The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-16 00:00:00

MR. SERGEANT ANDREWS.

Yesterday forenoon, Mr. Wakley, M.P., coroner for
the Western Division of Middlesex, and a jury of fifteen
householders of Hampstead, assembled at the Coach and
Horses Inn, Heath-street, to pursue an inquiry into the
melancholy circumstances connected with the death of
Thomas Andrews, Esq., aged 68, sergeant-at-law.
Considerable interest was felt in the proceedings. In
addition to several medical gentlemen, the inquest-room
was also crowded by gentlemen of the legal profession,
and personal friends of the deceased.

The jury having been sworn, proceeded to view the
body, which lay in the sleeping apartment of the un-
fortunate gentleman, at his late mansion on Hampstead-
hill. The wound in his throat was horizontal, about
two inches and a half in length, and of considerable
depth, having completely severed the windpipe to the
extent described.

-"On the return of the jury the evidence was entered
into as follows:

Sarah Priest deposed she was a married woman, and
resided in Medway-street, Somers-town. She was a
nurse, and had formerly acted in that capacity in the
family of the late Mr. Sergeant Andrews. She was
present at the death of that gentleman, which took
place at half-past one in the morning of Wednesday
last. She had been sent for by Mr. Headland,
surgeon, of Guilford-street, on the previous Thurs-
day, to attend on Mr. Sergeant Andrews. On her
arrival she found him in bed, and that he had a wound
in his throat. The medical gentlemen in attendance on
the deceased were Mr. Evans and Mr. Headland. She
attended him from the time she had mentioned up to the
period of his death, but she was wholly incapable of
forming any opinion as to the state of his mind. He
did not object during that period to anything which was
done for him by the medical men, and the only remarks
she heard him make were complaints of great pain in
the head.

The CORONER—Of what part of the head did he
complain ? Witness—He would frequently put his
hands up to either side of his head, and exclaim " Oh,
my head. Oh, the pain is more than I can bear." Mrs.
Andrews, Mr. Willing, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Headland
were present at the time deceased died.
Mr. Herbert Norman Evans deposed that he was a
surgeon, and resided at Hampstead. About half-past
three o'clock in the afternoon of Thursday week he was
sent for, to attend Mr. Sergeant Andrews, who he was
informed had inflicted a wound in his throat. On
going to the residence of the learned sergeant, he
found him lying on a sofa in the front parlour, and
Mr. Willing, a neighbouring chemist, in attendance.
He had a large wound inflicted horizontally in the front
of the throat, and appeared very weak from loss of
blood, although there was not much bleeding at
that time. Witness examined the wound, the pressure
of which enabled deceased to speak, but he did not do
so immediately. I was told that he had been found by
Mrs. Andrews lying on the rug in the front parlour with
his throat cut, bleeding profusely, with ai razor by his
side. That he had been lvizg in bed all day, in conse-
quence of having a bad headache, lie had been seen
there some ehort time betbre by his lady, having nothing
on but his stockings, drawers, and night-dress, and was
found in that condition. On examination of the wound,
he found that it had entered the windpipe, in which there
was a large opening. Thought the case serious from
the first on account of deceased's age, and the fact that
he had been an invalid for many years ; there were,
however, no very serious symptoms, up to the night of
his death. Was sent for by Mrs. Andrews about eleven
o'clock on Tuesday night last, and was then tuld there
had been internal bleeding, but there was only slight in-
dication of such being the case. He sat by deceased up
to a quarter-past one on Wednesday morning, when at
that time he suddenly jumped up in bed, and the blood
poured profusely from the nose and mouth, and in a few
seconds after he ceased to exist.

The CORONER—To what did you attribute the bleed-
ing you allude to ? Witness—To some internal vessel
having given way, in consequence of a violent fit of
coughing with which deceased was seized at the time.
The CORONER—What was the immediate cause of
death? Witness—Suffocation.

The CORONER—So then you do not ascribe it to the
wound in the throat? Witness—l think if he had not
inflicted the wound in his throat he would have been
alive now. I think, however, it was a vessel in the lungs
gave way, and the internal bleeding caused suffocation.
The CORONER—How do you know that it was a vessel
of the lungs? Witness—That was my surmise.
The CORONER—If a vessel gave way in the lungs, in-
stead of the wound :in the throat aiding suffocation, it
would be likely to prevent it by allowing the blood to
escape.
Mr. Headland here stepped forward, and said, as the
medical attendant of deceased for some years, that Ser-
geant Andrews was subject to bleeding of the lungs, but
although that was the case, they had agreed that the
primary cause of death was the wound.
The CORONER said that would not do. The doubt
which Mr. Evans had raised could not be removed with-
out a post mortea4 examination. In such a case as the
present it was of the utmost importance to the family of
deceased and others that the precise cause of death
should be ascertained, and for this purpose the inquiry
must be adjourned.
The inquiry was then adjourned accordingly.

NEW MAYORS.—We subjoin a list of the Mayors
elected at the following places, on Saturday last :
Barnstaple—Robt. Budd, Esq. ; Beaumaris—Thos. Wil-
liams, Esq. ; Birmingham—Alderman Phillips ; Bolton
—John Slater, Esq. ; Carlisle—James Steel, Esq., editor
of the Carlisle Journal ; Chester—Chas, Potts, Esq. ;
Congletoa—J. Bulkeley Johnson, Esq. ' • Exeter—Ald.
Woolmer ; Lancaster—E. D. Salisbury, Esq. ; Leeds—
Ald. Lupton ; Liverpool—Ald. Lawrence ; London
—Ald. Gibbs ; Manchester—Ald. A. Kay ; New Port
Monmouthire)—E. Dowling, Esq, editor of the, M
rlin;
r;eston—Ald. Paley SlogLipov{—Ab3 e
son ; Swa,nseciolku -. John Wilkin-
Edwv4 141•444,vh,• ...,‘rason, Esq. ; Totness—
164.-1:-• —, Esq. ; Wigan—Thos. Eckersley,
—,verpool Mercury.
MIDDLE TEMPLE, Nov. 15.—Mr. C. 11. White-
hurst, recently appointed one of her Majesty's Council,
took his seat this day, as a Bencher of the lion. Society
of the M ddle Temple.