Source: Bell's Weekly Messenger, No.1856, Sunday, October 30, 1831.
Coroner's inquests.
And inquest was held on Monday, on the body of a boy named Morgan, who died from a wound received in the abdomen by a shoemaker's knife. The father of the deceased stated that Henry, the deceased's brother, got up to take some sewing thread from a nail, when his foot came in contact with a block, and he fell over the deceased, and the knife which Henry had in his hand at the time entered his abdomen. A surgeon pronounced the wound mortal, and the boy died in a few hours. The Jury, after a lengthened investigation, returned a verdict of —Accidental Death.
An inquest which was adjourned from last week, was held on Tuesday, at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, on the body of Mrs Harriet Easy, the wife of Mr. Easy, late a biscuit-baker in Holborn, and now a prisoner in the King's Bench. It appeared that the driver of a cab, No. 46, the property of the great cab contractor, Captain Abbot, was going at a most furious rate round the corner of Fleet-street into Bridge-street, and Mrs. Easy was crossing the road to call a coach to carry her and an infant three months old (which she had at her breast at the time) to her husband. Several persons seeing the danger she was in, called to the cab-driver to stop; but so rapid was the rate at which he was going, it was quite impossible he could have stopped, and in fact he did not attempt to do it. He stopped after he had passed over the deceased about 20 yards, and seeing she was injured he drove off. Two gentlemen who were passing at the time, took the number of his cab. The driver, whose name is Tibbs, was produced before the Coroner by Captain Abbot, on whose behalf a solicitor attended. Tibbs admitted that he heard a cry, "stop!" and as the witnesses deposed that he did not attempt to do so, the Jury thought him exceedingly criminal in that respect, as well as for the furious driving, and they returned a verdict of Manslaughter, and a [?] on the cab of 5l. Tibbs was immediately committed to Newgate on the Coroner's warrant. A gentleman who attended the inquest professionally on the part of the husband of the deceased, said that Mrs. Easy was a very beautiful woman, between 30 and 40 years of age, when she met with this fatal accident, and the husband was an object of the deepest sympathy. He had, since February last, being visited with a succession of misfortunes almost unparalleled. He had lost ten near relations, amongst them his father, two brothers, three children (two by the scarlet fever), and his wife. He had been ill himself with the scarlet fever, (of which one of his brothers had died) for three months, his trade was ruined, and now he was in gaol with four little orphans. Some friends have commenced a subscription on his behalf.