The Sun.
London, England, 1820-03-31 00:00:00

COR ONE R'S INQ UEST.

bREADFUL ACCIDENT IN THE SAVOY.
Yestet duty evening, about half past six o'clock
an inquisition was taken at the ,Blue Anchor
pablie-house, in the Savoy, before Hraosp
Eq. Coroner for- the Detchy of Lancaster, 01
view of the bodies of Frederick Windemude,Johti
Smith, and Thomas Stephens, who unfortunatell
met their death on Wednesday morniug, iu con"
sequence of the old walls of the Savoy prisoo
having fallena upon them. The Jury being sworn,
went with the Coroner to take a view of tbd
hodie, which were shockiogly mangled and mu'
!dated. 00 their return:; the following eeidened
Was givene—
Andrew-Menne the. first teitnese, stated, that
he lived in Vauxhall bridge•road, and was a vic4
tundler. He knew the three deceased personsa-4
Windemode was a cow keeper and a carman, re'
sidine in the' Horee-ferry•road, Westminster'
Thomas StePhaus bed formerly been a soldier;
and was lately a labourer in-the employ of wit'
ness. John Smith wasea carpenter, also in Ilia'
employ. On ‘Vednesday morning, about nine
o'clock, the accident happened. Stephens was oe6
of a gene, employed in pulling down the chi
walls, which were a part of the Savoy puison•
They had undermined a part of the wall in the
morning, and witness, when he saw it, thought
it was dangerous ; the wall was • the perchase of
witness ; the upper part came down with a sttd,
den crash, and bnriedThomes Stephens and john
Smith, who was ihspeciing the loading. Winde-
mode was at the time stauding by witness, w.h°
Fegged of h:m to come away ; bet he renteine4
behind to get his cart told horse away, and wlti!°
he was doing so, the wail fell upon and rAri'shea
him also to death. Witness was scratched bl
some of the stones and narrowly escaped. Winde,
mode woold have been saved, had it not been for
his ea-ells to save his horse and cart. Witness
had before this time beets apprehensive of danger
from the eagerness of the men in undermining
the wall and cautioned them against it, .but
the profit they were to receive was in proportion
to the quantity of bricks they got away in a 0;01
time, they went on undermining the wall to get
it down as soon as possible. Every effort tsar
made the motneut the accident happened, to get
the men out, but they were all killed in an in'
start, and were not got out till eleven o'clock.-""
Witness having escaped front he danger, was sq
affected that he was ro know any chili;
flusher of whe,:stied. At the time of the acct'
dent he a •,voman scream out ; he insme'
locked op, saw the wells .failing, and call'
ed to Windemnde to-come away ; but he turned
'round to save his horse and cart, and if he heti
not done so, he would have had tit'r'e to get awnyp
as witness, who was close to him, saved his 'lto
by running away. lie had seen Thomas See'
phens undermining the wall, and witness cure
Bonet! bin) against doing so.
One of the Jurymen now 'exptessed Isis hors
thus this shocking affair would in future operetj
as a caution against the .practice of suffering trws.4
to pall down old buildings it; the way of job' ;
work, by which their lives were continually' id
danger of being sacrificed. Every,temptation iii•
the was .of profit, which was fikefy, to endanger
hornet) life, ought to be carefully avoided,
Mr. Mann, in the most feeling manner and frith
tears in his eyes, declared that no one could hi;
more sorry for wheat happened than.he was ;704'4
that he had given every caution in his power tt)
warn the nnfortunate men of the danger to which
they hadexposed themselves. He said the wall
was very thick, and that' the taking.it.dowei front
the top wpuld have been a tedious.procees.
A discussioa now rook place as to the nccessil
of heating further evidence respecting the cause 0
time death.of thedeceased. One of the Jurymelt
spoke to his having seen the bodies ta4cen out 0,
the ruins. The Coroner, however, thought tti
might be as Well to have some further evidence.
Michael Geraghty was therefore called. fp
said he had been e workman at the building, was
one of the party tvho had the job, and knew tli°,
three men who were killed ; he esearti with sotrdi
others. The reasoo they erafermined the efo/A
wiis, that they could not get it down until they bA7
taken some brinks from the bottom of it • :%.“!
Mann cautioned them against underminin'
well, butt Tom Stephens would persist in takiyr
away the foundation; and just as the wall reds fele,
leg, Mr. Mann cried Out, You are all dead me%
aud he ran away. Witness haul a narrow escal)!
of his life ; and to show the danger belted' bee°
in, he exhibited a severe wound which he. ref;
ceived in his belly. When. the unfortunate Held
were dug out of the ruins, they were all bruisC4
to pieces, their beads and limbs were broken ;r
the entrails of klrindemude were torn out. Wit;
netts saw them all taken out of the roinsVP!,
dead. lie was sure the death was accidentaVe
On questions heiog further put to witness, bedee
-dared that Mr. Mann went .and took a pickaso
from one of the men who was ttederreinitig. L%
wall, in order to prevent him !Tons deoproo
work he was going on twit ..
This witness, although he could neither reaGl
write, gave his evidence with so much clearness
and candour, that all the Gentlemen of the Jura
considering considering the wound he haul received, and I,e( .1
decent behaviour, put down a shilling apiece t:'
his relief.
The Jury being now satisfied with the starer:
fluent of the facts. given in evidence, found a 'vee,f
diet of " Accidental Death," with a deottaud "
one shilling against the owner of the wall.
•

DIED.
On the 21st of March, in King-street, Brvanstonc-scltl",7l;
Miss, Mary E. Martin, eldest daughter of.the late J(Pi).3-
Martin, Esq. formerly his Majesty's Governor of lortl,
rolina. /lir exemplary, amiable, and extellent chars ,e
endeared her to all her Friends, and her loss ‘yill be long tea
vrrely felt by her most afflicted sisters, and deeply lawerlina
by her dearest relations. her father, the late Go/if:01
w In
Martin, as highly distingnished for his loyalty and "' of
spirit in the American War; he raised two Regimentgets
the King itsthe Province he governed ; and, in the Gtq
account of the Battle of Cainden Town, Lord Corm'
test
mentions his gallant and able conduct in terms of the 1.0;*
praise.' fte'
Yesterday, at his house in Finsbury-square acted.
1!"
bert Service, Esq.

Greo
LONDON: Printed hyJ. B. CARSTAIRS, of No. 99, w.
Ortuotid-street, Queen-square; and published hr -sufl
SCRIPPS, of No. 7, South Molton-street, at Tri,6oo
~
Office, No. 112, Strand ; where Adreitisements, t"
Letters, &c. (post-paid) roust b. addressed.

4

fj