The Sun.
London, England, 1825-09-02 00:00:00

ILLEGALITY OF DANCING-ROOMS.

MARYLEBONE-STREET.—Yesterday Signor Antonio, the
dancing-master, appeared before Mr.-(IntFFITII, on the sum-
mons granted against him for taking money at the doors of a,
new Assembly-Rooms in' Oxford-street. John Hemmings,
shopman to Mr. Miles, one of the complainants, proved having
attended the ball given by the defendant. On his entering he
was stopped at the ball-room door by the defendant, who told
him that unless he paid 2s. he could not enter the bail-room,
ard pointed to a little room or office where that sum was to be'
paid. The witness in this room paid 2s. and received a coffee=
ticket, he entered the ballroom afterwards and danced there, he
drank a glass of porter, and although he saw plenty of that
beverage and gin and water, yet he saw no coffee. Another
witness gave evidence to the same effect.
Mr. GRIFF/Tll considered no important use could be made
of his evidence, as it was not properly proved that money wag
-paid for admission at the doors. But it must be understood
that Antonio would act most imprudently in carrying on this
sort of dancing room. He was lucky in this case that it was
not substantiated he had received money, as he (Mr. Griffith)
had the power of causing the arrest of every person assembled
in the ball-room, and the Proprietor, under the same statute,
was liable to the penalty ef 100/. for taking money at the doors
of any such unlicensed place. The case was then dismissed.

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

DREADFUL ACCIDENT.

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Yesterday evening, at five o'clock, an Inqui,
sition was taken at the London Hospital, before J. W. thiwixf
Esq., on view of the body of Mrs. Ann Hause, the wife of a
tradesman residing in Spitalfieds, who met with her death by
the running over of one of Messrs. Truman,
_Hanbury, and
COs drays. After the Jury had viewed the body, the follow.
ing evidence was laid before them
Air. Samuel Clarke, of Wilks-street, Spitalfields, stated that
on Wednesday, between the hours of twelve and one o'clock, as
he was approaching towards Brick-lane, along Quaker-street,
he perceived three drays' heavily laden with casks, driving to-.
wards Messrs. Truman, Danbury, and Co.'s brewery. He saw
the deceased standing tear the corner of the street; two of the
draws passed him without inflicting.any. injury ; but the wheel
of the third coming in contact with the-stall, knocked it down.
The deceased, who was on the pathway, stretched forward, as
he supposed, with the intention of supporting it, but having
over-reached herself, lost her balance, and fell under the wheel,
which passed over her head. Deceased was at once conveyed
to the Hospital.
CORONER.—Where was the driver at the time of the acci-
dent ?—He was sitting on the fore part of the dray.
CORONER.—Hour far distant was the stall from the outer'
flag-stone ?—lt wr s fully a yard.
CORONER.—Did the driver stop when the accident oc-,
curred ?—No, he droveon, but at a slow pace.—This vibtnen
concluded his testimony by saying; that the deceased had a
child in her arms at the time of the accident, which fortu-
nately escaped unhurt.
Mrs. E. Potter, of Queen-street, Spitalfields, stated that .on.
Wednesday, about twelve o'clock, she observed three drays
passing along Quaker-street. Just as she approached the de-
ceased, the wheel of the third pasSeS over her ; the deceased had
a child in her arms, which providentially escaped. She consi-
dered the occurrence as purely accidental, particularly as she
saw, the driver at the horses' heads, and perceived him using
every exertion to stop their course. The transaction was so ma:-
mentary, that it was impossible to prevent its occurrence.
Juror—Where was the driver of the dray at the time ?
Was he on the dray ? Certainly not ; he was at the horses'
heads. •

-It was here remarked that there was a g' e it eiicrepancy be-
tween the evidence of this witness and the Harmer, Mr. Clarke
having stated that the driver was on the dray, and Mrs. Potter
asserting that he was in a different position.
The witnesses were here confronted, but each was equally pa•
sitive as to the truth of their respective statements.
Juryman to the witness Clarke—How far were 'You from the
drays at the time of the accident? I was quite close to them.
suror—Then I suppose if the driver was on the dray you
could have perceived him distinctly? I certainly could, as I was
near enough to have caught the child from its mother's arms
when she was falling.
The witness Potter added to her direct testimony that in her
opinion there was no blame to be attached to theAriver.
The evidence here closed, but the Jury still viewing the testi-
mony as of a conflicting-nature, and not satisfactorily recon-
cilable, hesitated for a time. The Coroner perceiving their
doubts, after recapitulating the evidenceobserved that even ad-
mitting the driver was on .the. dray, it appeared that the stall
only, in the first instance, was knocked down, a thing that is
not to be wondered at in the present season of the year, when
Venders such as the deceased are so numerous, and who expose
their standings in an inconvenient situation ; that the _deceased
was indirectly the cause of her own death by stretching out,and
endeavouring to save her little property. He concluded by ob-
serving that though the statements were itt some instances con-
' ilicting, yet in the main points they were corroborative of each
other, and the death, in his opinion, was Merely accidental ;
under every view of die case he thought that the deoeand should
be nominal. •' •
The Jury agreed in opinion with the Coroner, and returned
a verdict of " Accidental Death," with a deodend of ss. against:
the dray and horses.
A gentleman belonging to Messrs. Truman and Co.'s was
present, and liberally offered, on the • est of the Cunpany, to-
bury the deceased at their own expeace. . . .
Another Coroner's Inquest was yesterday morning taken
before Thomas Shelton, Esq., at the Sun and Anehur public
house, Saint Dunstan's Hills, Lower Thames-street, on
the body of Edward Chase. The deceased it appeared Was
employed on lioard the Albion steam-packet; and' ori Wed-
nesday morning, while' the vessel was lying off the Custom-
house, he clambered down its sides, for the purpose of drop-
ping himself into a boat that was lying alongside; but the boat
happening to drift a little on one side oat •the moment, he fell
into the water instead, and sunk to rise no more.. The hogy
was not found till the next morning Verdict—" Accidental
Death."

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.--A few ,days ago, a
man named Williams, a dyer, betweem s'xty and . seventy
years of age, was taken to Hatton Garden Office, by Thiesle-
ton the Officer, on a, charge of unlawfully patVning Some
articles intrusted to him. The prosecutrix, on seeing
the poverty of the prisoner, declined prosecuting„ and
the Magistrate assented to his discharge, on his redeem-
irg the articles. The articles he did redeem ; but, in conse-
quenct of being disappointed in receiving some money from a
friend, he sunk into a state of despondency, and on Saturday
morning was found hanging in an out-house; attached to his
residence on the Hornsey Road. He has left five children in a
destitute state.