The Sun.
London, England, 1822-10-23 00:00:00

SURREY SESSIONS, OCT. 22.

James. Collings, a sailor, was tried for having robbed his ship-
mate, Wm. Wood, of 10 sovereigns and 13 shillings.
The Jury found the prisoner Guilty, but they recommended
him to mercy.
The CHAIRMAN said, it was only in consideration of his
former good character, and the recommendation of the Jury,
that the Court did, not punish the atrocious offence by sending
him out of the country, but as it was, they sentenced him to be
imprisoned for 12 months to hard labour.
Two young men named Smith and Ilayton, were charged
with having robbed Mr. Carter, a solicitor, residing in the Bo-
rough, of some watch seals.
' On the 9th of September, Mr. Carter was passing down
High-street about nine in the evening, when on his passing the
end of Chapel-court, the prisoner Haydon, who was standing
with Smith, ran out and snatched the prosecutor's seals and
made off up the court, which is dark, and for a time made his
escape. Smith his companion walked up to Mr. Carter and
asked him what was the matter, when the latter instantly
charged him with being an accomplice to the thief. Mr. Carter
obtained the assistance of 'Wilkinson, a constable, and he found
the prisoners, a short time afterwards at the sign of the Dis-
tiller's Arms, which house has been since suppressed, at supper
together upon beef-steaks.
• .A hair-dresser, who resides at the entrance of Chapel-court,
stated, that knowing the prisoners he watched their motions,
and saw Smith give the word of command to Haydon, who
darted out on Mr. Carter, snatched his seals, and made off up
the Court. The Jury found the prisoners Guilty.
The Court upon inquiry. found that they were part of a gang
of thieves, who made it their practice to shelter in the Court,
and sally out to commit depredations upon passengers. The
Chairman therefore sentenced the prisoners to be transported
for life.

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

LAMENTABLE• SUICIDE.

Yesterday an Inquisition was held at the
Queen's Arms Tavern, Upper Kennington-lane, upon the body
of Henry Philip Savage, Esq., before CHARLES J3IMETT,
Esq., Coroner tor Surrey.
Abraham Coward, Esq., brother-in-law to the deceased,
sworn-1 resided in the same house with him for some time
past. He has been indisposed about fourmonths, but has been
only one month confined to his bed. About 11 o'clock on last
Sunday morning I heard the nurse who attended him scream-
ing violently in his chamber. I went to her assistance, and when
I entered his apartment, I saw him in bed, his head reclining
a little to the left, the sheets and blankets were bloody, and a
bloody razor was lying outside the bed-clothes. I was very much
agitated, but collected myself, and perceived a wound in his throat.
I believed him dead, but thought proper to send for Mr. Drys-
dale, his surgeon : that Gentleman was not then at home, but he
arrived shortly afterwards, when he pronounced the deceased
dead. The deceased had been very low spirited since his in-
disposition, supposed to have been occasioned by a negotiation
going on between him and his father, with whom he had been
at variance ; he was evidently affected by it. I conversed with
him on Friday night upon the subject, and inquired if there
were any means of accelerating a reconciliation, but lie seemed
rather to decline it. I saw him again on Saturday night, but
was rather delicate in touching upon the subject.
Mr. George Drysdale, surgeon, deposed—l have attended
the deceased for some months past; he laboured under a con-
sumptive disease ; I saw him on Saturday ; he was then evi-
dently deranged in his intellect, and 1 thought he could not
survive 24 hours. He had been very much depressed in spirits
since his illness, in consequence of some disappointment in
adjusting a difference between him and his father, who ranks
high in the naval service. On Sunday morning 1 called at his
house ; Mrs. Stone opened the gate, and showed me into his
apartment. I found him with a deep incision in the throat,
and much blood about him lying in bed. A razor, with which
he committed the act, lay by his side. The jugular vein was
divided, and he was quite dead. The wound and loss of blood
no doubt were the cause of his death. The unfortunate catas-
trophe may be attributed to the neglect of his father : he
wished to see him before his death, but he declined an inter-
view with any. of those friends who wished to bring about a re-
conciliation. I interceded myself, but to no purpose.
Mr. Coward here pulled out a letter, which he said was an
answer to a letter written to the deceased's fatlrer respecting the
funeral expences of the deceased, and he proposed reading it
to the Jury ; when the Coroner observed, that family affairs
had nothing to do with this investigation; the chief object was
to ascertain the state of mind of the deceased when he com-
mitted the deed. Mr. Coward, however, read the letter ; it was
to the following purport :7
" Sin—l beg leave to inform you, that I made your commu'
nication known to Miss Crump in the evening I received your
letter ; and in my hearing she informed the Admiral of the
same, and also asked him leave to send for his upholsterer con-
cerning the funeral; when the Admiral flew into a most vio-
lent passion, and protested that nothing of the kind should be
done. I then interfered with a hope of prevailing upon him,
but he would not hear what I had to say, but immediately went
up stairs to his bed-room, and there the matter rested.

" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" WILLIAM PORCHILL."

The CORONER, on hearing this letter read, observed, that
the Admiral would be an unhappy man during the rest of his
days.
Mr. Coward observed, that the Admiral is now between 70
and 80 years old ; the deceased was his only child, and never
had given him any just cause to be offended; but that being
reduced in circumstances, it hurt the Admiral's pride to see any
of his family so impoverished. He could have helped the de-
ceased if he chose ; he is now the third Admiral upon the list.
Elizabeth Mansfield, an old nurse, and Dr. Latham, de.
posed, the first to the infirm state of the deceased for some time
past, the latter to the probability of a person so reduced in health
and spirits being seized with a temporary insanity.
This was all the evidence produced, and the CORONER; hav-
ing summed up to the Jury, ordered the room to be cleared.
They deliberated about ten minutes, and then announced their
verdict—" That the deceased inflicted a wound in his own
throat in a fit of insanity, which caused his death."

ACCIDENT.AT HIGHGATE ARCHWAY.

Last night an Inquisition was taken at the Archway Tavern,
Highgate, before THOMAS STIRLING, Esq. Coroner, on view
of the body of John Clayton, who was killed by the following
lamentable accident :

The first witness examined was John Clay, who having been
sworn, deposed, the deceased was at work under him for about
seven weeks, excavating some ground on which it is intended
to build some alms-houses near the Archway, which are to be
denominated 44 'Whittington's College." Witness and the de-
ceased were at work there on Saturday morning; the deceased
was engaged filling a wheelbarrow under what is termed a Ace
of earth, of great height. At the moment the deceased was fill-
ing his barrow the earth gave way, and the deceased was buried
underneath. Several other labourers working near the deceased
narrowly escaped with their lives. 'Witness had examined the
earth only five minutes before, and then no danger appeared.—
The falling earth struck deceased on the hip with such force as
to throw him a considerable distance from the place where he
stood. He was dug out as soon as possible. He was sensible,
and complained of pains in his thighs and breast. He was
conveyed to the Archway Tavern, and medical assistance pro-
vided, but he survived little more than an hour. The deceased
has left a wife and four children in a state of indigence.
Mr. John Roundtree, Assistant to Mr. Snow, Surgeon of
Highgate, deposed to the nature of the injury deceased had suf-
fered. He survived about an hour.

The Jury consulted for a short time, and returned their ver-
eidct, that the death of the deceased was occasioned by accident.