The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-23 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUESTS.

•
FATAL FlGur.—On Monday evening the Jury which
was impaneled Hore Mr. Wakley on Saturday morn-
ing last, re-assembled at the Duke of Wellington,
Brighton-street, Cromer-street, to investigate the cir-
cumstances attending the death of Ttionias Barker, a
cab-driver, aged 24, who died in consequence of a pu-
gilistic rencontre with Henry Presdee. a barber. The
inquiry was adjourned, for the purpose of Presdee, who
is in custody, being brought forward. He, however,
was not forthcoming, Mr. Combo, the Magistrate of
Hatton-garden Police Court, before whom he had been
examined, refusing to give any order on the subject.
CORONER—You find, gentlemen, that we have got
to that stage that we must have some proper course
to pursue. I cannot see why the accused is not brought
before this Court. It was the duty of the pace who
had the man in custody to have brought him before this
Court before taking him before the Magistrate at the
police court. Yet the constable gives hes message to
the Magistrate, and no order is made. The statute
of Edward required that the accused should be brought
before the Coroner, and he could be committed by him
to the common gaol. But this was the practice some
hundred years before the law was passed relative to Co-
roner's Courts. It was comparatively of modern date
that Magistrates at Police Courts possessed the powers
they did, hut long before that the Lord Lieutenant, the
Sheriffs of Countief, and the Coroner exercised the en-
tire judicial proceeding. I am determined to oppose at
the threshold any invasion of his prerogative, and, in
maintaining the privileges of my Court, I proceed upon
no vindictive motives. In this view, should I receive
the consent of the Jury, I will adjourn this inquiry, and
of the
'lNvlileltirnoptobleitainnteProvlaiel Commissionersea!)inls(llytotothteheSecretary of State.
The inquest was then adjourned till Tuesday, the
29th Septemb:r, and the jury and witnesses were bound
over to attend on that day.
SUICIDE AT WATERLOO-BRIDGE.—Last evening an
inquest was held at Charing cross Hospital, before Mr.
Higgs, on the body of William M'Nabb, a bread and
biscuit baker, of "3, Eagle-street, Red Lion-square.
Thomas Rowe, a constable of the Thames Police,
said, that on the 26th of August last, between 11 and
12 at night, he was on board the Thames police-station
boat in the river, near Waterloo-bridge, when he heard
a splash in the water, and almost instantly a man
called to him that somebody had jumped off the
bridge into the water. Witness got out a hoot, and
succeeded in getting the deceaz,ed out. The deceased
struggled violently to plunge in again, and exclaimed," Oh,
aly God, let me i.!ie." Witness procured assistance,
and the deceased was rowed to the Dolphin at Hunger-
ford and then taken to the hospital. A razor was
found in the lining of his coat. The deceased appeared
• to have been drinking.
Sarah Sarah M'Nabb tle. wife of the deceased, said he was
much addicted to drinking,
and was frequently almost
mad with intoxication ; but be never threatened to de-
stroy himself.

Mr. John Woo!eot, the hove-surgeo said, that
to which several of
upon the deco ti'sasc aom.ssion, he was examined, and
foulti to have received soth severe bruises ; in addition
hn,
the spine were fractured. The deceased bad thrown
himself into the water where it was not deep enough toe
drown him, and, b‘. the rills, and the lower portion of
coming in contact with the ground,
received the above injuries.
He died on Saturday
,
- tvgnt last. v e rA: et .i.r empotary insanity.

CURIOUS CALCULATIoN.
1 taken on the 19th of August of the number of carriages, of
various descriptions,William-strect,
which passed King
London-bridge, from
eight the morning till eight in the
:—Frorn eight to nine o'clock, 903; eveningfront nine to
ten, 997; from ten to eleven, 895 ; from eleven to twelve,
1,015 ; front twelve to one, 984 ; from one to two, 806 ;
from two to three, 905; from three to four, 975 ; from four
to five, 1,053 ; from five to six, 81') ; from six to seven,
771 ; from seven to eight, 894: total, 11,010 This aver-
ages 97 an hour, or 15 in every minute • and it is fair to
presume that there is no street in the world where so many
carriages pass and repass in one day. On September Ist
several persons were enpged in order to ascertain the
number of foot passengers which passed the same place
from eight in the morning to eiht in the evening, and the
result was as follows :_.From eight to nine o'clock, 3,600;
from nine to ten 4,460; from ten to eleven 4.380 ; from
eleven to twelve, 4,620; from twelve to one, 3,900 ; from
one to two, 3,840; from two to three, 4,200 ; from three
to four, 4,480 ; from four to five, 5,280 ; from five to six,
4,480 ; from six to seven, 3,945 ; from seven to eight,
6,720 ; total, 53,505. This statement will be found equal
in number to 4,4553 per hour, or 74
in every minute.
The number of persons supposed to pass in and with car-
riages (averaging two to each) amounts to 22,020, which,
added to the above, makes a total of 75,505 passengers in
twelve hours.

There was a fall of snow in several parts of the
North of England on Tuesday night week ; the mountain
tops near Amblesidc and Keswick were covered some
inches deepon Wednesday morning,
but it melted away
before night.