The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-20 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

Yesterday afternoon an inquisition was held before Mr.
Higgs, at the Tavistock Hotel, Covent-garden, on the body
or Mr. James Dignam.
The deceased had formerly been proprietor of one of the
largest hotels in Dublin, but for the last eight years bad
occupied the office of confidential clerk to Mr. Harrison,
the proprietor of this hotel, whose son was about to succeed
him in the situation, which circumstance is supposed to
have preyed on his mind.
William Villiers, a waiter at the hotel, stated the de-
ceased to be about forty years old. -Witness knocked at
his bedroom door to call him yesterday morning at seven
o'clock, but received no answer, and went away. At eight
o'clock he knocked again, and finding he could get no an-
swer he mounted a chair, and by taking off the covering of
the ventilator he could see the deceased hanging from a
cupboard door. The deceased had only his shirt on.
Two letters produced by Mr. Corder, the Vestry Clerk,
having been proved by this witness to be in the deceased's
handwriting, were read.
Both bore the Putney post-mark, date " Dec. 18, night."
The first, addressed to Mr. Robert Warner, one of the
►pr.opridors of the hotel, was as follows :

" Putney, Thursday, three o'clock.
" SIR —How I came here I cannot account for, but am in
bed at the above place. lam ill, and will thank some one to
tell my cousin, Mr. T. Dignam, if he calls before he goes
into the City. I wrote by same post to him. The person
here says I wrote to some one last night ; my head is still not
well. I perceive by the money I have that I did not pay the
Tuesday's receipts over. lam really sorrowful this has
occurred, but the thought of dismissal after the years I have
been there, and refused any other situation, had preyed on my
mind. As soon as I get better I will call and settle or send
the money by my cousin. lam very sorry for any inconve-
nience I have put you to.
( Signed) " THOMAS DIGNAM."
Mr. Warner said the deceased was of weak mind, and it
appeared his services not being longer required had pro-
duced a distressing effect on his nerves. He had always
talked of being well off. His accounts were perfectly
correct.
Verdict—" Suicide during temporary insanity."

MELANCHOLY LOSS OF LIVES.
On Tuesday last, between the hours of three and four
o'clock in the afternoon, a very painful sensation took
place at Harefield, near Uxbridge, in Middlesex, and the
surrounding villages. in consequence of the falling in of an
• extensive chalk pit, situated on the estate of William Mor-
gan, Esq., by which calamity Robert Lamb and Joseph
Geary, both married men with large families, were sacri-
ficed, and Joseph Morris and others, working at the time
in the pit, shockingly mutilated. The event wa- made
known at Harefield by the violent shock
the falling of the immense body of
and
attended
a loud report, similar to the '•
which created
whole of one side of the - • 'mebarge of cannon. The
fortunate men who
pit had fallen in, hurrying the un-
sufferers, na . were at work at the time. One of the
w L
ed Jeseph Morris, was the only individual
ho co . be seen amidst the body of chalk that had fallen,
he was buried up to his chest. His groans and cries
for assistance was most heart-rending. No time was lost
in sending for medical men ; and shortly after-,
wards Morris was dug out, Mr. Paul, a sur-
geon, residing at Rickmansworth, arrived on the
spot, and rmdered the unfortunate man every assistance,
when it was discovered that both his thighs were frac-
tured, and that he had received several severe contusions on
other parts of his body. It appeared that his head escaped
the falling masses, he having ran some considerable dis-
tance, but part of the chalk over-reaching him, he was buried up to the chest, as described. In about ten minutes
after Morris was relieved from his dreadful situation the
body of Geary was discovered, shockingly mutilated, and
quite lifeless. A most affecting scene then took place. The
widow of the poor fellow, who has five orphans, swooned on
beholding the lifeless body of her husband, and was taken
away by some of her neighbours in a state of insensibility.
Within two yards of where Geary was found the other ill
fated man, Lamb, was dug out quite dead, and also pre-
sented a shocking spectacle. The two bodies were con-
veyed to the King's Arms, in Harefield, to await the result
of a coroner's inquest.

INQUEST ON TIE BODIES.
Yesterday morning, at :Leven o'clock, Mr. STIRLING, the
Coroner, and a Jury of the inhabitants, assembled at the
King's to inquire into the circumstances touching
the -..iclancholy occurrence.
The Jury returned a verdict—" That the deceased men
were accidentally killed by the falling in of a part of a
chalk pit."

The occurrence has created a great excitement on the spot.
Mr. Morgan has humanely signified his intention to re-
lieve the widows and families, The third sufferer, Morris,
is considered in imminent danger.

An old lady lately died at Rheenen, aged 104 years,
named Catherine Van Otten, the widow of Gerling Hlarenbos.
She was born at Zutphen, in Holland ; her father, who at-
tained nearly the same age as herself, was in the cavalry, .and
served at the siege of Maastricht. She was not married
until her 42d year, when she had three children, whom, most
probably, she survived, as for the last 20 years she had re-
ceived no intelligence of her only son, who was a soldier.
One of her brothers is still living at Renkum, and is about 93
years old.