Star. — 1824-09-30 (London, England)

FATAL AFFRAY. Wednesday evening, the 22d of September, .a party of smugglers attempted to run a cargo of spirits, near 50 Tower, Bexhill,lStissex, when they were interrupted by Lieutenant Brand and the men under his command, and seven of the smugglers taken, together with one hundred tubs of spirits. One of the blockade men jumped into the boat for the purpose of seizing her, when the smugglers shoved off, and carried the man with them. Three galleys immediately put off in chase of the boat, without effect, and the body of the unfortunate man was picked up in the morning on the sands, below high-water mark, with the head and (ace dread. fully bruised and lacerated.  A Coroner's Inquest was held on Saturday at the Wheat Sheaf public-house, Little Compton, near 50 Tower, before ThOMAS BARTON, Esq. Coroner for the County, when Lieutenant William Henry Brand deposed, that being on duty on Wednesday, about halfpast nine r. M. he observed a party of men go over the beach towards the water's edge, and shortly afterwards he heard a noise as if of tubs being rolled out of a boat, and immediately afterwards the same party returned over the beach, and then he perceived the deceased William Welch lift np his arm and fire his pistol in the air for an alarm. Deponent immediately I ushed among the party, and from that moment lost sight of Welch. Michael Maloney, seaman, depowd, that being on duty oa the beach on Wednesday evening, be heard the alarm fired, and ran to the spot, where he saw Welch, in the boat, who called to him by name to come to his asslistance. Deponent went into the water as far as he could, but was not able to reach the boat ; the deceased called out several times, '6 Oh, Maloney, Maloney, come to me." Deponent asked if he should are his pistol ? to which be received no reply ; he was deterred front firing his pistol lest he should shoot the deceased ; he was well acquainted with the deceased, and could not be mistaken as to his voice. Five or six other witnesses deposed to the same effect. Isaac Dias, assistant-surgeon of the Coast Blockade, was called up at five o'clock on Thursday morning, to esamine the body of William Welch. He found a wound in the forehead, which, in las opinion, was indicted with some obtuse instrument L was quite paisitive it was not a wound from a pistol ball, but thou& it might be from the butt-rod or the muzzle of the pistol : part of the nose was also cut off by some sharp instrument. Neither of these .swounds would, in his opinion, have caused immediate death, but they were sufficient to have stunned the deceased, and the proximate cause of his death was drowning was sure neither of the wound. could have arises from a fall. The CORODIZi read over the evidence to the Juiy, and informed them, that whether be was killed in the boat, and after wards thrown overboard, or whether he was knocked overboard by violence, or thrown overboard, it made no difference ; it would be equally murder. The Jury considered for moose dare, and then brought in a verdict ot—Fonad. Drowned ! • In washing the body for interment after the Inquest, four Wounds were discovered on the tipper lip, end one under the left eye, all of which had been evidently inflicted witk the muzzle of a pistol.— These wounds were concealed by the great quantity of Mood that was clotted on the face.