The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-06 00:00:00

FRIGHTFUL DEATHS OF CHILDREN FROM

FIRE.

INQ CT RSTS.—(THIS DA Y.)
This morning Mr. H. Itattlea Walthew, deputy
coroner, held inquiries at the London Hospital, respecting
the deaths of Margaret Ryan, aged 5 years, and Sarah
Keeley, and 4 years, who were burned to death.
Mrs. Reilly, 13, Queen-street, Tower-bill, said that last
Thursday the mother of Margaret Ryan went out for a
few minutes, leaving that child in ch►rge of another, aged
fi years, and the baby on the bed. Witness heard a noise
and upon going iota the room she found both children in •
blaze. She wrapped the eldest girl, who was next her, in
her gown, and eating aished the dames before damage was
done, but the younger girl was terribly burnt, and had to be
taken to the hospital, where she died.
Mary Ryan, a little girl, hardly able to talk, explained
that her sister went to play with the fire and make a doll
of the tongs, when her pinafore caught fire and set fire to
witness. Thee all screamed, and the baby on the bed was
frightened sou also screamed.
Verdict, " Accidentally burnt to death."
In the case of Sarah Keeley,
Mrs. Keeley, wife of a compositor, living at No. 1,
Dinneen-street. Whitechapel, said that co Monday last she
saw the deceased walking uptake stairs in one mass of dames.
Witness, in putting not the fire with her own dress, burnt
herself severely, and then fainted. Deceased was carried
to the hospital, where she cited the same evening. It ap-
peared that she had taken a Christroms candle, and in at-
tempting to light it in the tire, set her clothes in • blaze.
No one was in the room at the time—verdict " Accidental
death from tire."

DESTRUCTION OF A FIREWORK MANUFACTORY.—
A few minutes after five o'clock last evening the inhabitants
of Albion-place, Walworth-road, were alarmed by repeated
explosions taking place on the premises, No. 71), Albion-
place, io the occupation of Mr. Payne, a licensed firework
manufacturer. Almost at the same moment • large body
of flames burst forth from the windows. and the front door
being thrown open's. young woman, named Sladem,employed
as an assistant in the business, ran into the street enveloped
in dame.. Several persons who had been attracted to the
spot by the expiation caught hold of her, and after some
trouble extinguished the flames, but the poor creature was
much burnt about the head and shoulders, and was removed
at once to St. Thomas's Hospital. The wife and children
of the proprietor escaped unhurt, the proprietor himself being
absent. The brigade engioes, with that from Hodges' distillery.
had by this time arrived, and the fireworks and powder
having all exploded, the firemen at once set to work to save
the adjoining houses, which had now caught fire, and after
about belt an hour's incessant labour succeeded in arresting
the progress of the flames. The premises of Mr. Payee, in
which the fire originated, were, with the whole of the con-
tents, completely destroyed. There were several hundred
p ands of manufactured fireworks in a room at the rear of
the premises ready packed for exportation, and it is sup-
posed the spark from a candle incautiously taken into this
Place by the assistant was the cause of the accident. The
force of the explosion was so great that the glass in several
of the adjoining houses was entirely shattered.
INrunniartista IN YORKSHIRE.—The Esat Riding
police believe they have at last struck scent of the iDOOI2-
diaries (or one of them) who have since harvest so greatly
alarmed the farmers of the Wail district by burning their
stacks. At Fimber. a village about three miles from the
mane of Mr. Smarry's fire at Sledmere, on Wednesday
eight last, • travelling sweep, who gives the name of
Shields, has been arrested on the charge of firing the stacks
of Mr. Horsley, at Huggate Wold. on the 23rd ult. The
Pocklington Bench have remanded the prisoner for eight
dem. The man seen running from Mr. Snarry's fire at
Sledmere turns out to have been • labourer despatched for
assistance, and not the incendiary. This fire, therefore, is
as much • mystery as the rest. Another fire in • stsekyard
is reported to have occurred in Holderness on Saturday,
but it is ascertained to have been the result of accident,
and the damage is not large.
THE CONDEMNED MURDERER LUKE CHARIZR.—
A numerously signed petition was yeeterdsy forwarded from
Liverpool to the Horne-office on behalf of Luke Charles,
who awaits execution at Kirkdale gaol. The memorial
prays that the execution may be stayed as the *eidetic, upon
which the prisoner was convicted won purely circumstan-
tial, and his friends say that they may possibly be able to
prove his innocence. It may be remembered that the
charge against the prisoner was that he drowned his wife
in a canal near Manchester, in order that be might be ena-
bled to marry a girl named Ellen Ford, with whom be had
fallen in love. Charles since his condemnation bas paid
strict attention tothe Rev. Mr. Gibson. the Roman catholic
chaplain of the gaol. It has been decided that Charles
shall be hanged on Saturday next
BLACKBERRIISS IN JANUARY.—It is a remarkable
fact that before the frost of Saturday last ripe blackberries
were frequently to be found in the hedge-rows in this part
of Devooshire and the borders of Somerset. On the lest
day of the old year, a youth called Nelder, of this town,
picked a very fine bunch of ripe blackberries on Exeter-bill ;
sod New Year's-day several blackberries and a fine bunch
of ripe miss were also found in the hedge-rows near the
Ottery-road station of the South Western Railway Com-
pany.— Tiverton Gauge.