Coroner's Inquest.
The Times, 1824-12-27T00:00:00

An inquest was held at Lyndhurst, on view of the body of John Bowles, one of the keepers of the New Forest, who, on Monday last, carne to his-death in consequence of a blow received on the.9tf inst, ftomn and Wm. Shelly, under the foUlwing circumstances:- In consequence of recent orders, the keepers of the New Forest have been lately furnished with toils, and have employed much of their time in endeavouring to tale a quantity of ted deer, to supply his Mtnjesty?a park at lYindsor. Aftcr very great trouble. they had at Iengtl., of the. 9th inst., succeeded in driving some of the animalP to. vwarda the tramnmels, end had caUled together a number of assistants, whom c.eydlepersed in parties in such manner as they thought best for contiattitig tht deer in the n~jght direction. Among those maaistauss was the abose,.named William Shclly,-who formed one of a rlumerous party assembled for the same vurpOce. After they had remalned.there a considerable time, the deceased rode up to then, and requested the whole of the party to remove to another station, which hepointedout. Nonoticeof thlsvwastakenibyanyone; on 'which the deceased repeated his request; and Shelly, who was then walking directly the contrarv way, replied, " I ishan't come that wdsy L shall go which way Ilike." The deceased upon this said, "Ill be'd-d if you shall, and (with more oaths) I'll ride over you If you, don't gomne this vway." Shelly still refusing to comply, the deceased proceeded to carry his threats into execution by spurrnng on his horse, and riding towards Shelly, who, with his arm, turnel the onimal'D blaid. At the same time the deceased's wbip, either acciden- tally or by design, fell rather smartly across Shelly'a hat. The de. ceased immediately aftewarda seized Shelly by the collar, and ex- claitned " D-n your eyes, come thin way." Shelly replied " Let me go, I have not interrupted you, I'll be d-d f fI nove." The deceasedstill kept his hold, and, repeating his oaths, proceeded to drag Shelly eff by the collar. On this Shelly took from his right- hand coat pocket a short bGlt, about a foot and a half in length, forsned of cane or stick with a lump of lead at the top, called a squir- rel-bolt, which he held up towards the deceased, saying " If you don't let me go, I'll be d-d. if I don't knock you off your borse." The deceased, however, still persevered, and Shelly, after being dragged several vards, during which he three or four times re- peated his thre&t6 to use the bolt, struck the deceased with It on the back part of the head. It did. not appear to be a violent blow, "and," laid a witness, " I was suxprised when some one observed that deceased's head was bleeding." The deceased tlieni let go of Shelly, who retired to the side of the road, Yhen the de. ceased turned his horse, androcde at him again. Shelly, on avoiding the horse, fell backviards, and on raising himself up on his scat, the deceased again rode urp and struck him once or twice acresa the neck, with the butt enae-of his whip.- Sbelly was again walking away, iwhen deceased renewed the attack. Eaeh seized on the other's coll,r, and in the scuffe thedeceased was drawn front his horse; but in consequence of Shelly having hold of his collar, his head and shoul- ders did Dot stiike the gro,tnd. The son of deceased then camc up, and coUared Shelly, roan after which the affray ended. Shelly kneit the deceased to be a keeper, as he then wore his keeper's dress. Wihilst Shelly held the bolt over the heatl of the deceased, some one cried out, " D-n you, why don't you hit him P" AU the i4t- ne3ses agreedin opinion that Shelly had no means of getting frov the deceased, but by striking him with the bolt. I After two sargeons, Messrs. Smith and Westcott, who had at-. tended the deceased, and examined the bodyv diee his death, had' given their evidence, in which they described the effect of the blow. on his head, and declared their firm opinion that that alone was the imnjediate.causc of his decease, the, Coroner summed up, and at come length. explained the variuot points of law arising on the case, according to wbhich, he stated it to be his opinion that the person who gave the blow (Shelly) had clearly been guilty of manslaugh- ter, and that the jury would be justified in returning their verdict to that effect The jury however, thought otherwise, and after retir- ing for some time to aeliberate on the evidence, found a verdict of -Justifablek 7wonicide. So unsatisfactory was this verdict, that the day after the inquest, four magistrates, the Right Hon. W. S. Bourne, C. W. Mitchell, A. P. Duckley, and G. Eyre, Esqrs., interfered, and after a minute investigation of the business, committed Shelly to Winchester gaol, to take his trial at the next Alarchl assizes, for manslaaghler.- Ianspshire Telegraph. eORON?RMS' INQUEST.