Star.
London, England, 1821-08-27 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An Inquest was held on Saturday, at the Duke's
Head, Highgate, on the body of Edward Sell, aged
82 years, a watchman in the service of Thomas (lane,
Esq. of Highgate, who was robbed and murdered on
the preceding morning.
James Barratt.—l am an assistant to Mr. Dempsey,
gardener to T. Hale, Esq. I went to ivork on Friday
morning, and in the tool-house I saw the deceased
lying prostrate on his face. I called the bead gatdener
who put his hand on the deceased, said he was cold,
and he thought that he was dead. We had no idea at
that time that the deceased had been murdered. Mr.
Elide was informed of the death. I went to Crouch-
End to inform the sons of the deceased, and on my
return I found a Doctor had been sent for. I then
observed that there were a number of wounds on his
head and face, which I had not noticed before.—
During my absence Dempsey had been for a Doctor.
I did not think of going for a Doctor myself when I
hist found the deceased. I thought it was best to
let his friends know. Dempsey alarmed Mr. Hale
and family.
Examined by a Juror.—l never heard any one wish
for his situation. The hedges and grounds were
searched by me to find the place where the persons
entered who committed the crime. The place was
found. It was first seen by Mr. Hale, jun. and it was
evident that they had come into the premises the back
way, ovet the palings and wall leading to Mr. Hurst's
held. Mr. Hale's premises were robbed some months
ago. There were marks of the feet of the persons who
entered the premises on Friday night. There was a
.pick-axe lying near the body. The deceased had been
robbed, I understand. The grounds had also been
robbed. I have.not touched the deceased since his
death. I have no objection to go with the Jury to
view and touch the body. I have known the de-
ceased twelve years. We were upon the most friendly
terms. lam naturally timid, and do not like to touch
dead bodies.
The above witness was strictly examined by the
Coroner and Jurors; but nothing was elicited that
threw the least discredit on his statement. He con-
tinued :—I was of opinion that the wounds were in-
flicted with two different instruments, one blunt, and
the other sharp and cutting. There was no blood on
the pick-axe, nor do I think there was room sufficient
in the tool-house for a person to stand and strike the
deceased with such a weapon. There was someitp.l
pearance of blood on the ground close by the deceased;'
but I thought he might have cut his head with some
garden tools which lay near him as he fell. When I
set off for the deceased's sons, I did not then know
he was murdered ; I learned that fact when I re-
turned. I was always on good terms with the de-
ceased, and have no grounds for suspecting any per-
son of the crime.
Thomas Dempsey sworn.—l am gardener to Mr.
Hale. Yesterday morning I came to my work about
six o'clock, .and found Barratt there. The gate was
fast, I opened the gate and let Barratt in. After-
wards I looked on the railing, about two yards from
the gate, and there the key hung. It was customary
for the watchman to hang the key upon a nail inside
the gate, within reach of me aad Barratt, to open it
at any time when we came to work. Nothing was
lost from the garden on that night; but there were
six dresses, and other property of Mr. Hale's stolen
from the yard. He then confirmed the former state-
ment as to finding the body, and proceeded,—l
picked up an empty linen bag, or purse, at some dis-
tance from the body of the deceased, and threw it
on the ledge of the window. On the arrival of the
deceased's son and grandson, they identified the purse
to be their father's, and said, that when he left home
it contained a quantity of silver. The deceased had
a watch stolen from his fob pocket.
John Conway, a superintendent of the watch of the
hamlet of Highgate, deposed—On Thursday night,
about twelve o clock, I passed up Hornsey-lane ;
everything was then perfectly quiet. About half-past
one o'clock in the morning, I went again up the lane,
over the bridge, and on my return I stood between
Mr. Hale's and the house immediately adjoining,
and walked backwards and forwards far some time.
My attention was particularly drawn to the spot by
a light being in the front parlour window of the
.house adjoining Mr. Hale's. One of the sash win:

dows was also up; the blinds inside we're • let dawn.
and I heard voices-in the parlour, and the dice and
dice-box being played with. Whilst standing, I
heard a voice say, " You be off." This voice seemed
to come from Mr. Hale's fore-court. I knew there
was a watchman on the premises, having frequent',
heard him call the hour. I heard nothing further,
and remained on the spot till I heard the watchman
call two o'clock. I then thought that the words
had heard, which were not used angrily, were spoken
in the honse by the persons using the dice. When I
heard the words first, I thought that they were ap-
plied to me by Mr. Hale's watchman, but hearing
no rep,aition of them, I took no notice, and %vent
away. I required no explanation of the w‘ads.
surmised that Mr. Hale's watchman probably saw
me in the lane, and not knowing me used the wordsCORONER.--I wish you had spoken to the watch,
man. If you had, you probably might have Rex
vented this dreadful deed being committed. It is
evident, in my mind, Gentlemen, that the person or
persons who murdered the deceased must have beers
well known to him, and therefore, Gentlemen, he
might not have used harsher terms to tie
trespassing than those heard by the Conductor of the
Police. had I been on duty, and heard such lan-
guage, I should not have done my duty, I think,
without learning from whom they proceeded; and 1
think the words were used by the deceased to the
person or persons who inhumanly murdered him.
An infirm old man would be most likely to use suck
words as you be off,' in my opinion.
NVitness continued—There were two dogs kept on
the premises. Ido not know that anything had been
given thcm to make them sleep.
The Jury then took a view of the body. It a•:!s an
appalling spectacle. Tine deceased had been a re-
markably tine stout man. The Jury and Carener ex-
amined the wounds very minutely. They here of
opinion that some of the wounds, which had the ap.
pearaace of stabs with a round in,trumeat of a pyra-
midal form, had been inflicted with the round cud of
the pick-axe. The first wound appeared to havebeen
given on the head, and probably the deceased was
asleep (it was stated that he usually slept half the
night) at the time lie received the fatal wound.
• The Jury returned to the Inquest-room again, and
.took the following evidence:
Mr. Benjamin Snow, surgeon, of Highgate,deposed:
'vas called to see the deceased at Mr. Hale's on Fri-
day morning. I was told that lie had been mur-
dered; find, on examining him, I found that he had
received injuries sufficient to.have destroyed 50 men.
There were eight wounds on his head, neck, and
breast ; his ribs were all• broken, and appealed to
have been kicked in. His breast bone was broken ill;
it had been jumped upon, in my opinion, with great
force.- The:cavity of the chest was filled with brood.
The wounds on the head were all sufficient to cause
death ;but the immediate cause was the jumping on
the breast. If only one person was concerned in the
'Murder, lie was determined to effect his purpose.
After hearing three more witnesses, who deposed
to nothing important, the Jury consulted for some
time, and returned a verdict—" The decc:sed erns
robbed and murdered by seine person or persons unkiwzrn
to us Jurors." The Parish Officers of Highgate have
called a Meeting of the Inhabitants this day, to take
the subject into consideration, and adopt measures
relating thereto.

CHILD STEALlNG.—Saturday Martha Dowd, a
young woman about twenty-two years of age, was
finally examined at Hatton-Garden Office, charged
with stealing Louisa, the daughter of Mr. James
Smith, 2, Queen-street, Clerkenw ell, a child five years
of age. About half-past seven o'clock on the pre-
ceding Sunday evening the prisoner was seen by a
young woman to beckon the child to her from where
she was sitting at her father's door across the street;
the child went to her and she look her by the hand
and led her along Percival-street and Goswell-sueet-
road, where she took the child up in her arms, and
was walking very fast towards Islington ; the child
began to cry, and desired her to put her down, as
she wished to go home ; the prisoner shook her and
told her to hold her tongue ; the road was full of pa -
sengers at the time, sonic of whom noticed the beha-
viour of the prisoner to the child, from which they
suspected she was not her own, and she was ques-
tioned; she said the child was in her care, and that
she was taking it home; but the child, on being
asked, said she did`not know the prisoner, that her
own name was Louisa Smith, and that she lived at
2, Queen-street, which was in a contrary direction to
that the prisoner was going. On the prisoner being
searched they found several pawnbrokers duplicates
for frocks, Ike. supposed to be stolen from other
chil-
dren.—The prisoner was committed for trial.

BIRTHS.
August IS, at the Vicarage, Eccles, the Lady of the Ser.
J. Blackburn., of a daughter.
August S, at Barton-upon-Humber, the Lady of the Re.
George Uppleby, of a son.

MARRIED.
The Rev. John Irving, B.A. of Worcester College, Orford,
to Margaretta, youngebt daughter of the late Rev. W. DAVIth
B.D. of the same Society, and Rector of Langorse,Brecondire.
August 13, the Rev. John Prima Maud, of Hillingdon,
Middlesex, to Miss Matilda Elizabeth Bans, of Swainswitk,

001:11CMCIZEUIC. •
August 15, at Niddric, the Rev. David Wauchope, to Anne,
fourth daughter of Andrew Wauchope, of NiddrieNlarischal, Fn.
At Kirkham, the Rev. James Formby, to Susan Alice, laugh'
ter of Edward King, Esq. late Vice-Chancellor of the Duchy a
Lancaster.
August 10, the Rev. John Williams, of Balliol College, 01"
ford, (lately of St. Lawrence, in Winchester), and Vicar of
Lampeter, Cardigauihire, to Mary, only child and heiress of the
late Thomas Evans, of Llanilar, Cardiganshire.
At Badgeworth, Gloucestershire, the Rev. E. Pavan, of Al'
Berton, to Miss Hill, of the former

DIED.
The 224 ult. suddenly, the Rev. Ellis Wynne, Rector a
Lbnferras, in the county of Denbigh.
Friday, aged 65, Win. Wilson, Esq. of Worton House, osed
his Majesty's Justices of Peace for the County of Oxford.
Sunday se'nnight, in Frankfort-street, Plymouth, the haat
son of the late Lieut. Matthew Hay, R.N.
July 22, at Gibraltar, on board his Majesty's ship Spe/i3P4
16, Edward I'alk, Esq. fifth son of the late Sir Lawrence P 5
Bart. of Haldon House, Devon: he was Midshipman, first so
board the Rochefort, and last on board the Spey.
On the 29th ult. at his Mother's residence, in P-irswicf,.
Gloucestershire, of a pulinonary inflammation, in the prime ,1
life, Mr. Oade Roberts, of the Inner Temple, Londna, oar 01
the Society of Friends. This Gentleman, whose loss will lost
be deeply felt and lamented by his survivin,,, relativts. va9en'''
Inently distinguished by an affectionate and amiable "u'.
conscientious and honourable conduct, superior talct;and ei"
tensive literary attainment:.

LON DOLS Prated and publishriby l.sva kV', NW'.
lints Ica:plc-Du.