The Sun. — 1848-02-07 (London, England)

THE MURDER IN BIRDCAGE, WALK.—INQUEST ON THE BODY. • (THIS DAY.) • . An inquiry into the cause of the death of Henry • -,Ducker, the soldier in the second battalion fifth "company of the Coldstream Guards, who was shot on "":I,l',Friday afternoon by a young female in Birdcage't: `walk, was opened this morning, shortly after eleven o'clock, at the Artillery Arms, Rochester-row, by Carter, the coroner. The court having being opened in due form, and 114 v• ildr. Gregory appointed foreman of the jury, the gen%L..Alemen composing that body proceeded to view the %ody of the unfortunateyoung man, which lay at the ▪ hospital to the Wellington Barracks in Vincent'4: ...Square, about a hundred ryarda from the tavern,, kits Whither it was removed shortly after life Lwas found to be extinct. We were informed 12t the' deceased's sergeant thaChe was a native of St Retford, Nottinghamshire, that his age was r ▪ •".• • twenty years and ten months, and that he had been u.444;w0 years and eleven months in the regiment. It appeared that he had communicated the intelligence his death to his parents, and that he had also • received a note this morning from them, stating that they could not be present at the inquiry, and request• •:• .ing him to send them " a large lock of his hair. The first witness examined on the return of the jury was _Sergeant Love, of the Coldstream Guards. He said said the body the jury had just seen in his presence, was that of Henry Ducker. His age was .t:wenty years and ten months ; he was a private in the 6th company of the regiment. Sarah Sexton next deposed that she lived at No. 29, West-street, Pimlico, and•that she was a servant. On the evening of Friday_ last, about twenty minutes before five o'clock. Witness said I was walking in Birdcage-walk, near Queen-square, towards Storey's.gate when I saw a young woman take a pistol from under her cloak and shoot the deceased. I knew nothing of her ; she pointed the pistol at the soldier whose back was towards her, and let it off; she pointed it close to the back of h;s head. I did not see anything that took place before. The man fell instantly, the woman threw the pistol down at his side, and walked away. Ido not recollect what took place after. I saw the same woman at Bowstreet on Saturday under examination. I was within a few yards of the woman when she fired the pistol. The woman walked past me after she fired the pistol. I was within a fcw yards of her when she fired it. Mr. James Beattie, of 205, Regent-street, stated that he was a gunmaker. He said he sold a pistol to a female at a few minutes before eight on Thursday. She said she wanted to purchase a single pistol, but I told her I was not aware I had one which would answer her purpose, as they were very dear. She said she wanted it to destroy a Newfoundland dog. I sold her a pistol. That is the one produced. (The pistol, which is a large common holster one, was here shown to the jury.) I told her it was not usual to sell pistols to ladies, and offered to send one of my men to shoot the animal. She said she had a brother, who, though he could not well come, as he was lame, for he lived at Hackney, was well capable of killing the dog. I loaded the pistol at her request.