Star.
London, England, 1825-10-22 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUk.ST.

The Inquisition which it was thought would: have
taken place on Thursday evening, on the body of the
young man named Barton, whom we mentioned in our
yesterday's publication, as having been killed by his
grandfather, did not sit until one o'clock yesterday,
when the Coroner, J. W. Unwin, Esq. accompanied by
the Churchwardens and Parish Overseers, and a highly
respectable Jury, assembled at the Crooked Billet,
public-house, to make the necessary enquiries touching
the fatal event. After being empannelled, the Jury
proceeded to •iew the body, which lay in the house
where the deed was perpetrated ; and on their return
from ibis melancholy part of their duty, the following
was the eviden:e submitted for their cons.deration :
Ann Hill, the housekeeper of the accused, was the
first witness examined.—Her direct testimony corre-
sponded with that given at the Thames Police Office,
with the exception of her adding to it, that the prisoner,
after receiving a blow from the deceased, went up
stairs and brought down the dagger, and, on the de-
ceased's raising his band, gave him the stab which
caused his death.

Juror.—Was the first blow given by the deceased to the prisoner
a violent one ?

Witness.—No. it was not.

Juror.—Why did :he deceased keep the dagger?
Witness.—He kept it to protect himself against the deceas►d ?
who frequently threatened that be would either himself deprive
him of life, or that he would get some of his companions to do
it for him.

Juror.— Do you, from your own knowledge, think that the
prisoner's life was in danger from the deceased?
Witness.—l do; and, under that impression, I frequently re-
quested of him to get the deceased bound over to keep the peace
tow..rds him.

The next witnesses, Daniel Kinsman, George Uri:,
William Murray, and Joseph Charles Miller, Surgeon,
varied in, or added nothing their depositions taken
at the Thames Office, and given in our last number.
At the close of the last witness's testimony, the Beadle
entered the room, and said there was a person in the
house who was anxious to give his testimony.
The Commas thought that there was enough, indeed too much
testimony, to support the charge against the prisoner.
The Foreman of the Jury wished to know whether they were
not in a similar situation as a Jury at the Old Bailey?
CosoNsa.—Yes, to a Grand Jury with open doors, appointed to
inquire into certain things, under the presidency of a Coroner,
elected by the public, and approved of by the Crown.
Mr. Isaacs, the solicitor, who attended on behalf of
the prisoner, requested the Coroner that he would
examine the witness. This appearing to be the wish of
some of the Jury, the Conner consented to their request,
and the witness was called in and examined.

John Jelinir,gs sworn.—l am a day labourer, and
worked for the prisoner; the deceased and I were in
company at the Trinity Arms, Ratcliff-cross, on Wed-
nesday last, from thence we went to the Phoenix at half
past five, whet e we remained until about half-past seven;
while there he said he had but half-a-crown, and that
he wanted more money. I told him that half-a-urown
was enough for any man to spend of an evening, he re-
plied that he would have more money. I told him that his
grandfather would give him more, and he said, if he does
not give me as much money as I want, " I will have
his b—y old life, or lose my own." On this I observed
to him, that he ought not to talk about taking life
away, as it was a thing he could not restore. Witness
added, that the deceased said, that the money he had
(meaning the h.411-crown) was not 1-Bth enough for the
evening's expenditure, and that he should have more.
Ann Hill, the past whams, was recalled, at the request of a Juror.
Juror—Did the prisoner, at any time previous to this, carry the
donee about him for protection ?
Witness—Several times.

Juror—When was it be went for the dagger?
Witness—After the deceased struck the blow.

Juror—Did the deceased strike the prisoner, after he (the pri-
soner) came down stairs?
Witness—No; but he attempted to do so when he received the
fatal wound.

William Wilson examined—l am a Thames Police
Officer ; on Wednesday night I was at the Shadwell
watch-house, from twelve to one o'clock ; the headbo-
rough in attendance desired me to take charge of the
prisoner. I took him to the office in company with the
headborough and street-keeper. On going down
Shakspeare s-walk, I desired him to say nothing in my
presence which might tend to criminate him in the bu-
siness which had occurred, for that if he did so I would
be obliged to gi►e it in evidence against him ; he then
turned round is me in a wild manner, and exclaimed,
if I have done the job for him, I don't care who knows
it, you will never take him again: He used the same
expressions four or five times on our way to the Office.
The evidence closed here, and the Coroner summed
up, in the course of doing which he said, that in this
melancholy occurrence there might be a heat of blood,
but it was in evidence, that after the deceased had
struck the blow, the prisoner went up stairs and removed
the fatal weapon, and on his return inflicted the deadly
wound ; the interval of time which had elapsed from
his going up to the bed-chamber to his return down
stairs, was, he thought, sufficient to remove that irrita-
tion which might otherwise authorise them to bring in
a verdict of 14 Manslaughter." It had been ruled, and
there were many instances on the books, that an inter-
val of time, shorter than the present, was denotative of
a malicious intention on the part of the accused, and as
such, subjected him to the charge of 41 Murder." On
the present Inquest, he thought that evidence sufficient
had been supplied, and all the necessary ingredients
were present to warrant them in recording a verdict of
" Wilful Murder" against the prisoner, William Har-
wood. This was his opinion, and in discharge of his
duty he was bound to state it; but it was for their (the
Gentlemen of the Jury) consideration to declare, by
their vet dict,how far his criminality extended. A con-
siderable difference of opinion prevailing among the
Gentlemen of the Jury, the room was cleared, and they
remained in deliberation, with closed doors, for nearly
two hours, when they returned a verdict of is Man-
slaughter." In the evening the pi isoner was brought
up for final examination to the Thames Office, when he
was fully committed on the capital charge.—Daring
the proceedings on the Inquisition, the Court was ex-
tremely crowded, the Coroner having afforded every
facility fur the publicity of the investigatitA.

The price of a piece of wine (63 gallons) at Orleans
• 45 francs (11. 165.) including the gala: