Star.
London, England, 1830-10-14 00:00:00

INQUEST AT THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION, IN
CULDBATH FIELDS.

lAA evening an Inquest was held in Coldbath-flelds Prison, before
William Baker, Esq. and a respectable Jury, on the body of a Getman
named Smith. _ _

The deceased had been committed from Lambeth-street Police-Ace
ea a charge of having stolen goods in his possession, and was sentenced
to two months' imprisonment and hard labour. At the period of his
commitment he was labouring under an asthma, and was about 00
years of age.
Mr. Wakefield, the acting surgeon to the prison, stated that he bad
seen the deceased on the day after his commitment, on the 92d of Sep.
tember. He had him removed to the old man's yard, thinking him too
old and feeble le he placed es the treadmill. The deceased subseguendy
complained of indispasidon, and was removed into the infirmary of
the prison es Monday last, and died on the following day. His
death was see sleeted by an effusion of water on the chest. The
deceased bed weary Maths paid to him, with regard to medicine, diet,
As. and never ehespiahedi of any ill treatment.
In reply to the gamines of a Jurorewitness said that the deceased had
not been put on the treadmill, as he was too old. It was the custom of
all prisoners when committed to hard labour to be examined by him,
and his judgment was generally regulated as to their fitness of the labour
of the wheel by the age or health of the individual. The deceased was
only employed in picking oakum.
TW Jury having nquired as to the eleepthg.place of the deceased,
and whether it was in a damp or dry situation,
Mr. Chesterton, the governor, begged the favour of the Jurors' per.
sonal inspection.
The Coroner and Jurors accordingly went into the various wards,
which the deceased had been removed to, and from their admirable
cleanliness and ventilation, expressed themselves perfectly satisfied that
not the slightest suspicion attached that his death could have been acce-
lerated by either dampness or want of due accommodation.
The Coroner was most minute in his investigation of the treavnent of
the demand, and the statements of the Governor and witnesses were so
perfectly satisfitctory, that the immediate verdict of 1* Natural Death"
was returned.

APP•IITION SEEN BY AN EXCISEMAN.--I once heard
a sensible and intelligent friend, in company, express himself convinced
of the truth of a wonderful story, told him by an intelligent and bold
man, about an apparition. The scent lay in an ancient await on the
coast of Maven, or the .?ale of !dull, when the ghost-seer chanced to
be resident. He was given to understand by the family, when betaking
himself to rest, that the chamber in which be slept was occasionelly die.
quieted by supernatural appearances. Being, at that time, no believer
in such stories, he attended little to this hint until the witching hour of
night, when he was awakened from a dead sleep, by the pressure of a
human hand on his body. He looked up at the figure of a tall High.
lender, in the antique and picturesque dress of his country, only that his
brows were bound by a bloody bandage. Struck with sodden and ex-
treme fear, he was willing to have sprung from the bed ; but the spectre
stood before him in the bright moonlight, he ens arm extended, so as to
master him if he attended to rise; the other held up in a warning sad
grave posture, as menacing the Lowlander, if be should attempt to quit
his recumbent attitude. Thus be lay in mortal agony for more than an
hour, after which it pleased the spectre of ancient days to leave him to
a more sound repose. So singular a story had on Its aide the usual
number of votes from the company, till, upon cross-examination, it was
explained that the principal person concerned was an exciseman; after
which a eclaircissemeni. the same explanation struck all present, via.
that the Highlanders of the mansion had chosen to detain the exciseman
by the apparition of an ancient heroic ghost, in order to disguise from
his vigilance the removal of certain modern enough spirits. which his
duty might have called upon him to seise. Here a single circumstance
explained the whole ghost story.—Sir Walter &Ws Family Library.
No. XVI.

%%e last week mentioned the horrible case of a child hay-
iaig had its throat cut by its father, named Searle, at Thorn Falcon,
near Taunton. The wretched man has Since undergone a private ex.
amination before the Magistrates, in gaol ; when it appeared, from the
nature of his rephes, that at the time of his committing the dreadful
deed, be was labouring under inranlty.—Bristol Mercury.
MIL•TICHOLT SUICIDE.—It ie our painful duty this
week to detail the particulars of a melancholy act of self destruction
in the family of Mr. Dobbs, the respected comedian, of this town,
(BirminghaM.) It appears, from what transpired at the Coroner's
Inquest, that the eldest Miss Dobbs had, for months put, evinced
a passionate predilection for the Stage ; and that her father, know.
ing her utter inability ever to rise to any eminence in the jrrofession,
firmly, though temperately, opposed her views. So fascinated and
bent was the unfortunate young lady upon following her inclination,
that she devoted her almost exclusive emotion to its promotion, to
the entire neglect of those domestic duties necessarily imposed upon
her as the eldest female in her father's family. Yesterday morning
week, during breakfast, this troika was so manifest, that Mr.
Dobbs, in the presence of his father, remonstrated with his
daughter upon bee conduct, and a few words ensued. Nothing man,
however, occurred daring the day, except that Mies Dobbs
somewhat downcast and sullen. In the evening she called at sr:blot:
of Mr. White, the druggist, in Beistol-street, and purchased a penny.
worth of arsenic, which she said was wanted to destroy rats. db.
White, after warning her as to the nature of the properties of the
poison, sold it to her. On her return home she mixed the areettledin
the gruel she took for supper, and in about an boor afterwards imams
became visible to the family. Medical aid was immediately 'bullied,
bat notwithstanding every abet that human skill could suggest, the
unfortunate young woman lingered until Sunday. when she died. An
inquest was held on Monday, when the jury returned a verdict of tem.
porary insanity.—Theiniesthess Joys nal.