The Sun. — 1841-07-26 (London, England)

CORONER'S INQUEST.  On Saturday afternoon a highly respectable Jury was empanelled before Mr. Baker, Coroner for the Eastern Division of the County, at the Crown Inn, High-street, Kensington, to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of Mr. William Cleke, formerly a builder in a large way of business, but latterly, and prior to his death, living upon his fortune, at 30, Robert-street, Hoxton. Previous to the evidence being taken, the Coroner stated the reasons for his holding the inquest in the district apportioned to his colleague, Mr. Wakley. The death having occurred in his own district, and the friends of the deceased, through their solicitor, having informed him that rumours were very rife in the district where he lived that his death had been caused by foul means, consequent upon the unhappy way in which the deceased lived with his wife, he had determined, so as to quiet those rumours, on having the body, which had been buried in the Kensall-green Cemetery, exhumed ; and in order to prove the exact cause of death, he had ordered a post mertent examination to be made. The first witness called was police-constable Thomas Quinlan, 240 N, who deposed that on or about the 3d of June last he was on duty at the Robert-street stationhouse, Hoxton, when an alarm was given of 'a disturbance in the street. On going out he saw a great crowd round the residence of the deceased. The street door being open he entered, and on going into the back kitchen he saw the wife of the deceased, with her back towards the fire, crying and greatly agitated. The deceased soon after came into the room, and said that his wife had threatened to stab him with a knife. She did not deny it, but said that if he continued to aggravate her in the manner he had done, she should do so some day or another, at the same time taking a large knife from the table. The deceased flew behind him: for protection, and shortly after accompanied him into the front parlour, where he said that he went in fear of her, and was afraid to take any tea or coffee without she drank out of the cup first, and he was certain that some day or other she would do for him. The deceased, at the time he made the statement, appeared greatly agitated and terrified. The deceased Was sixty-five years of age, and his wife only thirty ; and when he left the house the deceased was in the parlour, and his wife in the back kitchen. He had often inieeenwcasalled in before when they were quarrelling. When called in health. the deceased appeared in very good who was present to of Njvualtcyhththe proceedings on Mr. Nicholls, solicitor, of Cook's-court, Lincoln's-inn, thatt h e deceased's e .ts.hseebehalf of daughter by showed a former. marriage, stated from the deceased good health, and on the .13eotyhw etrideetetyeht that teedch ee.aivwceoa sdmisuon information apparentcaa tt oonn of his death. This, added to the rumour current in the neighbourhood, had induced the daughter to call for the present inquiry. It further appeared that the above fracas alluded to by the policeman took place on the 3d inst. and not in June. Pummell, one of the beadles of Kensington, having proved the exhumation of the body, and it having been identified, Mr. R. D. Thomson, of Gower-street, surgeon, said he had made a post-mortem examination of the body that morning, but was unable, without analysing the contents of the stomach, to state the precise cause of death. After some remarks from the Coroner and Jury, the- Coroner adjourned the inquiry till to-morrow.  In 1674 the summer in Scotland was remarkably hot. It is related that one of the minions of tyranny, who at that calamitous period harassed the poor Presbyterians with captious questions, having asked a shepherd of Fife " Whether the killing of Sharp, Archbishop of St. Andrew's (which had Intppenetrin May) was murder?" he replied "that he could not tell, but that there had be en fine weather ever since." The stormy weather during the week has considerably delayed the arrival of the steamers from France, Holland, and Relgiutn. On Thursday several vessels were six and eight hours longer than usual on their respective voyages, and three steamers expected ou Thursday afternoon from Scotland, Dublin, and Rotterdam, did not arrive till Friday morning.