The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-27 00:00:00

INQUESTS.

(Before P. F. CURRIE, Esq.)
MELANCHOLY DEATH BY DROWNING.
Yesterday an inquest was held on view of the body of John
Jones, the captain of the "Carnarvon Packet," one of five
traders between this port and Carnarvon. William Waley,
a hoatman, stated that on Sunday forenoon about 11 o'clock,
he and another Went with their boat to take a schooner round
the Rock. They took her beyond the Bell Buoy, and were
returning home, when he observed, in passing through what
is called the Ray Gut, something floating, which he took 'to
be a cask. The boat had not sufficient water at the time,
but the tide began to flow, and washed what he thought was
a cask towards them. When it got close up they found it
was the body of a man. They secured him alongside of the
boat and brought him to Liverpool. They took him to the
George's pier-head, and thence by directions to the New Wall,
close to the dead house. The body was then given in charge
to a police-officer, and taken to the dead house. There was
a small bruize on his forehead, and a little blood was flowing
from under his left eye. Police-officer John Wilkinson, said
he received thebody. He searched him and found sixteen:sove-
reigns and a half in gold, fifteen shillings in silver, and seven
pence halfpenny in copper ; a silver watch with a steel chain,
a seal and key, and a German silver guard. He also found a
pocket-book, with some memorandums in it, and a comb and
a pair of spectacles. (These were produced.) Samuel Jones
said he was the owner of the sicop "Carnarvon Packet." The
deceased was his brother, and was 53 years old. He was the
master of the sloop. Witness heard on Sunday night of a
body being picked up, and was shown a pocket-book, which
was immediately recognised as belonging to the deceased. He
had since seen the body. The deceased had been missing
since Thursday evening last, and had left a wife and five
children. [This witness also stated, (but it was not inserted
in the evidence), that the deceased was well known in the
port, having sailed out of it for 30 years, and that he had
intended shortly to give up I.oing to sea. He added that the
dece,sed had been with some tt tends from Wales, on Thurs-
day last, and had, he believed, gone down to the pier-head,
on the evening of that day, to see them off home, by the
Vale of Clwyd steamer. That vessl, however, did not sail
that night, in conseque,ice of the stormy state of the c, eather,
and the probability (witness thought) \Va.., that the deceased
had not n his wad clearly, or being deceived by the imper-
fect light, walked over the pier-head ammo ass drowned. The
spot ,No •re the body was found is about ten miles from the
port. The family of the deceased resioe in Carnarvon.
The wale.) of the deceased had stopped at 20 minutes before
Lilt o'clock, which correspond with the supposed thi.e a hen
he would reach the pier-.read.) Toe inquest was adjourned
to this day for some surgical evidence relative to the wounds
on the tace ; but there can be little douot out that these were
catisei by the body having struck against the boat when being
towed on shore, and tha the verdict wiil be to the effect that
the deceased was found drowned, but how he came into the
water there was no evidence to show.

SUICIDE.

Same day an inquisition was held at the Coroner's-office,
on view of the body of Charles Mills. The deceased, who
was 26 years of age, occupied (together with his wife) a room
in a house in Portland-street. He was an engine fitter. On
Sunday about noon, he sent his wife out on an errand, and
she left him sitting at the fire. He was a little in liquor at
the time. On her return, in about an hour, she found
the room door fast. She called out to him to open the
door, as she saw his feet on looking under it. She re-
ceived no reply to her summons, and she became alarmed,
and went down stairs and told the landlord of the house that
she could not get into the room, and that she was afraid he
had done something to himself. There were two other men
in the house at the time, and they went up stairs, and on
their return she was informed that he was hanging. She
did not see him again till the evening, and he was then
dead. On the previous night he had been very restless,
and got out of bed several times, and began singing and
swearing, and appeared to be quite deranged. About five
years ago the deceased had a fall and hurt his head,
and ever since had been subjec to fits of temporary in-
sanity at intervals. He had been drinking all the week, and
when he took drink he was subject to those fits. James
Davison, a boiler-maker, said he was in the house when the
deceased's wile gave the alarm, and he and another man
went up stairs. On looking under the door they saw his
feet, and, he appeared to be standing behind the door. They
called to him to open the door, but he made no reply. They
got a poker, and tried to force open the door, but could not.
They found it was fastened by a piece of wood. Wanes.
then broke in one of the panels, and reached his legs and
finally his hand, and found he was quite cold. On bursting
open the two top panels, he found he was hanging by a cord—
then produced. He was quite dead. A police-officer was
sent for, and he was cut down. The rope was fastened to a
piece of wood placed on the corner of the fire-place, one end
resting against the wall, and the other end resting on the top
of the door. James Cooper, the landlord of the house, a re-
tail beer-seller, was present when the alarm was given, and
saw the door broken open as described. Deceased was, he
added, in the habit of getting drunk, and when he was in
drink he appeared to be quite mad, and used to sing and
swear a great deal, The jury returned a verdict to the effect
that, the deceased had committed suicide, while labouring
under a fit of temporary insanity.

A SUDDEN DEATH.
On Saturday, an inquest was held on view of the body of
James Mitchell, a man 54 years of age. On Friday night.
between 8 and 9 o'clock, the deceased, who had charge of
a ship in the King's dock, was coming along a stage between
the quay and a vessel along his own ship, to speak to another
ship-keeper, when he fell down on the deck from the end of
the stage. He was lifted up almost immediately, but never
spoke, and was found to be quite dead. A post modem ex-,
amination took place yesterday by Mr. Cameron, Surgeon
mhen it appeared that the deceased died from a tit of apo-
plexy. A verdict was returned accordingly.

DEATH BY DROWNING.
On Saturday an inquest held on view of the body of James
Skinning. On the 4th ultimo the deceased was employed
on board the Britannia, Birkenhead steam-boat, and while
the vessel was along side of George's pier, he was in the act
of steering the jib, his feet slipped from the bowsprit
shrowds, and he fell overboard. Every endeavour was made
to recover him, but in vain, as he was not again seen. It was
moonlight at the time. On Friday last the body was seen
by the captain of the Mona steam-tug, which was lying at
anchor appoint George's pier-bead, and was picked up. It
was much decomposed, but was recognized by his brother,
Hugh Skinning, one of the hands on board the " Lady
Stanley" steam vessel. The deceased was 34 years old. A
verdict was returned of " accidental death."

The Queen has been graciously pleased to order a writ to
be issued under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, for summoning Mites Thomas
Stapleton, of Carlton, in the county of York, Esq., to the
House of Peers, by the name, style, and title of Baron
Beaumont.
M.R. MILNER GIBSON AND THE MANCHESTER ANTI-
CORN-LAW ASSOCIATION.—During the recent stay of Mr.
Gibson in this town, the committee of the Manchester Anti-
corn•law association, appointed some time ago to ascertain
the opinions of candidates for the representation of this bo-
rough in parliament, waited upon that gentleman at the
York lintel, and put to him the question, " What are your
opinions upon the total and immediate repeal of the corn-
laws?" Mr. Gibson's reply, we believe, was in the follow-
ing terms :—" 1 am in favour of a perfectly free trade in
corn, and con,sider that the interests of the community would
be best consulted by the immediate as well as the total re-
peal of the corn-laws."—A. general meeting of the associa-
tion was held on Saturday evening last, in their rooms,
Newall's Buildings ; and the report, (of which the question
and answer given above form the material part) having been
made, it was proposed and adopted that the question and the
reply of Mr. Gibson should be entered on the minutes cf the
association's preceedings.—Manehester Guardian.