The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-23 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

Yesterday Mr. NEWMAN, the Coroner pro tem.,
and a highly respectable Jury of the inhabitants of
Farringdon within, assembled in the Committee-
room of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, to inquire
into the circumstances attending the death of Mrs.
Eleanor Thompson, aged 49.

. -
James Thompson, the husband of the deceased,
was a hair-dresser, and lived at No. 25, Cock-lane,
West Smithfield; he had been married to the de-
ceased about 12 3ears, and she had borne him three
children, two of whom died about 12 months ago,
within a shot t period of each other. His wife be-
came dreadfully afflicted in her mind at the loss of
her infants, upon whom she Gloated, and ever since
she had laboured under a strong aberration of intel-
lect, and had some short time before taken a large
potion of poisf,n, but its effects were speedily coun-
teracted by the assistance of a medical gentleman.
She had co sooner recovered from this attempt,
when she rus!ied into the street with six razors
opened in her hands, and proceeded across Smith-
field, here she was stopped by some friends who
knew her, and brought her home in safety. On
Sunday last he went out in the morning, leaving
her at home ; she, requested he would return as
soon as he possibly could, as she felt very unwell.
lie did return early, at about four o'clock, when, on
going up stairs, he found her lying upon the floor,
when life was found to be quite extinct. She was
a particularly sober and industrious woman, and was
respectably connected.

CORONER—Did you discover any weapon or any
poison in the room ? Witness—No, Sir, I did not.

I found this letter. It was addressed to Mr. Will.
mott, Chelmsford, Essex:—
"My dear Brother,—l am surprised you did not answer
my letter I sent to you, but I suppose you think me not
worthy of the trouble, but perhaps yo❑ think I ant not so
had as I u•as. I was forced to be exposed to so many
women whilst I was in the hospital, that my husband has
thought so little of me ever since that I cannot live. My
dear brother, I have a wish, which I hope you will fulfil,
pray don't let me be buried by the workhouse ; pray let
the hospital have me rather than let me be buried by the
parish ; but look, brother, you have not seen me for a long
tune. I see my dear father, Oh God! that deprives me
of my senses, brother

help to spare my dear children, to separate then' from me
was a crime, I cannot bear it any longer. God has wished
I shall not have one chid more than another

May Heavirn bless my young Lord Adolphus, may he
prosper and be hapdy, but I cannot. My dear lady did
get roe a place, but I did not take it, which was my down-
fall—but Illy dear brother I don't know what I did—l
cannot say any more. My dear brother, I hope you are
well. My child died last night, and I cannot bury it. I
wish you would. God bless you, my dear brother, lam
your lovirg sister,

" ELEANOR THOMPSON."

CORONER—Who does the unimppy woman mean
by young Lord Adolphus? Witness—She alludes
to young Lord Adolphus Londonderry, whom she
nursed.

Mr. George Soulsby, had math, a post mortem ex-
amination of the stomach, and there could be no
doubt but she had taken some corrosive matter,
which had destroyed the intestinal canal, and had
caused death.

The Jury returned a verdict that the deceased
poisoned herself in a state of insanity.

Yesterday an inquisition was taken before Mr.
CARTTAR, at the sign of King Henry VIII., High.
street, Lambeth, on the body of Joan Freeman,
aged 67.

—William Exdale, of Doughty-place, Lambeth,
knew the deceased by sight only. On Saturday
evening, about eight o'clock, he came into his shop
and asked for a pennyworth of pudding, with which
he served hirr.; the deceased said, " I always buy a
piece of pudding as I come by your shop," and was
in the act of biting the pudding when he suddenly
fell backwards and expired.
Mr. Thompson, a surgeon, stated that the dc-
ceased died by the rupture of a blood vessel.
Verdict," Died by the visitation of God."

Another inquisition was taken, before Mr. IltGcs,
at the Light-klorseman, Orange-court, Leicester-
square, on the body of George Gardner, aged 32.
John West, a coal porter, stated that between 11
and 12 o'clock on Monday morning witness was
standing near the arched entrance to Great Scotland-
yard, when deceased came up, apparently in good
health, and said " John, how are you ?" and almost
in an instant fell backwards and expired.
Verdict—" Died by the visitation of God."

We understand that it is intended to have a
preliminary meeting of the manufacturers of this town
early in the ensuing week, preparatory to a public one, for
the expressing to Ministers the present distressed state of
the manufacturing interests of the country, and particularly
av regards BirM ingh a tn. —Birm inewn Journal,

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,

MANSION-HOUSE.

Yesterday a practice, which has for some time
existed amongst the sheriffs, was complained of in
the Just ice-room by Mr. Mohler, jun., who appeared
upon the part of a prosecutor to demand a sum of
money to which the sheriffs laid claim as forfeited
to them by the conviction.

The circumstances were as follow :—A young
man, named De Witt, was tried for robbing Mr.
Boutellier, a clerk in an assurance-ofiice, of 75 sove-
reigns. Mr. Cope, the Marshal, and Daniel For-
rester, apprehended the thief, and found secreted in
the kitchen of his father's house 20 sovereigns, nine
of which had been marked, for the purpose of lead-
ing to the detection of the robber. No doubt what-
ever was entertained that the 20 sovereigns were
also the property of the prosecutor, and the prisoner
was convicted. Mr. Cope still held the 20 sove-
reigns in his hands, but was required by Mr. nob-
ler, jun. who had conducted the prosecution, to de-
liver up to him the amount for his client. Mr.
Cope had, however, received a caution from the
Under-Sheriffs not to hand over the sovereigns to
the prosecutor, as the Sheriffs considered them their
own property. This order very much perplexed the
Marshal, who wished to get rid of the sovereigns,
hut was apprehensive of being made responsible in
a Court of laW if he attempted to act in the case.
He therefore held the money in order to have the
judgment of the Lord Mayor on the matter.
Mr. Hobler jun. said, that the conduct of the
Under-Sheriffs, in persevering in their demand, was
not warranted by law, and he hoped that the Lord
Mayor would discountenance it altogether.

The LoRD MAYOR had no doubt at all in his
mind, as to the Injustiliable nature of the deten-
tion of the property. The prosecutor had most
certainly a right to the sovereigns, both marked and
unmarked, which had been found.

Mr. Cope felt greatly embarrassed 1:y the double
demand made upon him. The Sheriffs:considered
themselves entitled to money in consideration of the
conviction of the prisoner, and the prosecutor
claimed it upon the plea that the prisoner had robbed
him of a great deal more. He (Mr. Cope) wished
to be relieved from the troublesome responsibility.
The LORD MAYOR said, that in his shrievalty a
shopman at Flint's was convicted of having robbed
his employers of goods to a considerable amount;
1001. in money was found on the prisoner's person,
and the moment the trial was concluded the Sheriffs
ordered the money to be handed over to Mr. Flint,
as it was considered that the property of which that
gentleman had been plundered had been converted
into the money. The Judge, upon the occasion,
stated that Mr. Flint was certainly entitled to the
whole of the money.
Mr. Sheriff Copeland afterwards entered the jus-
tice-room, and the LORD MAYOR addre,sed him
upon the subject.

The Sheriff stated, that the prosecu•or V-as no
doubt entitled to whatever property he could iden-
tify, and there were nine of the sovereigns to which
he could swear: those nine the prosecutor should
certainly have, but he believed the Sheriffs were
the owners of the rest.

The LORD MAYOR thought that such a doctrine
would very serionNly interfere with the administra-
don of justice. No man would go to the trouble of
prosecuting if his property were merely to be 011113-
ferred from the thief to the Sheriff. It did not sig-
nify to the prosecutor to which of them his property
should be allotted.

Mr. Sheriff Copeland, after some further conver-
sation with the LORD MAYOR, said he would take
care that strict justice should be done in this case.

BOW-STREET.

Yesterday William Banks, James Smith, Samuel
Cottrell alias Emery, and John Johnson, five men
charged upon suspicion of having been concerned in
the burglary and outrage committed in the house of
the Rev. William Warrington, of West Monkey,
in November last, were brought forward, in order to
be re-examined before Sir R. BIRNIE. The exa-
mination was appointed for ten in the morning, but
it did not commence until one o'clock, the delay
having been occasioned by the non-arrival of the
Rev. Mr. Warrington and his lady, in consequence
of which, the case being incomplete without their
evidence, the final examination was postponed until
Friday next. Mr. Adolphus was also expected to
have been present to conduct the prosecution, by di-
rection (it was said) of the authorities of the Home
Mice. The Learned Gentleman, however, was not
present, and the case against the prisoners was con-
ducted by Mr. Isaacs, who became connected with
it in consequence of information given by Joseph
Barnett, the Jew " fence," now in Newgate under
sentence of transportation for life, for whom Mr.
Isaacs appeared upon his trial at the Old Bailey.
Harriet Eliza Smith stated, that she was wife to
Edward Smith, now is convict under sentence of
death in Newgatc. Some time in November last
she was in a public-house, called the Two Brewers,
at the corner of Playhouse-yard, Whitecross-street,
The prisoners, Smith, Banks, and Cottrell, were
there also. The prisoner Smith asked her husband
if he would go to the place.
Sir R. BIRNIE—What place ? Witness—Where
they were going that night. Smith asked my hus-
band to go with him in something.
Sir R. BIRNIE—And did he do so? Witness—
Yes; they all went away together, and when they
returned the next day they brought with them a
brown coat and a broach.

The prisoner Cottrell here exclaimed that it was
an infamous thing that a woman, whose husband had
been cast for death, should be allowed to come for-
ward, and swear men's lives away.
The witness continued her evidence, and stated,
that the prisoner Smith said in her hearing that
" Fanny had made the balls all right," by which
she understood that he meant pistol-balls.

Sir R. BIRNIE—Who is Fanny ? Witness re-
plied that she did not know.
[lt may be necessary to mention here, that at the
time of the burglary the Rev. Mr. Warrington had
in his service a young woman named Fanny, who
was suspected of having extracted- the balls from her
master's pistols, previous to the entry of the thiever.
Fanny was taken into custody on suspicion, and
underwent several private examinations; but al-
though nothing transpired to warrant her further de-
tention, she is still suspected of having " put up"
the robbery.]
Sir R. BIRNIE asked if the witness thought she
should know the brooch again, which she had seen at
the public-house in the possession of the prisoners ?
The lirooch was here handed to her, and after
examining it she said it was something like the one
she had seen before, but not having it in her hand,
she could not swear positively to it.
The prisoner Cottrell said the whole case against
the others and himself was got up by Mr. Isaacs, to
save Barnett from being transported. It was nothing
less than a vile conspiracy.
Benjamin Somersby, the boy in the service of a
fishmonger at Ilamptomcourt, met a horse and a
chaise early on the morning of the robbery. The
chaise was driving towards town, and three or four
men (one of whom was the prisoner Banks) were in it.
Sarah Barnett, wife of the convict Barnett, now
in Newgate under sentence of transportation, stated
that her husband, Who carried on the business of a
dealer, and she were living at No. 10, Fore-street,
Finsbury-square, about ten months ago, when Banks
came one morning to their house, and offered for
sale the brooch now produced. He had with him
at the time a brown coat, which he also offered to
sell, but her husband would not buy it.
Martha Trevallion and Ann Hewett, in the ser-
vice of Barnett, corroborated the evidence of the
last witness, with respect to the offer of Banks to
dispose of the brooch and coat.
Mr. Isaacs said, that this was all the evidence that
could be produced at present.
Sir R. Butsta then told the prisoners, that as he
was determined to commit them, another examina-
tion would do them no harm. They would be
brought up again on Friday next.
Mr, Corder, the vestrrelerk of St, Paul's, Covent

Garden, appeared before Mr. HALLS, in support of a
summons, calling upon Mr. Beajamen, a dealer in
cut-glass, residing in Bow-street, to show cause
why a warrant of distress should not be levied upon
his goods for an arrear of poor-rates which he (Mr.
Benjamen) had refused to pay.
Mr. Corder stated that Mr. Benjamen had been
summoned before a committee of parishioners, ap-
pointed by virtue of their new Act of Parliament,
for an arrear of rates, the greater part of which had
been incurred during the life-time of the late collec-
tor, Mr. Lee, upon whose death it was discovered
• that the arrears now claimed were due by Mr. Ben-
jamen. This, however, he had thought proper to
deny, alleging that he had paid ali arrears to Mr.
Lee before his death. Upon being required to pro-
duce his receipts, he raid he had lost them in Fe-
bruary last, when his house was undergoing some
repairs. He then produced to the committee two
affidavits, deposing to the truth of the statements
he had made, and stating that a person named Har-
ris was in his shop at the time he paid his arrears.
Mr. Corder now asked Mr. Benjamen if Mr.
Harris were present ?—Mr. Isaacs, for Mr. Benja-
men, replied in the negative.
Mr. HALLS asked if Mr. Benjamen bad been
summoned for the arrears, which were now the
subject of inquiry, before the death of the late col-
lector ?—Mr. Corder replied, that Mr. Benjamen
had riot been summoned, but he had been applied
to by Mr. Lee.
Mr. HALLS then said that Mr. Lee had not, as it
appeared to him, used due diligence in recovering
the rates in question.: It was his duty to have issued a
summons to compel Mr. Benjamen to pay his rates,
and having failed to do so, he (Mr. Halls) was of
opinion that the arrears could not be recoverable
now. He meant those arrears that Mr. Lee had
had an opportunity to recover.

After some altercation between Mr. Corder and
the Magistrate un this point, the ease was dismissed.

111 A RLBORO U GH.STREET.

Yesterday a young man, named Alm Caterer, was
brought from St. Giles's watch-house, before Sir
G. FARRANT, the sitting Magistrate, charged with
the following robbery :
Mr. William Pond, an aged gentleman, residing
in the county of Kent, stated that about four o'clock
in the afternoon of Monday last, he was passing along
Holborn, when the prisoner, whom he had never, to
his knowledge, seen before in his life, came up to
him, and accosting him, asked him how all friends in
the county were. Witness replied that they were
all very well; and begged to know who it was that
was so kind as to inquire after them, that he might
tell them when he returned home. The prisoner
replied, that he was from that part of Kent near to
where he (Mr. Pond) resided, and then mentioned
the names of several persons with whom he (Mr.
Pond) was acquainted in the country; and believ-
ing from this that the prisoner must surely be the
son of some country neighbour, he asked him into a
public-house to have something to drink. After
having had some spirits and water at the public-
hearse, they adjourned to another, and from there to
• a third, until at last he (Mr. Pond) was so overcome
by what he had taken, that he could tell nothing
more of what had happened until he found himself
in the watch-house, about eight o'clock the same
evening.
A witness, named Lodge, between six and seven
o'clock on Monday evening, was passing through
Museum-street, Bloomsbury, when he observed the
prisoner walking with the prosecutor, Mr. Pond,
holding him by the arm, and leading him along, Mr.
Pond being evidently in a very advanced state of
intoxication. Witness seeing that the prisoner was
perfectly sober, while his companion was so much
the reverse, suspected something wrong, and going
up to the prisoner, he asked him who the old gen-
tleman was, and what he was doing with him.—
To which the priSoner replied, that the old gentle-
man was his father, and that he was conducting him
home to his own house in Russell-square, where he
resided. Witness, from the great difference of ap-
pearance in the parties, was not at all satisfied that
what the prisoner said was the truth, and he deter-
mined to watch the prisoner's movements at a dis-
tance, while at the same time he himself kept out
of sight; and they had not proceeded many yards
farther, when witness observed the prisoner, after
looking about to see that he was not watched by
any one, draw the prosecutor's watch, &c., from his
fob, and, after examining it, to see what sort it was,
replaced it again where he had drawn it from.—
They then proceeded on towards Bedford-square,
witness still watching, until they came to a place
called Caroline-mews, down into which the pri- •
soner led Mr. Pond, and there again the witness saw
the prisoner draw the prosecutor's watch from the
fob, and put it—not back, as before, to where he had
taken it from, but—into his own fob. Witness
then called to the watch patrol, who happened to
be passing at the time, and told him what he had
seen, and haxing pointed the parties out to the patrol
in the mews, they were taken to the watch-house.
The prisoner, in his defence, said that the prose-
cutor gave him the watch to take care of, as he
found himself so very tipsy that he was afraid he
should lose it, and denied altogether having taken it
out of the gentleman's fol►, as stated.
Sir G. FARRANT told the prisoner that he must
make out the best story he could before a jury, and
committed for trial.