The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-09 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

Last evening an inquest was held at the Adam and Eve,
Bowling-street, Westminster, on the body of Mr. Thomas
Taylor, a respectable grocer and cheesemonger, of Great
Peter-street, who destroyed himself by cutting his throat with
a razor. The deceased had given way to the idea of being
left in his old age in a state of destitution, in consequence of
his business not being so good as formerly, and several wit-
nesses spoke to his having been in a state of despondency for
the last months. Verdict—" Temporary Insanity."
Yesterday evening an inquest was held before Mr. W.
Carter, the Coroner for Surrey, and a Jury, at the Northum-
berland Arms, in Holland street, Blackfriars, on the body of
Mrs. Mary Buck, an aged lady, who was burnt to death at her
residence, No. 254, Blackfriars-road. Deceased was a widow,
and had arrived at the advanced age of 85 years. She lived
upon her income, and had been for some time in a very infirm
state of health. On Saturday afternoon, about three o'clock,
a young woman named Sarah Richardson, who attended on the
old lady, left her in bed, and placed a lighted candle on the
hearth within the fender. She was absent about an hour, and
on going into the room found her mistress lying on the floor
close to the fire- place, with her head over the fender. She
touched her, and finding that she did not move, she immedi-
ately called for assistance, and was so much alarmed that she
fainted away. The young woman's husband who resides in
the same house, and a char-woman named O'Bryan, imme-
diately hastened to the apartment, and on lifting up the de-
ceased, discovered that the upper part of her person was
dreadfully burnt. The jury returned a Verdict, That Mary
Buck was accidentally burnt to death.

The Prince de Musignano, son of Lucien Buona-
parte, and known by the name of Prince Charles, is now
staying in Paris. He arrived in the capital without the per-
mission of the Government, but presented himself immediately
to the authorities. He paid a visit to the King, and obtained
permission to remain in the capital for three weeks. The
works published by the Prince o❑ the natural history of Italy
and the United States are held in high estimation. He pos-
sesses considerable acquirements, and is, at the same time,
wholly unconnected with politics. One of his first steps was
to visit M. Arago.
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Sunday night, between six and seven o'clock, a
destructive fire broke out in the shop of Mr. Campbell, cheese-
monger, Lower-road, Islington. which spread its ravages with
tremendous fury. It appears that a police constable, named
Ching, 61 N, was on duty near the premises, when he dis-
covered smoke issuing from the shop. He communicated this
to a next-door neighbour, named Gosling, who keeps the Red
Lion public-house, and instantly afterwards went to the station.
house for further assistance and the parish engine of St. Mary,
Islington. The engine, which was in an efficient state, shortly
arrived, but unfortunately its power could not for some time
be tried, in consequence of the short supply of water. I❑spec-
tor Miller ordered one of his constables to proceed to town for
further assistance, and in a short time several of the brigade
and West of England engines, from Farringdon-street and
other city stations, reached the spot with a body of firemen, by
which time water was to be procured in abundance, but, not-
withstanding this powerful assistance, Mr. Campbell's house
could not be saved, and we are sorry to add that the rear of
the Red Lion public-house, has also experienced the same fate.
The house of Mr. Smith, pawnbroker, on the other side, is
also seriously &imaged, but it is believed that the pledges are
all saved. No certain account can he obtained of the origin of
the fire, as no person was on Mr. Campbell's premises when it
broke out.

The cost of human life on the Constitutional side
alone, in the present Spanish struggle, is said to exceed a
hundred thou-and men.

A circular has been received at the different police-
offices in the metropolis, from the Secretary of the Home
Department, ordering a return of the number of persons com-
mitted as vagrants for the last twelvo months, and also the
causes of their committal. These returns are said to have
been ordered preparatory to some contemplated alterations in
the Vagrant Act.
General Sir John Colborne, who occupies so
very important a station at this moment in Canada, is the
hero of the following chivalrous anecdote :—" At the storming
of the heights of Beira, on the Bth of October, 1813, Colonel
now Sir John, Colborne, who commanded the second brigade
of Rifles, addressed his men before leading them up to the
enemy's redoubt, with, ' Now, my lads, we'll just charge up
the edge of the ditch, and if we can't get in, we'll storm them
and fire in their faces.' They charged accordingly; the
enemy fled from their works, and in following them up the
mountains, Sir John, in rounding a hill, accompanied only by
his Brigade Major and a few riflemen, found that he had
headed a retiring body of about 300 of the French ; and whis-
pering to his Brigade Major to get as many men together as
he could, he, without hesitation, boldly rode up to the enemy's
commander and demanded his sword. The Frenchman sur-
rendered it With the usual grace of his countrymen, requesting
that the other would bear witness that he had conducted him-
like a good and gallant soldier l' Sir John answered ibc:
appeal with an approving nod, for it was no time to refuse to
bear witness to the valour of three hundred men, while they
were in the act of surrendering to half-a.clozen."—Random
shots from a Rifleman.
NATIONAL LOAN FUND SOCIETY.—We have
only time this week to call the attention of our West Somerset
readers, and especially those of the middle classes, whom it
more particularly concerns, to the advertisement of the above
National Institution, contained in our first page, and to the
deeply interesting explanation of its principles and details in
the speech of the Chairman, T. L. Murray, Esq., at the
meeting at Maidstone, published in our last page. The vast
importance to society of the principles propounded by Mr.
Murray, will insure for them an attentive perusal by all who
desire to obtain the benefits of life assurance, without the risks
and inconveniences which at present attend it. We purpose,
next week, to detail at length the peculiar features of this
admirable institution ; for the present, we will state only, that
the Directors are anxious to form a Branch Board for West
Somerset, and for this purpose they have allotted to our dis-
trict a few shares, sufficient to constitute such a Board of Di-
rectors, to co-operate with the Central Board. Persons desi-
rous of taking part in its advantages, either as shareholders or
insurers, should apply without delay, for we are desirous of
reporting to the Directors in London that their views have
been carried out in West Somerset, in the establishment of a
Local Board for the management of the aff.drs of the Institu-
tion in this part of the country. To the tradesmr.n and me-
chanic—to all, in fact, whose means are pre nricus, this So-
ciety must be invaluable.—Somerset County Gazectc.