Coroners' Inquests.
The Times, 1824-10-28T00:00:00

Yesterday a coroner's inquest was hehl Weforc JOesHs WaRIC,IT U-WIN, Esq., coroner, at the RKdndeer Tavern, in te narish of St Geore i thel&at, to inquitire h,w, and by whiat me1at,s.. Johin Col- lins, a youth 10 years ot' agel, crme by his death. P. Swecney being sworn, dcpnac ! tls. on S ,turdav morning last, nco ipany .! a tfriend,hewalked upon theDlok Iillfor the pr poeO iewing the alterations makinig thierc tbr an addition to tile ,ondlon Dock. His friend and himelf' went to the spot where work- ilen were en:ployed in renioving #ome old materia!s. and taking dowu some store-rooms, which had formerly ';ecn used as, cellars belonging to the London Dock (Jomiptny. The witness, with his friend and othler persons, stood on the brink of the arches, looking at the workmen employed, when, in an instant, three of the arches gave way at the sarre moment: and the deceased,who had been standinitg at sonme shiort distance from the witness, was buried in the ruins: it was about 20 minutes before the deceased W3as found, when he was taken upe quite dead, and in a tsreadtislly mangled state. CORONEr.-.Was there any other sufRerer than the unfortunate boy of whomi you kave been speaking ? WN itncss.-ilfyself'and 'riend,with several other persons, fellin with tle ruins but fortunately escaped vith only beine severely bruised. Mlr. Ehis, foreman ol the works, stweia, the D)ock (<m.pany cn.- plove(d watenmen anti officers, both day atnd ttight, to caution per- sOAs against approachting the spot where the deceased hail unibrtu- nately maet with htis deaLh, but it was inlpossible to keep thein off, for boti' young and oldl were determined to satisfy thei- curiosity. C( o.'EItt to the witoess.-Vhat is your opinion upon the cae ? Writness.-f am decidedly of opinien it was an accident. and that everv precauition has been taken by the Dock Gompsany to avoid any' misfortunes. The CoRoenR then addressed the jury, and intimated that it was Itis opinion that tic dleceased had heen killed accidentalJv. The Jury were of the same opinion, and returned a vcraict ac- cordinglv. ConosER to the jury.-.Gentlemen, the Aext thing for your con- sideration iS a dleodand. Mr. Ellis. the foreittan of tlie works, noe catiie forward, and said that he had receivedt instructions to intorm the coroner and the getitleiein of the jury. that thte expenset of burving the deceased wootl be defrayed by the London D3ck CotipanyN. Tltc juryv erentnanimOusly of opinion, under sueci circunstances, a deodland might bc dispersed witlt. Yesterdav evening, at seven o'cIoclr,a respectable jiIrvasscitlIe Iin tile board-ronom of 1i3dewell-hospital, bbe:ore 'T'nomAS S111EL.TON. sIsq., coroner for London, to inqnire itito the tieath ot' Samuvl M or- gan, who on Saiturdar afternoon last sprang front a boat into the Thatmes, anid stiiik. On the return of the jury froin siewing the bodv,the following evi- dence was aldduced :_ George Osbortne, a waterman. residing in Jackson's-placc, said he was plying for tares at Blackfriars-bridge on Sa:urd.y last. about three o'clock. when the deceased atid anotiter man came up, and asked hiutm to row thimn over the water, lie c tnplied htah tthe comptanion of the deceased oll getting to the stairs, refised ;o go, observing he woulil tiot tor S01. The deccased, however. went irto the boat, attd the witnless having rowed as f3r us the middle arch of the bridge, looked round to avoid a barge and boat, and the young manj umped into the river antd sank, exclaimi.ng *' God bless You Drags antl every means were used, but hie never rose again. He lookedl rather wild, and spoke nnt a word. The witness tioes inet think he was intoxicated * lie wvalked steadil imto the boa: * he did inot staind up it tite boat before lie tiireev himself in, but appeared to witness to go inr head foremost. Tte witness covild not save hin. James Schoficld, a gas-man, deposed that he had lknown tie deceased for two years, and worked with hini at the wor ks in Darset-street; iCe Was (tibClhlrged from his situation at Cklristmas last. Ott Satur- day last, about half-past two o'clock, the deceased camc to himl ant' ivarted him to drink beer, but the witness icclinci ; lie then left him. Ilfe %vas a mats tthat wouldl driik excessives, a-nd was a single mans, 29 years of age; lie was latteris in the rmploy nf the Imperial (Gas Company. At the tie witness saw him, a :zii:n, a stranger to witress was with hitt the deceased was inot drmnk then. ThAeeceased's brnther, a solier, attended, and said. that when he saw himi las-t March hc *;eend diejeeted, but would nevcr ex- plain the reasoin. Tlhc witnes. prodilecd a picce of paper, being a list orf small sulms owing to sosne tpersonis. ani shined * Tnir dear and aflkctiniate frictid Samtnel :lorgan. " The witticss 'aid that the o:an dcecribed as being with him wvas natned Allen, antd is az hack- ncy-coachnitn, andt must have knorn of the deceered's intentioni. as ise abovc pap.r swas given by ceceas,ed to him, but the witness could t,ot find hini to bring hini f6rwaril the witness had heard the dle- ceased tas ill. durittg tf;e last vcek, with is rheuLiatzic aflfctior. The (onto Ngal, in stddrunsing the.lurv. sraid tlhcre was no r;osti- tility of get ing tsy imore evidnce:; and as it swaC a singular case tl tile absensce of' anv evidetice to show the rtate of h;is mind, they could Onie to the conelusion they thougtht answecrine. :he case It was probable that somethtng mniglit have beetn harsgirg ahtntt hi' mnindt swhichi sroduced aberration of inteilect. The . urv retrne,t it vet ihict..' Thiat he drowtied lihitiself n a lit ot trillmpiorary derangc- iietut.. CO0I?O.VE IIS' INQ UESTs.