Star.
London, England, 1826-01-20 00:00:00

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

Monday evening an Inquest was held at the Brill
House, Brewer-street,, Somers Town, on the body of
Mary Ann Davis, a fine girl, about nine years of age,
who was bernt to death in consequence of her clothes
catching fire. The. first witness examined was the
mother of the unfortunate chill. She appeared very
much affected at the melancholy event, and gave her
evidence, labouiling under mach agitation of feeling, to
the following effect:
My name is Rebecc t Davis. lam the wife of John
Davis, tailor, and teside at No. 17, Brill-place: The
decea ed is my daughter, and is eight ye trs and nine
months old. About eight o'Llock on Wednesday evening
se'nnight 1 had put my other children to bed, and went
atot to the next dour but one to where I reside, leaving
the deceased in the room, for the purpose of purchasing
a pair of sho..s for my baby ; the deceased having lost
one of the baby's shoes in thicouve of that day, she
requested me to go and buy a new pair. I had been
out of the house about ten minutes, and was just
coming out of the shop to return home, when 1 heard a
cry of fite," and almost instantly my poor child
came runniuig to me all in flames. She said " Mother,
mother, do not scold me, I'm all on fire." Several
persons carne to me and assisted in putting out the
flaws; and somebo ly got a sheet and wrapped round
the child, which completely extinguished the &le. She
was taken home, and Dr. C-pland was sent for, and did
all that he could for her. She was pe.fectly sensible,
but in great pain, and languished until Friday morning,
*hen she died. -

Mary, the wife of Joseph Patrick, of Brill-place.
shoemaker, deposed that Mrs. Davis came to her shop
to purchase a pair of child's shoes on Wedueiday e% en-
ing, and was going out of the shop when the decita,ed
cane running to I.er all on fire. Witness procured a
sheet and wrapped round the child, but was so much
flui tied at the time that she did not exactly recollect
what took place. Witness went after the accident and
attended the deceased, and applied the oils sent by the
_ doctor. The child told her that she was re-aching a
pin from the mantle-piece, and her clothes took fire fi um
the gra' a. The child was, previous to the accident, a very
fine healthy girl. She died on Friday marring, from
the injuries she had received by the burning.
-The Jury having viewed the body, which presented a dreadful
and melancholy spectack. being burnt from the logs to the neck,
• returned a verdict—" Accidentally burnt."

Inquests were held at the Bricklayer: Arms, North-
street, Mary-la-bonne, on two other children, xe!:o had
been burnt to death by their clothexcatching £re. It is
rot necessary to detail the particulars of the sevetzl
disasters, as they were so much like each other, and like
all others which it has been our lot ro record. They
I,ad been left in rooms by themselves, had began playing
vi.h the fire as child en will do, and were burnt be)
and
the hope of recovery before any cane came to their
a. istance.

Another Inquest was held at the Light Horseman,
Orange-street, Leicest.:r-fields, on the body of Mr.
lioliag, belonging to the French Chapel in Spring-
gardens, who, while crossing Cockspur-street, was
knocked down by a horse, rode by a butcher's boy, by
which he was so seriously ii.jured as to cause his death
in a few days. It appeared the boy called out twice on
seeing Mr. Bobag a,)proach, aid Atte: [Le accident dis-
mounted, and aisisted to convey him to a surgeon.
Verdict, Accidental Death—Deutland, Al on the hum.

An Inquest was held )esterday, cn the body of
Michael Mahon, servant to Mr. Waller, Long-acre, at
the Rose and Crown, DI ury-lane. He was found deal
in bed, on Tuesday morning. Mr. Benjamin Wright
The deceased has resiued in my house for some
time. He was very Lipsey on Sunday ev-ning, and on
Monday he complained of being tin% di. 1 eid,i,ed him
to go to a doctor. He did do ; arid came borne about
eleven, so well phyticked, that be could horsily get up

stairs—he was completely drunk. He moaned very
much du'ing the night ; and next day, when the set-
want went to awaken him, he was dead. The suigeon
to whom he applied on Monday, had no doubt that he
died of an apoplectic attack, the effect of intemperance.
Verdict— Died by the visitation of Gob.
Yesterday, an Inquest was held in the Workhouse,
Dann's alley, on the body of an old woman, named
Sarah Finch. James Halyman swnrri. On Monday
evening, about half-past six o'clokk, the deceased came
to my house; I observed her dosing, and on going up
I fo.:nd her insensible, and her lower extremities quite
cold. She recovered a little by being chafed, and having
got some warm drink. She was then taken home.
Catherine Ufferman assisted' in taking the deceased
home; she was quite sober, but could not walk; she
had only a few handsfull of rags for a tied, and no bed-
clothes. I offered to make a fire in the room, but the
landlady would not allow me. She said she was not to
have the house burnt down; I Went to her room next
morning,, and found her lying on the floor quite dea'.
I asked Mrs. Nash's maid if she had given her anything
after I left her? and she said she had forgot. JuroT-
Wh,) is Mrs. Nash? Witness—She is the widow of Mr.
Nash, a late Common Councilman. Other witnesses
bole testimony to the sobriety of the deceased.
Verdict—Died from the inclemency of the weather; •
Yesterday, an Inquisition was taken at the sign of
the Black Horse, Beckenham, on the body of Mr.
Joseph Smith. Mr. Richard Herbert deposed, that
deceased was a farmer and grazer; on Wednesday last
witness and the deceased were in the latter's cattle-pen,
examining some Alderney cows ; a young and fierce bull
had come in from the field, and making its way int.,
the pen, immediately attacked them. Witness suc-
ceeded in leaping over the rails, and by that means
escaped; but the deceased being a very heavy man,
was incapable, and consequently became exposed to the
attacks of the furious beast. Witness called nut for
assistance, and threw brick-bats and other missiles at
the animal, but did not succeed in driving it off its un-
fortunate victim. The deceased was now on the ground
in an insensible state, and bleeding profusely from the
head and face. By this time two of the deceased's men
came to his assistance, and with pitchforks drove the
enraged animal away; but it was too late; the de-
ceased had ceased to exist, from the dreadful goring be
had received about the head froM the bull. The animal
was the property of the deceased, and had once before
put his life in jeopardy by driving him against a wall.
The unfortunate deceased was about 4.6 rears of age,
with a wife and family. Jahes Beecham stated, that
he was in the service of the deceased ; last Wednesday
witness was at work, when he was alarmed by the cries
of the last witness, and after ascertaining what was the
matter, he procured a pitchfork, and instantly went to
his masters assistance, and drove the bull out of the
pen. The deceased was on the ground, and on witness
going up to h•m, he found him quite dead; his head
was nearly beat flat with the beast's hoofs ; witness had
lived with the deceased above three years. Timothy
Muggridge, the Medical Gentleman, stated that he
examined the deceased after his death • the brain was
burst a violent concussion; in other respects the
deceased was dreadfully lacerated. After a few
minutes deliberation, the Jury returned a verdict—
" Accidental Death."

MR. DOUVILLE'S SUPERIOR PLAN OF
TEACHING FLINCH.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. -
SlR—Among the ingenious methods which WT.
been thought of to facilitate the acquirement of the
French language, that of Mi. Douville has certainly
the highest claims to public notice. By his mode of
tuition, the pupil will not only be enabled to converse
with the same fluency and accuracy of pronunciation,
as if he had studied in Paris, but he will likewise be
qualified to write with the greatest purity and elegance ;
for such is the efficacy of his system, that while the
pupil acquires facility in speaking, he gradually attains
a thorough knowledge of the elementary principles of
'the language, and thus becomes perfectly acquainted
with those variations and niceties of expression which
so frequently occur in polite conversation, among the
fashionable circles in the capital of France. The
FRENCH GRAMMAR which Mr. Douville has just pub-
lished on the same plan, is highly calculated for the
rapid attainment of that fascinating language. It con-
tains exercises chiefly composed of expressions and sen-
tences most used in familiar discourse, thus affording
the student, in presenting to his view the rules of syntax,
a valuable collection of useful phrases. The nature of
the French verbs is also exhibited in quite a novel and
perspicuous mann-r. 13ut the remarks on pronuncia-
tion,, the explanations of idioms, the models of compo-
,ition for the common business of the world, and the
treitise on French poetry, are peculiarly serviceable.—
The whole, in short, is so judiciously arranged, that
those who may wish to acquire a knowledge of French,
with a view to conversation, will find this work ex
tietnely useful. It is published by the Author, 6,
Coventry-stieet. Haymarket; and 2, Lawrence-lane,
Cheipside.—l have the honour to be, Sir, your most
obedient humble servant, AN AMATEUR.
London, January is, ME.

The different Insurance Companies in the City o
New Yolk have united in the presentation o! a hand
some piece of plate to Lieut. Bm.nocx, of the St itisin
sloop of War SWALLOW, for his gallant conduct in pre
serving the bri); Schuylkid, of New Y. ik, from cunfla-
gration. The Schuylkill was lying at anchor in the
North River, and was di•covered by the watch to be on
'file, before day-break. The Comm..nder instantly went
tsi It a boat's crew to her relief ; all on board w. re
asleep, and the flames snaking rapid progress, but by
meat exertions they were soon extingui,ned. A sum of
money, for distribution among the boat's crew was also
transmitted to Lieu'. BALDUCK.

Satutear evenitlg, some of the soldiers of the SO It
Regiment, stationed at Dover Castle, to the numb,
about twenty, became inebriated, and, in consequence
of some very insulting language towards them by tome
fish-sellers, conducted themelves in a very riotous man-
ner in the town, very much to the annoyance of the re•
spectable part of the inhabitants, several of whom were
severely kn,:cked about, without giving the slig!;cesr.
provocation ; a guard was, however, ultimately sent
out, and peace restored, since which time the retractor)
have been confined to their barracks.

The North Se 4 has again broken, in three places. the
Isthmus which connects the northern eztien.ity ot
Jut-
land with the rest of the Peninsula. Three r.spid cut-
rents now unite the North Sea with ti.e Gulf c..14u.
Lim) Fiord, which empties itselt into the Cattugat.
These cuirents are so strong that they canaut be
crossed in bea a.