~ Indies. 
436 
journey, licut. Best took up one of 
the pistols, to shew what he would 
do if attacked by any of that fra- 
‘ternity. At this period the pistol 
unfortunately went off, and shot 
lieat. Jones through the body. There 
were some carpenters at work in the 
hotel at the time, so that the report 
of the pistol, if heard at all, was 
not believed to be a pistol-shot, and 
lieut. Best, wild and distracted, ran 
for assistance into the coffee-room, 
where he was the first to announce 
the fatal catastrophic awhich had hap- 
pened. No time was lost in car- 
rying his wishes into effect. Mr. 
Ibbetson, with the most humane at- 
tention to the deceased, ran himself 
to surgeons Ford and Heaviside, 
who, with the most commendable 
alacrity, were at the dying man’s 
bedside in an instantafter ; but hu- 
- man aid was, unfortunately, of no 
avail. After exchanging forgiveness 
with lieut. Best, declaring, in the 
most generous manner, that his death 
was accidental, and that he felt 
more for his friend than for himself, 
lieut. Jones expired in less than an 
hour after the accident had taken 
place, but in full possession of his 
senses till the last. He was a man 
of very polished manners, of a very 
respectable family, and had returned 
a few months before from the Kast 
Lieut. J. was a West In- 
dian, and the same gentleman who 
was to have fought a duel with licut. 
Crohen on the 22d, at Harrow, but 
was prevented by the interference of 
the magistrates ; in consequence of 
which, lieut. Crohen was appre- 
hended, and brought to the public 
office, where he was obliged to find 
bail to keep the peace, himself in 
600}. and two sureties in 2501. each. 
It appeared, on an investigation of 
the cause of the dispute, that it ori- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
ginated like the duel so fatal to col. 
Montgomery, about a Newfound- 
land dog belonging to lieut. Crohen. 
A warrant was also issued for the 
apprehension of lieut. Jones, but he 
kept out of the way. Lieut. Best 
was to have been his second. 
Anthony O‘Reilly, esq. of Benison 
lodge, co. of Westmeath, in Ireland, 
was babarously murdered. Atnight 
he went to his bed-chamber window, 
and opened the shutter (which was an 
usual custom with him), to observe 
the state of the weather. ‘The mo- 
ment he approached the window he 
exclaimed ‘¢‘ Oh!” and on the in- 
stant he was fired upon by some vil- 
lain, who lodged the contents of the 
fatal piece (itis supposed a blunder- 
buss) in the side of his neck, and 
he instantly expired. It is thought 
the murderer must be some person 
who had been recently in habits of 
intercourse with the house, and well 
acquainted with Mr. O‘R.’s prac- 
tice of looking out of his bed-cham- 
ber window, as the watch-dog did 
not give the least notice of a stranger 
being in the demesne, which is a 
circumstance very unusual; and the 
villain must have placed himself in 
readiness, near the spot, to perpe- 
trate the horrid deed. The fate 
of this unfortunate gentleman ‘is 
much regretted. As a magistrate, 
he was sagacious, upright, and mer- 
ciful; and proverbial for his hos- 
pitality. He was uncle of lieut. 
OReilly, lately killed in a duel at 
Chalk Farm. 
30th. A few days since a very 
serious and shocking accident hap-> | 
pened in a timber-yard near the 
Adelphi. Two men were piling 
timber ; and, as one of them was 
walking along a plank, his foot 
slipped: he was precipitated down 
to the ground, and instantly ex- 
pired. 
