary. system of plun-
der continued Irotat the cud of I).:cember till the l mill of
June, at which time he had reduced the young lady's
property to caul. He was all this time full of love :ilia
ardour, vowing eternal fidelity, and made a promise to
marry the Manual ni Septenitter. But, finding this time
approaching, he instantly changed his plan. to c%Aile an
engagement he 'icier intended to fulfil. 'lite planitia.
an excellent periormer uu Ille piano-forte, and ready to
work for her bread, and the bread of her worthless lover,
is persuaded to transport herself to Ireland, to learn mu-
sic according to the system of Loper, which was then
taught there by a 111.111 of the uanue of Blurt. The de-
fendant, in the name of Miss litichie's brother, who.
from a complaint in his eyes, could not write, cartes
on a correspondence with B,uet iu i.rofesses to
inquire into MUCCI. character, and at length snakes the
idatittiff go to Dabliti, and p iy one hundred guineas for
eighteen mouths' instruction under that man, lot the pro-
fessed purpose of marrying the defendant, and working
as a muse mistress hir his support. Having twanged
all this to his satisEctiute, tie then calculated mat
she had better set till early iii June, as by that time he
would nearly have exliaus:ed her cy, and kit her
barely sufficient to pay Lei hundred guineas to Blurt.—
He pursued this ills-racedid course Until at leisath he
deserted the and becomes the fancy awn of a
prostitute—one who Ilvva wish a WOlll,lll 01 ivtllV, and
Witt(' himself to be stiplairtetl by her tin the tarnitilis of
her prostitution with milts lin ors, 4,1 i Whote adwisswu
to her presence lie mei iri s. '1 tits ulscwrry was made by
the aunt of the p 1.1.11 ts lin went to tar eilealie, and
they: raw the 1.11: ILI anti the WIMIJIII,,g,,IIer.
COMM! illatle a VC,CiI lii LA'fisl,CC, LAIL C4likAl Ito Wit.
maws.
Verdict—l)linaces 501)1, find all root.

On Friday List an intim st v% as held at the atmlee
ATMs, Betllll3ll.arell. by Nlr. CIIWIII, co (mei., ma the
body ut all In isaitteU Mary Jtmes. It appealed front
the esbtriies: tlierowil, while laym4 asleep
bed, had bee o eery lIICJUtIUII3:y lest tbcn•, and turned
up with the bed, by v. niell sne V‘As sulb c. rd. Ihe
Jury, after ammath. rt Inc v ty stscrrly on the conduct of
the parent uf the chilc., I,.turm d a % erilict a—Act:Wen al
death. . .

A young woman, of the mime or soli' nol),nii; has
been counuttted to Aiylt by gaol for to.tl tot her uau
C.,1110131011, tOr itat.log totlftic red her itcw-torn tolato,
by carrylog U across a heitl to J 9111Ji1 r:%iiirt. whrle She
litrallgiell the iliciplepb 11$130t,eist, alga ueh,l it itthl,r the
wlter tutu It WAs (I,lllr id. Toe body a'terwarls
bound ill the watt r aUuul too aitl• Imo, toe place Wilk:(C
It WaS tllllolcr,tl oy 11, otottit.i,
ACCIDi.NT WHOM Fllikrworge.—Bctoween one

anti two u'Llucl ou Jili,iicay aft-iiitiou a young mao of 1:•ei nam•
of Freeman, a ludArr ui t..s lioune of ht. 1(0. all I, ft. Pelham-
street, Mick-Ion:, Natal:A.ld%, ulakiuti some squills atd other
lire works, held a limier of guitisowitar is 1:112 MI list
with tile otlar lie went to ttAtio suaie louse liowtier ialo 11.6
lire. Ukiah witasiainitattit ails toe lowlier in las •
bawl. which es.plutieti ; his face la.. 4.)e1l alit m ci
shockingly horned, "Aid it is !clued ile will 1,4.:1Lc 1.1,1.1 I
Loth Lis eyes; his hair *Lk knot, semi hi. algid mita
maimed ; he wss iinintniately to EA
An appresilise to Mr. Doi..islo, olauke.„ 1n1,.4a Issiteict,
Sonici stow al. met will. a at.citiciii in n-rikii
a leis day. ;.go, so, ai liar hnuat lad alt r 041.14
s.scal,e is, so thin, KO is.. lare. t 1 e sheiewini'sia baling ;Autos, to
lists. all:: oe'ltill,l a.ff Cie o.li:ilia