The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-25 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

SUSPECTED MURDER.—On Saturday an inquest
was held at the Bridge House beer-shop, in the Old
Kent-road, on a young woman (name unknown),
whose body, with marks of violence upon it, was
found in the Surrey Canal.
After a brief inquiry, a juryman remarked that as
there was so much suspicion about the case he thought
it would be advisable to postpone the inquiry, in order,
if possible, to procure further evidence. The body of
the deceased, with severe marks of injury about the
face, had been found, and it appeared to them (the
jurymen) that before coming to a decision respecting
the causes of her death, which there were strong
grounds for supposing to have proceeded from violence,
there ought, if possible, to be further testimony
brought forward.

In this view of the case the CORONER coincided,
and the inquest was accordingly adjourned until
Wednesday, (to-morrow.)
As no persons have yet come forward to identify
the body of the deceased, and as it appears she is
totally unknown in the vicinity of the Surrey Canal,
a description of her dress may lead to a discovery of
who her friends are, and probably tend to bring other
matters to light, bearing on the future investigation
into the circumstances of her death. When taken out
of the canal her dress was as follows :—A straw bon-
net with plait, trimmed with white riband, and flowers
underneath on each side; a challis gown with green
and white stripes on a buff ground ; nankeen stays,
and a shift with the initials " S. S." marked on the
bosom part; she had a pair of new shoes on her feet,
and in her pockets were found several duplicates re-
lating to property pledged at the shop of L. Lloyd,
Strutton-ground, Westminster. The articles were
pledged in the name of " A Mayling."
Last evening an inquest, adjourned from Friday
last, was resumed before Mr. HIGGS, at the One Tun,
Perkins-rents, Great Peter-street, Westminster, on
the body of Mary Fleary, aged 65.
Mr. John Wright, M.D., of Princes-court, West-
minster, said he had examined the body, but could
not detect any opium, or appearances of that poison.
The brain was in a very congested state, which might
arise from the action of the poison, mental excite-
ment, or simple apoplexy. From the morbid appear-
ances of the other parts of the body he thought the
deceased had taken laudanum, but he could not speak
positively.
John Holland, of No. 36, Bowling-green-lane,
Clerkenwell, the son-in-law, detailed at great length
the delinquencies of the deceased, and produced 22
duplicates relating to his property, which the de-
ceased had pledged. On Tuesday week last he spoke
to her about it, and the day following, unknown to
him, she left his house, atter thrusting a number
of tally bills, duplicates, &c., into the fire, and he had
not seen her since. After her departure he ascer-
tained that she had had tally bills in his name, and
by some means had become security for the loan of Si.
from a Loan Society, 4/. of which she had retained
herself. The Secretary of the Society had told him
that if she ever came back he would prosecute her for
a fraud. On Friday last, he received the following
letter from the deceased :—" I have ruined myself by
becoming answerable for so many people, and to
drown reflection I have taken to drink to great excess.
Mary Fleary." He had heard that she had followed
it up by drinking great quantities of brandy and ale.
She was a woman of strong mind, but after she left
his house had nothing but a workhouse or a prison
before her eyes. He had not the least doubt but she
suffered great mental excitement.
After a long deliberation the Jury returned a ver-
dict—" That the deceased died from congestion of the
brain, but whether produced by taking laudanum,
mental excitement, or natural causes, there was not
sufficient evidence to show."

A " Dr. Smith, of Liverpool," as he styles himself,
has been making curious pretensions in London about
a superior method of educating pauper girls. As he
could not even remember the name of the village at
which he said he had resided near that town, we have
made some inquiry respecting him of Mr. John Smith,
the well-known lecturer on the Smith and Dolier Helps
to Education, andon Geographical Science, who is lec-
turing in Hull at present. That respectable gentleman
assures us, that though he is, and has been, a resident
householder of Liverpool almost all his life, he never
heard of such a person as Dr. Smith, or of such plans
as he professes to pursu .—Hull Packet.
I)EATII.—On Monday, at Kangaroo Point, Mr.
"Trios Allender, one of the oldest inhabitants of this
island. He was 97 years of age, 30 of which he had
served in the Royal Navy with gallantry and credit,
having been captain of the foretop of Lord Rodney's
ship, the Formidable, in the splendid victory of the
12th April, 1782. He made the adventurous. passage
to Sydney with dispatches to Governor King in a
whale boat upon the formation of this colony, for
which he was thanked in public orders. He died of
the gradual decay of nature.—New South Wales Paper.
CHINESE KITE-FLYING.— Of out-door games among
the Chinese, kite-flying is the most popular. In this
the Celestials excel ; they show their superiority, as
well in the curious construction of their kites, as in
the height to which they make them mount. By
means of round holes, supplied with vibrating cords,
their kites are made to produce a loud humming noise,
like that of atop. The ninth day of the moon is a
holiday especially devoted to this national pastime, on
which day numbers may be seen repairing to the hills
for the purpose of kite-flying.
Tut: BANK PARCEL ROLII3ERY.—At the Hull Ses-
sions on Thursday, Francis Fortune, late cashier of
the Agricultural Bank at Hull, was found guilty of
having stolen a parcel,containing 8701., in bank notes,
WhiCh he had been entrusted to take to the Post-office
at Hull to send to York in July last. He was sen-
tenced to 1)3 transported for seven years.