The Sun.
London, England, 1830-10-23 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

(From the Times.)
On Thursday evening, at seven o'clock, Mr.
STIRLING, the Coroner for Middlesex, and is Jury
composed of gentlemen of the highest respectability
in the neighbourhood, assembled at No. 8, Corn-
wall-terrace, Regent's-park, to inquire into the cir-
cumstunces attending the death of Thomas Kinnear,
Esq., late the occupant of the house in which the
inquiry was held.
A rumour had gone abroad, that there was some
mystery connected with the sudden demise of the
deceased; and when the Coroner and Jury had as-
sembled, great anxiety was manifested to keep the
proceedings as secret as possible.
Dr. James Paterson, of 16, Queen street, May-
fair, said that on Wednesday he was on his way
from visiting a lady in Berners-street, when he was
stopped by Air. Kinnear's servant, a man named
Thomson, who he had known in another family for
thirty years, and requested by him to go with him
instantly to his master, who was dying. This was
between one and two o'clock in the afternoon. Wit-
tress accompanied him immediately to this house,
and found Mr. Kinnear in his bed, quite dead.
Witness found a surgeon with him.
A Juror—Can you tell, Dr. Paterson, the cause
of his death ? Wit ness—lt is impossible, Sir, with-
out a minute examination of the body, which I think
extremely necessary. There wore no appearances
which could indicate positively the cause of death ;
and as a physician' of forty years' practice, I have no
hesitation in saying that the case is involved in
great obscurity, and ought to he most rigidly
investigated.

Tho Mas Thomson deposed that he had been ser-
vant to the deceased since the 15th of February
last. On Tuesday everting last the deceased came
home at five minute* before nine o'clock. He took
off his boots and overalls At the foot of the stairs, as
was his custom ; and he asked whether Mr. Jaques
(a tradesman in the neighbourhood) had been there,
and wits answered in the negative. The dinner
things were prepared for him, but he said he Should
not take any, as he had dined at the club. He told
witness not to call him in the morning, for that he
would ring the bell when be wanted him. Ile then
ordered a thy biscuit, and witness left that and half
a bottle of sherry and glasses on the table iu his bed-
room. About five minutes► before twelve 0!eloek wit-
ness, who slept in the kitchen, heard a footstep above
stairs, and heard the bolt of the window fall, end
he thought that strangers were in the house. 11e
got a light and went up stairs, and as he reached
the front door, be saw his master going up stairs.

Mt, Allexerider trotter, of 15, Osimburgh‘street.
Regent's Park, said he was the intimate (need ot"
the deceased, and saw him last, alive err Monday
evening, when he spent the evening with him.—
The deceased then appealed perfectly healthy and
cheerful. Witness was called in as Thomson had
described, on .Wednesday, and Mr'. Loveprove,
surgeon, and afterwatde Di. Paterson come, but life
was extinct. The wine deeariter and two :tumblers,
and a wine-glass, were on the bediroomlablesimpty.
Witness saw no phial in the room, but T1.1011130}4
said he had seen a piece of red paper of a AN* stick
as was tied over a phial sent nut With medicine.—
The deceased belonged to the Atheineurn, and ofttnt
dined there. He was man of moderate habits., and
witness never heard that he wee subject to tits:
Thomas MgCarthy and George Whitfield, work.
men On the premises, stated that they went domed
on Wednesday morning by Mr. Kinnear not rising,
as MIS his habit, to superintend the work. At lets
o'clock they asked Thomaom to call his master, bat
he refused, and at twelve they urged him to break
the door open, or petmit them, but he refused, stat-
ing that his master was very particular. They
looked through the key-hole, and SHW the covering
of the bed move as though a person was breathing
very heavily ; and they also heard the • deceased
make a low moaning noise. At lialf,e,;vt. mitt they
heard the same noise, and then Thomson .I;*eirt for
Mr. Trotter. Both the witnesses, were Trend!' chat
the deemed was: breathing three minutes before t ho
room was entered by Mr. Trottel,. The., witne,i
Whitfield stated that lie heard Thomson say that
master told him be, was going to take, a composing
draught on Tuesday night.
Thomson was 'called in, and he declared most ve-
hemently that he never said any thing of the kind.
Whitfield---1 declare that you did,

Air. Lovegrove, the surgeon, suid lie was called
in, and fogad Mr. Kinnear quite dead. = lie could
form no judgment as to the caw of death.
By the CORONER---I have no reason to believe
that he died by any other means than the visitation
of God ; but I have had no mimes of ascertaining.
Juror expressed his opinion that: the•. bud/
ought to be opened.
Dr. Paterson said, that in his, opinion it wats
11'1;14 necessary ; in fact, it was intlimpenaablo to
enable the Jury to comp to a right conclusion.. Ile
was a magistrate as well 45 a physician, ►aid kne w
something of legal inquiries, and he would u.iy
boldly, that without a minute eximination of the
body, the inquisition would be a mere nullity. •
The Coroner and Jury then proceeded to view
the body, and on their return, Dr. Paterson • was
again questioned, avid said, there were no type:o-
unces which could possibly enable any medical matt
to state the cause of death. 'the uppearances, ob-
servable might have been produced by various mortal
diseases.

The room was then cleared of all but the Jury,
and the result of their deliberations was declared in
a written paper, iu the following • terms ts---" That
the Jurymen were of opinion that the body should
be opened in the presence of Dr. Paterson and the
parish surgeon, and any other medical man whom
the family might choose to appoint." •
A solicitor, who hod been present from the com-
mencement of • the proceedings, and bad taken co-
pious notes, here rose, and in an address of consi-
derable length and OM est Bess, protested against. tho
determination of the Jury being carried into
Cxecn-
tion, and contended that the Coroner alone had the
power to direct the dissection of the body ; and ho
submitted to that officer whether there was any-
thing proved which could call for or warrant such
an order.

The Foreman of the Jury (Edward king,. Esq.,
of 3t, Baker-street, Portman-square) %aid that he
and his brother Jurymen wtre assembled to, inquire
upon oath into the cause of Mr. Kinnear's death,
and he humbly conceived that th►y were entitled to
demand the best evidence. How else could they
satisfy their own consciencts or the ends.of public
justice

The Solicitor again urged that in law the Coroner
alone had the right to order the disiection, and
begged be would withhold that order in the present
instancy, as it was not proved to be necessary.
Mr. STIRLING said, that if it was the unatiirnoui
wish of the Jury, he certainly should not withhold
the order, and he filially directed the body to be
opened ; and the inquest was then • adjourned until
Ss'urdny evening at eight o'clock.
The ►nquiry did not terminate until half-past
eleven o'clock. The presence of a Reporter wils
objected to at the commencement by the Solicitor,
but the Coroner refused to interfere.

The following is from The San We have
just learned that five gentlemen present at the post
mortens examination of the body of tlie lute Mr.
Kinnear have signed an official report that " death
was occasioned by the rupture of a blood-vessel in
the stamach."rhe names of the gentlemen woe,
Drs. Hamilton, Anatol), Lovegrove, &e."

ARRI NRTttN+~-»Few persons Motors ti
this talc is (and the author ha., by tome,
with the hero) can brim the►►tt>lvet; to
atibaeopse:vintn: 3iraei
!Ant!
yelpts7n.
rtair:eijotstiti.jeutue:l33,df:t
ana of deep pad v;►rit►ua imterr„t to the ob-
to him who fs their t ictim only a hitter
experience of the fallacy of human friendship, and of the
rant which awaits imprudence. It is this circuinstanco
that gives to the tale in question so decided' an air of
originality, and it Is thie which will in all probability
keep it without parallel in the class of literature to which
belongs.it
'l
'.Pilo Quarter Sessions for the eastern divisibit
of the county of Kent ratite on yesterday. There ar, eight persons in custody, charged with the breaking of
several threshiug-tnachines. Their trirls, it is suppos;si,
will come on this day, awl exeito much interest, as it is
supposed a good deal of light will, in the (mum of these,
be thrown on the true stale 11 the country. The arta of
the ineeudisries, boweeer, barn nit mised: the Gourd of
the Loudon mail, which lett t,iwn last night, stato,-that,„
as they posed by Sittinghour in, they saw four htadsti
eurn on fire at a small hamlet, oh, el tipstteM, abOtit
a mile from that town, on the 2!laithaono-road.