An inquest was held at th...
The Times, 1824-11-10T00:00:00

An inquest was held at the sign of the Catherine Wheel public-house, Union-street, Soutliwark, on the body of William Johnson, at man who was statcd to belong to the mechanical depart- ment of the P,ublie Ledger newspaper, whose body was taken out of the rivcr near Bankside, on Saturtlay last From the evidence of a young man, it appeared that the deceased was the person who onL Thursday last flung himselfoff Southwark-bridgeinto the river, and was drowned. The witness had been in company with the deceased, at his lodgings in Little Trinity-lane, the afternoon on which he had destroyed himself. It was observed on the occadion that the deccased appeared to be extremely low and desponding. A few days subse- quent, the person who observed this alteration saw an account in the newspapers of a man answering the description of his friend having been found drovmed: he repaired to the place where the body was deposited, and there discovered it was that of the unfortunate de- ceased. The 3ury returned a verdict of l4iond Drowncd. SUJDDEN OEA,TH.-Yesterdayan inquest was held at the Pontefract-castle, Wigaiore-street, Portman-equare, before Thomas Stirling, Esq., on the body of V'ilia-m 4awkins. It appeared frourt the evidence that the deceased had been habituated to fits, and that on Sunday morning he tell in his apartments in Barrete'scourr, Ed- ward-street, and instantly exnired. The deceased in his youth was apprenticed to the celebrated Astley, in whose service he received a kick in the head from a horse; aplate was pLaced in his head, since whicih time he has sold band-boxes aboat Marylebone and St. George'st parishes, and w.as well known by the name of Barkqiidt BillyZ. Verdict-" Died by the visitation of God." ROBBING A GAoLaRn.-On Sanday evening, about haLF- past seven o'clock, as .Mr. Bishop, principal turnkey of Newgate, wets returning homc, and wvas very near the door of that prisol, a fellow made a snatch at his watch, but the riband giving way. ne ra oft with the seals end key. Mr. Bishop immediately gavethealarin, and the tbief was secured by some person passing, with the pmof oe his crime upon him. lie stated his name to be John Wilkes. T-he next day he Was taken to Gaildhiall for cxamination, when the sitting magistrate, Ald. Wood, commirted him to Newgate, where he will enjoy the opportunity ofbecoming better acquainted with Mr. Bisbop. IhscovERY oF GALVANISM.-The discovery of the ef- fects of electricity on animals took place at the time from something like an accideat. The wife of Galvani, at that time professor of anatomy in the University of Bologna, being in a decliing state of health, empioyed as a restorative, according to the custom of thc country, a soup made of frogs. A number of these animnals, ready skinned fbr the purpaose of cooking, were-lying,-vith that comfort- able negligence common to both Fren3ch and Italians, wthich allows* thetn withoult repugnance to do every thing in every place that is at the momnert most convenient-in the professor's laboratory, near ant efectrical machine, it being probably the intention of the lady to cook them there. While the machine was in action, an attendant happened to touch wvith the voint of tie scalpel the crfral nerve of one of the frogs, that was not far from the prime conductor, wheni the limbs were instantly thrown into strong con ulsions. This ex- periment was performed in the absense of the professor, bat it was noticed by the lady, who was much struck by the appearance, and communicated it to her husband. He repeated the experinent, varied it in different ways, aad perceived that the convulsions onlr took place when a spark was drawn from the prime conductor, whife the nerve was at the sahie time touched with a substance which was a conductor of electricity.-Eloge de Gat-ani. The use of mirrors for refleecting light-houEses in England is of very recent date; and, although the idea was not suggested by the falling of an apple, nor the dissection of a frog, it owes its origin to a circumstance almost as trivial, which wras as follows:-At a meeting of a Society of Mathematicians at Liverpool, one of the members proposed to lay a wager that be wodld read a paragraph of a newspaper at 10 yaTds' distance with the light of a farthing candle. The wager was laid, and the proposer covered the inside of a wotoden dish with nieces of looking-glass, fastened in vith glazier's putty, placed this reflector behind his candle, and won the wager. Ube of the company viewred this experiment with a philosophic eye. This was Captain Hutchison, the dockmnaster. With him originated those redecting light-hou6es at Liverpool, Mwhich were erected in the year 1763. in his Trentise e1t Praefieal Seea7nnship, he says, *-WUe have made end h-dl in use here, at Liverpool, reflectors of 1, 2, and 3 feet fecas, and 3, 5i, 7^, and 12 eetdiameter, u.s three small ones made of tin soldered together, nd the largest of wood covered with looking-glss; the twO large ones, caled the sea-lights leading tbrough the channel frot ea, the two Hoydale lights are brought in a line that leads into a very good roadstead to lie, till it is a proper time to proceed to LiverpoDL".._ Glesgoas Mtechanic's Magazine. [AdvertiStement.1-CosMPLETrON or LoRD BYsox's VRWoS. -The two concluding volumes are now published, in both sizes, 8vo and feap. TihCy contain all the pieces published since the last collection ; and it is so contrived, bv printing double title-pages to each volunme, thattheywill mateb with anrd com plete every edition of the" FWorks" now in circulation. Published by J. and H. L. Hunt, Tavistock-street, Covent-garden. LAdvertisement. I-1Mr. BLAQUIERE is nreparing asecCndedition of his Greek Revolution. Among other aidhendn, tnis edition Will contain the events of the fourtlt campaign, together with various de. tails connected with the last days of Lord Bvron.