The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-10 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUESTS

(Before P. F. CURRY, Esq.)
An inquest was holden yesterday, on view of the body of
Anne Carroll, an infant five months old. It appeared from
the evidence that a disturbance had taken place in a court in
Newman-street, arising out of a quarrel between the father
of the deceased and a neighbour, on Friday evening last ;
and though no evidence was adduced which led to the sus-
picion of any violence being offered to the child in the con-
fusion, it exhibited, when taken to Mr. Harboard, the sur-
geon, on the following morning, several marks of external
injury, and died at noon the same day. The jury returned
a verdict of " Died from external injury, but by whom in-
flicted there was no evidence."
MELANCHOLY DEATH OF A GIRL BY A SHOT FROM A VERY
SMALL CANNON, ON THE FIFTH NOVEMBER.
. . .

Yesterday an inquisition was taken on view of the body of
Martha Frewin, a fine young girl, who came to her death
under the extraordinary circumstances explained in the fol-
lowing evidence :
William Lovatt, superintendent of police, being sworn,
said—On Thursday afternoon last, about minutes past four
o'clock, I was on duty in the neighbourhood of Ashton
street, in Toxteth-park, when I was informed that a child
had been shot by a small cannon in that street. I imme-
diately went there, and proceeded to the house where the
child was lying, and found her quite dead. I made enquiries
whether any one had seen the cannon fired off, and a woman
of the name of Mary Morgan informed me that she had seen
the cannon fired, and could identify the boy who had fired
it, but she did not know his name. I was then told that I
would most probably find him at some stables in Parliament-
street. I went there, and found the boy now in custody, and
who calls himself Thomas Calligan. I asked him if he knew
who fired the cannon in Ashton-street, and he said it was a
boy named John Davis. [The cannon is a very small brass
one of about 31 inches long, and the bore would just admit
the handle of an drdinary steel pen. The jury and all pre-
sent were surprised that so small an instrument could have
produced so fatal an effect as that which will appear in the
sequel.] The witness continued—The boy told me he had
loaded the cannon with powder and paper only, and the way
he had charged it was by a wooden ramrod, and then pushed
it against the wall. I was soon after shown the place where
it was fired, and also the place where the deceased was shot.
I stepped it, to ascertain the distance, and found it to be
about 15 feet.

Mr. John Leech, surgeon, being called, said—l was called
to the deceased on Thursday afternoon about four o'clock,
and found her quite dead. There was a very small wound on
the nipple of the left breast. I did not make a particular
examination of the wound, as the child was quite dead. I
have since made a post mortem examination of the body. I
found that some solid substance had penetrated both the
lobes of the left lung, pericardium, and heart, and had struck
against the eighth rib, behind, on the left side, and which
caused death. I made a very diligent search, and have not
been able to discover what made the penetration. It could
not have been a very large substance from the size of the
wound externally ; the wadding of a pistol or small cannon
could not have produced it ; but a shot fired from the cannon
now produced might have caused such a wound.
This being all the evidence, the Coroner proceeded to com-
ment upon it. He said, that the
manner in which the de-
ceased had died was clearly shown in the evidence before the
jury. She had just risen from her tea, and was going out of
the cellar, when the cannon was fired just at the moment her
breast was on a level with the street. One of the boys was
identified, and admitted that the cannon was his, but that
another boy had fired it. He then explained what consti-
tuted manslaughter in such cases, and illustrated his positions
by several cases in point, and decisions of
.the higher courts.
The deceased was shot through the heart, with some solid sub-
stance ; but that had not been found. Had it been found, the
case would have been complete, and the jury must have found
a verdict of manslaughter. A question might be raised as to
the moral responsibility of the prisoner, in consequence of
his youth ; but he must remind them, that that responsibi-
lity commences from the time a child can distinguish between
right and wrong,—as was exemplified in cases of pocket pick-
ing. Had a party of lads been firing the cannon, and it had
burst amongst them, it would not he manslaughter,, inas-
much as all of them had taken a part in loading it and setting
it off. In the present case, the deceased was not amongs3
them and was going out, as it was to be presumed, on a law-
ful purpose. But as the shot or substance could not be found
by the surgeon, who could not discover what it was, he
thought they should find a verdict to the effect that a mortal
wound was received, but from what cause was unknown,
The jury then found a verdict to the effect that the de-
ceasee, while in the act of coming out of the cellar, received
a mortal wound in and upon the left breast, of which she
there and then instantly died ; but how or in what manner
the said wound was caused, no evidence appeared.

As Miss Watson, of Zoar-street, Trowbridge, vas sitting
by the fire on Thursday afternoon last, with the front door of
her dwelling open, to her surprise she had a visitor of the
feathered tribe, in the person of a beautiful partridge, which
walked up to her with as much assurance as if domesticated.
The lady took up the bird, and while admiring its handsome
Plumage, it suddenly died in her hand without a struggle.

APPLICATION FOR DAMAGES IN CONSEQUENCE OF

COLLISION BETWEEN TWO VESSELS.
This was a charge against the defendant Eccles, master of
the tag steam-boat Albert, for damages under the following
circumstances. The complainant is master of the flat Old
England, and about 8 o'clock on the morning of the 20th
October, he sailed from Seacotnbe ; as he was proceeding
down the river, near to Egremont, under a light head wind,
he was called to by the master of the tug boat to tack. At
this moment the tug boat had fastend her tug to the American
ship Narraganset for the purpose of taking her to sea, and
in consequence of the engine being at that moment put in
motion, the stern of the American ship came in contact with
the rigging of the complainant's flat, and carried away the
rigging. The damage sustained by the flat was estimated at
£l4 14s.

The defence set up against the claim was that the ship was
under the management of the pilot, and that the master of
the tug boat was obligtd to obey the command of the pilot,
and, consequently, not liable. It appeared that at the ri►ne
the master of the tug hailed the flat he was dls,ant ang,ut 60
fathoms ; and, as the magistrate coneei... d L.e n aster of the
flat had sufficient opportunity to keep clear of the danger,
the case was dismissed. Mr. Rushton expressed himself
that not the least blame was attached to the pilot.

)_1),
c-q,116
POLICE INTELLIGENCE..-FRIDAY. •

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