The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-02 00:00:00

CORONERS INQUESTS.

On Thursday afternoon, an inquest was held before Mr.
RICHARD CARTTAR, the Coroner for Surrey, at Peckham-
house Lunatic Asylum, in the village of Peckham, to in-
quire into the circumstances attending the death of Mr.
Henry Stanynought, the unfortunate individual who mur-
dered his own child a short time back in the Edgcware-

road, and was subsequently to his trial at the Central Cri-
minal Court placed under restraint in the above establish-
ment during his Majes-ty-s—pleasure.
The Jury, composed of respectable inhabitants residing
in the vicinity of Peckham-house, having been sworn, pro-
ceeded to view the body of the deceased, which was placed
for their inspection in one of the rooms in the Asylum, ad-
jacent to that in which the inquest was held. There were
no marks of violence perceptible on the body, except a
small degree of discolouratipn round a portion of the neck,
the deceased having, as it will appear, effected his own de-

struction by strangulation.
John Ludlow, the head keeper in the Asylum, deposed
that the deceased was removed into that establishment on
tl.e 16th of November, subsequently to his trial at the
Central Criminal Court for the murder of his own son, a
little boy. He was sent there by an order from Govern-
ment from the gaol of Newgate, and, since hia admission,
had been treated with the care and attention which his
case required. On Wednesday morning the bell of the es-
tablishment was rung. as is usual every morning, at half-
past six o'clock, to give those inmates who wish to rise at
that hour an opportunity of doing so, when the deceased
and three others got up, and, attended by the witness, de-
scended from the bed-room into the breakfast-room, and
had breakfast. After breakfast was over the deceased ex-
pressed a wish to withdraw awhile to a closet, which is si-
tuated within the Asylum, and within view of the apart-
ment where the inmates are served with their breakfasts.
This was about a quarter to seven o'clock, and the de-
ceased proceeded there and immediately closed the door after
him, the witness during the whole time keeping his eye on
the place while he remained there. Five or six minutes
having elapsed from the period the deceased first went into
the closet, the witness went up to the door, and called out
" Mr. Stanynought" twice. No answer having been re-
turned on his name being called, he (witness) immediately
went and pushed the door ; but, finding .some obstacle, he
forced it open, with little difficulty, however, and found
the obstruction to have been caused by the body of de-
ceased, who had contrived in the short space of time he
was there to suspend himself by the neck with a silk belcher
handkerchief from a holdfast near the ceiling, and the body,
hanging near the door, created the obstruction in pushing it
open when he first tried it. The witness lost not a mo-
ment in cutting down the deceased, whose feet were touch-
ing the ground, and medical assistance having been pro-
cured on the instant, every effort to restore life was un-
availing. The witness here described, at the request of the
Coroner and Jury, the precise mode in which the deceased
effected the purpose lie no doubt had had in contemplation
ever since the horrible circumstances attending the death
of his own child. The staple, or holdfast, from which the
deceased suspended himself was fixed near the ceiling of
the water-closet, for the purpose of supporting the outside
casing of the water-pipe, which passed round the tnp of
the closet. The staple or holdfast was driven close up to
the rounding of the casing, leaving no space to pass anything
between it and the wood work. The deceased, however,
managed by some contrivance, which remains unknown, to
force down a small portion of the staple, to which he fas-
tened one end of his handkerchief, and, with the other end,
he made a notmv, through which he passed his neck, and
having accomplished this, it is supposed he then threw him-
self from the seat, on which he must have stood for the
purpose.
The Jury expressed themselves satisfied that every pre-
caution that suggested itself to the minds of the proprietor
of the asylum and his keepers had been taken to prevent
the accomplishment of the act of suicide committed by the
deceased. The Jury therefore unanimously pronounced a
verdict that the deceased strangled himself, being at tha
time in an insane state of mind.
DEATH OF A FEMALE LUNATIC EY FIRE.---Last even-
ing an inquiry took place at Warburton's Lunatic Asylum,
Bethnal-green, before Mr. BARER and a Jury of respecta-
bility, for the purpose of investigating the circumstances
attending the death of Miss Mary Ann Ryan, aged 18, a
lunatic in the above establishment, which was occasioned by
fire.
After the examination of several witnesses, the Coroner
observed it certainly was requisite that the fullest inquiry
should be made in lunatic asylums. In the present case it
did appear that the catastrophe was the result of accident,
and not of neglect or inattention.
The Jury returned a verdict of " Accidental Death."

Two letters announce the retirement of Lord
Forbes from parliament and the lieutenancy of Longford, in
consequence of ill health. If our correspondents be well
informed, both vacancies will be likely to create considera-
ble interest. Notwithstanding the extraordinary and in-
jurious decision of the Committee of the House of Com-
mons, the liberals have again a majority on the registry,
and if they get fair play, will return a Reformer.--Dublin
Freeman's Journal.
John Smith, Esq., Vicc-Treasurer of Ireland, died
last Tuesday in Dublin, very suddenly, from a putrid sore
throat. He was about 65 years of age, and had been in
Government employ for nearly 50 years past. Mr. Smith
commenced his career as a temporary clerk in the Irish,
House of Commons, and on being transferred to the. Ex-
chequer, gradually rose up to the head of the department.,
The salary of Vice-Treasurer is 1,2001. a year, and in the
gift of the Treasury.
The traffic in negro slavery ig still carried. on, and
hourly extending, between the coast of Africa and the
island of Cuba.