The Sun. — 1844-10-16 (London, England)

CORONER'S INQUEST.  Yesterday afternoon an investigation took placc before Mr. Higgs, at the Pine Apple Tavern, in Hungerford-street, Hungerford- market, relative to the death of a man, name unknown, and who is strongly suspected to have been murdered. The case excited a very strong senstation in the neighbourhood, and the inquest-room was crowded to excess. M. J. IV, Monks, of the Rose and Crown, ShadThames, deposed that he had seen the body of the deceased, and could positively identify it as being that of a man he well knew by sight, but whose name he could not recollect. He was, witness believed, the master of a schooner commonly called a " billy-boy," latterly employed in bringing stone from Yorkshire to the New Houses of Parliament. Richard Penin, aged ten years, the son of a waterman plying at Hungerford stairs, deposel that, on Sunday morning, he was in a boat on the river, with another boy, near to Hungerford, and while rowing between the Duke of Buccleuch's and Whitehallstairs he saw the body of the deceased floating on the water, face downwards. Witness fastened a rope round the body and towed it ashore. The deceased had on a blue cloth jacket, such as is worn by seafaring men, a black cloth waistcoat, brown woollen trousers, of railroad pattern, worsted stockings, Wellington boots, newly fronted, a flannel waistcoat next his skin, and astripe€l cotton shirt over it, with Indiarubber braces; he also wore a truss. Mr. Joha Nathan Bainbridge, of No. 86, St. Martin's-lane, surgeon, stated that he saw the body of the deceased at St. :Martin's workhouse ; it was that of a well-formed man, about five feet five or six inches in height, with light sandy hair, without whiskers ; the forehead was slightly bald ; there was discolouration of portions of the body, arising from putrefaction having commenced. There were five punctured wounds about the trunk, four near the pit of the stomach, and one about two inches and a half lower down, towards the right side. The four wounds were about an inch apart from each other. There were openings in the flannel-waistcoat and the shirt corresponding with the punctures. One of the wounds was four inches in depth. Witness opened the body yesterday. He should think that the deceased had been dead a fortnight. The wounds penetrated the cavity of the abdomen. The two upper ones were close against the lower end of the breast bone. The liver was wounded and the stomach perforated. None of the intestines were wounded The punctures must have been inflic..ed with a snarp pointed cutting instrument, such as a clamp knife. Witness was GE opinion that the deceased could not have inflicted the wounds on hitnsef. Each of them was likely to pro lute instantaneous death. Inspector Lewis, of the Tha,,c,c;.rydiee, that he had made every inquiry between Richmond aud Chilton, hut could not hear of any person hIiSA eriflL; the description. of the deceased being missing. Several of the jurors expressed a wish that the inquiry should be adjourned, in order to trace out the relatives of the deceased. The inquest was accordingly adjourned until Tuesday next.  The well-known Dr. Lardner is entertaining the citizens of New York with his " Personal liecoliections of London and Paris." The NPtv York Herold remarks:—" The opportunities which Dr. Lardner enjoyed for so many years of observing society in theNe capi:als, and the advantages he derived from nis acquaintance with almost all the characters of our own times, distinguished in politics, literature, science, art, and fashion, will afford rich materials for amusing. narrative. Among those of whom notices and anecdotes will he given, are ILord Brougham, Bulwer, Sir Walter Scott, Guizot, D'ltiraeli, Mans, and ether ' notabilities. ",