The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-10 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Last night, at seven o'clock, an Inquisition was
held before THOMAS HIGGS, Esq., Deputy Co-
roner for the City of Westminster, at the Savoy-
palace Tavern, Strand, on the body of female
named Wilson.

Mr. David Laing, of Clare-street, Clare-market, sworn.—
Witness had known the deceased about five years; she was a
single woman. On Friday last, about five or six o'clock in
the evening, she called upon witness ; witness asked her to
take some tea, but she declined it ; she appeared to be much
agitated, said she was driven to great distress, in proof of which
she produced a great quantity of duplicates. She had made no
application to witness for assistance. Witness pressed her
to take some refreshment, and at length prevailed on her to
take a crust .of bread and some gin and water : she said she had
had nothing all day. She cried very much. Witness was called
down into the shop, and left the deceased up stairs ; she shortly.
after came down, and advancing to him shook his hand, and said
" God bless you—good bye." She was at times very flighty,
and this action did not particularly strike him. About half an
hour after, a customer told him that a person, very elegantly
attired, had drowned herself near Waterloo-bridge, and that her
bonnet and muff had been found, which answered the description
of those which witness had seen her wear. Witness sent his boy
down to the hridge, and found it was true. When the body was
found, witness caused it to be searched, and 64 duplicates were
found on her. Witness did not know her Christian name.—
She told him she lived in Union-street, Hoxton New Town, but
had been there only from Wednesday. Witness had not seen
her for near six months until that night. She was a woman of
very high spirits and occasionally flighty ; she told witness she
was not 28 years of age. She said she had pledged all the
clothes but what she stood upright in ; also she had pledged
her nephew's clothes.
_

Janies Tilt, the toll-keeper of Waterloo-bridge, the Strand
side, sworn. About 8 o'clock on Friday evening, the deceased
went up to the gate with a Gentleman ; the latter tendered a
shilling to pay the toll ; she said " take for two," he said " only
one ;" he passed over the bridge, and she walked towards the
Strand : she asked witness if any watermen were plying, as she
wanted to go to London bridge ; he said not at that late hour ; wit-
ness being called to the gate to let some passengers pass, the de-
ceased took the opportunity of running down the steps ; witness
suspected something amiss, and ran down the steps: near Somer-
set-house he heard two distinct screams and then a splash in
the water ; it was nearly high water. Witness found a bonnet,
muff, silk handkerchief, a gold pin, and a laced frill. Wit-
ness got the drags, and with assistance dragged for three
quarters of an hour, but she was not found until next morning.
William Storey, waterman, sworn.-11ritness found the de-
ceased near Mr. Dupree's wharf, on Saturday morning, about
eleven o'clock; about two hours after high water, in about
four feet water. Witness and his partner laid her on the ca-
bin of the barge and washed her. There were no marks of
violence on the body.
The Jury were here informed that a sister of the deceased
was in the house, and by their request the Coroner desired her
attendance, when a Gentleman stepped forward, and address-
ing the Jury, begged as a particular favour that they would not
call upon her—it would lead to a very distressing disclosure,
unpleasant to their feelings and to hers. He declined answer-
ing any questions.

Juror said it was singular that Mr. Laing knew her, and
did not give a clearer statement.
Mr. Laing, in reply, said the unfortunate woman was kept
by a Gentleman, who, in consequence of getting married, had
given him 50/. for her, as he then left her. This money was
paid her by him, as was also 25/. at a subsequent period : the
money was given for her in consequence of an application of his.
The gentleman who had before spoken then observed, she
had lived with a gentleman, and moved in the first circles as his
wife, and was always considered as his wife by every person.
The CORONER then called the sister of deceased, who said
she was with her lately, and was in extremely low spirits, and
from her dejected state and wayward manners, the witness was
of opinion she was deranged. Her name was Louisa Moss.
After some discussion, the Jury returned the following ver-
dict—" The deceased was insane when she committed the act
of suicide."

THEATRICAL NOVELTY.—On Saturday night,
during the performance of the new piece, called,
" Tom and Jerry in France," at the Coburg
Theatre, a new incident was introduced, which
the audience were not prepared to expect. In
the scene where the Diligence is about to start
with five " real horses" for Paris, two men sprang
over the Orchestra on the stage, armed with
sticks, and, in the most menacing attitude, of-
fered obstruction to the said horses, and to all
who would favour their journey. This being
the boldest step that has yet been taken in the
" Tom and Jerry" style, excited no small asto-
nishment, nor was the surprise diminished, when
Mr. BARRYMORE and one of the performers were
seen to collar the adventurous intruders, and
after something more than a mock encounter
to force them down stairs, some of the audience
thought it was a very ingenious spree, others be-
lieved-it was an attempt at a legal caption, nut
those who sallied out to see the issue, found the
assailants in the hands of the Police, who marched
them to the watch-house, after which the Dili-
gence proceeded on its way.—The affair yester-
day underwent the notice of the Magistrate, and
the following is the report :

UNion-HALL.—Yesterday Mr. Barrymore, the Stage Ma-
nager of the,Coburg Theatre, appeared before R. J. CHAMBERS,
Esq. and charged Charles Stewart and his son, livery stable-
keepers, in Blackfriars-road, with having assaulted him, and
attempted to create a disturbance in the Theatre. Mr. Arkin-
stall, who has the management of the Theatre in the absence
of Mr. Glossop„, also preferred a similar charge against them.
It appeared from the statement of the prosecutors that they hired
a diligence and five appropriate horses of the defendant, to
perform in a piece called Vice la Bagatelle ! or, Jemmy Green
in France. On Saturday he presented an enormous bill at the
treasury for the use of his horses. The treasurer refused to pay
it, unless special directions were given to him for the purpose
by Mr. Barrymore ; but the latter gentleman conceived the ob-
jection of the treasurer to be juK, and refused to sanction the
charge. The senior defendant I,zcame quite furious at this re-
fusal, and conceiving that he could reduce them to compliance
by withdrawing the horses at a time when it was not probable
that they could be substituted, he accordingly took the animals
away on Saturday. They were, however, but with much diffi.
culty, replaced in time for the performance by others. The
elder defendant became doubly furious on learning the failure
of his experiment, but soon resolved upon trying another ; for
when the performance had commenced, he went upon the stage
and insisted in the most abusive manner that his diligence should
not go on. He was at the time in a state of intoxication, and it was
soon found absolutely necessary to eject him from the Theatre
forcibly. Nothing daunted, he went round, and with his son went
into the pit, and just, as the passengers had got on the diligence,
and it was proposed to start accros the stage, the two jumped over
the orchestra on to the stage, rushed behind the scene, and the
senior at once put a chain round the wheel of the diligence,
locked it, and swore that it should not go until he was paid.—
A serious scuffle ensued, in the course of which, the abuse of the
defendants and the whole that passed must have been heard by
the audience. The defendants carried their violence so far as to
strike both the prosecutors, who assured the Magistrates that the
most serious consequences were apprehended at the time to the
house and property. The strength of the house assembled upon
the stage, and carried the defendants off down to a hall below
the latter, still fighting with great desperation ; and in the midst
of the confusion the lights were put out, and some of the per- '
formers were sorely pummelled by their own friends in the dark.
The defendants were ultimately given into custody. It had
been circulated that the uproar had been occasioned by two
bailiffs, and the story had been believed.--Defendants were held
to bail.

The Mayor of Norwich and a party of friends,
somewhat " flushed with the juice of the Tuscan
grape," having gone to the Theatre a few years
ago, to witness the performance of the tragedy
of Richard 111., they entered the house just as
Richard exclaimed, " A horse! a horse ! my
kingdom for a horse !" when one of the Gentle-
men facetiously replied, " I have not a horse,
but (claPping his hand upon the shoulder of the
Chief Magistrate) here is a Ma.zir, if that will
do for' you !" It is almost superfluous
,to add
that this response had a powerful effect on the
risible faculties of the audience.