[Inquest into the Murder of John Scott]The ExaminerAnonymous Markup and editing by David Hill Radcliffe Completed December 2009 Examiner.1821.Inquest Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities Virginia Tech
Published under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
License
Lord Byron and his Times: http://lordbyron.org
Accidents, Offences, &c.The ExaminerLondon4 March 1821687143
Any dashes occurring in line breaks have been removed.
Obvious and unambiguous compositors’ errors have been silently corrected.
NINES categories for Genre and Material Form at
http://www.performantsoftware.com/nines_wiki/index.php/Submitting_RDF#.3Cnines:genre.3E on
2009-02-26BibliographyBook HistoryCollectionCriticismDramaEphemeraFictionHumorLawLettersLife WritingHistoryManuscriptNonfictionPeriodicalPoliticsReference WorksPoetryReligionReviewTranslationTravel
THE EXAMINER.No. 687. SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 1821.ACCIDENTS, OFFENCES, &c.
Inquest on Mr. Scott.—On Thursday and
Friday, an Inquest was held at Chalk Farm House, on the body of John Scott, Esq. aged 30, who was mortally wounded in the late duel near that
farm. The circumstances of this lamentable case are already before the public. The ostler
belonging to Chalk Farm Tavern saw most of what took place. Two Gentlemen called at the Tavern
on the night of the duel, a short time before it took place, and called for a bottle of
wine and two glasses of negus, of which they drank and paid for, leaving the two last partly
unfinished, observing that they would return in a few moments. Soon after he heard the report
of a pistol, and then another. Another Gentleman came for assistance, saying his friend had
met with an accident. They took a shutter, and found the deceased laying on his back, covered
with a coat and a military cloak. The parties were 40 yards distant from him, conversing
together. On arriving at the farm-house, Mr. Scott displayed symptoms of
the most acute agony. The feelings of Mr. Christie were
not less acutely painful; he repeatedly expressed a wish that he was in that situation instead
of Mr. Scott.—Dr. G.
Darling’s testimony was important. He attended the deceased frequently,
and attributes his death to the wound which he received. Mr. Scott,
referring to his wound on Saturday morning, between nine and ten o’clock, said
“This ought not to have taken place; I suspect some great mismanagement—there was
no occasion for a second fire.” After a short pause, he proceeded—“All I
required from Mr. Christie was, a declaration that he meant no reflection
on my character. This he refused, and the meeting became inevitable. On the field,
Mr. Christie behaved well; and when all was ready for the first fire,
he called out,—‘Scott, you must not stand there; I see your head above the horizon;
you give me an advantage.’ I believe he could have hit me then if he liked. After the
pistols were reloaded, and everything ready for a second fire, Mr.
Trail called out,—‘Now, Mr. Christie, take your
aim, and do not throw away your advantage, as you did last time.’ I called out
immediately, ‘What! did not Mr. Christie aim at me?’ I was
answered by Mr. Pattmore—‘You must not
speak; ’tis now of no use to talk; you have nothing now for it but firing.’ The
signal was immediately given, we fired, and I fell.” Deceased expressed himself satisfied
with Mr. Christie’s conduct, whom he described as very kind to him
after he was wounded.—Mr. T. J. Pettigrew, a
surgeon, attended the duel professionally. It was a moonlight night, but foggy; he heard no
conversation between the gentlemen prior to the discharge of the pistols; heard an exclamation
after the discharge, and got over the hedge; found Mr. Scott on his knees.
Mr. Christie asked him what he thought of the wound. He replied that
he feared the wound was mortal. Mr. Scott then said, “whatever may
be the issue of this case, I beg you all to bear in remembrance that every thing has been fair
and honourable.” Mr. Christie said, “Why was I permitted to
fire a second time? I discharged my pistol down the field before, I could do no more.”
These expressions were made in consequence of some altercation between the seconds.
Mr. Christie took Mr. Scott by the hand after he
was wounded. The Jury returned a verdict of—Wilful Murder against Mr.
Christie, Mr. Trail, and Mr. Pattmore.
The Coroner issued his warrant for their apprehension.