Star.
London, England, 1829-11-26 00:00:00

DREADFUL EVENT.

From the Hull Packet of Tuesday.
An occurrence of a most tragical description, we re-
gret to state. during the whole of yesterday formed the topic
of discussion amongst all classes of this town, and excited a
sensation of horror, from the melancholy details it involved,
of the deepest and most awful character. To enable our
readers to understand the evidence adduced at the Inquest
detailed below, it is merely necessary to state here, that Mr.
William Henry Hentig, merchant, and Mrs. Hentig (both
now unhappily deceased) resided in a house situated on the
north walls of the Old Dock, in the avenue leading to High-
street, at the back of the Mar Company's new Bonding yard.
Their family comprised two female servants, and three young chil-
dren, one boy, and two girls; the youngest, the boy, a child of
about three years old. Two other children (boys) are, we are in-
formed, pursuing their education on the continent. At about eleven
o'clock on Sunday evening last, the watchmen and neighbours were
alarmed by a cry of fire, and a female was heard shrieking for
assistance at the attic window. About the same period the
report of fire-arms was heard. With much difficulty the female,
who bad called from the window, together with the three
children, were rescued by means of a ladder. Ths street-door
having been broken open, the watchmen, and others who had
been attracted by the alarm, entered. On attempting to ascend
the stairs, they found it impossible for a considerable time,
from the quantity of smoke then filling the house, which was
afterwards ascertained to be on fire in five or lie different places.

The other servant girl was found in one of the passages in i state
of nudity, and was rescued. Still nothing was known of the
master and mistress of the mansion. After a long period had
elapsed, during which time, by the active 'unions of the firemen,
and of many gentlemen who bad in the interim arrived on the
spot, the danger from fire having been averted, the bed-room of
Mr. and Mrs. Hentig was entered, when a horrible sight pre-
sented itself. Mr. Hentig was found dead on the floor with the
upper part of his skull blown to pieces by a pistol shot,and Mrs.
lientig lying in the bed in a sleeping position, dead, with her
head perforated with a pistol-ball, which had passed through her
left eye, her face scorched to perfect blackness, the hangings
burnt from the bedstead, and the mattress and bedding in flames.
What remains of this heart-rending catastrophe we shall give in
the language of the witnesses examined at the Coroner's Inquest.
At two o'clock yesterday, Mr. George Coulson, coroner for
the town and county, proceeded to hold an inquest to inquire into
the circumstances through which the two individuals mentioned
above came by their deaths. A most respectable jury, consisting
of 23 individuals, having been sworn, repaired to the premises on
the North Walls, accompanied by the coroner, to view the bodies.
John Plumsread, watchman, deposed I was last night
(Sunday) going round my beat at 11 o'clock, when on coming
past the house of Mr. Hentig, on the North Walls, I heard a
crackling, as if of slicks burning. I could not see any fire,
but still my impression was that there was a fire. I gave an
alarm Immediately. A woman, shortly after, looked out of one
of the front windows of the top story, shrieking most dread.
fully. In a short time having got some assistance. we broke open
a panel of the street door, and got in and opened the door. Some
persons went up stairs, and brought out a young woman. The
house was on fire in several places. A ladder was procured as soon
as possible (from Mr. Walton, the ship-builder's yard,) and a fe-
male and three children were got out of one of the attic windows.
After I gave the alarm, and before the woman screamed, I heard
two or three very loud reports ; I did not think they proceeded
from fire arms, but conceived them to be from the clashing of doers.
Mary Spencer (one of the servants of the deceased) deposed as
follows :—On Sunday night I went up to my bed-room about half-
past ten o'clock, leaving my master and mistress up in the sitting-
room. About ten minutes after I beard them come up the stairs
to bed. I had been in bed about ten minutes, when I heard the
report of a pistol. I was much frightened, and sat up in the bed
to listen if I could hear any thing in the house. In about three or
four minutes I heard my master walk along the passage. I called
to him several times. At first be did not answer, but afterwards
asked me what was the matter, and if I had heard anything
?
I said I had beard a pistol fired. He asked if I thought it was
in the house? I said yes, I was sure it was, for that I could smell
the powder. He then left the door, and went to the closet en
the landing, where the candles were kept. I heard something
fall heavily, as if the candles had fallen, as I think from the strings
being burnt. I think I heard him go down stairs. He returned
after a short time, and bid me open my door. He said, two or
three times, " Spencer. open the door." He spoke quite coolly ;
I opened the door a little way, and he immediately fired a pistol at
me. The ball passed me, but my nightgown and night-cap were
much burnt by the effects of the powder. I shut the door in-
sternly, and fastened it. I then ran to the window, screaming and
calling for assistance. After giving the above detail, the witness
was asked a number of questions by the Coroner, and by gentle-
men of the jury. The following is the substance of her an-
swers to such questions as appear material to the case :—Wit-
ness smelt no fire, and had no idea that the house was on fire,
till she got into the street. Had observed nothing particular
in the manner of Mr. Hentig more than usual. There had
been no dispute between Mr. and Mrs. Hentig, and be had not
taken anything unusual to drink that witness knew of. Mrs and
Mrs. Hentig had been at the Holy Trinity Church together in the
morning, and Mrs. Hentig had attended service at St. Mary's in
the afternoon. She mentioned to witness that she had heard an
excellent sermon from the Reverend Mr. Cooper. Dues not know
if Mr. Hentig had received any particular news by letter. He
said, on Sunday evening, he had received a letter from the school-
master of one of the little boys, and that the boy was well. He
received his letters between five and ail in the evening, and read
them in the counting-house. He did not stop there long.
Witness did not bear any pistol after Mr. Hentig fired at her,
or any knocking at the door. Was so alarmed and agitated,
does not suppose she could have heard them. Had never observed
her master depressed in spirits at any time. He was always
cheerful in his disposition, and very fond of his wife and children.
Was accustomed at times to complain of a " confusion" in his, head,
and had been cupped for it at different times, but not lately. Was
always relieved by cupping. The pistols were kept in a box under
the wardrobe, in the bed-room. Does not believe they were kept
loaded. Mr. Hentig parted with his children as usual on Sunday
night. He fastened all the doors as usual, in which be was al-
ways very particular. Witness had lived with Mr. and Mrs. Hea-
ds for 18 years.
Mr. R. Hardy, surgeon, detailed the circumstances under which
the alarm was communicated to him. When Mr. Hentig's body
was found, witness examined it. The pistol had been presented at
the forehead, between the eyes, and had shattered and carried
away the entire upper part of the skull. On examining the body
of Mrs. Hentig, be found her lying in a quiet composed state—as
of a person who had gone to rest. and was asleep. Her right hand
was grasping a white handkerchief, which she held before her face.
The ball had entered her left eye, and witness thinks, from the ap-
pearance of the blood on the bedding, that it had passed through
the skull. The deaths of both the deceased must have been caused
by the pistol-shots, and could not possibly have been occasioned by
the fire. Witness was not personally acquainted with the deceased,
but had often remarked, as they passed his house, what a happy
couple they appeared to be, and how affectionate Mr. Hentig was
to the child.
Mr. Lunn, surgeon, had attended to Mr. Hentig 's family for
three or four years. During that time Mr. Hentig had been often
troubled with an affection of the head. He had a paralytic affec-
tion some years ago. from which he had never entirely recovered.
He complained of a confusion of his intellect, and was relieved by
cupping. The last time he was cupped was about five months
since. In the opinion of witness, his mind was in a very excitable
state—or rather, it was very likely to be excited by any mom.
He was strikingly affectionate in his conduct towards his wife and
children. He had an evident disease of the brain since the para-
lytic attack.
The whole of the evidence having been heard, the Jury, after
remaining in deliberation about 20 minutes, sent to inform the Co-
roner that they were ready to deliver in their verdicts. lie re-
turned into the room, and the two verdicts weer given in substance
as follows :
" That the deceased William Henry Hentig, while in a state of
temporary insanity, bad shot himself with a pistol, from the effects
of which be had died ; and that the deceased Sarah Hentig had
died from the effect of a pistol-ball. di,charged at her by the said
W. H. Hentig while labouring under a temporary fit of insanity."

Tuesday an Inquest was held at the Crown and Thistle,
Vauxhall-gate, on the body of Mr. Joseph Hawkins, late a master
taker in Ely-place. Lambeth, who died on Sunday morning last.
The deceased had recently lost his wife by death, for whom he en-
tertained the strongest affection. He had repeatedly asserted that hr
should not long survive her. Her body was interred in the vaults
under St. Mark's Church, Kennington. Sunday week, the sister of
the deceased, who was the subject of the present Inquiry, requested
him to allow her to go with him to see the place where his late wife
was laid. They went, and be pointed out the coffin, and observed
that the coffin plate was bent in. He then expres.ed his fears that
the body of-his wife had been disinterred. The circumstance made
Mm very uneasy, and he determined on Wednesday to ascertain
whether his fears were true, and went to Church with his aunt,
Mrs Snow, and J. rerceval, a carpenter, to open the coffin, and see
if the body had been taken away. The outward coffin was opened,
and the lead coffin was untouched, which gave hint great satisfac-
tion. The Molting day he complained of cold and shivering tits,
and on Sunday be dierL:The evidence disproved the reports. cir-
culated that he had been poisoned, and the Jury returned a verdict
—Died by the vis.tation of Gun.