The Sun.
London, England, 1835-10-16 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS•

CURIOUS AND IMPORTANT QUESTION.—LaSt night an
adjourned Inquisition was resumed at the Horse and Groom,
Castle-street, Leicester-square, before Mr. Higgs, on the
body of a newly-born female child, which was found exposed
in an open quadrangle, to which the public have access dur-
ing the day, called Marlborough-yard, in the precincts of
St. James's Palace. •
Mr: Bainbridge, surgeon, of St. Martin's-lane, deposed
to having made a ~a)A•t-nzerteri examiaaticin on Sanday. •ile:
was opinion thi:.l death must ,:av• aeonQduct,cl by vio-
lence of some kind.
A workman proved fading the body in a recess at a cor-
ner of Marlborough-yard, :about seven o'clock on Saturday
morning. It was wrapptal in paper and calico, and tied
round with a tape.
Several soldiers who were on sentry at different avenues
of the Palace, leading to the yard, during the Friday
night, were examined. They statea that after nightfall none
were allowed to pass in the directiom Pf Marlborough-yard
without being challenged, when il' they said they belonged
to the Palace they were allowed to pass: Jt appeared one
female had answered the challenge about eight o'clock in
the evening, and was allowed to pass, but there was nothing
to attach suspicion to. her.
This being the whole of the evidence on the first occa-
sion, the Inquest was, at the wish of the Jury, adjourned
till last night, in the hope of obtaining additional facts.
Inspector Abrahams entered into a detail of his attempts
to find a female who had till lately been cook to a family in
the Palace, and had left far advanced in pregnancy. Some
suspicion existed against this female, but he had been
unable to trace her ; he bad, however, found the person
with whom she slept on the night preceding the finding of
the body.
Susannah Storr, widow, living at No. 5, Little St. James's-
street, deposed that about a forti:ight back, at ten o'clock
at night, she was standing at her door, when a female ap-
plied for a lodging for the night, mentioning a family with
whom she said she had lived in the Palace. Witness
agreed to take her in, and she slept with witness several
nights since. She was very large in the family way, and
was so when witness last saw her on Wednesday evening.
She slept with witness on Friday night, and did not leave
till half-past eight o'clock on Saturday morning. Witness
could swear she then continued pregnant. She does not
know wheie she is now. She left in witness's debt, hav-
ing taken her clothes clandestinely.
At this stage of the inquiry Mr. Simpson, a churchwar-
den of St. Martin's, came into the room, and made a for-
mal protest against the proceedings going on, on the ground
that the body, being found within the verge of the Palace,
the inquest ought to be held by the Coroner to the Royal
Household. The Palace paid nothing towards the poor-
rates, and it was unfair St. Martin's parish should be bur-
Lned with the expenses of the inquest and burial. For-
merly az King used to give the parish 100/. yearly ; but
this gift had been discontinued some years, and he would
admit that the withdrawing ti;;,s gift had something to do
with his present opposition.
The CoRONER said he was not certain the spot was
within the verge of the Palace ; hut whether or no, as the
itipiry had gone already to a great length, it might as well
be eGricluded before the present Jury..
A Jui or said he doubted-whether any verdict they might
give could he legally sustained.
Mr. Simpion instanced the case of Sellis, when the hay
was taken from the verge of the Palace.
1• A Juror observed the spot where the body was found
was in the direct approach to the grand staircase.
The CORONER considered no ill consequence could arise
from their going on with the inquest.
Mr. Simpson objected, as atablishing a precedent by
which St. Martin's" might be s.aaled with ail the dead
bodies from the Palace. The questio.l was of great impor-
tance, as all the residents claimed exem}:tion from rates as
being within the verge of the Palace.
The CORONER ultimately consented to adjourn the in-
quiry, in order to ascertain whether he had power to hold
the inquest or not. -

Yesterday morning, at eleven o'clock, an inquisition was
taken before Mr. STIRLING, the Coroner, and a respectable
Jury, assembled at the Thatched House Tavern, Lower-
road, Islington, on view of the body of a respectable young
woman, named Jane Figgess, between 19 and '2O years of
age, whose death occurred under the circumstances men-
tioned in our paper of yesterday.
Mr. George Kimber, of No. 5, Amwell Terrace, Pen-
tonville, brassfounder, stated that he was distantly related to
the deceased by marriage. Her parents were living at An-
dover. She was between nineteen and twenty years of age,
and was a most exemplary and good girl. Witness saw
her for the last time alive about a week ago, when she ap-
peared in good health and spirits.
Mr. Whool, of Park-place, Barnsbury Park, Islington,
stated that the deceased had lived in his service for upwards
of two years. She was at first -ak ' -te of
health, but within the last sev'
considerably better. Her con,
highest possible commendation
servant with her. Their parer
ple. On Tuesday afternoon,
ceased left home, having leave
holiday, as was usual for her e
much shocked at hearing of It
Verdict*" Died by the Vise

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