The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-27 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

On Saturday Mr. Baker, the Coroner, held an in-
quest at the Commercial Inn, Poplar, on the body of
Thomas Mayes, aged 13, a very fine boy, who -lost
his life under the following deplorable circumstances:
William Mayes, of 14, Castor-street, Poplar; said
the deceased was his son, awl worked with him in
the Ratcliffe Dock, at Ratcliffe. On Friday morn-
ing, between seven and eight o'clock, whilst the work
people were raising the lower mast of a ship, he was
suddenly informed that his son had been found lying
on the ground and was bleeeding. He forthwith
proceeded to the spot, and discovered him as described,
blood flowing from his nose, mouth, and ears, and on
lifting up his shattered head, he ascertained that his
poor boy was gone. He removed him with all speed
to a Mr. Buchanan, surgeon, where he was pro-
nounced to be quite dead. A wall separated witness
from deceased, who was stationed to give the word of
command to the men at work at the crane, in doing
which he had frequently to look round the edge of
e
the wall, and whilst so engaged, it is supposed that
theearn
tid
shthicrane
w theall. deceased's
must
No
o suddenly u
sdae l nv
headl
the
severely between that
accident take place., slipped and jerked back,
'Joseph Perry deposed that he worked in the same
yard, and saw the deceased, about three minutes. pre-
viOuS to the occurrence, or to his finding him in the
situation already described, about three feet from the
crane. He heard no cries of distress, and could
only account for the accident happening as stated
by the father of the deceased.
The Coroner having remarked upon the melan-
choly facts of the case, and observing that no doubt
the deceased's death was occasioned in the manner.
mentioned by first witness, although there was no
positive evidence of tha fact, the jury returned a ver-
dict of " Accidental Death."

Mr. T. Wakley, 31.P,' Coroner, held an inquest
at the George Inn, Church-lane, Kensington, on the
boils of Mr. Matthew Orpwood, aged forty-four years,
the landlord of the. above inn, who committed suicide
on Wednesday last.
It appeared from the evidence gone into that the
deCeased had for the last five or six years been much
addicted to drinking, and during the fortnight previ
ous to-his committing the fatal act had not been sober
an hour, although he was able during the major part
of that time to attend to his business as
usual. During these repeated fits of in-
toxication -he was generally very low and dispi-
rited, and latterly he had complained of a pain in his
back, for which he was attended by Mr. Turner, as-
sistant to Mr. Pollock, surgeon, of Bath-place, Ken-
sington. On the morning of Wednesday last he was
from six o'clock attending to the bar, and between
ten and eleven o'clock went into the kitchen to see to
the cleaning of the pots, when he complained of a
pain in his head. About half-past eleven o'clock Mrs.
Orpwood saw him go in the direction of the cellar,
with his leather apron on, and considering he was
attending to the cellar duties his stay was taken no
notice of. About half-past twelve o'clock however,
on his sister going to the top of the cellar stairs to
cut a piece off a flitch of bacon, which was hanging
there, she was horror-struck at finding the deceased
hanging by a rope from the same nail, quite dead.
He was immediately cut down, and surgeons sent for,
hut although blood flowed freely, life was quite ex-
tinct. Deceased has left a widow and four children.
Verdict—" Temporary insanity."