The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-26 00:00:00

FATAL OMNIBUS ACCIDENT.

CHARGE OF FURIOUS DRIVING.—YeSteFday afternoon
an inquest was held before Messrs. Gell and Higgs, the
Coroners for Westminster, at Charing-cross Hospital, on
the body of John Snesby, aged 36, a drayman, in the
service of Sir Henry Meux and Co., brewers, who was
killed by a Brentford omnibus, the driver of which is
now in custody.
Mr. 0. Heritage, house-surgeon of the Hospital, said
that on the 13th inst., deceased was admitted, in an
insensible state, but no marks of violence, except a slight
scratch on the back was visible. He soon recovered
his senses, but he gradually sunk under the internal
injury he had received, and died on Thursday last.
A post mortem examination was made, the result of which
proved that death was caused by rupture of the spleen
and kidneys. The wheelof an omnibus would be likely
to cause such injuries. John Read, a drayman, said
that on the afternoon of the 13th inst., he was in a dray
belonging to the brewery of Meux and Co., passing out
of Rupert-street, and going towards Coventry. street.
Deceased was leading the first horse round the corner
of Rupert-street, and, at the same time, endeavoured
to make way for two omnibuses, which were racing
to pass in the same direction. The first omnibus, driven
by William Rhedei, and the property of Mr. Powell,
knocked the deceased down by striking him with the
splinter-bar, and the two off wheels passed over his
body. Witness saw the omnibus with which &ceased
was struck driven from its proper side of the street
to the side opposite, to prevent the second omnibus
passing and as the horses: of the first were galloping,
the driver could not stop them before deceased
was knocked down and run over. If the driver
bad kept upon the proper side the accident would not
have happened. A Juror remarked that the wooden
pavement was used at the spot where the ac-
cident occurred, and being wet at the time it
was difficult to pull up suddenly. Police con-
stable 76 C, said that the horses were trotting fast, but
not galloping. He thought it furious driving, and that
the driver could not readily pull up. The two omnibuSes
were racing. Wm. Mills, driver of one of Clark's Pim-
_ _ _

, -
lico omnibuses, said that Rhodes was driving 'at the rate
of only six miles an hour ; that his omnibus was not

driven across the road, and that it was the trace of his
own dray which knocked deceased down. Mr. T. Win-
ter, a passenger in the omnibus driven by Rhodes, gave
evidence to the same effect. The inquest was adjourned
until Wednesday evening next, that evidence more con-
clusive might be brought forward.

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE.—On
Sunday evening last Gainsborough was the Scene of a very
serious domestic tragedy. A girl of the name of Louisa
Middleton, servant to Mr. Thornhill, butcher, had been
for some time very intimate with the deceased, Thomas
Wilson, and they were shortly to be married; but on Sun-
day morning lastt after leaving chapel together, they had a
slight quarrel, and the girl told Wilson to go about his busi-
ness, she would have no more to do with him; and on the
evening of that day she left her old lover, and took a walk
with a mason who has lately come to Gainsborough to
work. While on their walk they were met by her lover
Wilson, who just as they were passing him, struck her
on the breast violently, and made off directly. Wilson
had struck her with some sharp instrument, which en-
tered her. breast. and caused a considerable loss of
blood, but unattended with danger. The girl took no
further steps in the business that evening ; but the
family of Wilson became alarmed at his Ron-appearance,
and on Monday morning his body was discovered suspend-
ed from a tree in a garden near the house where the girl
resided. No doubt he had intended to murder the girl ;
and, under the idea that he had inflicted a mortal in-
jury upon her, committed suicide. An inquest was
held on the body on Tuesday, when it was found that
Wilson had stabbed himself with his own pocket-knife,
which he had then put in his pocket, where it was found
with the blade covered with blood. From some other
singular circumstances attending the affair, the Jury re-
turned a verdict of " Temporary Insanity."—Doncaster
Chronicle.

POST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS AT CHA-
RING-CROSS HOSPlTAL.—Previous to the commencement
of taking the evidence at an inquest held yesterday at the
Charing cross Hospital, and immediately after the Jury
had returned from viewing the body, one of them, ad-
dressing the Coroner, said, ho wished to know by whose
authority the body had been opened previous to the in-
quest.. He put the question, as he had been on several
inquests there, and on all occasions he found that the
body had been opened without asking the relatives' con-
sent, or on any authority from the Coroner. His bro-
ther jurors, as well as himself, had often animadverted
in strong terms on such a practice. Dr. Golding, who
was present, said he was very glad the juror had asked
the question in his presence, for he had often heard that
gentlemen who were in the habit of sitting as jurymen at
that Hospital were averse to bodies being opened before
they viewed them.. He could assure the gentlemen pre-
sent, that it was not to satisfy idle curiosity, hut merely
to give the most extensive information as to the cause
of death, and thereby save a great deal of their (the
jurymen's) time, by not having to adjourn for a post
mortem examination. He was willing to abide by any
suggestion of the Coroner. The Coroner said, that on
all future occasions, it would be as well to get the consent
of the relations of the deceased person before a post mor •
tem examination was made. Dr. Golding said he would
see it attended to, and the conversation dropped.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE RIVER...—
Yesterday morning, about eleven o'clock, a fatal accident
happened on the river, off kin; Edward-stairs, Wapping,
by the running down of a ship's boat belonging to the
collier brig Monarchy, of Whitby, Robert Kilvington,
master. It appears that three coal-whippers in the em-
ploy of Mr Crawford, a respectable licensed victualler in
Wapping-wall, and a boy named George Kemp, belong-
ing to the brig, were crossing the river in the boat, and
attempted to pass between the London steam tug and a
schooner she was towing up the river, but owing to souse
mismanagement they came athwart the bows of the
schooner, and the boat capsized, throwing them all into
the water. One of the men could swim well, and sup-
ported himself till he was picked up, by clinging to the
boat, which was turned bottom upwards ; the other men,
who could not swim, struggled hard in the water, and
were picked up in a dreadful state of exhaustion. The
boy Kemp unfortunately perished. A boat rowed to-
wards him, he was seen struggling in the water, and the
Waterman tried to grasp bins and missed him, and the
boat went over the poor lad. Boat-hooks and oars were
put down, and every means used to save him, but he
sunk, and was never seen afterwards. The coal-whippers
were taken ashore at New Crane Shadwell, and the boat
was soon s
ia n his
afterwards
)p.eitierk.ed up uninjured. The boy
Kemp
ENGLISII OPERA.—Monsieur Laurent, jun.,
took his benefit last night at this theatre, at a concert
conductnuunmdebrertsle uLiliiantlyte
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ard. Thel%" , I lichprlovgarsaminmpoint of
e of the
performance was most attractive,
and the enjoyment of
the audience seemed to keep pace with the popularity of
the clever young musician whose benefit they had come
to patronise.

THE GALE ON THE COAST OF FRANCE.—"A
fearful gale of wind arose at Boulogne•sur-lfer early on
Thursday morning, accompanied by torrents of rain,
Amongst other disastrous occurrences a small sloop or
cutter was driven on the sands, where she remained fast
aground. The crew were fortunately saved.