On Thursday afternoon, as...
The Times, 1824-09-04T00:00:00

On Thursday afternoon, as the workmen who are construct ing the coffer-damns for the new London-bridge, were clearing away dlrt fron, the bed of thc river, witlh a machine fixedon board a vessel, and work-ed by a steam-engine, the bucket brought up the leg and thigh of a female, (which waS1 beautifully shaped, with a smail foot), on wlhich were a silk stocking and shoe. The bodv, it vas conjectured, had been carried witb the current against thle sile of the cofier-dam, where there were more piles to be driven, and that a pile had been literally driven through it, or the body must haye been brought up altogether, instead of the leg and thigh being torn off, which wvas 'the case. The rest of the body has not yet been recovered. It must have been in the water at least a fortnight by the appearance of the leg andl thigh. One of the workmen employed in removing thc pipes attached to the oltl water-works, London-bridge, near the wharf of Thompson and (n., coal-merchants, lately discovered, at a crnsi- derable dlepth below the surface, a large piece of gold coin, in hig h preservation, bearing the efligy of I ouis XIby . Tle roan sold it and it is nlow in the posse.ssion of Alr. Cope, one of thedity *Uarshals. UN} OIT-ItNATE R5MtNISCEHcrs.-'rhe harmony of Neiv South; Wales is occasionally disturbed by English recollections. It would be better if some of the colonists knew less of the early his. tory of each other. The fbllowing is an instance in point:-" A very wortlhy as well as wealthy magistrate, who did not leave Eng. land for bdggi,g o' / irks (as the Scotch phrase it), happening to talke offence at the manner in which he was addressed by an attorney, on his travels in that colony, observed, I You need not hold vour hcad so high, Sir; f remember the day wlhen von had not a shilling in your pocket.' ' And I remember the day (retorted the attorney) when, if I hatd a ahilling in my pocket, I should not have been able to keep it long in your company.' " An inquest, unider very extraordiiiary circumstances, has been held at Ramsgate, by D. Hodgson, Esq., Mlayor and Coroner of Sandwich, and also for Rarnsgate,.which is in the jurisdiction of that ancient town and port. It appeared thsat some time since a woman named Mlason, residing at Ramsgate, corrected her little girl with a severity which was thought by some, to say the least of it, very unjustifiable. At atny rate, we do not wivsh to characterize it nmore particularly for the present. Reports soon got about that the poor child had died in consequence of the injuries it had received. The M Alagistrates, as in duty boned, immediately directed an inquest to be held on the body. A jury was empanelled on Wednesday last, and proceeded to examine the witnesses. A neighbour deposed that the body exhibited no marks or violence, and that the ehild died from the efFects of fever. Ilr. Snowden's medical assistant said that the body exhibited a large black spot upon the left side, apparently caused by a violent blow; and that a blow given in that part would infallibly occasion death. Mlr. Pettman, surgeon, of Ramsgate, who opened the body and examined the internal pares of the seomach, &c., was now called upon to give evidence. To this, Alr. Pettmnan re- plied, that he had fully made up his minl before he came there nor to give hes evidence on oath !-in which determination he persisted. Mr. Hodgwon informed him that he should adjourn the inquest till Saturday, the 28th ult., when, if he still persisted in that course, he should be under the painful necessity of committing him for refusing to give his e% idence. The jury accordinigly again assembled on Sa- turday, but MIr. Pettman had, in the interim, left Ramagate. The Coroner, in consequence issued his warnant or the apprehension of that gentleman, and Si;eden, the constable, was des-patched to endea- vourtoapprehend him. The juryagain assembled on rMonday evening last, anti was further adjourned till to-morrow (Ieriday) at 10 o'clock. The unhappy mother, during the whole of this time, is detained in close custody, and there appears little chance of the inquest being terminated until the evidence of Nr. Pettmran can be obtained. Sladden had not succeeded in finding him at the time of our going to peess, but was still in pursuit. Thus this curious affair rests at pre. sent. We shall present our readers with the realit, if possible, in our next.-B.ent Herald.