The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-18 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS DEATH AT HAM

MERSMITH.

On Saturday the inquiry in this case again resumed.
Mr. Howell, a solicitor, of Welshpool, attended to
watch the proceedings on behalf of deceased's family ;
an 1 I;ispector Morgan, T division, and Sergeant Scot-
T 21, on the part of the police.
The first witness called was—

Anne 11 heeler, a middle. aged female; whose face bore
evidence of her having been engaged in a terrible en-
esunter with some person, bo'h eyes being blackened
down to the michile of the cheek, the other portions of
her lace showing bruises and lacerations, extending
down to her neck. She had an infant, about two
months old, in her arms. She deposed that she was a
single woman, and had lived with the deceased as bis
wire for nearly four years. On the night of Saturday,
the 9th inst., she went to bed about three o'clock. The
deceased had fits in the daytime, and had become right
afierwards. At three o'clock deceased went down stairs
to get a pipe, when he told her to get into bed to the two
children, which she did. Deceased remained down stairs
about a quarter of an hour, and then came up and sa,',
&tin by the fire and smoked his pipe until about four
o'clock in the morning. Did not then see him again
until five o'clock, when she heard his son sav, " He's
gone ! he's gone !" and she instantly jumped- up and
untied the handkerchief, and loosened his neck and laid
him on the floor.

By the Jury—Deceased and witness had quarrelled in
the afternoon of Saturday, but not that night. The son
did not inflict the injuries on witness's face.
Mr. Thomas Griffiths, surgeon, deposed that he had
made a post mortal': exam nation of the body of the de-
c. ased, and from the appearances he found he had not
the slightest doubt that the deceased died from strangu-
lation, arising from hanging. Deceased was a remarkably
fine man ; witness had never before seen a person with
muAcular power more fully developed.
The DEPUTY-CORONER—Are you quite sure, from the
examination you have made of the body of the deceased,
that he could not have been strangled by others, and
placed by them in the position in which he was found ?
Mr. Griffiths—l am quite sure on that point.
A Juror—Supposing that the deceased became acci-
dentally strangled, during one of the fits to which he was
subject. and that prJduced insensibility, would not the
appt arances he had described be the same ?
Mr. Griffiths replied that he should doubt that the
deceased was strangled during a fit which might produce
insensibility, as the marks showed that strangulation had
occurred during fife.
Mr. Howell then addressed the Deputy-Coroner,
saying, that from the information he had received, he
believed that means had been employed by the son and
Wheeler to iefluence the deceased to draw up a will in
her favour. He hsd come up there on the part of the
deceased's family, in consequence of another will, which
was in the hands of Mr. Howell, at Welshpool, to see to
the funeral of the deceased, but he found that a subse-
quent will had been executed by which Wheeler would
be largely benefited, as she was to receive 501. immedi•
ately, and also a sum of 521. per annum. By that will,
he was precluded acting. There was, however, an
informality in it.
The DEPUIY-CORONER here interrupted Mr. Howell,
by saying that he could not go into that part of the in-
quiry, that was a matter which must be settled in another
court.

Mr. Kmell deposed that he was a butcher, and that on
Saturday evening defendant came to his shop about ten
o'clock; he was very rational, but much excited. De-
ceased said he had been very much ill treated in his
house, and that he would get rid of the set he had about
him; and that if witness knew the state of his heart he
would pity him. Witness believed deceased's excite-
ment arose from Wheeler having had meat at witness's
shop without his knowledge. Witness was not surprised
when ho heard that deceased had destroyed himself.

Thomas Richards was next examined, and corrobo-
rated the evidence of the son and Wheeler, and swore
most positively that there was no scuffling in the bed-
room during the night.
Elizabeth Richards deposed that she lived next door to
the deceased. On the night in question, while she was
in bed, she heard violent scuffling in the deceased's bed-
room, which was only separated by a thin partition. It
commenced about eight o'clock in the evening, but from
nine o'clock there was great disturbance until about half-
past three o'clock on the Sunday morning. Deceased
and Whi elk r talked very loud. It was about the trades-
men's books. It commenced about some beef and beer
which had been put down without deceased's knowledge.
Wheeler swore she had not had it. Deceased went out,
about it, and returned, saying she had had it, but she
again swore that she had not.
The DEPUTY-CORONER here asked Mrs. Richards if
she did not think from what she had heard that the de-
ceased had died by his own act?—Mrs. Richards replied
she did not think the deceased bad hung himself.
Tae DEPUTY-CORONER said that was all imagination.
There they had before them the evidence of a medical
gentleman of known ability and character, who had
most positively expressed his conviction that deceased
had hung himself. He would not go into the case any
further, and if the parties were not satisfied they might
take the matter to the police court. The Deputy -Coroner
then proceeded to address the jury, contending that there
was full evidence before them that the deceased had hung
himself, and desired those jurors who were in favour of
a verdict—" That the deceased hung himself, being at
the time in an unsound state of mind," should hold up
their hands, and that those in favour of—"Feund
h .nging,,, but how he became so, or the state of his mind
at the time, there was not sufficient evidence to show,"
to ha.l.up theirs. Two hands only were held up for the
first verdict, and seven for the second. The other jurors
did not vote.
trangers were then ordered to withdraw.
During the interim, Mr. Howell took the witness
Harrison into another room and questioned her very
ulosely as to what she had heard, and at the conclusion
he said there must be another further examination into
the matter, which was a most mysterious one.
The public were re-admitted in about half an hour, and
The DtPUTY-CORONER said the jury had returned a
verdict, " That the deceas(d had died from hanging, by
his own act, and that he was in a state of unsound mind
at the time he committed the deed."
The verdict excited the greatest surprise.

WHY ARE NOT OUR RAILWAY CARRIAGES

WARMED?—It is now nearly two years since this ques-
tion was first propounded. Since that time railway
carriages in America have been heated; and during this
winter some of the Belgian and French companies have
also adopted means to warm their carriages. Have any
Eng:ish companies taken up the scheme? No, not one
that we know of. Some may ask, is the thing practi-
cable? or will it pay? It is easily practicable, and it
will ply be•ter than any other outlay on any line adopt-
ing the plan. The swift boats on the several canals have
long had the scheme in operation—to warm their best
cabins. Copper tubes, about four feet lung and six in-
ches in diameter, are filled with hot air, and laid
on the cabin floor; these will preserve and give
out heat quite sufficient for comfortable warmth
during a space of five or six hours. Indeed
we have travelled with one for eight hours, the
water unchanged, and there was a comfortable heat at
the end of the journey. How, you may say, can this
plan be applied to carriages ? Nothing easier. In all
carriages a narrow recess or box may be made across
and under the floor where the passengers feet rest,
betwixt the seats, but parallel with them ; and if the
make of the carriage frame will allow of an outside
opening to put the hot-water tubes, they may be fitted
with doors. If this is not practicable, let the door be in
the floor, and be perforated, shutting over the door, and
then covered with the mat or carpet ; this will equalise
and diffuse the heat. One or two stations will require a
boiler to heat the water ; there must be tubes to hold it,
and the present staff of porters would place them in the
carriagesi in a few moments, even in the longest train.
Twehatnlherof going
to London, or elsewhere, this cold
R. warm all the way, and warm feet at the end. r, would you give an
extra shilling for such a
blowy ?—Liverpool Journal.THE
J
Dublin, and assumed 14.—Major-General
his Roval Highness Prince George riTeof Cambridge, K.G., has
in
succession commandt of the troops
arrived in
has also arrived in Dublin.
..e-
-013.1...liteennant-General
in the Dublin district,
Wyndham. Captain the lice. J. %V
de-camp to his Royal Highness,
MR. LAING, THE EX-MAGISTRATE._--It stated:
that Mr. Laing has been appointed magistrate for Australia,
and that he leaves England next week to assume his ap-
pointment in that distant colons.