The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-09-20 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Yesterday afternoon a Coroner's Inquest was held at
St. Thomas's Hospital, before T. SHELTON, Esq., Co-
mate, upon the body of Michael Kelly. dell Isaforta-
sate young man who was killed in Rose-alley, Bishops-
gase-at.. sompparticubra of wisese muse were given is
oar Polioe Report get Toseday last.
The first witness ezamiaed was Hugh Farrell, a boy
of lt years of age. He deposed that he lives with his
parents in Rose-alley; all he knew was that be went
us bed at about seven or eight o'clock on Sunday
night, and slept until aboat a quarter past six o'clock
io the corning, when his mother woke him ; he swore
positively that he bad beard no noise whatever in the
night, and knew nothing of the death of Kelly.
Mr. E. Mares, one of the dressers in the hospital,
and Dr. Harsh, Surgeon, of Hishopegate-street, who
first examined the deceased, stated the nature of the
wound ; when the deceased came into the hospital lie
was almost dead from loss of blood ; he breathed with
difficulty, and expected to die each moment; be fainted
frequently, and expired between four and five o'clock in
the afternoon.

James Young was with the deceased, Farrell and
his wife, on Sunday last, they were all at a public-
house together, and dined at their house together ; he
left the three together at night on the most friendly
terms; on hearing what had happened, the witness
went to the hospital to see the deceased, who said,
" that Farrell has stabbed me," and desired the witness
to go immediately and fetch his wife ; Kelly was a mar-
ried man.

Wm. Pole, a watchman belonging to Spita!fields,
deposed, that be lived in Rose-alley; about half past
five o'clock on Monday morning, on passing up the
alley, be beard heavy groans from some one who
seemed to be in the last agonies; be was first usable
to ascertain from whence they proceeded ; at length
be heard the voice exclaim. G. Oh, Lord, will so one
come to assist me," when be perceived the deceased
supportiselilasself against the door of No. 7, be was
a most frightful spectacle ; his waistcoat was open,
and the blood was nailing out of it. and through his
breeches at the knees ; the witness asked him who
had done it ; the deceased replied, my landlord ; I
know I am dying, and I well tell you, between God
and man. We were drinking together yesterday ; my
landlord and his wife had some words together; I laid
myself dowa upon some chairs ; just at day-light I
was going to my own bed, as I thought, when my
landlady called oat to her husband and said. I was
coming to bed to her ; my landlord directly ran up to
me and stabbed me. The deceased continued, that as
soon as be found himself stabbed be ran down stairs;
he declared that be was innocent et what his land-
lord's wife bad said about his going to her, and that
he never thought of going sear her; just at this time
Mrs. Farrell threw op the window of her bed-room,
and said, " D—n him, it served him right, for my
husband did not do it without occasion; be wanted to
come to bed to me." The deceased upon this repeated
his declaration, that be was ianoceot of any such in-
tention. The witness led the deceased to the door of
'the house, where be said he bad been stabbed, and

there left his to go sad seek for assistaace.
- Mr. J. Chapman, a tradesman, residing is the neigh-
boarhood, want in osapany with Gregory lap stairs to
search the house. They baud the deer of the bed-
room barricaded with chairs, which had been placed
against it, bat they forced it apes. Oa Mitering the
room they hoed Mrs. Farrell is bed ;':ta the foot of the
bed, they-perceived the hoards of the flier wet, as if they
bad jest been wiped. They asked Min. Farrell what

Sta—The phenomena apparent here last Friday,
were the most awful and extraordinary ever witnessed
by the oldest inhabitant of the vicinity. I have not
met with any individual who could say, that he bad
seen, read, or heard of such as appearance in any lati-
tude. About eleven /1.111, there was a weak breeze
from the South West, the barometer at changeable,
with au appearance of heavy rain, which began to fall
about forty minutes after eleven, and ettettased until
twelve, at which time there was dead calm, and the
rain ceased entirely. The sun had not shone out
during the morning, but a few minutes after twelve
the darkness began to increase in the most extraordi-
nary manner—at one there was not light sufficient to
transact business in the common offices and shops—
Merchants were obliged to light candles—the disanay
and terror of the lower classes of the people were ex-
cessive in the extreme, every one crying out that the
last day was come—all the domestic fowl went to
roost—not a wild bird to be seen, or a twitter heard—
mechanics and labourers quitted their work, exclaim-
ing, the day of judgment is arrived. At this moment
neither the barometer nor thermometer were a hue
changed from what they bad been at ten o'clock.—
There was a dead calm. The chimney smokes shot
up in perpendicular columns, till lost in masses of
dark clouds, with which the concave surface of the
Heavens was entirely covered. The appearance of
those clouds was astonishingly awful—they were some-
thing like those dark bine volumes of smoke which
arise from an explosion of gunpowder, and piled on
each other, tier above tier, from the horizon to the
zenith, where they concentrated, so as to form the
vortex of a Oothic arch. Through small interstices,
where those gigantic masses appeared to lap over each
ether, appeared to issue a faint gleam of sulphareous
fight.

At this moment, about one o'clock, the appearance
of objects was wonderfully changed. Meadows of a
light green, appeared dark green ; objects of a dark
green seemed quite a dark bottle green, and the dark
gravel of some roads, appeared of a blackish blood
colour. Men's faces and dresses were all changed in
the same manner, so that people looked at each other
with astonishment and awe. The colours were all of
the finest tiat and shade, very rich and mellow. I
could not conceive any thing like thed, except the
brightest prismatic colours, viewed through a glass
slightly smoked, so as to give them a mellowness with-
out destroying their brilliancy. On the surface of all
objects there was observed a gentle undulatory motion
which had a very turprising effect. This I found was
occasioned by the clouds, which, though they seemed
to the naked eye perfectly still, yet, when viewed
through a telescope, appeared to'oscillate soinething
after the manner of the Aurora Borealis without
changing their relative positions.
The darkness continued until two, and to such a
degree as that scarcely any person could read or write
within doors, without approaching close to the win•
down.

A little after two, there was observed a gentle lap-
tion of the clouds, from the sonth-west ; they moved
almost imperceptibly to the north and east, and about
three, the darkness was dispersed ; cocks began to
crew, and swallows to Ay about, as if it bad been
early in the morning.

1 lave not yet learned how far this darkness et-
tended. 1 would have sent you this imperfect sketch
sooner, Mr. Editor, had 1 not known that you and the
happy inhabitants of the metropolis were absorbed in
contemplating and admiriag an appearance much more
delightful and cheering than this which 1 Lave at-
tempted to describe, was gloomy and appalling.

I an, &e.

E. F.