The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-08-31 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL DUEL ON WIMBLEDON
COMMON.

FURTHER PARTICULARS, AND INQUEST ON, THE BODY.
A duel was fought on Wimbledon Common, on Wednesday
week, in a ravine, about two hundred
.yards from the mill.
The result was fatal- to one of the parties. There were six
persons present, beSides a surgeon ; two of these were young
Men who kept at some distance. Theamme Of the uti fort u -
nate gentleman who lost his life was Charles Flower Milfin.
He resided in Pleasant-place, West-square, Lambeth. His
opponent is understood to be a Mr. Elliott, the son of a
major- general in the army. The partieS fired at a distance
of twelve paces. At the first shot, the ball of Mr. Elliott
went through the hat of Mr. Mirfin. The seconds immedi-
ately interfered • but the deceased objected, and insisted 'on
having a secondshot. The pistols. being reloaded,-the pare
ties again tired, when Mr. Mirfin fell. lie was instantly
attended by his second and Dr. Scott. Death was instanta-
neous. The body was then taken from the ground, ausl
placed in the gig, when, at the dusk of the evening, it was
taken to his residence in Pleasant-place: The seconds have
gone to the continent. The deceased was a very fine young
man, and most respectably connected. On Saturday,- an
inquest was held on the deceased, at which several witnesses
spoke to the circumstances of the duel.
Thomas Hunt Dann, the owner of the mill on Wimbledon
Commian,-examined :—I witnessed the occurrence On Wed-
nesday last. I was about thirty yards off. I first saw the
carriages drive up close to my piemises. There were four
carriages, from which seven persons alighted. They all had
the appearance of gentlemen. After they bad got out, they
all went towards a bottom, or hollow, about four hundred
yards distant from the mill ; and from their manner, I con-
sidered it probable that a duel was contemplated. I accord-
ingly followed them down till within forty yards of them,
where I stopped occasionally afterwardsrvaryiag my position
about five yards. The first thing 1 saw was a carpet bag,
from which was taken a box, and from thence some pistols.
At that time I should say five persons were standing toge-
ther, and another alone on my left, and a second one about
two hundred
yards more to the left, on the hill. While the
pistols were being loaded, the one on my left, who was the
perstin who shot the deceased, came up to me and said,
" Good morning." I returned-the compliment, and added,
" It appears to me those gentlemen have some little difference
to decide," meaning' the parties who were loading the pistols.
lie answered, " Oh, d—d nonsense ; it's only a bet for £100."
I replied, "That will not do for roe;". on which be passed on
whistling. In a minute or two he agaitipassed me. on which
I remarked, it was a pity gentlemen. could. not settle their
differences in a better way ; when .he said, " Oh, d—d
nonsense ! I'm too
,used (or practised) to it, and I am
one who is going to fight." The one the furthermost
to my left at that time was standing with the man whom
I now know was the cabman. He was the person who
was shot. During that time 'the others were loading, and
measnsing the ground; two gentlemen stepped it side by
side; the distance was thirty-seYen steps. A half-penny or
penny-piece was then tossed up as I suppose, either for the
choice of pistols or the graund. After that the gentleman
on the hill was beckoned to, and he, as well as the one to
whom I had spoken, went down to the hollow. They then
took their stations without any conversation passing that I
heard, except that, as the one who shot time Other was going
to the place,.a gentleman of the party went up to hint and
said, " You are all right—you have nothing to fear," The
pistols were then handed to them, and it wasssaid by some
person, "The word will be—Geutlemen, are you ready?"
That was said to the principals. I then drew hack u'few
paces, and almost immediately heard something said, among
which I could only distinguish " Gentlemen," and almost
momentarily I saw both parties preSent their pistols, and
heard two reports, one immediately after the other. Those
who had been assisting had at that time retired to the spot
where the carpet-bag was, and they then came forward, and
the pistol was handed to the gentleman I had spoken to, and
I believe one was handed to the other gentleman also, but I
cannot speak positively; the seconds then drew back, and
again heard the word given, amid the-pistols discharged. The
pistols were not pointed upwards, but at each puler. Be-
tvieen the two firings I heard no conversation, nor did I see
the parties move from their positions. Directly after the
firing, the gentleman who had spoken to me came towards
the and said, " I have done for the —." I said to him, "Are
you hurt?" to which he said " No;" he then' went past me,
and I at that moment saw the deceased falling.
By the Coroner: Had he any thing in his hand ?—Wit-
ness : Not as I saw.
By the Coroner : What, then, became of the pistol?—
Witness: I cannot sey : I then went to the deceased, and
saw him stripped, when 1 observed a wound resembling that
from a ball; it was ou the right side, under the arm.
The inquest was adjourned until Wednesday.
Most of the papers have stated that the quarrel which pro-
duced this fatal affair arose out of a difference about an in-
famous woman, at the saloon; but from the following account
contained in the Observer of Sunday, this does not seem to
have been the case:—
The circumstances which led to this unhappy event, we
have been informed, upon sufficient authority, were these:—
During last Epsoni Races, on the Derby day we believe,
Mr. Elliott, with a friend, was driving towards London in a
phaeton, while Mr. Mirfin was driving in a gig; by sonic ac-
cident the two vehicles came in contact. and Mr. was
overturned. In the fall some of his ribs were fractured; an
altercation then arose, and offensive language passed, which
ended in Mr. Elliott striking Mr. Mirfin a blow on his al-
ready injured side, of which injury, however, it is due to say,
Mr. Elliott was ignorant. The pain at the moment was ex-
cessive, and "Mr. Mirfin had only a faint recollection that
the name of the party with whom he had come in contact
was Elliott; but he had been unable to obtain his name and
address, and consequently had no clue to his discovery,
although extremely anxious to call him to an account.—
Months rolled on, and only on one occasion, till Tuesday
night last, bad he obtained a transient view of Mr. Elliott,
in a cigar stamp, but almost instantly lost sight of him. On
Tuesday night last, in company with two friends, he entered
the saloon in Piccadilly ; and while there; he heard the name
Elliot mentioned. The name struck him; and on looking at
the party by whom it was acknowledged, he recognised him
as the person whom he bad so long sought, and from whom
he had received a blow. He immediately requested one of
his friends, Mr. Brotherton we believe, to address Mr.
Elliott, and call the matter to his recollection. Mr. Elliott
tit once admitted the fact, and we are informed offered to
make an apology. It would, seem however, that neither was
in a situation to 'enter upon the subject then, and it was
agreed that mutual friends should meet at the Opera Colon-
nade Hotel, at twelve o'clock to discuss the matter. Mr.
Mirfin then proceeded to his residence, No. 2, Pleasant-place,
West-square, Lambeth, where he retired to rest. At the
time appointed, the friends met, when, we are informed, an
objection was made .on the part of Mr. Elliott to meet Mr.
Mirfin. A firm determination having been exjiressed, blow-
ever, that sad, a meeting ~rust tEMc ptace, on a second ap-
plication to Mr. Elliott, he acceded to the proposition, and
a hostile meeting was arranged for the seine evening on

Wimbledon Common.
ADDITIONAL PA lITICIILA
Much surprise is expressed that the occurrence she

have been permitted to lake place in the presence of full a
dozen persons, without their having adopted some measures
to prevent it; and also that, after the fatal result was ascer-
tained, the body.should have been allowed to be removed,
without the mounted patrols, whose station is not more than
half a mile from the spot, being made acquainted With the
circumstances, although, from the first appearance of the
parties on the ground to the departure of the cab with Mr:
Mirtiu's corpse, nearly three quarters\ of an hour is said to
have elapsed.
The spot is situated on the common, about three quarters
of a mile, in a triangular direction, north-west of the en-
trance. of the village of Wimbledon, and north-east of the
workhouse of that parish. It is about half a mile distant
from.the high road, and close to the windmill,'Whichis visible
from all parts of the common. It is on the west side of the
residence of Mr. Dann, the miller, about a hundred- feet
distant from which is the ravine in which the. fatal took
place.
In a conversation with Mrs. Dann, she stated that the
parties first came upon the ground as near a quarter putt six
o'clock as possible. She first saw a private cab draw up,
from which two gentlemen alighted; then an open carriage
drawn by two horses, with a post boy in a blue jacket and •
white hat (believed to belong to Mr. R. Newman, the post-
master of Regent-street), in which were three gentlemen;
next a gig with a cane back, in which was one gentleman ;
then another gig in which was another gentleman, who
was dressed in mourning, with a crape hat-band on ; and
lastly a public cabriolet, bebinging to Mr. Voller, the
cab-master of the London Road, containing au eighth indi-
vidual. All the parties having alighted, two of them
shook hands together, when they all proceeded towards the
hollow. From the position in which she stood, she was un-
able to see What was passing within it ; but in her opinion
full five minutes elapsed between the first and second dis-
charges Of the piStols. Directly after the second discharge,
she saw a young gentleman, about 23 years of age, hastily
emerge froth the hollow, and jump into the open carriage, in
which he stood -up, apparently very much alarmed. In a
minute or two-afterwards, his friends also made their appear-
ddanger—
ous,o yp
it was all over, when he turned very. pale.. The other parties-
then jumped into their respective carriages, and. drove off
towards town at a most rapid pace. 'lime horse of the last
gig.was seized by Voller's cabman, who said,. " Why .do-you
leave me with a dead man ? I know nothiug of what
am Ito do with him ?" To which the gentleman replied,
."Be quiet—it will be all right." The smgeon (Mr. Scott)
then came up, add said to the cabman, "Can't you drive
down there?' Pointing to
,the hollow, to which he replied,
"No, it is too steep." The surgeon then hired two men to
help him up with the body, which was dragged along more
like that of an animal titan of a human being ; and it having
been placed in the cab, they were each paid a shilling for
their assistance. Mr. Scott then got into the.cabriolet, and
having closed the blue curtains in front to hide the body, the
vehicle was driven off.
From the appearance of the deceased's hat, which was
exhibited at the inquest to the inspection of the coroner
and jury, it is evident the deceased had at. the first fire a
most narrow escape from having his brains blown out, the
ball havin4 entered the hat at the right side, about two
inches from the crown, through which it,escapeSl•about half
an inch frotn'tlie rim; the Wadding having struck the inside
of the hat on the opposite side, and burned the lining.
It is understodd that the police have a clue to the retreat
of the whole of the parties concerned in, the affair. The
.paper found on the ground, and produced by the ivitness
Dann, has led to the discovery of the place where the pistols
were procured, and the hotels from whence the deceased,
antagonist, &c. started. The pistols produced .were most
murderous instruments; they were stated bycompetent judges
in the inquest room, to be able to carry with deadly effect full
30 yards.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.
(From the Standard of Wednesday.)
An adjourned inquest was held this morning at the Tan-
kard Tavern, Brook-street, Lambeth, upon the body of the
unfortunate Mr. Mirlin. The only important facts disclosed
in evidence were given by Mr. Smith, surgeon, of Martha-
rough-street, Walworth, Mr. Wagstaff, the parochial surgeon,
and Richard Cowling, the post-boy, the first of whom deposed
that he had examined the body at the request of Mr. Scott,
the Medical gentleman who had attended the deceased on
Wimbledon Common, and that there was a wound between
the fifth and sixth ribs on the right side, evidently the result
of a pistol shot, which must have produced almost instan-
taneous death. Mr. Smith further said, that Mr. Scott had

told him that though personally acquainted with Mr. Mirfin,
he had been merely called upon professionally to attend the
deceased in his late conflict, and that he (Scott) was present
when the pistols of both parties were loaded, and considered
that the affair was conducted on the fairest terms., A gen-
tleman named Broughton, acted as the second to the deceased.
Mr. Wagstaff produced a bullet which be had extracted from
the body of the deceased ; it was flattened to a great extent,
and did not fit the barrels of the pistols left on the ground.
Richard Gowling, post-boy in the service of Mr. C. Newman,
postmaster, of Regent-street, stated that his master ordered
him to take a barouche and two horses on Wednesday last to
the Colonnade Hotel, Charles-street, Haymarket, where be
took up three gentlemen, whom he conveyed to Wimbledon
Common, where the duel took place. When the deceased
fell the three gentlemen got again into the carriage, and
ordered him to drive to town. The survivor in the contest
wished to return to the spat where the .wounded gentleman
was, but_ one of the others said, "By God, you shall not."

One of them got out at Knightsbridge, another at Piccadilly,
and the third, who fought the duel, left the carriage in the
Edgeware-road. When he (the post-boy) left the common,
he was not aware that Mr. Mirfin was dead.

At the moment of going to press, we learnt that the inquiry
was again adjourned.

BAD NEWS FOR THE SEVEN THOUSAND EXPECTANTS.—
It is now quite certain that it is not the intention of the
government to appoint an additional member to the Board
of Poor Law Commissioners.—Observer.