The Sun.
London, England, 1819-09-14 00:00:00

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1819.

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.

[FURTHER PARTICULARS.I

CORONER'S INQUEST.--Yesterday afternoon RD
Inquest w•+s held at the Unicorn, Covent-garden,
before ANTHONY GaLL,Esq. Coroner, on the body
at Mrs. Mary Ann Burnell, aged 35, wife of an
Officer in the Army. The inquest excited eonsi•
derable interest in the neighbourhood, anti the
Jury-room was crowded to excess by respecta-
ble persons, anxious to ascertain the nature and
result of the case.

0»e of the jurymen appealed to Mr. Gen-, the
Coroner, to be informed whether any person
whatever, bad a right time after the Jury and Co•
wrier were accommodated ?

The Coroner replied, most certainly, the Jury
ought first to be accommodated, anti other per-
sons-Blight to give way to them ; but they were
there doing justice—it was an open Court, and
every person, as long as there was sufficient room,
bad as Mach right there as themselves.
Mr. _Edward Spragg, printer, of 27, Bow-street,
being sworn, stated, that he never before saw illy
deceased to his knowledge, until yesterday morn-
ing about six o'clock, when he was called'ont of
his bed by sonic persons residing in • Martlert-
•court, Bow-street ; they informed him that a fe-
male was at the top of his printing-office, ap-
partnily deranged ; he went out and -saw that she
was there in a very perilous situation. Site only
bad on her night gown and petticoat, and was
kneding on the poodles.--She had endeavoured
to get through, a \vindow of the ick's Head
Tavern, Bow-street, prior t.it arriving there. He
sent for the Garrick's HeVl servant, who came,
and getting in *the loft, endeavoured to persuade
her to come down; She answered, "-No, no, I
will. not ; I ~tm here .uuder the protection of God,
and l am happy I have made my escape." She
was in such a dangeroas sittration that no person
could possibly render her any assistance. At about.
o'clock, Mr. Hirlson, a perfot met newly engag-
Drury-lane Theatre, who was intimatek, ac-
quainted with the deceased, came on mein,; sent for,
and persuaded her to come down, on which she
said, " nothing should ever untke her ;" and al-
though .he was a friend she threw the tiles at him.
Soon after she consented to come down with much
persuasion ,on an understanding that she should not
be confined. She came down very carefully, and
was taken into the printing-office, where a large
clasp knife was lying on a piece of Iron plate;
she seized. it, and threatening to murder any
body who interfered with her, brandished it over
her head ; she got to the door, and Mr. Spragg
laid hold of her arm to prevent her going out, but
she made a rush -and went into the court ; she
ran along Martlett-court, down Drury-lane,
through Marquis-court, where site ran into Mr.
Roache's, the theatrical bookseller's, and from
thence site proceeded to Brydges-street, followed
by allow thirty persons. On arriving near Exe-
ter-stteet, she stabbed.hersell two or three times
in the side. She was taken to the shop of Mr.
Greaves, a sergeon. ..Witness followed ; she was
bleeding profusely.. A young man who had taken
the knife from the' deceased's side gave it to wit-
ness. Site died shortly after. While the surgeon
.
was examining the wound she told him it was of
no use to attempt to restore her, and made use of
other words.

John Timer, of Duke's-court, Bow-street, de-
posed to having seen the deceased on the top of
the house of Mr. Spragg, and he assisted in get-
ting her down. lie followed her into Brydges-
street. In Drury-lane the waved the knife, and
said to the people, " It you attempt to touch me,
I will stab, yott,broogli the body ;" at this time
she ,vas nearly in a stare of nudity ; in Brydges.
street she stabbed heeselt under her breast ; she
was about a yard from witness at the time. On
observing the act, he ran towards her, and pulled
the instrUment from her side. She exclaimed,
" 1 said .1 would do it, and now I have done it."
Viritness assisied het tO a. surgeon's.
Mr. Charles Augustus Hudson, of Drury-lane
Theatre, deposed, t'lat he ha.d knoWn the de-
ceased about six years ; she was a married lady;
her husband is an Officer in the At my ; they lived
together; there was now and then a trifling•dif-
rereuce between them, but not of.any seilinus
kind ; he believed it chiefly arose in consequence
of dilfereoce-of persuasion, the decraied being a
strict Roman Catholic and her husband a Pro-
testant. The elect-ased latterly had been an Ac-
tress ; she performed at the Brighton Theatre,
under the management of Mr. Brunton, and went
by the assumed name of Belfield. He always ob-
served a flightiness and inconsistency of conduct
about her, especially within the last three weeks;
site spent the day with him on Tuesday, when
'she came to town ; she slept at the Garrick's
Head, but during her stay in town she princi-
pally victualled with his family; she was not in
want of money ;- her fatuity was of great respec-
tability. Thursday night she went in a coach to
Mr. Morris, of the Haymatket Theatre, to ob-
tain an order for admission ; he was very much
engaged and could not be seen ; on which site
ordered the coachman to drive to Greenwich,
without having any business there. She after-
wards said she had .walked about all night., The
Jury returned a Verdict—" That the (Imamd
put an end to her own existence, being at the
time in a state of insauity."—The deceased was
a fine looking woman.

COMMON COUNCIL ADDRESS.—The PRINCR RE.
GENT has appointed Thursday next, at two O'CIOCk,
for the Sheriffs of London to wait upon him at
Carlton House, to learn his RoyAl pleasure as to
eceiving the Address of the Common Council,
respecting the late proceedings at Manchester;
and it is understood that the time appoitqed, will
4e et, art early hour on Friday morning.

LONDON SE. SIGNS.

IRON CoPvrNl.—Edward Jacob Bridgman was
indicted tor having assaulted Jacob Frewin, one
of the Pari§h Officers of St. Andrew's, Holborn,
in the execution of his duty. The defendant was
patentee of the newly-invented iron coffin, about
which there has been so •innc,, discussion, and on
a refusal to inter a body, because•it was inclosed
in one of his coffins, the assault complained of
was committed.

A conversation took place between the Re-
corder and Mr. Walton!, upon the practice Of
burying in'iron coffins, in which-he stated that
much inconvenience must arise from it, especially
in sthall Church-yards, where the groves' would
soon be filled up to.the surfate.
The defendant denied this, and said that the
coffins being made of sheet iron, would be eaten
up by rust as soon as the corpse would be de-
vourcu by worms. The proce-ss would be much
quicker than was generally imagined.
Frewin, the prosecutor, gave au account of elte-
disturbance, and said that stones and mud flew
about in all directions ; the defendant, in going
up Holborn-hill, gave hint a desperate blow in
the month.

Mr. Bridgman, in his defence, said, that the
action was brought at the instance of the parish,
in order to serve as a cloak to the violence com-
mitted upon him; that he had been seized in the
churchyard, In the performance of his solemn
duty, by eight parish officers, among whom was
the prosecutor, who abused him in the most ruf-
fianly manner; that he was pinioned by 'two men
at each side, and that the prosecutor held him
by the collar, and behaved with extreme violence
towards hint ; that the prosecutor struck him
with his staff on the head, upon which he turned
round to speak to him, on which Fiywin ,aid,
" Wha; ! would you strike an Officer ?" The de-
fendant added, the Officers who conducted him
along were most of them intoxicated, for there
bad been a parish feast that day; and that Fre-
mil himself was at a loss, at Guildhall, how to
in'roduce a charge, which he at last brought un-
der awkward' citcum3tanees.

Bridgman, a relation to the defendant,
stated, that he had followed the . defendant up
Holborn, had seen Frewin strike him, and that no,
resistance had been wade.

Two other • witnessed deposed to the same
effict.

The REcoaDER, in summing lip, said alit those
who (lid not wish to bury their friends in wooden
cofliEs., might ceilainly put them in iron ones,
but he thought it only fair that they should bo to
the expence of interring them in vaults.
The ‘iefenclaut was Acquitted.