Saturday 19 Apr 1845 (p. 3, col. 2-3) INQUESTS. ----- (Before Mr. CARRICK, Coroner.) A melancholy accident happened at Belvoir Cottage, near Carlisle, the residence of Mr. CARRUTHERS, ship-agent, by which a fine little boy, aged three years, the son of that gentleman, lost his life. On Monday afternoon, the 9th instant, Mr. CARRUTHERS' man servant was on his return from one of his master's fields, in charge of a field roller drawn by a young horse; and in passing along the way leading through the shrubbery to the field-yard, a garden roller was found standing on the road. The man stopped the horse, and was in the act of removing the obstruction, so as to allow the horse and roller to pass, when the horse took fright and ran off. After galloping 70 or 80 yards, the animal came up to deceased, who happened to be playing on the road, knocked him down, and the roller passed over him. When the child was lifted up, he was insensible. Medical assistance was immediately called, but the injuries done to his head were of so severe a character as to occasion his death in a few hours. The only external injury was a bruise upon his cheek, producing slight discoloration in the eyes and forehead. The horse was a perfectly quiet and gentle animal, and had never been known to run off on any former occasion. An inquest was held on Friday morning, before Mr. CARRICK, when the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death," with a nominal deodand on the horse and roller. On Tuesday last, Mr. CARRICK, county coroner, was called to Gillhead, near Wreay, to investigate the circumstances connected with the death of an illegitimate child, of one Margaret GRAHAM, aged nine months. The child died on the preceding day, and was to have been interred on Tuesday morning. A rumour got abroad, in the meantime, that its death had been caused by ill usage, on the part of the nurse. This reached the ears of the parish authorities, who considered it necessary to stay the funeral until the case had been investigated. It appeared that the deceased had been very unkindly treated by its nurse, and that about nine or ten weeks ago one of its arms was discovered to be broken, which the nurse accounted for by saying that she had accidentally overlaid it during the preceding night. The arm was set by a neighbouring bone setter, and secured with proper splints, but for the last fortnight or so they had been taken off, and the ends of the bones not having united, the arm continued broken and unsupported. The left leg was also broken, but the nurse did not seem to be aware of it, and did not attempt to account for the injury. There was no other external appearance of violence. Mr. ELLIOT, of Carlisle, surgeon, made a post mortem examination, from which it appeared that the child had died from the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain, and that in his judgment teething was the exciting cause thereof, and not any violence. The statements made by the nurse and her husband were very contradictory, and in many particulars highly improbable. Evidence was also given of most cruel treatment deceased had received, but in the absence all external injuries, the jury felt bound to return a verdict of "Natural Death," accompanying it, however, with a strong censure upon the nurse, for the cruel and negligent manner in which the deceased had been treated by her. It will be in the recollection of our readers, that in the course of last summer, one of Sir George MUSGRAVE's under-keepers, of the name of Thomas HALL, discovered a man named Isaac SMITH, labourer, residing in Penrith, in the plantations at Edenhall, when a conflict took place between the parties, during which it was stated that the keeper struck SMITH upon the head with his gun, which stunned him. SMITH died on Tuesday evening last, and his friends having attributed his death to the injuries received in the above encounter, sent for Mr. CARRICK, who held an inquest on the body, at the Grey Bull, on Thursday last, before a highly respectable jury, of which Dr. NICHOLSON was the foreman. The investigation occupied several hours. It appeared from the declaration of the deceased, made on the night after the injury had been received, before Mr. SALKELD, a Magistrate in Penrith, that on the 14th August he had gone to Sir George MUSGRAVE's woods to gather raspberries, when HALL came to him, and without speaking, struck him upon the head with the stock of his gun, which felled him to the ground, where he lay in a state of insensibility, ten minutes-that on coming to himself, he begged pardon, and offered to go away quietly, that the keeper again struck him on the head, got astride of him, and kicked him, that he with difficulty got home, and that he was much injured on the head, and feared he would die. A woman, on the same errand, was close by. She deposed to seeing the keeper raise the gun, which fell upon the back part of SMITH, either upon his shoulders or head, immediately after which she ran away. Her statement differed from that of deceased, inasmuch as she added, that as soon as he was struck he fell on his knees, and looked up and offered to go away, whereas deceased said he was rendered insensible for ten minutes. Dr. TAYLOR and Mr. PEARSON attributed his death entirely to consumption, under which the former stated he had known him to labour for years. Mr. IRVING, having seen him in the latter part of his illness only, could not give a decided opinion as to the effects produced by the injuries. At the request of the jury, Mr. MORRISON was sent for, and made a post mortem examination. He reported that he found slight adhesions between the skull and the lining of the brain, and the inner membrane considerably injected. The adhesion he said, might have been the result of injury received at a distant period, at the same time it might also be one of the symptoms of the disease of which he died. HALL attended at the latter part of the inquiry, and having requested to be allowed to make a statement to the court, said, that deceased had often trespassed on his master's grounds, that on the day before he had discharged him, and finding him there again, he called him a rascal, knocked the feet from him, and trampled his basket under his feet. He, however, denied having ever struck him with his gun. HALL added that there were persons who could prove that deceased did not complain of having been struck upon the head-persons whom he met immediately afterwards, and that he had said "he would have some money off them." These witnesses he could produce at another time. The coroner then shortly addressed the jury, to the effect that if they were of opinion that the man's death was entirely attributable to disease in the chest, they might at once return their verdict, but if they thought the injuries received from HALL had contributed to hasten his death, then it was due to HALL that they should adjourn the inquiry, to afford him an opportunity to produce his witnesses. After a short consultation, the jury returned a verdict of "Natural death." At the same time they could not separate without expressing an opinion that HALL had even according to his own statement, violated the law in assaulting the deceased, and that if the declaration of deceased were true, his conduct had been highly culpable. These sentiments were conveyed to him by the coroner, and he was dismissed. (Before Mr. LEE, Deputy Coroner.) On the 10th instant, on the body of William HETHERINGTON, of Linghouse, who, on the 1st instant, on his return from Penrith market, near the Pack Horse, Plumpton, was accidentally thrown from his horse and dragged for a considerable distance. From the serious injuries he received, he lingered until the 9th inst., when he died. Verdict-"Accidental death." (Before Mr. THOMPSON, Coroner for Westmoreland.) At Boroughbridge, on Monday last, on view of the body of Donald GRAHAM, aged 24, a labourer on the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway. On the morning of the 9th inst., deceased along with others was engaged working upon the line immediately behind the Inn at Boroughbridge, when a quantity of earth, upon the side of a bank, suddenly fell and buried him to the breast, pressing him against a waggon he had been filling. He died on the following Saturday morning from the effect of injuries on his chest. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."