The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-20 00:00:00

struck with the sheath, and I showed it to my servant the
next morning.

By Mr. Ballantine—The hat I wore was a short, stiff felt
ha►, which bad got quite limp by sitting on it on board ship,
and getting it wet through. I had hod it two year, and
it was so shabby I could only wear it at night.
The Coroner then inquired whether the family of the de-
ceased person wished to examine any witnesses ?
Mr. Marshall, solicitor, said that Mr. Edward Gates, the
son of the deceased, wished to be examined.
Mr. Edward Gates, the son of the deceased, said he was
the manager of a glass warehouse, and that he last saw his
father alive on Sunday the Bth of the present month. He
was a painter, glazier, plumber, and wholesale varnish
maker. He was an honest, sober, and upright man, and by
no means violent in his conduct. The landlord of the house
in which he lived could testify to his general sobriety and
good conduct.

Mr. John Wood, of No. 12, Great James-street, Lisson-
grove, grocer, deposed—Knew the deceased person for
five years, during which time he lodged in his (witness's)
house. I generally saw him every night when he came
home. He was, generally speaking, a sober man, but I
have seen him at times the worse for drink, but not very
often. He was very quiet when intoxicated at home, but I
never saw him intoxicated abroad. I never knaw him to
assaLdt any person whether drunk or sober.
By a Juror—l never heard him trifle use of any Scrip-
tural expressions when intoxicated.
Mr, James Wingfield, landlord of the Horse and Groom,
East Acton, examined—l knew something of the deceased
as a customer at my house. I last saw him alive last Mon-
day week, at six o'clock, in front of tny house, sitting in a
chair. He had then the appearance of not being sober. He
had a pot of beer and two glasses of ale. I went to London
while he was there, and never saw him alive afterwards. He
was noisy to himself, and was in the habit of being disagreeable
and interfering in the affairs of other people. I should say
he was of a quarrelsome disposition when in company, and I
have heard the people in the tap-room tell him to go away,
as they did not like his conversation.

By a Juror—lle did not offer to fight with any one that
evening, nor did I ever see him attempt such a thing. I
never saw any weapon in his possession.
John Beach, carrier of Uxbridge, deposed to finding the
body of the deceased man on the night of the Bth inst. a
few yards at the Acton side of the railway bridge. B,fore
he arrived at the spot where the body was lying he met two
men walking away from it, who said, " Mind you don't run
over the man that lies there." Witness said, " Why do you
not move the man out of the road ? " but they walked on,
and I never saw them afterwards. The men were walking
slowly, and did not put themselves any way out of the way.
The young man who was riding with witness then got down
and removed the man on to the footpath. In doing so he
blooded his coat and hands.

By a Juror—The body appeared to me to be lying on its
back.

By the Foreman—The two men who spoke to me were
quite close to the body at the time—about as far as across
this room (some 15 feet). The men did not offer to assist us
in any way.

By a Juror—The men never told me to take up the body
and put it in the cart.

Mrs. Elizabeth Page, landlady of the Six Bells public-
house at Acton, stated that she saw the deceased about 20
minutes to 11 p.m., on the night of the occurrence, in com-
pany with a person named Knight, living in Brentford•
lane. The deceased was not sober at that time, but he was
not quarrelsome. He talked to himself a good deal about

Mr. John Tickner, landlord of the Red Lion at Acton,
deposed—Saw the deceased opposite his house at a
quarter-past 11 o'clock, when the police were moving him
on. He was then drunk, but was well able to walk. He
went off "brandishing" his bundle. He had nothing to
drink at witness's house.

James Tillot, No. 119 T, stated that he saw the deceased
sitting on the ground, nearly oppasite the house of the last
witness, on the night of last Monday week. He was the
worse for drink, and when witness told him to " move on"
he replied," I suppose you want to lock me up." He did not
stagger, but got up and walked away. Witness was sub-
sequently called (about 12 o'clock) to move the deceased
away on the stretcher when he was lying on the road.
Samuel Charles Geary (a lad about 15 years of age), of
Bay Tree House, Acton Yale, said that he saw the deceased
between six and seven o'clock on the evening of his death.
A boy called out to him, " You want a bottle of soda-water,
I think." He then ran after witness, and said, " Come
here, you --, and I will fight you." He was then intoxi-
cated. The boy who called out about the soda-water had
that commodity for sale.
Mr. John Reeves, nurseryman, of Notting-hill, said that
he knew the deceased, who had been working for him about
a month before his death. On the Saturday before the fatal
occurrence witness bad to remonstrate with the deceased for
not having done more of the work he had contracted to
do, and be charged him with having been absent half the
week drinking. Witness only gave him 305., instead of
13, at which he was rather abusive. He subsequently ad-
mitted that he had been drinking, but said that he would
come on the Monday morning at six o'clock, and make UP
fur it. He came accordingly auu rnixea some colours, but
then went into a public-house. That was about eight
o'clock in the morning. Witness reckoned him a very un-
steady man, and he was obliged to look after him very
sharp, though be never saw him intoxicated.l
By the Foreman—There is nothing unusual in a work-
man, when away from home, to breakfast in a public-house
at eight o'clock.

Mr. Charles Preston, landlord of the King's Arms, Acton
Vale, said he had known the deceased 30 years, and that he
lodged with him previous to his dean. Saw him last
alive on last Monday week about half-past 5 o'clock. He
was then " very comfortable," and witness advised him to
go to his work. He was not drunk at the time. He was
generally a sober man, and witness never saw him quarrel
with any one, although he used to hop and skip, which,
however, was nothing when a man was " half tight."
(Laughter.) Some men when in that condition would
clench their fisys and offer to fight a flint stone, but there
was nothing in that. (Laughter.) lie might have alarmed
a person with weak nerves, but witness did not believe he
would have harmed a worm.

Constable Langham, 54 T, said he saw the deceased in
High-street, at half-past 11 o'clock on the Monday night of
his death. He Ras talking to himself rather loudly, and
witness requested him to be quiet. He said, "I mu b2astly
int,xicated, and you can take me into custody if you like."
Witness told him there w•as no necessity to take him into
custody as long as he went his way peaceably. He then
said "Goad night; Geri Almighty bless you ! I wish I
may soon be in Heaven." Nothing more passed. Did not
hear him quarrel with or abuse anybNly.
John Neighbour, barman at the Pack Horse tavern, Turn-
ham-green, said—l remember two gentlemen corning to the
bar of the house, when one of them kad a glass of whisky
and water, and the other a glass of ale. The gentleman
who had the glass of whisky and water afterwards
had a glass of whisky neat. (The witness was then
taken into another room, when he identified Lieut.
Clavering and Ccpt. Miller among several other persons.)
Was certain that the light-complexioned gentleman with
the bushy whiskers (Lieut. Clavering) was the one who had
the whisky and water, and subsequently the whisky neat.
They remained about 10 or 15 minutes—(l cannot he par-
ticular to minutes)—and asked me the way to Acton. I
told them as near as possible a mile. There was no quar-
relling er disputing at the bar. The gentlemen were, in my
opinion, perfectly sober. They said they had started for a
walk, and hail mistaken their way at Shepherd's-bush, and
instead of going down to Acton, had got to Turnham-green.

By a Juror—Were there any suspicious characters about
your house that night?
Witness—None whatever. There was an old gentleman
named Barrett in front of the bar, and they treated him to
4d. worth of gin and water. They gave me ls. to take out
the score, and refused to take the change.
Constable Bownick, 236 T, deposed that Henry George,
groom to Mr. Scott, of Ealing, informed him, as he was
standing at Mr. Barrow's gate at 10 minutes to 12 o'clock,
that a man was lying drunk in the road, and that he had
spoiled his coat pulling him away. Witness went to the
place indicated, and found the man, not drunk, hut quite
dead, lying across the path. He was bleeding ft ono the nose
and mouth. Heard footsteps coming in and saw two grooms,
whom he asked to help him along with the body, but they
refused on the ground that they were in a hurry.
The deceased was quite dead and his eyes were
"fixed." Witness was at the spot a quarter of an
hour before, when all was quiet and no one about.
If there had been any great noise or scuffle witness
must have heard, as he was not altogether two hundred
yards from the spot.

The Foreman of the jury said that it was now well ascer-
tained that the deceased bad very little money on the Mon-
day in question, and that he had not his watch with him.
The Coroner said that no one now supposed that a robbery
bad been committed.

Mr. Linghatn, the surgeon, was recalled, and said that the
wound which had occasioned the death of the deceased was
between seven and eight inches deep. There was no other
wound on the body.

By the Foreman—The wound took a straight direction
across the chest to the heart. 1 t must have been given when
the man had his side to his adversary, or it must have been
given by a left-handed person.
By Mr. Sergeant Ballantine—l have heard the evidence
of Lieut. Clavering to-day, and the wound was consistent
with his evidence.

The witness George (the groom who first found the body)
was recalled, and stated that the two men who called his
attention to the body, and told him not to drive over it,
were about six yards from it at the time. The tallest man
of the two had a stick, or something of the kind, in his hand,
which he was swinging. They walked off the moment they