The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-01 00:00:00

SUSPECTED DEATHS PROM VIOLENCE.

On Saturday an inquest was held, by adjourn-
ment, at the Victoria Dock Hotel, on the body of Arthur
Manton, aged 21, a porter at the tidal basin station of the
North Woolwich line of the Great Eastern Railway, who
was supposed to have been murdered by • Dumber of
mariners, alleged to belong to the screw collier James
Dixon. The deceased was attacked by • party of sailors
last Monday night, who were in a drunken state. He was
much ill-treated by them, and was left in an insensible date.
He was discovered by the police, who removed him, but he
never rallied, and died the following morning. The inquest
was adjourned in order to procure the attendance of several
important witnesses now absent on board the James Dixon,
which will be in dock again in • week's time.
A protracted investigation took place at the St. Martin's
Vestry-hall, Charing-cross, before Mr. Bedford, the West-
minster coroner, on Friday night, respecting the death of
John Hitch, aged 20, who, there was reason to believe,
haddied from the effects of savage injuries indicted on him
by a gang of ruffians in the public streets.
Maria Reynolds. 20, York-place, said that some weeks
back deceased carob into her house trembling all over, and
hardly able tospeak. He could not walk upstairs without
stopping to rest frequently. He told her that he had seen
some meant the streets interfering with three or four girls,
and he crossed over to protect the latter. Six of the men
instantly set upon him, beat him furiously, knocked him
down, and kicked him in the stomach and chest as he
lay on the ground. When at length he got up, he said
he found that his stomach and chest were so seriously
injured that be knew be could never recover, and that be
should soon die from the effects of the attack. He told
witness that the whole of the men set upon him so suddenly
that he should not be able to identify them, and that it
was, therefore, useless to go to the police. Deceased was •
healthy, active young man when witness had seen him pre-

The coroner said that in this case a certificate that de•
oeasedffiad died (rotor phthisis one year, diarrhoss36 hours,"
bad actually been given by Dr. Leonard, ,who only arrived
half•anbour after deceased's death, ands t for Mr. Tra-
vers, the present most oeceseery inq. would never
have been held. Such a lax mode of giving certificate'
could not fail to lead to deplorable results, especially at
present time, and could not be too strongly condemned.
With respect to the facts of the present came, it was very
unfortunate that no direct evidence could be obtained with
respect to the outrage on the deceased; and as there waseared
no
immediate prospect that it could be procured, he f
that the only course open to the jury would be to return an
open verdict.
Verdict—" That deceased died from coogention of the
stomach, but whether such death was acceleratcd by vio-
leooe there was not sufficient evidenee to sbow ;" and the
jury expressed their entire °mimesis°, in the obeervatious
made by the coroner as to the impropriety and anger of
granting certificates in Use lax manner referred to.
-

Tax CoNcier GARDNIIL—An official notification
was received on Saturday at Newpte from the Home-office,
stating that the sentence of death passed upon the sweep,
Samuel Gardner, for the murder of his wife, had been com-
muted into penal servitude for life. He will, therefore, be
sent out of the country, probably to Bermuda. In CUM
where the punishment is less than for life, the prisoners are
sent to Portland, where they en entitled to a ticket-of-
leave, after having conducted themselves well for two-thirds
of the time.