Title: The Daily News, 102
Date: 26 September 1846
Place: London

INQUESTS.

DEATH FROM BLOWS. - The adjourned inquest mentioned under the above title in the Daily News on Wednesday [23 September 1846], as held at the Cock, Ratcliff, on the body of J. H. Levitt, was continued by Mr. Baker, when the following account of the outrage which caused deceased’s death was given. John Pigrome, of Plaistow, deposed: about six o’clock in the evening he was on the Barking road; saw deceased in a light chaise cart, driving at a moderate pace; a barouche drawn by two horses, in which were eight or ten persons, was driving rapidly after him, and, on reaching him, the driver struck at deceased with his whip; deceased endeavoured to return the cut, when his whip fell into the road. He then stopped his horse, and the people in the barouche did the same, when several of them got out, one of whom climbed into deceased’s vehicle and knocked him backwards, his head falling over the tail-board, and his feet under the seat; whilst in that position, holding him by the hair, he struck him a number of blows about the head and face with all his force; whilst so doing another of them, in going to the back of the cart, also struck the deceased a violent blow, as his head was hanging down. Others also struck him. They then went to their carriage, and, as they passed deceased, cut at him with the whip as he sat wiping the blood which flowed in streams from several places in his face, and covering the whole of his shirt-front. It was the most brutal and wanton assault witness ever saw. - John Pluckrose deposed to the assault taking place at the termination of the race, and, on the party being remonstrated with, they said, “he deserved it, as he had purposely run against one of the men, and caused him to lose the wager;” deceased said he had not. - The medical evidence was, that the deceased died from inflammation of the membranes of the brain, brought on by violence. The inquiry was again adjourned until Wednesday next for further evidence. The principals in the outrage have absconded.

  

There is not enough information to allow us to identify this John Pluckrose with any certainty..