The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-15 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Yesterday. afternoon an inquiry of a most singular
and mysterious nature took, place at St. Thomas's
Hospital, before Mr. T. SHELTON, Coroner, rela-
ting to an individual who was styled James Allen,
aged about 42.
It appears that the deceased expired on the way
to the hospital, and on examination by the medical
gentlemen, was found to be of the feritale sex. The
discovery excited the utmost curiosity, and on the
arrival of the Coroner the jury-room was crowded
by the whole of the pupils of the hospital.
The following evidence was taken :
William Shrieve, a sawyer in the employ of Mr.
Crisp, shipwright and builder, of Dockhead.
mess had krilwn the deceased for the last two years,
during which time he had been also in the service
of Mr. Crisp, as sawyer; on Monday afternoon last,
about half-past two o'clock, witness and the de-
cea,ed were at work at a saw-pit, in Mill-street,
Dockhead ; witness WdS on the top, and the decea-
sed was below in the pit; they sawed a large piece
of timber asunder, one part of which fell into the
pit, and striking the deceased on the head he fell
senseless ; witness called for assistance; the deceased
was bleeding from • the mouth, nose, and ears; he
was placed ou a shutter and brought to this hospital,
but he expired on the way ; he was quite sober at
the time of the accident.
By a Juror—l have worked with the deceased
almost constantly ; he had a very weakly voice, and
was without a beard or whisker.

By the CORONER—I always understood he was
a married than, and had been so upwards of twenty-

one years.
By a Juror—Within the last six or eight months
the sex of the deceased was doubted, and the,people
who knew him considered him an hermaphrodite.
By a Juror—l know the wife; she is a very in-
dustrious hard-working woman. I believe she and
the deceased did not live upon happy terms; he
used her ill.

By the CORONER—I call the deceased " he" be.
cause I considered it impossible for him to be a wo
man, as he had a wife.
By a Juror—The deceased and his wife parted
two or three times, which was on account of the
former being jealous.
By a Juror—There never was any children.
Jane Daley bad known the deceased and the fe-
male who passed for his wife a number of e4rs ; wit-
ness never doubted the sex of the deceased till :bout
eight months back, when his Wife said she was
sure her Jemmy " was not a proper man." He, at
least the woman-husband, treated his wife very ill at
all times, and witness often advised her to leave
him, as a worthless good-for-nothing thing, who
was not a quarter of a man.
By the CORONER—I am not aware of the cause
of the deceased and the female living together so
long as man
.and wife. I am sure they were rues-
ried, I have seen the certificate ; the ceremony took
place at Camberwell church.
By a Juror—l cam swear that the wife is a real
woman : I am firmly of opinion that she never knew
man, but is as innocent as my infant grand-daughter.
By the CORONER—I am certain Mrs. Allen did
not find out bow she had been imposed upon till
lately ; she is a woman of ten thousand.
Mr. John Martin, dresser to Mr. Key, surgeon to
the hospital, deposed that the deceased, who was
dressed in male apparel, was brought in on Monday
afternoon, about three o'clock, quite dead ; the
whole of the bones of the skull were fractured,
which was sufficient to account for immediate death.
On subsequent examination witness discovered the
deceased to be a female, perfect in all respects.
The Foreman of the Jury said, that he should
wish to inquire more fully into so extraordinary an
occurrence ; there was no doubt something in the
back-ground which they had not arrived at.
The CORONER observed, that the circumstance
was one unquestionably of an extraordinary descrip-
tion ; but still they had not met to develope it :
their duty only extended to the cause of the de-
ceased's death.
After some further discussion, a verdict was re-
turned—" That the deceased was accidentally
killed." The wife of the deceased was present in
• the inquest-room.