The Sun.
London, England, 1829-03-09 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

On Saturday night an inquest was held before
Mr. STIRLING, the Coroner, at No. 15, Stone-
buildings, Lincoln's-inn, on the body of Henry Bo-
sanquet, Esq. The Jury consisted chiefly of gen-
tlemen of the bar.

Edward Simpson, a clerk to the brother of the
deceased, said, that on Thursday morning, about
eleven o'clock, the deceased was at his chambers as
usual, and he observed nothing hurried or peculiar
in his manner ; at four o'clock the deceased was in
his sitting-room, and at half-past four witness found
the door locked; supposed the deceased had gone
to sleep ; at nine o'clock at night he knocked loudly,
and en receiving no answer he became alarmed, and
sent for a smith, who forced open the chamber door
and the sitting-room door; the deceased was found
in the situation described by the surgeon ; never
saw the pistols before ; they were quite new ; pro-
duced a note, as follows :
" Dcar Clive—l write this at the moment the
pistols are lying before me, and you will at last be
convinced that the representations I made to you of
the misery I have suffered are not exaggerated,
when suei are the consequences.—Yours, &c.

" HENRY F. BOSANQUET."

George Clive, Esq., of Grafton-street, had known
the deceased for some time, and intimately for
eighteen months. He was subject to occasional fits
of unaccountable depression of spirits, and he had
stated more than once to witness, that on these oc-
casions he was so truly wretched, that he did not
know what might be the consequence. On one
occasion be observed, that he feared when - labour-
ing under the malady he might do something fatal,
and that was what the deceased referred to in his
note. Witness knew of no ostensible cause for the
misery the deceased complained of; he was cheer-
ful when in society.
The Jury viewed the body of the deceased, which
presented a spectacle truly shocking. Verdict—
" Temporary insanity."
On Saturday afternon an inquest was held at the
sign of the Hog in Armour, Great Saffron-hill,
before THOMAS STIRLING, Esq., on the body of
James Steward, a child only eight years of age,
whose death was occasioned by drinking ardent

During the investigation the Coroner repeatedly
expressed his surprise at the extraordinary march of
depravity exemplified in the evidence.
Sarah Beadle knew the deceased child. His
father was a deaf and dumb man, and got his living
by fortune-telling. He lived at No. 101, Saffron-
hill, and she was employed by him to look after his
children. On Wednesday night deceased went to
bed in good health, but the next 'rnning said he
had the belly-ache, and could not get up. He
stayed in bed all that day, and had nothing but a
little porter. On the second day at twelve o'clock,
he died, having drank a quart of tea for breakfast,
and eaten half a slice of bread and butter.

A Juror—Did the poor child go to bed sober the
night before he complained of being ill ? Witness
—Sober ! certainly he did, Sir.
Juror—You seem surprised ; did you never
know him to be put to bed drunk ? Witness
(with considerable hesitation).—Yes, I have, Sir.
CO/tONEß.—Drunk ! Did you say drunk ?
Juror.—Mr. Coroner, that child has been in the
habit of going with his father to different public-
houses in the neighbourhood, at night particularly,
and drinking spirits to that excess that he has been
brought home in a state of intoxication scarcely
credible, and in that state put to bed.
Another juror had known the deceased to drink
three glasses of raw ruin in succession, in his father's
presence, who also encouraged him to swallow
marbles, four and sometimes six, for wagers of beer
and liquor.
Witness re-examined by the Coroner.—Had fre-
quently seen deceased drunk. Drank a great deal
of gin and peppermint at home with his father—
sometimes twice or three times before breakfast.
Deceased's father got a great deal of money by
telling fortunes.
The deceased's sister, a girl six years old, was
afterwards questioned by the Coroner, and said that
on the morning her brother died she fetched some
gin and peppermint before breakfast, and that they
all had some. After breakfast she fetched half a
pint more, and then again went for a pint ; the whole
of this, she said, was drank betwixt her father, Mrs,
Beedle, Sally needle, her brother who was ill in
bed, herself, and th© baby, 18 months old. They
always had some whenever their tither did, if it vitas
20 times a day.
A Juror said, that if the Coroner resided on the
spot, he would not be surprised that the father had
the means of exercising such depravity, and destroy-
ing the constitutions of his children, when he Fan'
the respectability of the parties who cameto be doped
by this dumb and deaf oracle, many of whom left
their gal riages at a little distance to escape obser-
vation.
After a long discussion, the Jury returned a yen*
diet—" That the child died from a diseased heart ;
and that they had every reason to believe such
Oiteasp 100 been occasioned by excessive drinking."

ROTHERHAM PETITO4 ICIp
AVOUR OF
THE CATHOLIC CLAIMS.-On We.inesday last, a highly
respectable and numerous public meeting was held at Ro-
therham, on the reTaieition of the principal inhabitants,
" to consider the propriety of supporting the Government
their intended measwes for the paciEcation of Ireland,"
the Rev. J. Lowe, in the chair, at which a petition was
passed unanimously, depiecating the continuance of those
laws which create civil distinction-s on account' of religions
opinions, and imploring Parliament to adopt such measures
for the removal of the civil disabilities of the Roman Ca-
tholics as may be deemed consistent with the security of
the rrotestant 6ucekssion,—,4eeds ?femme,