The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-27 00:00:00

MURDER AT EXETER.

EXETER, JULY 26.—The body of a young gentleman
named Bennett, was on Saturday last taken out of the
river Exe, close to the City. fie was missing during the
day, and from its being known that he had been in the
neighbourhood of the spot where he was found, a search
was immediately instituted, and at half-past five the body
was taken up. His watch and money were gone, and
from the appearance of his head he evidently had re-
ceived some tremendous blows. The bridge of the nose
was broken, both eyes were blackened, the forehead was
bruised above the right eye, and the lips were bruised
and cut by being pressed against the teeth with violence.
A Coroner's Inquest was fixed for this day, but the
Coroner has decided on holding the inquiry with closed
doors, as very important evidence is expected to come
out. A man is now in custody who, it is rumoured,
committed the offence ; and a woman of ill fame is said
to have confessed having seen the murder committed.

FATAL AFFRAY BETWEEN TWO PRIVATES
OF THE SCOTCH FUSILIER GUARDS.

Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held before
Messrs Gell and Higgs, Coroner and Deputy Coroner for
Westminster, at the Feathers, Grosvenor-place, on the
body of Alexander Bremner, aged twenty-one, a private
in the second battalion of the Scotch Fusilier Guards.
Mr. Thomas Richardson, assistant-surgeon to the regi-
ment, said that he saw deceased about ten o'clock on the
morning of the 17th inst. at the regimental hospital,
Grosvenor-place, to which he was brought from the St.
George's barracks, Charing-cross. Deceased was then
insensible and vomiting, and exhibited symptoms of having
recently received very serious injury to the head. Witness
attended him to the 22d, when hedied. Since death wit-
ness had examined the holy internally, and discovered a
transverse fracture of the left temporal bone, about three
inches in length, apparently by a fall against some sharp
body. That injury was certainly the cause of deceased's
death. By Mr. G ell—l conversed with deceased before
his death. He told me he had no recollection of having
fallen down, and made no charge against any person.
Edward Jones, a private in the same battalion with de-
ceased, said, about nine o'clock on the morning of Sa-
turday, the 17th instant, I was in the barrack-room of
St. George's barracks. Deceased and about nineteen
other privates and a corporal were at the time in the
room. Deceased said he had lost his clothes-brush, and
asked every one in the room if he had got it. No one
answered. He particularly asked private James Blis-
sett whether he had got it, who said " No," and
shortly afterwards left the room. In Blisset's absence
deceased found his brush in the former's havresack, and
then strewed all the other things that were in it on the
floor. When Blissett returned and saw his things scat-
tered on the floor, and, having been told that it was de-
ceased who had so scattered them, he began quarrelling, and
said, "I will do something for you," on which deceased
replied, " Two can play at that game." Bissett appeared
to be in a great rage, and sat down on his bed for four
or fivo minutes. The corporal then left the room, and
the moment he did Bissett got up, and walked silently
across the room towards deceased, who had one foot
(the boot of which he was cleaning) on a bench,
and, seizing him by the throat with the right hand,
and placing the other on deceased's loins, he threw
him down, and fell upon him. Deceased fell back-
wards
over the fender, and his head struck strongly
against the hearthstone. By the Jury—The fall rendered
deceased insensible. He became black in the face. Bissett
seeing what he had done became deadly pale, and the per-
spiration flowed down his face profusely. He seemed
frightened at and sorry for what he had done, and tried
to lift deceased up. Ido not think he meant to injure
deceased, but merely to throw him down. They were
usually on good terms. As speedily as possible deceased
was conveyed to the regimental hospital. Verdict, after
corroboratory evidence having been adduced, " Acci-
dental death," the Jury requesting that their censure
might be conveyed to Bissett for what they considered
his cowardly conduct towards a defenceless fellow-soidier.