The National Register. — 1812-05-17 (London, England)

EVIDENCE.  Mr. William Smith examined by Mr. GARROW, said, he Was a Mem.. her of Parliament, and on Monday last, the 11th of May, he attended his duty at shat place, about five o'clock in the evening ; whilst passing along the lobby of the House he stopped to converse with a Oentlemad of his acquaintance. While in conversation with him be heard the report of a pistol, which appeared to him to have been fired from the door which to the lobby; at that door by which Members must pass to untcr the irecrier Douse of Commons. Or. hearing the report he turned his face towards the place whence the sound issued, and observed a tumult, occasioned by aboueten or twelve persons assembled at the door. Almost at the same instant he perceived a person rushing beefily Irons among the crowd, and several persons called out " Shut the deor, he no one escape." The person who issued from the crowd came towards him, looking first one way, and then another, as though lit war a nian why sought shelter, rather than as one who had received a wound. But upon his taking a few steps more towards the witness he reeled, and ft ;t with his face downwards, but before he fell he uttered an indistinct cry, in which was the word" Murder !" or something like it. Wiwi: he lirst fell, the WittICES thought he might be only slightly wounded, and expected to see him make an effort to rise, but gazing a few moment, o i him Sc observed that he did not stir, and he immediately stooped down ante raised him from the gepund. He requested the aid of a geetierrete beside him for that purpose; so soon as they turned his face upwards he perceived, and not till then, that the person was Mr. Spencer PercevaL l'hey took him in their arms, one on the right side and the other on the left, and carried him into the Office which belongs to the Speaker of the House of Commons's Secretary. They seated him on the table, and seipported him on each side in a reclining posture. By this time his face was completely pale, and blood was issuing in a small quemity from each side of his mouth ; though, as he then thought, not more thau five minutes had elapsed from the time the pistol was fired, yet nu signs of life were remaining. His eyes were open, but he did not appear to know the witness, nor take notice of any person around hint, nor had he uttered an articulate sound from the moment he fell. A few conv Alive sobs, with scarcely any perceptible pulse, were the only si,nie Of life re. maining, and these continued only a few minutes. The wiLless Felt his pulse for the last time, a few moments before the arrival of Alt-. Lynn, the surgeon, when it appeared to bird to have totally ceased. lie remained in the same situation with the body until it was carried into the Speaker's hoive—was incapable of giving any account of what liappent d in the lobby respecting the conduct of the prisoner at the Bar. Mr. Perceval still remained in his arms whilst Mr. Lynn examined the wound, at which time the body had not been moved at all. He saw the wound from which the hood issued in a very small quantity. The wound was a little above the left nipple, and the orifice appeared to be large, and to have been made by a pistol-ball When the surgeon probed the wound, the ball appeared to have slanted downwards; the ball had penetrated the cavity of the breast, fur the probe touched not the bone. Nir. Perceval was of rather a low stature. Freni various circumstaeces upon his mind, that fatal event must have hapteend soinewistre between five o'clock and a quarter past it, at the customary hour when a person in Mr. Perceval's situation would he expected at the House. He understood that the Gentleman's name wko assistc:d hint to carry Mr. Pereeval into the house was Phillips. Mr. Lynn was next called, and examined by Mr.