The Press. — London, England, 1856-12-27 00:00:00

1234 strangeness was remarked by his acquaintances. The evening before his death he was to have de livered a lecture on " The Mosaic Creation " to an audience at Portobello, a bathing•place in the neigh bourhood of Edinburgh, where he resided. He had prepared the lecture, but the state of his health pre• vented his delivering it, and it was read in his absence by a friend. In the course of the day Mr. Miller saw his medical adviser, to whom he com plained of headache, brought on by the want of re • fresbing sleep. Following the directions he received, be took a warm bath and retired to rest at an early hour. He had for some time been in the habit of keeping a loaded revolver in his bedroom, having, it is said, a stron 74 apprehension of danger from house breakers, for which, in reality, there was some reason, as an attempt was made not very long ago to break into his valuable museum. No explosion was heard by the servants during the night, and it was not till the morning that the body was found lying near the bath-room. These circumstances seem to prove that the melancholy event was purely acci dental, while the state of Mr. Miller's mind as well as his general character and position preclude the idea of premeditated or intentional self-destruction. Dn. PARIS, President of the Royal College of Physicians, died on Wednesday. yatu anb THE JUDGMENT OF THE ARCHES COURT in the case " Liddell v. Westerton," delivered on Saturday, affirmed in all respects the judgment of the court below. As to the question of costs Sir John Dodson said he was of opinion that the court below did per fectly right, under all the circumstances, in not allow ing costs. But when there had been an appeal, and when he felt himself constrained to affirm the first judgment, he deemed it his duty to condemn the appellants in the costs of that appeal. He therefore affirmed the judgment of the court below in both these cases : Mr. CURREY (the proctor for Mr. Liddell) then said: In accordance with my instructions I beg with all respect to assert appeals in both these cases to the Judicial Com• mittee of the Privy Council. The delivery of the judgment occupied three hours and a half. AT THE EXAMINATION this week of Mr. Daniel Greenaway Porter, a bankrupt wine merchant, some peculiar circumstances came to light connected with the manner in which the petition for adjudication had been obtained, and a debt on an I 0 U proved against the estate by one William Snell, at the alleged instigation of Mr. George Marshall, solicitor, of Sion College-gardens. Mr. Marshall denied that he had had any previous conversation with Snell. He objected to answer a question whether he had had previous conversation with the bankrupt on the subject. Whether he answered the question— " Yes," or "No," the answer might tend to criminate him—whether he was guilty of the offence Imputed to him or not. The COMMISSIONER doubted whether, being a penal matter, Mr. Marshall was obliged to answer the question ; he thought not. Mr. LAWRANCE said the charge was as grave a one eit could well be advanced against a professional stn. He should have thought that Mr. Marshall would have felt it a duty to himself as a professional man to answer the question, and his reply to the question was not what might be anticipated from an innocent man. He would now ask for a preliminary step to be taken with a view to an application to strike Mr. Marshall's name off the roll of attorneys. The bankrupt was again examined. He stated that his evidence was true:— Mr. Marshall had said, " What was there imputed to him ?" He had understood that Snell was an attorney, and he gave him the 1 0 U because he understood that he was acting for Mr. Marshall. Mr. Samuel Fletcher, of Hornertou, was the petitioning creditor. Had not the slightest idea who he (Fletcher) was. The petitioning creditor's debt arose on a bill of exchange for 521. endorsed to Fletcher by one George Henderson. Marshall ii the solicitor for the petition. Mr. Henderson was " a gentle. man" in the same prison (Whitecross.street) with himself and Marshall. Both Marshall and Sneil were present when he gave the 10 U to the latter. Did not see Snell swear that he was a creditor on the 10 U. It was true that he did not owe Snell one farthing. The I 0 U was given in consequence of Marshall saying that a debt must be made. He did not understand that Marshall was going to make up a debt, or he would not have signed the I 0 U. Marshall would, he thought, be mad to do such a thing as that. Would not swear that Marshall did not add to the 1 words " creditors mus t b e ma d e ," t h e wor d s " to prove their debts," but did not remember that lie did. Mr. Bird deposed that he had told the bankrupt lie would get himself into trouble unless he was pre pared to prove "consideration " for the petitioning -- IDIT had heard deceased i.auu AUL Lu pcuuuuing Examination continued :He had heard deceased coin. sentenced him to three months' hard iauour iu creditor's debt. It had made a strong impression plain of the food she had given her for dinner, and when Wandsworth House of Correction. THE PRESS. on his mind when Marshall had said that " debts must be made," but he had no idea that debts would really be attempted to be made until the name of Snell was mentioned. The circumstance had as tonished him, and he had mentioned it to Mr. Pen nell (the official assignee). - - Mr. Samuel Fletcher, the petitioning creditor, said he would have " nowt " to do with the matter until his day's expenses had been paid : He was a mining and commission agent, of No. 8, High street, Homerton. The bill purported to be drawn in July, but it was in November, 1856, when he first " seed " it. The expenses being paid, he would tell the real truth. The first time he saw the bill wasin Whitecross-street prison. He went there to do a little commission busines'; the little business was to help people out of their trouble if he could. Henderson was in prison. First knew him at the Royal Exchange and the auction marts. Fifty shares in the Wheal William Mine were given for the bankrupt's bill of 521. Did not know whether the shares were really worth a farthing. They purported to be worth 501., and he thought they were worth that sum. 11. had been paid upon each share. Could not say what h' had given for them; he had a batch of them. He gave these valuable• shares, worth 501., for the bill for 521. drawn by one pri soner upon another prisoner in Whitecross-street. He had nothing to do with that. He expected that sooner or later he should get his money. It was this that induced him to give the case to Marshall, and he had left the whole transaction in his hands. He " thoot" it might be about three or four days after Porter gave the bill that he was " judicated " a bankrupt. " Thoot " it " wor nor more" than three days. He hoped Mr. Lawrance would oblige him, and not press him to be more " particklar." Porter did not say lie might go and make him a bankrupt as soon as he liked, but he did go very soon after. Mar shall told him to " judicate," but he did not understand such things. Hoped they would not be so particular in their questions. Would rather they were " general," they " know'd." Had not been in trouble himself before. The St. Katherine's-docks Company charged him with issuing a forged warrant. This was nineteen years ago. He was tried and honourably acquitted. Had only been in trouble once since—about nine years ago. There were wicked people in those days, as there were now. A charge was made against him, but he was ho nourably accquitted. The charge was that of purchasing a lot of wool which they said had been stolen—that was it. These were the only times lie had been in trouble in his life. Had once been employed by Marshall to serve notices; never acted as his clerk. Had seen Snell five or six times, but did not know much of him. Had seen him once in Whitecross-street prison, and several times at Marshall's office. Snell had never acted as his solicitor. The COURT said the bill would be impounded. Mr. Marshall here said he would, under the advice of his counsel, answer the questions put to him. He denied the truth of the statements of the bank rupt and Mr. Bird. A Mr. William Duvall, commer cial traveller, was the only other creditor who had proved a debt. The signature "W. H. Duvall " pro duced was in his (Marshall's) own handwriting, but Duvall had himself affixed the second (or under neath) signature on the same paper. It was " a mis take " in his affixing the first signature. Snell had acted as an attorney, and his (Snell's) name had been entered as such. He wished to add that he had never employed Snell on the bankrupt's behalf. After some further inquiry, the COMMISSIONER said, they must have Snell's evidence to get at the bottom of the transaction. A warrant would be issued if another summons should not be complied with, and an adjournment was then ordered. BATTERSEA BOARDING SCHOOLS, after the expose this week, will, we should anticipate, be for the future at a discount. A Mrs. Meeres, who keeps a boatding-school at Battersea, among her pupils had one Maria Bailey. Eariy in this month the child was taken ill, and on the 14th she died. The cir cumstances of her illness and death caused some suspicion of ill-treatment, and a coroner's inquest was held this week. One of the principal witnesses was an intelligent child, George Tindall. He said : He first went to Mrs. Meeres' school at Fulham in August last, after which she removed to Chelsea, and after that to Battersea. When he went to Fulham there were twenty-one children there. He was treated better at Ful ham than afterwards, but he had not always enough to eat. When they went to Chelsea the children principally slept in a cupboard. They had rice and treacle for dinner some times, bread and treacle for breakfast and tea, and at other times only dry bread. By the CORONER : The living at Battersea was worse than ever, and they had not half enough to eat. He had only dry bread for breakfast, and only water to drink. There was a piece of meat about the size of a cup put into a saucepan fur the food for all the children's dinners. They had meat only twice whilst at Battersea. He slept in his clothes because it was so cold. He had a clean shirt sometimes once a fortnight. His person was newlected, and his head in consequence became covered with vermin. The child here became greatly agitated, and looked round the room, when the coroner told him that he need not be afraid, Mrs. Meeres was not present. Examination continued : HI SATURDAY, she did so dry bread was given instead. The deceased was beaten the day after she was taken ill because she complained. The rooms were not washed or kept clean, and they were not allowed to go out. Mrs. Weston, of Chelsea, used to give them food to eat occasion%lly. Mrs. Meeres did not allow them salt, pepper, or knives or forks to eat with. By the CORONER: The deceased nor any other scholar had sufficient food to eat, and she used to cry for more. By Mr. REYNOLDS : He had seen vermin and mess on the floor. There were six or seven dogs and three cats kept in the room, which made the mess on the floor. By the CORONER : T he potatoes were bailed in their skins and also in the dirt, and after they were cooked the liquor was given to the children and they were told it was broth. It was served up in plates. There were but three plates, and when three scholars had taken the food given to them, three others would be served. They had no regular lessons, and were obliged to eat the little food they had with their fingers. They had no lights or firing supplied by Mrs. Meeres. There had been no course of instruction laid down since they had been at Battersea. Mrs. Meeres would not alluw him to write home to his friends. He had, however, penned the following, which was found in the witness's pocket : My dear Papa,—l hope you are quite well, but lam very sorry that you forget about me on my birthday, and I hope you will remember it another. 1 write these lines to tell you how lam treated. I am treated very badly We only have rice, half raw, and three potatoes, but no meat for dinner, and for tea and breakfast only bread and treacle, sometimes only dry bread. We are half starved, and if you do not come and fetch me on Christmas, I shall be crying all the time. Remember me on Christmas. Excuse me writing in pencil.—l am your affectionate son, G. F. TINDALL. Mr. John Crosse Richardson, surgeon, of Spencer villas, Battersea, said that he was first called upon to see the deceased on the evening of the 4th of December. The child moaned and complained of tenderness of the body, and there appeared a kind of stupor about the countenance. The head and body were dirty. He generally saw the child twice a day. She was suffering from diarrhoea and fever. The diarrhom ceased, but the wasting of the body continued, and the fever became of a typhoid cha racter. He never saw the deceased except on one or two occasions unless in the arms of Mrs. Meeres, as she appeared to be labouring under alarm, and would not allow him to feel her pulse un less her hands were held. He continued to attend the child up to her death, which took place on the 14th. Everything in the house as well as the cloth ing was very dirty, and he could not get his orders as to the changing of the linen carried out. He had not the ieast hesitation in saying that the deceased's death had been caused from insufficient and im proper food, want of clothing, and cleanliness — absolute neglect of cleanliness, with atmospheric changes. The learned coroner summed up, remarking that if the jury were satisfied that the woman had been guilty of such gross and criminal neglect as to cause the death, it would be for them to say whether she was guilty of manslaughter or not. The court having been cleared of strangers, the jury retired, and after consulting for some time, they returned a verdict of " Manslaughter against Marian Meeres.,' The witnesses were bound over to appear at the Old Bailey to prosecute. ANOTHER CASE OF WOMAN GAROTTING was inves tigated by Mr. Combo at Southwark on Wednesday. James Parker, a miserable, dirty-looking fellow, was charged with committing a violent assault on a widow lady, named Ann Anderton, and attempting to commit a robbery. The prosecutrix, a middle-aged lady, said that on the previous evening she had been on a visit to some friends in the City. Shortly after twelve o'clock she and her sister were returning along Tooley-street, and just as they were passing the railway arch next the incline steps, the prisoner suddenly rushed upon her, and seized her by the throat. She was so frightened at the suddenness of the attack that she nearly lost her senses for a minute, when the prisoner struck her two heavy blows on the throat, and seized hold of her victorine with the view of stealing it. Her sister, who was also much alarmed, screamed out; and on a gentle man making his appearance, the prisoner ran away, but was pursued and captured. Her victorine was much torn in the struggle, but he was unable to steal it. In answer to the charge the prisoner said he was struck first by the lady, who called him very bad names, and then he took hold of her victorine and struck her. Mrs. Anderton positively denied that she ever saw the prisoner until he pounced upon her and nearly strangled her. Police constable 80 M said he took the prisoner into custody, hut he knew nothing of him. Mr. Combe asked the prisoner whether he would be tried by him or go to the sessions for trial. If he was innocent he could choose the latter. The prisoner said he would rather have the matter settled at once. Mr. Combe then sentenced him to three months' hard labour in