Coroner's Inquest.
The Times, 1824-08-19T00:00:00

I esteruay arternoon an inquest was neu Derore JOS.FSFi t,AtT. TAn, Esq., Coroner for Kent, at the mansion-house o' Enmanuel Goodhart ?sq., Langley-park, near Beckenhamn, on view of the body of 1boulas Morgan, under-gardener to Air. Goodhart, whc was shot by some robbers on Tuesday morn ig. The first witness called was Thonmas Baldwin, who deposed as follows:-I am gardener to M r. Sioodhart, as was thc deceased whoon I have known for the last 20 years. The deceased used to Iee in a little house adjoining the hot-house in the grerders; I saw him ve and well at six o'clock on Monday evening in the kitchen-garden. At six o'clock on Tuesday morning, I was proceeding, accordiug tc customn, towards tihe kitchen-garden. when dse head-gardener, Lr. Lines, met ine at the g-ate, and told me that * Poor 'om," ieana ing the deceased, " was lying onr the stones in the peach-house all over bleod, but he did not know what was the tniatuer with lsirc." I went there, and found hiti lying or his left sidle groaning very rtnch; there was a great quantity oi bluod on his clothes; we tOO= him upi; he was alive and spoke a few works; I think he said, "Lord have mercy on uc." lie appeared as if hie war dying. On opening the bosom of his shirt, I saw marks of several large shei hlavinig entered his body ; they were blerdiug profusely ; tie said hre had been shot by two neii; having laid him on his owez bed, we sent for MItr. G(sehart, who asked himl many ques- tions as to how and kf t l wlteeL airy ui.is1 -- * - -jedipg to the spot, he saw two meii; hit ealled to therm, but instead of receiving an answer, they sho ast hiun t after we had taken hlim in doors, we found a gun among thie strawberries, in front of tire pine-house; it was thegunwhich was usually given to tbie deceased to protect hiniself and the 1,rOperLy with; it was at full cock, and no charge in it. I traced the markt of blood from tie sDot where we found hirn, to the end of the pine. house, where, l suppose, he had received the wounds; that was the distance of 30 or 40 yards. he was also sbot in his anns and ibands - Iam satisfled lie did not stoot hihsseif. Ife languished untdi harlf. past two o'cleck the satne day, when he died. Charles Willett, another gardener to alr. Goodhart, gave siirilar testimony. Air. William Stott, surgeon, of Bromley, sworn.-I aiis in part- nersiip withi *y uncle; about half-past six o'clock on Tuesday morn- Ing, a messenger camle froi Alr.- Goodhart's, requiring our instant atteudance; we proceeded thithet, and saw the deceased in his room - we found strong marks of gun-sbot wounds itl the front of the chest anti body, arms, and hands ; tle wounds in the centre of the chest-borie appeared to have been mortal ; uo doubt several of the sbot entered the cavity of thie chest, anid probably sotlie had entere* the lungs, though we did nJot open the body. ''Ihe heinorrhage pro- ceeeig from tire wounds no doubt occasioned deth. The shot were very large, arid probably 50 in number. The deceased could speak, but could not giVU arty initiate account of the transaction. hLr Charles FWrnaby, a magistrate, took down tire few thiDgs lie said iu vrrring. It was liere suggested by one of the Jurv, that as AMr. Goodhart had taken down what the deceased said, they had better hear what thrat was. iThe CoRoNER said tbat there was no proof that the deceased thouaglt he was riot likely to live, aind therflbre whatever he said could trot be received as evidence, but ne desired that Alir. Goodhart night be called forward. Mr. Goodharn attended, and producedt the paper containing thie de- ceased's owvn words. The COR0o,E'r told hinn thra. the paper could not be received as evidence, but lie inigylit make use of it to refresh hi, me--,nr i. aAr. 'jooalalt.-As soon as I went to the deceased, I sent to Sit Charles Furnaby, the magistrate, who arrived in a short time, in company with another magistrate, whom he had niet on the road, Mr. Well;tnd. I hal, however, taken the precaution to putdown whatever the deceased said relative to the transaction, and ths result its a tfoUws :A-He baid, that shortly after 12 o'clock at night he was watching round the garden, aud dogged two men, one of whiomu had a gu; this was azainst tbe little gate of thie orchard, the gate that had been broken open, and he added, " they shot me whea I was ncear the door:" I usked hinl if they had xgreat coats on, he rephed, " No ;" I asked hint if he called to them; he replied that he did, but he received no answer, adding, ' They fired at me directly, and I fired tirectly." It was then thought very. strange thiat if the gon was c. ckel und the pan down when it was tound, how could the deceased have fired it? The Coroner thought there wits somle little varia. tiori in the story: Mr. (noodhart contesscd that lie could not accourt far this cir- cuiiscance, but sent for Willett again, who withi another gardener named Cooper, found the gun. I Willct -id 6-i o -1-.o hs 1u-, -- 1itt k ,d the pan was down. lie tried with the ra.mrod to see if it was loaded, andt it was not: he was not able to say w hether the gan h.ad been fired or not. Cooper was called, who also deposed to the deceased's guti being. found as described by Willett- The Jury thotight iu the gun had beeni fired, it had got cocked, and the pan got pushid down, by the deceased's trailing it along tEbe ground atter he was shot. Ili - ... iu VI W CVIaequence whetner tbe deccased fired his gun or not; what we want to uscertain is, who fired the gun a. the deceased. Thle COROXER then recapitulated thc material parts of the evi- dence; atter whiclt the Jury returned the followving verdict:- 'That thedecensed died bysiot-woundns, iflicted by some perton or,ersons unknown." .he deceased had long been in tbe service of Mr. Goodhart1 and borne a most exemplary character; thht gentleman immediately after the shocking occurrence, sent to Bow-street, wvhen Taunton one of the most active officers, was instantly sent down, who has already commenced a most diligent search after all suspeeid per. sons. Air. (3dliatt has vtery libetally offeted a rewartd onf,00lLfor the apprehension of the muyderer or murderers, and a likc sum is espected to be offercd by Government, together with a romise of pardon to any excepl the person wvho actually catetmities the fatal act. These rewards joined to thec kitown vigilance of Teunton, it it hopec w1li %oln iQr.g tbe goUly to punishmentt. CO1tONER'S lA'QtUEST. XURDER OF MIR. GOODHART'S CARDSF;L