The Sun.
London, England, 1817-12-17 00:00:00

CORONLR'S INQUEST.

An Inquest was yesterday -taken by Jago
mETT;Esq-Coroner of the County of Surrey, oil
view,of. the, body. of Mr. Joseph Wells, jun., of
TwiAenham, Who had been' missing since the
,evening of the 27th of -November last, under cir•
cumstances which excited considerable interego
and some alarm in the neighbourhood :
' John Coken, of Brentford; waterman, deposed, that he wat
with two assistants fishing in Mortlake-reach, about 4.o'cloclt
'on Saturday, last, when they discovered a dead body entangled
in their net; that they immediately brought it on shore, and
conveyed it to the Ship-inn : lie afterwards understood that
it was recognised as the body of Mr. Joseph. Wells, juti., of
Twickenham.

Mt. Joseph Wells, of -TwiCkenham, farmer, deposed, that
the deceased Was his son, and previous. to his death resided
with him; that he Was iu the habit of assisting him in his
businesi; and on' the morning .of Wednesday,. the 27th. of
November last, was to take with the horse and cart a load of
potatoes to the residence of a Gentletnan in Grovenor.square;
that about 5 o'clock on the morning in question the•deceaseti
came into his bed-room, and observed that as it was a very,weS
morning, he would take the great coat, and that he was then its
perfect health and good spirits; that he expected his return
from town abdut. S or 6 .o'clock in the afternoon ; and that as
he did not come home, during the evening or night, know'
ing him to be a young man .of generally sober and steady
habits; he became alarmed for his safety, and very early on
the following morning he went on the high-road to town in
quest of him. 'At Kensington he received intelligence of
his having received eleven pounds,; and of his having been
seen afterwards drinking at a public-house at that place, so,
as to become much intoxicated; but that he had kit Kensing,
ton at half-past eight o'clock in the evening, with the horse
and cart; on his way home. The deponent afterwards neaid of
the horse and cart having been found without a driver during
the preceding-night, by a watchman, at the entrance of Brent-,
ford , and of their having been taVen to the Wagon 4.ocitiorSe9
in that neighbourhood, where he found the.:.; that- evert
inquiry and search was made afterbis'son ; and in k hoe neat
Strand-green, at a distance of a few brim:lrv. yards/auto the
river, there was found the hat which the diseased had on the
morning he left home, but that he could gee -no tidings what,
ever of hint until the evening of Saturday last, when Lee lieard
•f his having been found 'in Mortlake reach ;'that he believed
the sum of 10/. 18s. and some' halfpence which were its the
pocket of the deceased at the time he was found, was al the,
property he could have had about hint at the time be left
Kensington.
Mr. Shillito, of Putney, surgeon, who had been called uPtitt
to examine the body of the'deceased, deposed, that, he. could
discover no marks whatever of blows, or of any ,external
violence, upon the body; he stated that the body appeared to
have been a considerable tune in the • water, and he believed
death to have been caused by suffocation from drowning.
Mr. Palmer, apothecary of Mortlake,•. who had been called
teethe deceased when he was found, concurred in the same
Opinion.

The Coroner recapitulated the evidence, with
come appropriate remarks, when the Jury imule.
diatoly delivered a verdict of—Found drowned and
suffocated.