men on the watch rushed upon him, Gurney's man being armed with a reap-hook. The deceased made a dive into the common river; when he was closely pursued, and the fellow with the reap-hook wounded him in a manner too shocking to describe. While he was in the water, and as he was getting on the bank, a part of his heel was cut off. One of his hands was nearly severed from his arm, and his body presented a dreadfu spectacle. The poor man languished four days in extreme misery, when he died of his wounds.-A verdict of manslaughter was return. ed against three of the party.

19. Dreadful Catastrophe at Sad. ler's Wells. A most distressing scene occurred on Thursday night at this place of entertainment, a lit. tle before ten o'clock, from a false alarm of fire; in consequence of which, great confusion ensued. The spectators nearest to the stage rushed upon it; and many persons leap. ed from the gallery into the pit. Mr. Dibdin and other proprietors appeared in vain upon the stage to pacify the tumult, by assuring the audience that there was not the least danger. The chandeliers, and most of the musical instruments, were broken to pieces.

This calamitous event is supposed to have originated in a quarrel in the pit, when the cry of "fight" was mistaken for that of "fire," by the greater part of the people. The fatal catastrophe which followed, we understand, was produced by the violent pressure of persons who had quitted the gallery of the theatre on the first alarm; endeavour ing, when they found it to have been groundless, to return to their places: but a number of others, who were still pressing to get out, being on

the staircase, occasioned such a concussion between the two parties, as to produce the fatal suffocation by which many lives have been lost.

The managers exerted themselves to the utmost to procure medical assistance. All the surgeons from St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and the neighbourhood, were instantly sent for.

It is our painful duty to detail, from the evidence that was produced to the coroner's inquest on Friday, the circumstances attending this catastrophe.

All the members composing the jury, between eleven and twelve o'clock on Friday morning, were convened in the drawing-room of the dwelling house of Mr. Dibdin, adjoining to this place of public entertainment. They first examined the bodies of eighteen deceased per. sons, which were exposed in the music-room and in the kitchen. They were extended at length, dressed in the clothes in which they appeared at the theatre, with their legs only bare, and their apparel somewhat loosened for the greater facility of inspection. It was a remarkable fact, that of all these persons, not a single limb was broken, although many had received violent contusions; and a pro digious number of wounded persons, who had escaped with life, suffered from the most terrible fractures.Of the dead bodies, some had un. dergone a material change, from the rapid progress of putrefaction, so that the age of one of them could not be ascertained within 12 or 14 years; and the countenance of ano. ther was unknown to her companion; she could only be recognized by her dress. The names and resi. dences of the unhappy victims

of

of this afflicting event are as follow:

Rebecca Ling, 5, Bridge-court Westminster.

John Greenwood, King-street, Hoxton-square.

Sarah Chalkley, 24 Little Castlestreet East, Oxford Road.

Caroline Twitcher, 5 Ploughstreet, Whitechapel.

Eliz. Marg. Ward, 20, Plumtree. street, Bloomsbury.

John Ward, 16, Glass-houseyard, Goswell street.

Rudic Wall, Crooked-billet, Hoxton.

Lydia Carr, 23, Peerless-row, City Road.

James Phillipson, White Lionstreet, Pentonville.

William Pincks, Hoxton Market.

Rebecca Saunders, Drapers'. Buildings, London Wall.

Edward Clements, Paradise Court,

Battle Bridge.

Mary Evans, 3, Market-street, Shoreditch.

Joseph Groves, Hoxton square. John Labdon, 7, Bell-yard, Temple-bar.

Benjamin Price, Lime-street, Leadenhall-street.

Edward Bland, 13, Bear-street, Leicester-square.

Charles Judd, Artillery-lane, Bishopsgate-street.

Besides those we have mentioned, a great many others were conveyed into the apartments appointed for the reception of the dead, who were supposed to have been deprived of life, but who, after bleeding, and a short interval of repose, recovered. We cannot avoid noticing one instance of this kind :-A husband and a wife were both carried for dead into this place. On breathing

the vein of the wife, there was no emission; but on like incision be ing made in the arm of the husband, the blood burst forth, and after a few minutes of suspended animation, his senses returned, and the first object which attracted his eyes was his own wife, a corpse by his side. A paroxysm of frensy was the imme. diate consequence, and he was borne off from the scene of death in this dreadful situation.

After the jury had inspected the bodies of the deceased, they pro ceeded to the theatre to assist their judgment in ascertaining the cause of this distressing occurrence. Not the least symptom of conflagration was to be seen in any part of the premises, either before or behind the curtain; and throughout the building, not a plank had given way, excepting the front of the orchestra, which had been broken down by persons attempting to escape in that direction. After they had thus satisfied their minds with respect to these particulars, the jury again re turned to the drawing-room, where Mr. Hodgson, the coroner, having taken the chair, they proceeded to the interrogation of witnesses.

[Little or no interest can attach to the examination of one set of wit nesses, being merely the parents of other relations of the deceased, o friends who had accompanied ther to the theatre and were separate from them in the crowd. The fo lowing however, is worth notice:

Benjamin Price, deceased:

Was identified by his mother who stated that she resides at N 31, Lime-street, Leadenhall-street the deceased was eleven years o age; he obtained leave to accom pany some neighbours to Sadler Wells:-About half past ten, h

little sister, who was at home, went into the kitchen, where she saw her brother, who she thought was at the play. She called him, but he immediately disappeared. She then became alarmed, and said it certainly was her brother's ghost, and she was sure he was dead. Witness, being alarmed at the story told by her daughter, hastened with a friend to Sadler's Wells, where she found her boy a corpse.

The next series of witnesses deposed to the attention paid to the unhappy sufferers, and to the diligence and humanity of the proprietors of the theatre and others, to prevent, as much as possible, the fatal consequence of the general alarm and confusion.

Mr. George Smith, a performer, deposed, that he was, the preceding night, upon the stage, when he noticed a considerable disturbance. He saw two men, in particular, fighting in the middle of the gallery. He then heard a cry of fire, and some women were pressing over the front of the orchestra. He leaped into the orchestra to assist them. They were wounded and bruised. The front of the orchestra was broken down by the pressure. The witness then weat to undress; when near his dressing-room, he found a boy ly. ing on the ground, for whom he procured the attendance of Mr. Knight, a medical gentleman; the witness thought the first cry was "fight," although afterwards it was "fire." He exerted himself, exclaiming, there was no fire, All the doors were thrown open for the escape of the audience.

Jones, a lame young man, was brought in next. Ile said, he was in the gallery; that two men at

first jumped up, and struck several blows at people. One of them gave him a violent knock on the shoulder; on which he fell, crying out, "I am robbed! I am rob bed!" He remained on the stairs until he was picked up. A young woman, named Mary Mackinjoy, was with him; she had not return. ed home; and he did not know where she was. The witness could not describe the men, but thought he should know them if they were shewn to him. They were some where about the middle of the gallery.

John Dobson, chemist and druggist, of No. 30, Coleman-street, deposed, that he was in the pit, standing on the benches near the door, where there were seven or eight men, with two girls, hand. somely dressed, quarrelling among themselves. About ten o'clock, they were most riotous. His wife, and his son, a little boy, were with him, and three or four friends. It was a benefit night, and he had tickets for the pit, which was very full. These men and girls tried to affront several people, who would take no notice of them.

Mr. Reeve, one of the proprietors, and a musician, said, that every thing was done by the use of the speak ing trumpet, and otherwise, to appease the general alarm. He was in the orchestra during the whole of the last piece. About a quarter past ten there was a little distur. bance, which seemed to begin with a fight. The noise rapidly increa sed; a cry of fire was raised, and the ladies in the side boxes lifted up their hands and screamed, so as greatly to alarm the crowd in the gallery. Then it was that the confusion stairs became general. He

above

saw

saw many persons dropping down from thence into the pit, where they made their way into the orchestra, and leaped upon the stage. The cry of fire was now vociferated on all sides, and the witness exclaimed ، No fire! No fire!" in vain.

Mr. Sharp, a surgeon, said, that he was in the house at the time of this disturbance. Mr. Chamberlain, and many other medical gen. tlemen, were sent for, to attend upon the wounded. Eighteen persons were brought in quite dead, and he saw twelve more wounded. Every assistance was given by the proprietors and others, and nothing was left undone that could be done for the unfortunate sufferers. Of the persons dead, which he examined, no bones were broken. They were all killed by being trodden upon, and by suffocation.

Mr. Forrester, the proprietor of Islington Spa, said, that about a quarter past ten, he was called; when he ran out of his house im. mediately, and saw a vast crowd of people, most of whom were standing still, but some were returning to the theatre. Many were calling out against the rascal who had raised such a wicked alarm, and some were going up the gallery stairs. The witness then passed into the house lobby, and afterwards jumped upon the stage, where he found one of the proprie. tors endeavouring to quell the disturbance, and appease the audience. Two men in the gallery were remarkably riotous, and bellowed out "Open the doors." They were most scandalously riotous, and one of them was in his shirt. Mr. Burford used the speaking trum. pet to prevent the crowd rushing to

the staircase, and after that the tumult almost immediately ceased. The gallery door had been open, and had never been shut.

Mr. John Munday, door-keeper, confirmed some of the preceding facts; and also Mr. R. Fairbrother, who was, at the commencement of the disturbance, in the treasury of the theatre.

The evidence being thus termina. ted, the coroner observed upon it as follows:

،، Gentlemen of the Jury, "There is little to be said on this occasion, since it is impossible to attach any thing criminal. It can only be casual death; although it might have been otherwise, if a design had been proved to knock any person down, or to commit similar violence. Riot is a misdemeanour, but would not constitute, in a case of this nature the crime of murder; nor can it, in these circumstances, come under the distinction of manslaughter. If a charge of riot can be fixed upon any party, it is a misdemeanour of which the law takes cognizance ; but we cannot do so here."

The verdict, after the names of the deceased had been read, was immediately given-" Killed casually, accidentally, and by misfortune."

Mr. Hodgson then added, "No blame is attached to the theatre; they have done all that humanity could dictate; nothing has been neglected."

The jury unanimously concurred in this observation.

Mr. Dibdin, the principal proprietor, stepped forward, and offer. ed to produce further evidence on that part of the case; which the coroner declined receiving, as the gentlemen of the jury were perfect

ly

ly convinced that every thing had been done to relieve and assist the unfortunate sufferers, and to prevent the increase of the calamity. Such was the termination of this melancholy affair. During the dreadful scene, the premises and the adjacent ground resembled a field of battle; with this miserable distinction, that many of the sufferers were surrounded by their friends, and experienced the double agony of witnessing the anguish of those whom they most dearly loved, whilst they themselves were enduring the pangs of death. Whether the persons who were killed had been plundered or not, we cannot tell; but if we may judge of their situation by the little property they had about them, they were in the lowest class of life-Not a watch, or other article of value, was found upon them. A single purse, one pocket book, and about twenty shillings in money, were all that was collec

ted.

It was a happy circumstance, that the closing scene, which is the aquatic piece, had not commenced; the water is only about five feet deep, but, in the pressure, hundreds might have been thrown down and drowned. The gallery, from which a great many leaped into the pit, is elevated about 30 feet above the floor, and it is astonishing how few. were hurt in the fall.

The calamitous event happened only four days before the close of the theatre for the season.

22. As the rev. Mr. Gilbert, of Kentchurch, Yorkshire, was out a cock shooting with some friends, near the Gostree, Monmouthshire, on proceeding down the side of a wood with one of them, and being a little advanced before him, by

some accident his friend's gun went off, and lodged nearly the whole charge in the side of the back part of Mr. Gilbert's head, tearing away his ear. The unfortunate gentle man instantly fell; and the feelings of his friends may be imagined, but cannot be described, on beholding the dreadful spectacle his lacerated head presented. He was conveyed to a farm-house, where he lingered till Sunday morning, and expired. He was sensible to the last, awaited death with the most christian resignation, and repeatedly signified that he sincerely forgave the unfortunate author of the accident. He was 45 years of age.

26. Mr. Boreham, a respectable member of the society of friends, has been many years a resident at Hoddesdon: his house is on the declivity of the hill beyond that town, about 200 yards from the market-house. He had four daughters, one of whom was the wife of Mr. Warner, brass-founder, of the Crescent, Kingsland-road; and also of the Crescent, Jewin-street. Mrs. Warner had been on a visit to her parents for several days; and on Tuesday evening, a Mrs. lium. merstone, who superintended, as housekeeper, the business of the Black Lion Inn, at Hoddesdon, for Mr. Batty, the proprietor, was at Mr. Boreham's house, in consequence of an invitation to spend the evening with the family. The company assembled in the parlour were, Mr. Boreham, a very old gentleman, affected by the palsy; his wife, his four daughters, Anne, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Mrs. Warner. About a quarter past nine, they were alarmed by a very loud noise at the back of the house. It pro

ceeded