The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-13 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR LONDON BRIDGE.
—On Wednesday Mr. Bal.er, the Coroner, and a Jury,
assembled at the Queen's Head public-house, in High-
istreet, Poplae, to investigate the circumstances attend-
ing the death of Charles Seaward, aged six years. the
on of Charles Seaward, Esq., of Chatham-place, Black-
friers, who was drowned on Saturday last near London
Bridge, with two other children, his sisters, as they
were about to embark from a boat on board the Gem, a
Gravesend steam-packet.
On the arrival of the CORONER, he inquired of
Thompson, the beadle, where th,:. body was lying.
Thompson repied that it was lying at the dead-house,
near Poplar workhouse.
The Jury then proceeded to view the body of the
little boy. It was somewhat decomposed, and there
were several bruises visible on the body.
When the Jury returned to the inquest•room, the
brothers and brothers-in-law of Mr. Seaward represented
to the Coroner that it was unnecessary to inflict an ad-
ditional pang on the feelings of the afflicted parents by
holding an inquest in the present instance, especially
after what Mr. Payne, the Coroner for the City of
London, had expressed when holding an inquest on the
sister of the deceased on Tuesday evening.
Mr. BAKER said that he should be extremely sorry to
add additional pain to the feelings of the bereaved
parents, but he must inform the gentlemen that if he had
been aware of the circumstances of the case, be should
have ordered the removal of the body to London-
bridge on Tuesday night. The beadle, however, had
not stated the particulars relating to this unfortunate
transaction. The children were immersed in the water
close to London-bridge, and they night have floated
down the stream into his district, which commenced at
the Tower, before they were suffocated. The probabi-
lity was, however, that the children met with their
deaths near the bridge, in the city of London.
Mr. Seaward, the uncle of the deceased children,
then asked the worthy Coroner whether it was his in-
tention to bold the inquest. The body of the third
child, a little girl, was picked up by a waterman named
W ebbe, on Tuesday night, and had been conveyed to
London-bridge.
The CORONER said that he should certainly not press
the inquiry, as nothing could possibly result from it, for
the history of the death of one child was that of all
three. It would be useless to hear the evidence again,
for it would be exactly similar to that heard on Tuesday
evening before the City Coroner.
The Foreman begged leave to state that he perfectly
agreed with the decided opinion expressed by the first
jury, that the boats at present used by the Thames
watermen were unsafe.
The CORONER said he had no doubt of that, but he
did not see how the evil could be remedied ; the boats
of the wetermen generally were improving, but great
numbers of them still used were very defective boats,
and many of them wanted repair.
Mr. Seaward then inquired of the Coroner whether
they would be safe in burying the body.
Mr. BAKER said he had no doubt the City Coroner
would at once grant certificates for the interment of both
children. he should discharge the jury impannelled in
this case without hearing any evidence.
The gentleman who so courageously jumped into
the river on Saturday last when the accident hap•
pened, and succeeded in spying the nurse and an infant
from a watery grave, is named Heathcote. He has
not at all come forward in the matter, and is indeed
reluctant that his humane and intrep.d act should be
spoken of.

HORSEWHIPPING A TOLL COLLECTOR
On W( dnesday Captain Philip Clark, of the 9th Roya
Lancers, stationed at Hounslow Barracks, appeared be.
fore Mr. Pilkington the Magistrate, on a summons charg
ing lt:m with having horsewhipped Benjamin Howell
one of the collectors at Hammersmith turnpike. Howe]
deposed, that on the night of Sunday, the 2d instant
about four minutes after the clock had struck twelve
at which hour it is usual to shut the gate, the defendant
came up with a " four-in-hand," which he was driving
rod pulled up on the Kensington side of the gate. Corn
plainaut went up to him, and asked him for the toll. De,
lendant said he had paid it at the Kenssngton gate
Complainant asked him to show the ticket, or to
state the number, but he could not. He, how.
er, ultimately showed a ticket, but that was several
days' old. While witness was examining that ticket bi
tic lamp of defendant's carriage, and telling him that it
was not the proper ticket, defendant said, youi
eyes, open the gate." Complainant said he would no:
until he had the ticket or the toll, when defendant instanth
raised his whip, and with the thong, which was doubled.
struck him violently on the head, which cut him under the
eye, at the same time repeating " _ your eyes, open
the gate." Complainant then looked for a policeman, tal
could not find one at the moment. One, however, ulti-
mately came up, and saw where defendant Lad cut biro
The defendant then, after much contention, wrote his
name and address on the back of one of the tickets, paid
the toll, and was let through. Captain Clark, in an'wer
to the charge, said his servant had paid the toll at the
Kensington-gate, it having struck 12 before tie passed
through. The comphunant stopped him, and was very
insolent, on which he struck him. Complainant was full
a quarter of an hour before be would take the toll or let
the carriage through. He bad no witness to prove that
the toll had been paid at Kensington.—The defendant
was fined 51.
A LADY AND HER DAUGHTER DROWNED,
—A dreadful accident took place at St. Malo lately,
A lady, the directrice of the Monsburge post, was walking
on the quay, accompan;ed by her two children, a boy,
aged nine years, arid a girl aged about eleven, when, en
fortunately, approaching too near the edge of the quay,
the little girl fell into the water, drawing with her the dis-
tracted mother, who, holding her son, dragged him also
into the water. Several persons seeing the accident
dashed at once into the sea to save the lady and her chil-
dren, but unfortunately they succeeded in saving only the
boy ; the lady and her daughter were brought on shore
corpvs.—Jersey Paper, Aug. 7.
We are happy to announce that our excellent
and popular townsman, Wm. Brown, Esq., of the firm of
Messrs. Brown, Shipley, and Co , will contest the Ever.
ton ward in the Reform interest this year. The high
character of Mr. Brown, and his popularity, cannot fail to
lace Lis return beyond doubts.LiverpOol Chronicle.