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

THE INQUEST.

On Saturday afternoon, the Jury, and Mr. Bunxisast, the
county Coroner, who resides at Winslow, assembled at the
Haunch of Venison public-house. at .W.hatition. The interest.
excited in the neighbourhood was extremely great, and num.
hero of person had collected before the house by the time the
inquest commenced. The., name of the deceased maif.was
Abraham Hogg; that of the prisoner John Lynn.
The Jury having been sworn, were accompanied to the room
where the body lay by the Coroner and Mr. Cowley, the sur-
geon, . who wa called in to attend, the unfortunate deceased.
The features of the face were completely disfigured by the
many heavy blows inflicted, and partly'by the partial dissec-
tion which the body had undergone, to enable the surgeon-to
pronounce the immediate cause of death. After the Jury had
returned to the inquest-room, the following evidence was
a&duced:—

Thomas Samuel Watts Tarry deposed, 'that he resided a'
Church-hill Farm, Whaddon, and was one of the overseers
of that parish. On Thursday afternoon, in coming to the vil-
lage about three o'clock, he heard that a person had been mur-
dered, and went immediately to assist, in tile search, and the
body being found, and the death of the deceased ascertained,
he sent notice to the Coroner. The prisoner was in custody of
Meecham, by whom, with the aid of others, he had been taken.
ELI was immediately conveyed by them to a public-house in
Whaddon, known as the Haunch of Venison. Somebody offered
him some beer, which witness would not allow him to drink,
he had had some before. Prisoner observed, that if it had
been poison, he would sooner have drank it than he would the
beer. He was left in charge of the constable. During the
right he said he wished to• write to his mother, which was al-
lowed him ; he began the letter with " My dear mother,---I
have murdered a man," and after pausing a little in seeming
agltation, he tore off the 'tope of the.• paper, throwing what
he had written into the tire, and observing, " I can't write any
more: it will be too much for my poor mother to bear up against.
When the handcuffs were again put on him (they had been
taken off to give the prisoner greater facility in writing), he
critd out, " Now, indeed, lam done for!" He appeared in
great agitation, and it was in vain that those in the room at-
tempted to calm hint ; both then anti -up to the time of the
inquest prisoner made several attempts to dash his head against
the wall, and on Friday evening especially, he endeavoured to
put an end to his existence by suddenly jumping on a table in
the room, and plunging head foremost to the 'floor; his fore-
head wax much cut, and a quantity of blood and hair remained
on the floor. When the prisoner destroyed what he had writ-
ten to his mother, witness offered to take up the pen and write
whatever prisoner should wish to communicate to her ; he, how-
ever, refused this offer, but without assigning any reason for
so doing. Prisoner seldom made an observation beyond the
monosyllables " yes," and " no," appearing to shun conversa-
tion. When witness first met the prisoner, in custody of Meech-
am, he asked if the unforpnate deceased yet lived ; to which
he (the prisoner) replied, " I hope not, for he -would have sold
me." The question had not been particularly addressed to the
rrisoner.
John Meecham was at work ditching in a field close to the
chase, on Thursday afternoon last, when he was alarmed by the
cry of a person ; he thought that cry was " murder." He im-
mediately left the ditch, and from an adjoining ga'e '(being
concealed by a large oak tree (observed the prisoner, at about
the distance of 200 yards, sticking some person on the ground
several times, with great violence. The cries of deceased were
very faint, and soon afterwards ceased. Saw the prisoner go
across the chase towards a-ride, and on his way thither stole at a
ditch, where he changed his clothes, and then proceeded into
the ride. Witness immediately ran in another direction to the
house of a farmer of the name of Clark, whom he acquainted
with the circunistance above narrated ; the farmer with his
three sons and one of his labourers then accompanied him in
pursuit, and they proceeded together across Shenley-common to-
wards the ride for which he hadseen the prisoner making as they
approached the latter the prisoner entered the common from
the gate of the ride immediately before them, upon which wit-
ness running towards him considerably outstripped his com-
panions • when he was yet about 29 yards from the prisoner, the
Latter tried out " Well, how much is your bounty ?" Witness
rushed upon -him, and with the assistance of the Clarks and
their labourer secured him and conveyed him to Whaddon,
having been joined on their way thither by the preceding wit-
ness. The remainder of the testimony of witness was simply
confirmatory of that of Mr. Tarry, with reference to the search
after the clothes of the prisoner and the body of the deceased.
' Mr. John Cowles, surgeon of Winslow, Bucks, deposed, that
he was called on the Bth Jan., to examine-the body of a man,
lying dead at a public-house called the Haunch of Venison, in
the parish of Whaddon. A contused lacerated wound was
observable on the forehead -to the extent -of five incites in
length, and two inches in deptheand had evidently been inflicted
by violont blows with a blunt instrument ; also another contused
wound on the upper part of the face, four incites in length, and
three inches in width : there was also another lacerated wound
Go the lip, one inch in length, and half an inch in depth. On
the lower lip there was a similar wound of nearly the same ex-
tentftoraenLannother contused wound on the inner part of the
left
length three
inch. All of. thosein inches, and in width half an
inflicted by the sa wounds appeared to deponent to have been
fraetured_the frontalth
me instrument
:he upper part of The blows on the forehead
bone and lacerated the brain : those on
e face fractured_ the temporal, cheek, and

nasal boom In his opinion, the death of the man was oces- e •
sioned by the blows on the forehead.
The CORONER considering the evidence already adduced
sufficient to justify hint in committing the prisoner into safe
custody, and being extremely anxious tbat he should be con-
veyed to the county jail at Aylisfibry before dusk, gave direr;
tions to the overseers and constables of Whaddon to that effect.
and the prisoner was removed in a post-chaise, in which were
also two constables, and behind which rode two Overseers
of the parish.
The evidence of the witnesses was then resumed; the fol-
lowing is the summary
William Weston, the guard4f the'Eclipse coach, from which
prisoner and deceased ran away at Shenley on Thursday, spoke
to the identity of the property now produced as having been
left by them in the coach, and delivered by him the same after-
' noon into the care of the landlord of the Cock public-house, at
IStoney-Stratford, on his arrival in that town. The were to have
booked themselves there for the fare onwards; they did not pay
any thing.
Mr. Clare, the landlord of the Ceek produced the parcels ;
they Were receive' by him on Thursday from Weston.
On examination, they contained 12 or 13 pair of stockings,
several shirts, handkerchiefs, &c..
Joseph Grace, of Shenley, blacksmith, saw-prisoner and de-
ceased pats his shop at about hell-past o.le o'clock on the
Thursday; they appeared to be quarrellin.,t' and talked very
loud. The prisoner asked deceased " Pray, how much do you
think you ought to have for your.shere of the booty ?" The
deceased replied mildly, and witness could not catch a single
word of his answer. He, however, was quite sure of the iden-
tity of the prisoner and deceased.
Elizabeth Clark ind John and Thomas, her sons, residing
between the shop of Grace, at -Shenley, and the scene of the
murder on Whatidon.chaseesaw prisoner and deceased pass at
about two o'clock on Thursday towards the chase : did not hear
them say any thing. Shortly after missed a shirt which had
been banging.on an adjoining hedge ; has seen it since. .(It
was found on .the chase, near the spot where prisoner altered its
dress, after the murder.)
Wm. Read occupies a cottage at the extremity of the chase
most distant from Shenley. Between two and three o'clock on
Thursday, prisoner and cieceased -sled there, and asked if they
could have any thing to eat and drink ' • offered to get a fry, but
prisoner would not allow him; they drank some butter-milk.
When they entered, they left a gun, parcel, and umbrella, out-
side the door, taking them away again on their departure ;
they did not stop more than five minutes. Prisoner continually
looked round the gown in a suspicious manner ; he appeared
friendly with the deceased. When they had left the house,
prisoner looked back from some distance. The wife of witness
observed, she was sure they were no good. Prisoner had on a
pair of top-boote; deceased carried the umbrella ; the prisoner
the parcel and gun, which was in a case of green baize.
The Cottox en. hortly summed up the evidence, observing
that he thought the Jury had sufficient grounds to warrant
them in returning a verdict of " NVilful Murder against John
Lynn" (the prisoner.)—The Jury immediately returned a vet-
; diet to that effect.

Before the separation of the Jurymen, a question was moot.
ed by Loraine Smith, Esq., relative to the propriety of pub-
lishing the evidence given on the inquest. He thought it would
be at least imprudent. Mr. Congrcve, solicitor, of Sone).
Stratford, thought with the worthy magistrate. He consider -d
it in the light of ex-parte evidence, and calculated to produce
an undue bias. Two gentlemen who attcnded for the Bucks
Chronicle and IVindsor and Eton Gazette, Mr.. Cowley (the
!surgeon of Winslow), and the Coroner, thought otherwise,
and the interference was therefore merely conversational.

At half-past 3 p.m., on Saturday,. -the prisoner was brought
from his place of confinement by two men, and placed in a post-
chaise. Ile made no kind of resistance on• having his feet fet-
tered, merely remarking that he hoped his relations might re-
ceive a good part of his gains. The unhappy. man then pro-
ceeded more than half the distance to Aylesbury jail very quietly
when he seemed suddenly to awaken to a sense of his truly
dreadful situation. He complained that 'be had throughout
life been always unfortunate—that he was a miserable wretch,
&c., saying at the same time, with horrid imprecations—
" I will not live to go to jail,-1 will kill myself." On
hearing this, AIL James King, who accompanied the pri-
soner, asked hint In what manner he could possibly effect it ?
llis answer was, If I cannot succeed in doing it instantaneous-
ly, I will do something which shall cause it." This was said
with great agitation, and was apparently succeeded by some
derangement of.-mind. He attempted to injure himself in a
manner impossible to bealescribed In these Columns. On being
remonstrated with on that account, he said, " What is it to you?
Do you suppose that your staff gives you authority ?" lie also
frequently attempted to: fling himself out of the chaise-window.
On reaching the town of Aylesbury, the unfortunate man, be-
came outrageous, insisting, with great violence and pertinacity,
on a trifling request—viz., that his shirt-collar, which had been
unbuttoned of his request, should be instantly re-fastened. On
arriving at the gaol, he urgently requested that his leo's might
be unfettered, assigning•as areason, that he particularly wished
to walk Into the gaol. His feet were accordingly unfettered ;
and the first use he _made of this partial liberty was to at-
tempt to throw himself on - the pavement with great violeriee
however, he was caught in the arms of an officer named Cooke,
and carried, without farther resistence, into the prison-yard.
Here, however, he renewed his attempt at self-destruction,
as well by endeavouring to dash his head against the wall, as
by his former expedient of pitching violently upon the pave-
ment. To effect these objects he descended to the most frivo-
lous excuses and assertions, with the vain hope of blinding the
vigilance of his keepers: ha had, however, taught them wis-
dolt; by his previous conduct, and all his efforts towards ob-
taining the privilege of self-destruction were fruitless. He
was removed to leis room, and was shortly afterwards visited
by Sir John Dashwocal King, Bart., one of the county magis-
trates, to whom he complained' loudly of the harsh treatment
to which he said he had been subjected—alluding specifically
and strongly to the circumstance of his having been compelled
to wear the handcuffs. The prisoner appearing tolerably ra-
tional, the worthy magistrate ordered the immediate removal
of them.

On Saturday night four men sat up with the prisoner, but
even the vigilance of these he evaded ; for during the night,
having, or pretending to have, occasion to leave the bed, he
rushed violently, against the wall, and by the concussion lace-
rated the scalp very considerably. Yesterday he appeared
quite an altered. man. Mr. Sheriff; the humane Governor of
the gaol, made a point of seeing and conversing with him, prin-
cipally with a view to convince him of the folly and sinfulness
of his suicidal efforts. The prisoner appeared affected, and
said, ",I will tell you every thing, Sir, when we are alone."—
Mr. Sheriff °Grill to send the men away for such purpose, but
Lynn observed that an opportunity would soon occur without

- .. .
the necessity of such a step.
- Befoze i:is removal from.Whaddon to Aylesbury, he sail he
should,. like to see the body again, which request being granted,
he entered the room without the least erabArrassment, weut up

to the body, took one of the deceased's hands in his, and looked
steadfastly in his face. " How shocking a sight this is !" ob-
served one of the officers who accompanied him. " Ali ! it is
indeed," coolly observedl the prisoner, and then turned about
indifferently, and left the room.
When first taken, Lynn took from his pocket a revolving
boot-heel, making it a present to one of the officers, and desir-
ing him to take it as &keepsake.
On Friday night prisoner requested John King to write a
letter for him by his dictation, saying he was ashamed to write
himself. King complied, and the prisoner dictated as follows :
" Dear Mother—l am sorry to inform you I have bad the
misfortune to get into trouble, and am now in the custody of
the constables of Whaddon, for killing Abraham Hogg, for a
grudge and a few words, because he was going to inform against
me. " Your unfortunate son,
C. LYNN.

" Mrs. Lynn, confectioner,
No. 4, Moore-hall-place, Vauxhall."
The fatal instrument of destruction is of that description
usually denominated a copper cap gun. In the waistcoat pocket
of the prisoner Mr. Sheriff found :about two dozen of common
pellets.
It would seem that prisoner and deceased arrived at Brickhill
on Wednesday evening, by the " Express" Liverpool coach ;
deceased was to sleep in town, and prisoner at the White Lion
public-house; they were both there in the evening ; but the land-
lord (Mr. Newman) expressed his surprise at their departure on
the conversation turning upon murders and robberies. Prisoner
did not return to . the White Lion to sleep, as he had said he
would. The next day (Thursday), both men got on the
" Eclipse" Birmingham coach, and said they were going the
whole distance; the guard informed them they could book
their places when the coach arrived at Stoney-Stratford.—
They had not gone more than six miles when, arriving at
Shenley, they bilked the guard and got clear away, leaving.
however, sundry articles of clothing,behind them in a burdle
and band-box. The guard observed that prisoner and de-
ceased were.constantly looking round, as if to ascertain whe-
.ther or not there were any persons in pursuit. From Shepley
they proceeded to the Chase.
Both Lynn and Hogg have been spirit-coopers ; their fami-
lies were most intimate, and a nearer connexion than that of
friendship had been in contemplation for some time. Prisoner
slept soundly for five or six hours.yesterday ' • lie had scarcely
closed his eves during Saturday night. He had received a visit
(merely self-introductory) from the Rev. C. R. Ashfield, cha-
plain to the goal ; he appeared gratified with the Reverend
Gentleman's kind attention, and earnestly requested a repeti-
tion of that favour.

It is rather a singular coincidence that Lynn has a relation
residing at Aylesbury. On the announcement of that name,
aS the one given. by the prisoner, the keeper of the toll-gate at
the London entrance to the town applied to the Governor of the
gaol for permission to see the prisoner, as he had relations of the,

name of Lynn; an interview between them terminated in their
painful recognition of each other as first cousins
It was intended to delay the interment of deceased for a few
days, with a view to the recognition of the corpse; but now
that the unfortunate young man is known, this will be unneces7
nary. The coffin was therefore closed yesterday. The number
.)f people who have congregated around the fatal spot has been
very great. Where the head of deceased lay there is a tuft of
'edge clotted with gore; even yesterday a portion of skull might
tx seen adhering to one of the stalks.