The Sun.
London, England, 1825-10-01 00:00:00

THE DEAT) ALIVE.

• QUEEN-SQUAltr.—Yesterday a gentleman entered the
Office, and after.the ordinary business of the morning had been
gone through, he addressed the sitting Magistrate,llr. Wil I E,
S and requested permission to make affidavit that a youth, named
William Despan, aged 10, who-was supposed to be dead, and
had been buried, was still alive and enjoying good health. The
object the gentleman said he had in view was to get the name
erased from the Register of Burials, which the Minister who
interred the supposed youth had refused to do without the re-
quired affidavit.
The facts of this extraordinary case are these :—About the be-
ginning of July last, a fine youth, named William Doman,
who was pursuing his studies at the Rey. Mr. Pollard's esta-
blishnient at Chelsea, suddenly disappeared from school, and
no one Hew on what account, or where he bad gone to, as his
parents, who are people of arge property, were in the West
Indies; but some of his relations were residing in London,
and they were made acquairted with his absence, and every
exertion possible was made to trace him out, but day after day
elapsed, and not the most distant tidings were heard of him.,
It was at length concluded, as he was partial to the water,
and it being very hot weather, that be had gone to bathe,
and was unfortunately drowned. These suspicions became
stronger in the minds of his friends, and they had large
handbills printed and stuck on the walls contiguous to
the Thames, offering a reward for the discovery of the
body, and a remuneration to any person who should only
find his clothes. Cooper, the officer of this establishment,
was also applied to, to assist his distressed relatives in their
search,Cooper lost no time in going to work, and made inquiries
along the banks of the river, among the watermen and other
persons, if such a youth (giving them the description) had
been picked up. A day or two after, Cooper was passing
along Milbank, when he saw a body floating on the surface of
the water; he first ascertained, for a (certainty, that it was hu-
man, and then he gave information to some watermen, who put
off towards it, and brought it ashore, when it turned out
to be a youth,, quite naked, and from its appearance it exact-
ly correspondd with the youth that was missing, and for
whom he and his friends had been so long on the look-out.
Cooper instantly had it conveyed to the Spread Eagle public-
house, when it was placed in a shell, and he lost no time in
communicating with the supposed deceased's relatives, who
were ;overjoyed at recovering the body, and all repaired to the
Spread Eagle, to see if it really was their kinsman, and one and
all believed that it was the body of William Doman, the :Ms.-
sing youth. A Coroner's Jury were summoned, and the
friends of the presumed deceased attended ; and to strengthen
them in their opinion that the body really was "the one sup-
posed to be,. they brought with them one of the shoes beloriging
to William Doman which they tried pn the deceased, and it
fitted exactly. No 7deubt rested in the minds of the friends bat
that he was the person supposed to be, and they all went into
mourning, and the body was respectably interred in St. George's
burial-ground, in the Uxbridge-road. Sonie days elapsed after
the funeral; when, to the surprise of all, the supposed deceased
returned to school, and on an explanation taking place, he :se-
counted for his-absence by saying he had been to see souse ac-
quaintances of his that lived at a distant part of the town. A
communication -was* forthwith made to his relations, who were
still deploring his death, and their feelings can be more easily
conceived than described when they beheld the youth still living,
and in excellent health and spirits. At the time of the funeral
of the corpse supposed to be William Doman, the name was re-
gistered
amongst the burials, and it was to get it cancelled
therefrom that the affidavit to the above facts was made, as the
youth supposed to be dead will, at the age of-21, come into the
possession of immense property.
The MAO rsTnATE asked the gentleman if he had the affi-
davit prepared : it was of such a singular nature that he knew
of no form.

The applicant said he had not, but that he would get one
prepared immediately, if the Magistrate would receive it; and.
on Mr. NVhite saying he had no objection, the gentleman pre-
pared one, and he was sworn to the truth of the contents, and
left the office, afzer thanking his Worship for his kindness.