The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-01-05 00:00:00

(Certificates. err. to-morrow.)

•BD MURDER IN HERTFORDSHIRE.
isitaIIoaD:I;ATIIRDAT PI'S:VINO —At IT o'clock -this
morning, Mr. Conolly, the chemist, of Regent Street, ac-
companied by Mr. Peers, a military gentleman, arrived at
Hertford Liao!, and solicited admission to see Mr. Patrick
Connolly, the surgeon, who was committed on the preced-
tug day, charged with the murder of Jamey Grainge.—
They were Inickly introanced to Mr. Wilson, the gaoler,
.ahoui they informed of their object, which was to get an
orde► from the prisoner fur the a!tendance of Mr. Noel,
as his solicitor, at the Coroner's Inquest. which was to sit
in the course of the day near Rabley House. I'he prisoner
was brought into the minting house he was dressed in a
fashionable white surtout, with velvet cape, light blue
military trowsers. and half boots, and in irons. The bro-
ther was first introduced to him, and the int-rview was of
the most affecting kind. Mr. Peters was subsequently is-
' troditeed. The interview was short, as the visitors had to
repair to the inquest, and their business with the prisoner
was speedily dispatched. Mr. Connolly was much af-
fected by being seen by a brother and a friend in the dis-
tressing situation in which h- stood with fetters upon hi,
limbs. He is a man of genteel air and deportment, and
retains a strong,opinion of his being justified in resisting
the attack of the constables.

Johngiturtell and his frllow prisoners continue exactly
as before. Thurtell bas sent his defence to town fur
revision, and expects his solicitors, Messrs. Jay and Fenton
in Hertford to-morrow, or Monday morning.. No persons
have been to see either Hunt or Probert lately. Mr. Wat-
son, late of the Turf Cotfe►Houle, has been to visit Thurtell.
Nothing beyond the civility of mutual intioiry occurred at
the interview.

INQUEST—OATCIIOIY
This morning, at lu o'clock. -- Rooke, Esq.. the
Coroner fur the county of Hertford. aeseinble.l a Jury at
the Whit• House, Henley Hill. fur the purpose of inquiring
into the eircunislances atten.ling the death of James
Grainge. who wa. unfortunately shut at Itahley House, on
the night of Wednesday last. The niunes of the Jury
hsviug been called over, they were sworn.

PUBLICATION OF TUB PROCEBDINOX.

Mr. Awoke having inquired if there were any Reporters
In the room, connected wit!i the public pr►s•. and having
received an answer in the affirmative, he desired to state,
that be felt it his duty. as Coroner, to protest against any
minutes of evidence being taken either by the Reporters,
for publication, or by any other persons. He was induced
to make this protest in consequence of observations which
had recently fake from a high authority, in a case of
great atrocity upon which a Court of Justice would shortly
flays to decide. He certainly felt that it was of the great at
importance that prisoners charged with crimes of any
sort, should proceed to trial, as free front prejudice a• pos-
sible, and therefore was the more anxious that the evident e
take* before hi►u in a case of so serious a /Wore as the
present, should he withheld from the public till the time of
trial arrived. With regard to a Coroner's Court being an
open or a dose Court, this was a point upon which much
difference of opinion had existed among Conners them•
selves, and no positive or general decision had been formed.
his own idea on the subject was. that it was an open Court,
and he knew of no precedent which could justify him in
coining to an opposite conclusion. In this feeling he
certainly should nottake upon himself to exclude any p sr-
ticular individual from his presence, contenting himself
with having made his protest, and leaving Inc reporters t
adopt that course which their own discretion might suggest
an►l upon their own responsibility, open, of course, to suet►
proceedings as a breach of his order might appear to
warrant.

The Reporter of the Ilorniag Chronicle, who had an-
swered to Mr. Rook..'s first question, said he should feel
it his duty to give publicity to the opinions which the
Groner had thought fit to pronsulete. He thought it
necessary to remark, however. that in his experience, he
114.1 never kno.vn an instance in which the proceedings of
a Coroner's Conrt had been suppressed, or in which every
facility bad not been given to the gentlemen who st•ended
at such proceedings from the public Press. Many very
important cites bad come under his observation, involving
within. of peculiar delicalr, where the Coroner, m 1602,118
strongly prged by persons of high rank. had not ventured
to close the doors of his Court against any person what-
ever; and in some cases, even counsel and attoroiee bad
attended, both for prisoners and prosecutors g and these
individuals were suffered not only to take minutes of
evidence, but to cross-examine the witnesses. He ingtaneed
particularly the cases at Manchester; the inquests on
Honey and Francis, who were shot by the Life Hoards
during the progress of the Queen's tumoral; the Inquest
on the body of Mr. Perseval, who was shot by lielliogbans,
and others of a similar nature. The Coroner had said
that there was no precedent upon which he could act:
This was the fact; and until so.ne such precedent was
established, be, the reporter, felt it but consistent with
candour to say, that he should certainly publish each
evidence as came under his observation, subject, of course,
to any consequences to which the breach of the Coroner's
protrst might reprise him: He could have no personal
feeling to gratify beyond the discharge of the duty which
broeght him to Slienle.-, and he- saw no reason why he
emeld be the first to establish a precedent, or fweeilognrie
a principle npon which the opinion of the Coroners them-
selves seemed to be so meek at variance.

Mr. Rooke admitted the candour of this deelaration, and
said, that all he was desirous of doing, was to Awl his
feelings publicly on the subject. Whether any prilipgs
should follow a breach of his order,. was a "iitteetkip on
a hich he was not then to determine.
The Rev. Mr.. Noscome, the Magistrate, here 'lisiteked
that he had nothing to do with the present 1.,.0nre,. .as
far as his own feelings went, he was*, friend to the pletti-.
cation of correct reports. There. was a pyjcitdeut,hnwifir,-
in a recent' ease .'at Durham' in,-which, ih; Coronet had
excluded eeriiiin Oerians rrOin
the obserratiotur Whicb had been . r. fultite,
Park at Hertford 2.14 elfiewitere.. , With r-lard fg the lbw
on this siihieet, betertainly was aware. oak ,aitteingd
inilniafed their 'opinloo'tl4. a Crefoorces le•aft
thn,eatureoliOlranil Jury, .it was siigpir, a rent' brinallte.
ry, bi'lcApertric4 ieeret:
given after arguments which had been urged to their Lord-

The Jury then accom; anied the Coroner to talre a view
of the hody, which lay in an upper room in the cottage
occupied by his family—a wife and four children. The
unfortunate widow was greatly distressed ; her appevance
was highly respectable, ant her houee neat and clean. She
has been I. ft entirely riesti•ute.
V 1 Etif OF HARLEY HOUSE.
The Jury .seet• proceeded to take a v'ew of Capt. • Vie.
toes house, which is sirriat, d about a mile and a half (soot
Shenk", lu 11, io the parish of Ridge They went in'o all
the rooms oo the ground floor, and particularly exlmlneit
the fractures in the windows and doors, cud part of the
shutter of the front door ; on which there was a large msrk
of gunpowder, and an .appearance as if a ctarge ef shot or
a hall had pa-sed through.
The Coroner a• d Jury retnrned to the .White
Horse ut ode o'clock, and drsired the witnesses to. be
called.
Previous to the first witness h..ing sworn, the Co-
roner Liid he undersiesot some other rep rters had ents r-
ed the room ; he therefore felt it necessary to reps at
his protest again* t notes being takes, or the evitt.oce
published. •
Mr. Stevens, who, we believe, is the attorney for Mt.
Andrews, at whose coif the veer:o6on was issue I against
Mr. Connolly, then addressed the Coroner, and co riplaine.l
of the gross inia•statements which had h.-en published
respecting this occurrence ; he alluded particularly to a
paper of that morning, " 'flirt Morning Herald," . and •to
that part of the statement, in that paper, which alluded to
the nature of the transacdons between Mr. Contlotly and
Mr. Andrews, at Brighton. This was wholly false, and
infamously libellous.
Mr. Noel, who was in attendance for Mrs. Brown, said
he had seen an account of the action brought by Mr. Air
dress' against Mr. Connolly, in the " Brighton H• raid" of
thetlSth of Mire!) lest.—Mr. Stevens repeated that 1115
statement to which he alluded was altogether false. Ha
then pointed out the exceptionable paragraph, and salt
his object was to have it promptly corrected.—The Co•
roller interposed, and observed that this was a ureter
*jai which he had nothing to do. All he had to
was to enquire into the cause of the death of Jain. s
Urainge, and must requ'est that all observations should be
confined to than.

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