The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-27 00:00:00

INDECISION OF A CORONER.

Within the last fortnight considerable excitement has
existed at Hendon, near Edgware, in Middlesex, arising
out of certain proceedings of serious importance to the pub-
lic generally. It appears, from very minute inquiries made
upon the subject, that, on Tuesday, the 11th inst., Jenkin
Jones, Esq., one of the Directors and Secretary to the
Phoenix Fire Office, a gentleman of highly-respectable
connections, left town by one of the stages to proceed to
his residence at Hendon, at the time apparently in his usual
state of health. A few minutes after leaving the coach,and
on his way to his house, he suddenly fell to the earth, and
almost immediately became a corpse. The body was re-
moved to the residence of the Rev. Theodore Williams, the
Vicar of the parish, and also a Magistrate of the County,
where Mr. Holdgate, the resident surgeon, attended, but
all human aid was unavailing. From the circumstance of the
deceased gentleman having for some months previous to his
demise been in a very poor fluctuating state of health his re-
latives did not consider it necessary that the usual inquiry
should be instituted, and preparations were made for the
last solemn rites to be performed. A few days subsequent
to the death of Mr. Jenkins an anonymous communication
was forwarded to the office of Mr. Stirling, the Coroner, in
Chancery-lane, signed, " An Old Inhabitant of Hendon."
The contents stated that a gentleman had died under very
sudden circumstances at Hendon, but that no inquest had
been called—the relatives wishing to avoid it—but that the
inhabitants were decidedly opposed to such a course—not
only as strictly illegal, but forming a dangerous precedent.
The result was that the Coroner, after causing the usual
inquiries to be made, issued his warrant for an inquest to
be held on the body of Mr. Jenkins on the following Tues-
day, one week after his death. The relations were no sooner
apprised of this step than they took the most active mea-
sures in order that the inquiry should not take place. Cer-
tificates were obtained from Dr. Gordon, a physician of emi-
nence, and Mr. Holdgate, who had attended the deceased
professionally for some time before his death, to the effect
that there was no necessity for an inquest, as Mr. Jenkins
had laboured for a considerable time under interna 1 disease,
and it was fully anticipated that his dissolution would be
sudden. Mr. Conant, the Magistrate of Marlborough-
street, a cousin of the deceased's, and Captain Bcechey,
R.N., his (deceased's) brother-in-law, were applied to upon
the occasion. The former gentleman had an interview with
Mr. Stirling at the office, on the morning of the day of the
inquest was to be held, which ended in the latter withdraw-
ing his warrant for the inquest, and there the matter termi-
nated as was supposed. On the following day (Wednesday)
the remains of Mr. Jenkins were interred in Hendon
church. In the meantime another anonymous letter was
received by the Coroner, insisting upon the exhumation of
the body of the deceased, in order that an inquest should
be held upon it, the writer charging the venerable gentle-
man with a great dereliction of duty in withdrawing his
warrant, and allowing the body to be buried without the in-
quiry taking place ; stating that the subject had been dis-
cussed in estry, and that it was the unanimous opinion that
the inquiry ought to be held, as the public mind was not
satisfied. Mr. Stirling accordingly issued a second warrant
for the inquest to be held on Tuesday afternoon, at four
o'clock, at the Greyhound Inn, in the neighbourhood of
Hendon Church, and gave an order to the parochial officers
for the disinterment of the body. The feelings of the rela-
tives of the deceased, in consequence of this extraordinary
proceeding ,were of a nature the most painful and indignant.
They protested against the exhumation of the body, and
applied to Mr. Williams, the Vicar of the parish, to exer-
cise his office in preventing such. The Rev. Gentleman,
on becoming acquainted with the whole matter, expressed
his decided opinion that the second warrant for the holding
of the inquest was unauthorised, and at once determined
that the remains of Mr. Jenkins should not be disturbed.

Another application was made to the Coroner, who directed
his clerk to proceed to Hendon on the morning of the day
(last Monday) the inquest was to be held. At the appointed
hour of four o'clock most of the jury had assembled at the
Greyhound ; soon after which Malkin the summoning
officer, acquainted them that their services were not re-
quired, as the inquest was not to be held. This was sup-
posed to be the result of a meeting which took place in the
course of the morning between the Vicar, Mr. Holdgate,
the relatives, and the Coroner's clerk. The circumstance
has created a most extraordinary sensation at Hendon, and
a vestry is to be held to ascertain the best measures to
adopt to detect the writer of the anonymous letters sent to
the Coroner.

OPINION'S OF LORD BuouGHAM.---The volume
score time announced under this tile, is on the eve of appear-
woe. Its design is, of course, to afford a collective view of
his Lordship's opinions and practical objects. It will be found
to embody not only the most brilliant passages from his cele-
brated speeches and writings, but also to unfold to the reader
the gradual development of his mind on those great questions
in Politics, Literature, and Science, in which learned men of
all countries and all ages must ever take a lively interest. To
the selections will be prefixed a prefatory memoir which, we
understand, will be found more complete, accurate, and elabo-
rate than any that has hitherto appeared, containing partiCulats
of his Lordship's early, and also of his more advanced life,
with a philosophical analysis of his mind and writings.
Mr. Waghorn, we are informed, has come to a de-
finite understanding with the Post-office, through which his
agents may from the Ist of 'June next send letters from Lon-
don to Alexandria in fifteen days. The time now occupied by
his Majesty's steam-vessels is twenty-five days—thas effecting a
clear saving to the public of India and England of ten days to
or from Alexandria alone. Mr. Waghorn goes back to
Egypt, via Marseilles, about the sth of June.

EXTRAORDINARY EEL OF SURINAM.—The
Gymnotus is a kind of eel, five or six feet in length, and its
electric properties are so powerful that it can throw down men
and horses. This animal is rendered more terrific from the
velocity of its powers of natation, thus being able to discharge
its thunder far and near. When touched with one hand, the
shock is slight ; but, when grasped with both, it is so violent
that, according to the accounts of Collins Flag, the electric
fluid can paralpse the arms of the imprudent experimentalist
for several years.—Dr. Millingen's " Curiosities of Medical
Experience." _ _

Wednesday morning an affair of honour was de-
cided in a field near Stivichall turnpike, in the vicinity. of Co-
ventry, between Col. M'Alpine, unattached, and Lieut. G. 1-1.
Stock, of the 2d Foot, the former attended by Capt. Leech,
and the latter by Mr. W. Whitby. Two shots each were fired,
but no injury was sustained by either, although a coat or waist-
coat button, belonging to the Colonel, was shattered by his
adversary's first fire. The parties then left the ground.

Mr. Washington Irving's New Work, entitled
" The Adventures of Captain Bonneville," is announced to
be published in a few days by Mr. Bentley, of New Burling-
ton-street. The rocky mountains are the scene of the ad-
ventures of the gallant Captain, and the narrative is said to
abound with wild and interesting scenes and incidents as ex-
citing, if not even more so, than those to be found in the last
work of this distinguished author, " Astoria," which has
hitherto been considered his chef d'auvre.

RADICALISM.—Thc last remnant of Whic, influence
lies in the English counties, where alone, it may be confidently
surmised, the party will find a place at the next general election.
Whenever a new Parliament is assembled, the power of poli-
tical Go-betweens—which is the proper description of the
Whigs—will disappear for ever.—Hull Observer.

The author of " The Subaltern," who now holds so
eminent a station at Chelsea Hospital, is about to give to the
public a couple of volumes, which arc likely to furnish a fund
of amusement for every mess-room. The work is to be called
‘• The Hussar," and contains a narration of the actual occur-
rences in the life of an individual who has met with the most
surprising vicissitudes. We are assured that there have been
few recent narratives of military adventure teeming with such
extraordinary relations as the present.

Mr. Denvil made his appearance at Drury-lane on
Monday night, after an absence of two years, as Rolla, in the
tragedy of Pizaro. He was received with considerable ap.
plause, which was repeated at intervals during the course of
the performance.

Whatever effect the opponents of the New Poor
Law may have produced elsewhere they have made little impres-
sion in this county, where all parties are inclined to give the
provisions of the Act a fair trial, tempered at the same time
with that consideration for the poor which ought never to be
lost sight of.—Essex Herald.
JUSTICE TO IRELAND.—The Reformers of Fine-
bury, sympathising with the people of Ireland, intend holding
a Public Meeting this evening, at six o'clock, at the Hall of
Science, Commercial-place, City.road, for the purpose of peti.
tioning the House of Lords to pass the Irish Municipal Re-
form Bill, as adopted by the House of Commons. Thomas
Duncombe, Esq., and Thomas \Vakley, Esq., the Members
for the Borough, Daniel O'Connell, Esq., M.P., and other
influential Members of the House of Commons, friendly to the
peace and prosperity of Ireland, have signified their intention
of being present upon this important occasion.
A few days ago a gentleman, mounted on a very flue
active horse, overtook the diligence bet:ceen Doulens and
Amiens, and unexpectedly recognized an old friend inside.
After congratulating each other on the agreeable surprise, a
conversation was kept up between the two acquaintances for
a considerable time, but frequently interrupted by the neces-
sity of the horseman's making room for other carriages passing
along the road. At length, another person in the diligence,
after admiring the beauty and action of the horse, and observ-
ing upon the inconvenience and risk the rider sustained, very
politely offered to change places with him, in order that he
might converse more freely with his friend, and to ride the
animal to Amiens. This offer being gratefully accepted, he
dismounted and entered the diligence, while the complaisant
stranger vaulted into the saddle cad proved himself a skilful
equestrian by displaying to the utmost advautaga all the
powers and graces of the animal. Sometimes he was gallop-
pinr, gaily in advance, sometimes pacing beside the carriage,
and then, in order to give the horse wind, dropping
slow trot, and remaining in the rear. After 11Owever,
noither man nor horse were to be seen, z 7,10.1 whether the horse
ran away with the rider, or the With the horse, has not
been ascertained,
no doubts are entertained a7,to
the latter the fact,
for exct,i ts
ensii.:i t
hYve out discovered the slightest the mosttesttr
trace 9f t:t
.t'rench Paper, -