The Sun.
London, England, 1828-07-11 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY INQUEST.

An Inquest, which occupied until ten o'clock laSt
night, commenced yesterday afternoon, at five
o'clock, before Thomas Higgs, Esq. and a respect-
able Jury, at the Workhouse, in Portugal-street, St.
Clement Danes, to inquire into the death of William
Lawrence, aged 45, a bookbinder, who hanged him-
self in St. Clement's watch-house, where he had
been confined upon a charge of a nameless nature,
preferred against him by three boys, named Wm.
Cropley, John Heron, and John APCormack.
Thomas Izlefair, a watchman of St. Clement
Danes, about three o'clock that morning was calling
the hour in Little Shire-lane, when he heard a call
of watch. He turned round, and hastened in the
direction of the call, and found the deceased with
three boys opposite New-court. One of them,
named Cropley, said, " I give charge of this man."
M'Cormack said, " Yes, its all right ;" and the
third said, 'lam a witness." The deceased seem-
ed confounded and half drunk, and was in great ter-
ror and a►arm, and said, " Its false ; its no such
thing;" but he did not make any charge against the
boys. He, however, said he was under Covent-
garden Piazzas with some females when they ac-
costed him. He was locked up on this charge. At
ten o'clock yesterday morning, the witness came to
the watch-house to take him to Bow-street, and
found him hanging by a yellow handkerchief, quite
dead.

Mr. Samuel M`Dougal, of No. 33, Stanhope-
street, proved that the deceased lodged for the last
13 years in his house. lie was a very honest wor-
thy man, but was addicted to drinking, and when in
liquor, in witness's opinion, he was completely insane.
Juror—Was he a man of proper conversation

Witness—Very much so. He was a man of very
superior acquirements, and well read.
William Ingrain, a constable, stated, that the de-
ceased was brought into the watch-house about
three o'clock, charged by two boys, and another as
witness.

Mr. Clarke—Before be was charged, did you ask
him his name or residence ? Witness—l did both,
and he answered me directly. He appeared con-
founded, and said, " I know what will be the con-
sequence; if I.go before a Magistrate I am a ruined
man." . Witness said, " This is a shocking charge."
He replied, "Oh yes, I am innocent of it," and
burst into tears. Witness asked him why he went
with the boys. He said, " I met with the boys in
the street ; but what they say is false." Witness
then asked him why he gave them money. He said
" I thought they were cold." Witness said, one of
the boys said he had received two-pence halfpenny,
and the other fourpence tiree-farthings. The de-
ceased said, "I gave them some halfpence." The
witness told him he must take the charge before a
Magistrate.

A Juror here declared the deceased had been most
disgracefully treated ; he had been foully accused by
three thieves, and then was left in a state of the
most horrible anxiety of mind to commit suicide.
A person said it would be proved the boys were
of extreme bad character.
A gentleman who had Icnown the accused ten
years considered him a man incapable of such conduct.
The depositions before the Magistrate of the
boys, Cropley, M'Cotmack, and Heron, were here
read. .

Cropley was here produced. He was in a most
ragged condition, has no place of abode, or residence
whatever. He commenced his statement by saying
he had met the deceased at half-past ten o'clock, in
Covent-garden Market—(Mr. Higdon proved the
deceased was in his house taking his supper at that
time.)
Cropley was most rigidly examined by the .Jurors,
and his answers left not the slightest doubt but his
statement, as regarded the unfortunate man was false
in every particular.
Mr. Clarke to Cropley—Were you ever at the
bar of the Old Bailey ? Cropley--Yes ; I have been
there.

Mr. Clarke—What for ? Cropley--For bacon.
Mr. Clarke--What was your sentence ? Cropley
--Sevenyears.

Mr. Clarke--How is it that you have not passed
that sentence ? Cropley—My father got me off.
Mr. Clarke—Were you ever flogged in gaol ?
Cropley—Yes ; for the same thing-
Mr. Clarke—How often? ; but
it was for the same thing.
Mr. Clarke---110 you know this man ? (Wheat-
ley, the officer.) Cropley—No, Ido not.
Wheatley—Why, you young scoundrel, you know
me well enough. Cropley--1 don't, so help me
God.

John APCormack, the second boy, then detailed
his deposition. He admitted that he had run away
from a collier. He positively, denied having hatched
up the charge against the deceased; but admitted
he was acquainted with the boy Cropley. The de-
ceased, he said, was drunk.
John Heron, the other boy, was next called.
Being a Roman Catholic, he was put to a most
extraordinary test upon being sworn; he was made
to kiss a wooden cross on a desk, in addition to
kissing the Bible, and then obliged to bless himself
with the sign of the cross. This being done, a
Juror (a butcher) observed, with great satisfaction,
" Oh, its necessary, because he's a cross cove."
This boy turned out, on a lengthy cross-examina-
tion, to be as little worthy of belief as his obdurate
companions, and grossly exaggerated and contra-
dicted the others in many parts of his statement.
After a discussion of great length—
The ConoriErt charged the Jury upon the evi-
dence, and pointed out the admission of Cropley that
he was a villain, therefore his evidence could not be
received as at all worthy of belief in any respect. It
was clear that the unfortunate deceased had de-
stroyed himself in a state of agony of mind produced
by this charge, which he knew would blast his repu-
tation for ever. It would be the province of the
Jury to come to a proper conclusion.
ghaimvese tlhfe infollowing
a state of
o
The Jury-room was then cleared of strangers, and
verdictf.
temporary Theinsa n deceasediafter a deliberation, which lasted a considerable time,
hanged
The three boys are in custody.
t

It is said that another explosion took place at
the Tunbridge Powder Mills on Thursday morning last
about five o'clock, and though the building (containing
only about 421bs. of powder) was completely shattered, no
lives were lost.—Brighton Gazette.
As a proof of extraordinary instinct, it has
been remarked of the hen ostrich that she will roll a few
eggs some distance from the nest, and crack the shells;
these, by the time her young come forth, being filled with
maggots and other insects, form the first repast of her
infant brood.

ANECDOTE.—Not long ago, an honest Gal-
se piety is more to be commended than his
poetry, n the widow of ROBERT BURNS, and was
intol‘looied whose piety
comfortable little parlour in which were
plueineltendrreiyeain those inimitable lyrics that promise to live as long
as our language endures. A lengthened and dreary pause
subscribing .
,t e 1
%d
ina prospectus
the
BURNS,
uvisits
sNi
ts; andof whoread
the s
n i
is
i
used
ensued, broken only by the usual common-place remarks
on the weather, when the man, as if ashamed to sit longer
silent,
his forthcoming drew
businessfrom
pocket
volume
ol aun pirein
the names of a number of individuals who had agreed to
patronise
and wandering authors, requested that her name might be
added to the list, and again all was silent as the grave. At
to
the
length the stranger, after repeatedly fixing his eyes, first on
the ceiling and then on the carpet, stammered out, " Mem,
did your husband repent on his death-bed o' the mony
heavy sins he committed ?" Mrs. BURNS looked at the
man with surprise, as if doubting whether he were in his
solid senses, and hinted " more in sorrow than in angst',
that she was not accustomed to be asked any such imperti-
nent questions. This was what is called a damper, and if
there be any truth in physiognomy, his hardship evidently
felt it as such. Still lie was not to be driven from his pur-
pose ; for, on seizing his hat and rising to go away, he re-
turned to the charge in the following sbape—,4 I own,
Mem, I admire sonic o' your husband's poems, but there's
ithers o' them I dinna like ava." " Awed," said the widow,
as she saw the bardling out of the door, "take care that the
public dinna say the same or maybe something waur a'
y0ur5."....-Dumfries Courier.

BIRTHS.
On the 10th inst., in Portland-place, Lady Jane Peel'
of twinm.

On the 9th inst., in Gower-street, the lady of George
Gregory, Esq., of a daughter.
On the 9th inst., in Lower Perkeley-street, the lady of
Edmund Charles Macnaghten, Esq., of a son.
On the Sth inst., in Upper George-street, the lady of
Major White, of the Hon. East India Company's Service/
of a daughter.

MARRIED.
On the 10th inst., at Westerham, by the Rev. Richard
Board, B. L., Vicar, Alexander David Inglis, Esq., eldei
son of David Dcas Inglis, Esq., of Maiden Park, Surrey, to
Cecilia Wolseley, eldest daughter; and OR the same Jar,
John Jones, Esq., of Portland-place, London, and of Deri,'
Ormond, Cardiganshire, to Charlotte Elizabeth. @moo'
daughter of Thomas Jesson, Esq., of Still Park, Wester,
ba,n, Kent.
On the 9th inst., at Ragland, in Monmouthshire,
Michael William Hansby, Esq., to Mary Anne, eldest
daughter of George Sharp, Esq., late of Camberwell.
On the 10th inst., at Bishopsgate Church, James Cor'
rie, Esq., of Finchley, M.D., surgeon, to Rebecca, daughter
of the nee. John Humphrys, LL.D., of Spital-sqnare.
On the 10th inst., at Woodford Church, by the Re'''
H. W. Rolls Birch, Henry, eldest SOR of Robert BinglaY,
Req., of the Royal Mint, to Hannah, third daughter of tbei
late Daniel Mildred, Esq., of
Woodford, in the county °'
Essex.

DIED.
On the Ist inst., at Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Miss Cate
line Engelhart.
On the 17th of May last, on board his Majesty's pack
the Duke of York, on her way bone from Jamaica,
Excellency Sir Ralph James Woodford, Bart., Goveroo'
of Trinidad, deeply_ and universally lamented.
Onbietosbtehrt Slack,inst. inst., at house, Ardwick-green, Mao'
Chester,
On the 9th inst., at the Rectory, Mary, wife of the Re
John Mnissop, reetor of Hothficld, Kent.
On the .nth inst., at his chambers in the Albany, Cle
ment Cartwright, Esq., aged 65.
On the sth inst., Richard Curtis, Esq., of Clarendo°'
street, Oxford, aged 85 years. 011
On the Bth inst., at Woodhall, near Leeds, Joe'
Tbackrab, Esq., in the 65th Year of his age. the
On the 10th inst., at her house in St. James's-park,
Dowager Countess of Suffolk.
On the 3d inst., in Bermondsey, Mr. John JilltlCS Ie111”
aged 60.

PRINTED and Puousunn by '5l. YOUNG, at the SUN 01'
No. 112, Strand, 4.,uncion.

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