The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-17 00:00:00

THE INQUEST.

The Jury assembled about one o'clock in the steward's
room, where the remains upon which their verdict was to be
founded were collected in a box for their inspection.
Mr. L. Thomas, a surgeon, examined—l have examined
the bones now produced. They are the bones of a human
being. They were all found together or nearly so. They
consist in part of a portion of the lower jaw, and from its
peculiar formation I have no doubt it was that of the late
Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury. There were also
found portions of nearly all the bones. I have known the
I,,ady Salisbury many years, and have attended her profes-
sionally, and, therefore, feel myself competent to speak as to
thd identity of the jaw bone. I remember Friday, the 27th
of November last. The fire broke out at Hatfield House
that night. I was there about six o'clock. The deceased
was staying there at the time. The bones now produced
have evidently been burned by fire.
Elizabeth Nutley, one of the housemaids in the establsh-
ment of the Marquis of Salisbury—l remember Friday, the
27th of November last. There was a fire at Hatfield
House on that night. It broke out a little after five
o'clock in the afternoon, either in the deceased's bed-
room or in her dressing-room. I had occasion to go
to her apartments a few minutes before five. She was
then writing at a table in her dressing-room. Two
candles were burning on the table. They were in large up-
right candlesticks. She asked me for a third, which was
in a flat candlestick, and which I brought, and put on the
table. The table was a kidney table, and rather narrow.
I left her writing. _Her jewellery was in her bed-room,
which adjoins her dressing-room. She was perfectly well
when I left her, and no one was in the room with her.
About six o'clock Mrs. Brown, a needlewoman at work in
the house, came down to the housemaid's room, and told
us there was a strong smell of fire in the west wing. Two
or three of us immediately ran out to endeavour to trace
the source of it, and in a short time we went to the de-
ceased's bed-room. On opening the door we found it full
of smoke. The deceased was in the room at the time, and
has not since been seen or heard of. Several articles of
jewellery now produced I recognise as having belonged to
the deceased, particularly part of a chain-which she had on
when I went into the room with the candle. I also recog-
nise a pair of nail scissors, now produced, and a portion of
the flat candlestick I took in to her. As I went up stairs
I opened the door of the room occupied by her maid. The
maid was there, but there was no fire, except that which
burned in the grate.
Nicholas Hellwin, cook in the service of the Marquis of
Salisbury, and Esther Brown, gave evidence to the same
effect.

Without hesitation, the Jury brought in a verdict of—
" Accidentally burned to death."
With one of the articles stillremaining undiscovered, viz.,
a bracelet or necklace, there are some peculiar circum-
stances connected. It had been a present from Charles
11. to one of the Cecil family, and came into the- possession
of the Marchioness. It was stolen some time back from
Hatfield House, and could not be found for a considerable
time. About two years after the theft it was seen on the
neck of a Lady, an acquaintance of her Ladyship, into
whose possession it came by purchase. It was thus re-
covered, and there is still a hope of again recovering it.
There could not have been, and there was not, any hesi-
tation as to the verdict, the articles found having been com-
pletely identified as having belonged to the Marchioness,
and no other person who resided in that or any other part
of the house, with the exception of her Ladyship, being
missing.

Though the Coroner, upon consideration, thought it the
most advisable course to keep the Court closed, he most
readily, and with personal inconvenience to himself, com-
municated the whole of the evidence. It is well known
that in all cases of inquest, this Gentleman never closes
the Court, unless under circumstances of a very peculiar
nature.

LEITIL—SHIPWRECKS.—We regret to announce
the total wreck of the brig Violet, Calder master, of this
port ; and what adds to the calamity, is the loss of the
master and four of the crew. The Violet shipped a full
cargo of Spanish wines at Cadiz, and sailed for this port
about the beginning of last month, and when off the coast
of France, on the Ist instant, she encountered a severe
gale of wind, under which she laboured for some time, till
the winds and waves obtained the mastery, when she went
to pieces on the rocks, with, as we have stated, the loss of
five of the crew. The ship and cargo were insured. Fears
are entertained for another Leith vessel, bound as above,
with wine from Cadiz to this port. She has been missing
for some time, and the utmost anxiety prevails regarding
her fate. The Albion, from Rotterdam to Leith, while
crossing the North Sea, was struck on the 23d ult. by a
heavy sea, which immediately laid her on her beam ends ;
in this condition she was abandoned by all hands, but was
afterwards picked up by the brig Ceres, who succeeded in
towing the leaking vessel into Scarborough. The cargo
consisted chiefly of cheese, which, if not broken, will not
be much damaged.

EFFECT OF RAILWAYS ON TILE VALUE OF
PROPERTY.—The prospect of the speedy construction of
the Dundee and Forfar Railway, has had the effect of
raising the value of property in Arbroath. Several pro-
perties have lately changed hands, at prices which they
would not have nearly brought a few weeks ago. As an
example, two properties at the harbour were disposed of
by judicial sale, in Edinburgh, about a fortnight ago—the
one was put up at its proven value of 6201., and after a
keen competition was knocked down for 9601. ; and the
other was put up at the proven value of 8601., and sold
for 1,1901. Another property, also at the harbour, which
was bought some years ago for 800/., has since been sold
by private bargain for 1,200/.

CONNAUGHT DINNER TO O'CONNELL.-At
this moment a requisition is in progress, calling a public
meeting to take measares for entertaining Mr. O'Connell, as
early as possible, at a grand provincial dinner in Conndught.
We believe that the requisition originated by the illustrious
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, who watches with
parental care over the temporal as well as the spiritual in-
terests of all who are entrusted to his charge. Martin J.
Blake, Esq., M.P., is giving to the requisition his earnest
attention, and Mr. Bodkin, M.P., is doing the same. The
venerable Bishop of Galway has entered with his charac-
teristic zeal into the patriotic project ; and there is no
doubt that in every part of the province it will be hailed
with delight and promoted with vigour.