The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-08-28 00:00:00

FATAL DUEL ON WIMBLEDON COMMON.

Since Wednesday last a respectable family has been thrown
into a state of considerable pain, in consequence of one of the
family, a young man of promising talent, having been engaged
in a duel, w hich was attended with fatalresults to his opponent.
The circumstances connected with the melancholy transaction
are, as far as could be ascertained, as follows:-1 he deceased,
a Mr. Charles Flower Mirfin, who resided at N 0.2, Pleasant-
place, West-square, Lambeth, was on Tuesday morning early
at a well-known-resort for persons of disorderly habits, called
"The Saloon." He remained there till about five o'clock
the same morning, and during that period he was often in
the company of Mr. E t, who eventually proved to be
the unfortunate cause of his death. The subject of dispute
was one of the femalei. It being determined that the affair
should be settled by an exchange of shots, the preliminaries
were forthwith arranged, the seconds were appointed, and the
parties left each other, promising that they should meet again
about five o'clock the same evening on Wimbledon-common.
Mr. Mirfin went home, and retired to rest. He rose about
two o'clock and took his breakfast. About four o'clock he
left in a gig, in company with a gentleman, whose name, we
were informed, is Broughton. The combatants met near the
Fire-honse on Wimbledon-common. They were attended by
their seconds, whose names have not transpired, and by Mr.
Scott, a medical gentleman, living in the Kent-road. The
parties fired at a distance of 12 paces. At the first shot the
ball of Mr. E--t went through the hat of Mr. Mirfin. The
seconds immediately interfered, but the deceased objected,
and insisted on having a second shot. The pistols being re-
loaded, the parties again fired, when Mr. Mirfin fell. He
was instantly attended by his second and Mr. Scott, who, on
examining the nature of the injury, found that the ball had
entered his right side, :fad passed transversely through his
body to the other side, and had penetrated the heart. Death
was, of course, almost instantaneous. The body was then
taken from the ground, and placed in the gig, when, at the
dusk of the evening, it was brought to his residence, in Plea-
sant-place. The next day (Thursday) Mr. Reid, undertaker,
in the London-road, was applied to, for the purpose of having
the body removed to a town in the country, about 160 mites
off. But, upon his finding the cause of death, he felt it his
duty to make a communication to Young, the constable of the
district, Lambeth-walk, when, as he suspected that the body
might be removed, he informed Field, an inspector of the L
division, who immediately placed A man on duty to watch the
premises.
It is understood that the seconds have gone off to the con-
tinent. The deceased was a tine young man, and respectably
connected. Mr. E--t, the deceased's opponent, is stated
to be the son of a major-general in the army. Mr. Scott
visited the house yesterday, hut hearing that a policeman was
on the watch, he made his escape over a wall. The fact
however, was.lthat the policeman had no authority to detain
him.—Tins.

CORONER'S ImQuas-r.—This morning an inquest was held
OR the body at the Tankard Tavern, Brook-street, West-
square, before Mr. Carter. The inquiry was proceeding when
sire Went to press, and as no fresh facts had been disclosed in
evidence down to that time, we shall defer our report of it
until Monday.—Standar,l.