The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-30 00:00:00

Yalu ant Volitt.

THE LUNDHILL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.
THE inquest on the 189 sufferers by this explosion
was brought to a close last week, when, after an
elaborate summing-up by Mr. Badger, the coroner,
of the eleven days' evidence, the jury returned a
verdict strongly recommending an improved system
of ventilation and the exclusive use of safety lamps.
With respect to the deaths of the sufferers the ver-
dict referred as follows :
The jury are of opinion that Abraham Turner, Thomas
Grey, and others, met with their deaths from the effects
consequent upon an explosion of carburetted hydrogen
gas in the Lundhill coal mine, on the 19th day of
February last, but the immediate cause of such explosion
there is not any conclusive or sufficient evidence to show.
The jury cannot come to the conclusion that it was crimi-
nally negligent, but accidental ; they, however, must con-
demn the laxity of the discipline and the nonobservance
of the rules allowed by the manager and his deputies at
the Lundhill mine. They are of opinion that the
proprietors of the colliery were not cognisant of the
laxity of the conduct of their underviewer, deputies, and
workmen.

From the evidence of the eminent engineers em-
ployed to examine the pit, there is no doubt that the
use of naked lights instead of safety lamps was the
proximate cause of this explosion, as also of the
other two frightful explosions which occ•irred in the
immediate neighbourhood (i.e., at the Darley Main
and Oaks colleries) some few years ago. The
engineers believe the immediate cause of the acci-
dent at Lundhill to be a fall of roof in one of
the goafs under the following circumstances:—
Above the roof of the old workings is a strata of
shaley matter, and above this a strata of rock upon
which rests a thin seam of coal. The shaley strata
would naturally fall at an early period in the exten•
sion of the goaf, and gas (which is freely emitted in
the Barnsley seam), being lighter than the air,
would accumulate in the cavities left by the fall.
The area of the goaf becoming more and more ex-
tended as the workings progressed, the strata of
rock would eventually fall also. In so doing it
would force out the magazine of gas which had
accumulated in the cavities left by the previous fall,
and would probably also bring with it an efflux of
gas from the thin seam of coal with which it is asso-
ciated. The gas would be driven upon the candles
of the miners at work in the bank surrounding the
goaf, and would at once ignite.
The proprietors of the Lundhill Colliery have
intimated their intention of adopting all measures
necessary for the safe working of the pit, without
regard to the cost. It is estimated that the explo-
sion will entail an expense of from 12,0001. to
15,0001. on the proprietors, apart from the loss of
interest on capital.

THE CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD brought
against three well-known mercantile agents for the
linen trade—Messrs. John May, of Huggin-lane ;
William Taylor, of 1, Church-passage ; and George
Myers, of 4, Malvern-terrace, Islington—was finally
examined into ou Wednesday by Mr. Alderman
Humphery, and the three prisoners fully committed
for trial. The charge against the detendants is for
conspiring together to defraud Mr. Gorman, of
Dugan, in Ireland, and Mr. Lawson, a linen manu-
facturer at Armagh, respectively, of two lots of cam-
bric handkerchiefs, valued at 5001. and 0001. Alder•
man Humphery in summing up said :
I have carefully considered all the circumstances as
affecting the defendants individually and ss being con-
nected with each other, and my opinion in Gorman's case
is that all the defendants acted together in concert to get
possession of the goods—May first, though Taylor attempts
to get the goods, but, upon Gorman refusing to sell to him,
Taylor writes to say Myers will buy them at the terms,
27i discount, and Gorman accepts Myers as a purchaser,
and accordingly sends the goods to Taylor, who, on the
same day that they arrive, delivers them to May at the
warehouse used by Myers and May. This was on Satur-
day, the 28th of March. and on Monday, the 30th. May
takes the goods to Mr. Meeking, and sells them at some-
tiling like fifty per cent, under the invoice price made out
by Gorman. May receives the proceeds, and out of that
very money he pays Myers a sum he is indebted to him,
but for what it does not appear; and he pays Taylor U. 01.,
but Taylor does not send that amount to Gorman until he
finds it likely to be found out. I think the goods might
have been sold at a better price, but it does not appear
that any attempt was made by the defendants to sell them
in any other market. As regards the character of May's
conduct in this transaction, it is so apparent that 1 need
not dwell upon that part of the case. It is equally clear
that Myers lends his name to Taylor, which enables hint
to get these goods, and that May was so connected with
Myers and Taylor in business that it was next to impossible
for them not to know his transactions, or for any of them
to be ignorant that these goods went to Meeking. What,
then, is Taylor's position ? He writes on the 7th of April
to say that May intercepted the goods, and on the 11th he

THE PRESS.

tells Gorman that May got the goods when he wag out ;
and there is no doubt that Taylor knew on the 7th of
April that the goods had gone to Meeking, for he writes on
that day to say that May had sold the goods for Myers
and Co., whereas lisirby, Taylor's confidential clerk, says
that Taylor did not know where the goods went until five
days age, which is very improbable.
Mr. Hairby : I said that it: reference to Lawson's goods,
not with regard to Gorman's.
Alderman HUMPHERI : Now, if May really did intercept
the goods, it was a stealing beyond all doubt, and if Myers
and Taylor had entertained honourable intentions in this
matter, they would have applied to a magistrate for a war•
rant to apprehend May upon that charge, and if May had
been given into custody Gorman would unquestionably
have recovered his goods from Messrs. Meeking, who, as
they had been stolen from Taylor, would have had to have
given them up—not that I presume Mr. Meeking knew
they had been stolen—still he would have had to have
made restitution if such a course had been adopted. It is
rather curious that the counsel for Taylor endeavoured to
cast Cie responsibility of this transaction upon Myers,
while the counsel for the latter tried to fix Taylor with the
criminal liability ; but it is a melancholy fact, in my
opinion, that such facilities are offered for dishonest traders
in a large commercial city like London to obtain goods to
such a large amount and sell them at so much below the
value. And I think there is some want of due diligence
on the part of Mr. Meeking's buyers in not making more
inquiry, for after the first transaction they must have had
some idea that the goods could not have been honestly
come by to be sold at the price they were. Under all the
circumstances I think it my duty to send the case for trial,
where Taylor and Myers will have an opportunity of jus-
tifying themselves, and I hope they may acquit themselves
in the eyes of a jury.

THE MAGISTRATES OF CANTER BTTRY having investi-
gated the conduct of Inspector Parker and Police-
constable Elvey, in permitting the man Fox to go at
large after their attention had been called, on the
evening of May 13, to his murderous intentions
towards Mary Ann Hadley, designs which through
their neglect he carried out by shooting her on the
following morning, have decided that Inspector Parker
be suspended for six calendar months, and Police-
constable Elvey for one month.

MR. HENRY SALMON, the bank defaulter of Fal-
kirk, is still at large, although the police are using
every means to secure his apprehension. Mr.
Salmon, besides being agent for the Commercial
Bank, was a justice of the peace, an elder brother of
the Church, and had held the post of provost, post-
master, and chairman of the parochial board. His
defalcations are said to amount to some 20,0001.
The discovery was made quite by accident. On
Tuesday week, while Mr. Salmon was absent at
Stirling, attending the Licensing Court as a justice
of the peace, the bank inspector arrived at Falkirk
on an inspecting tour. In the book-safe he disco-
vered a note-book which revealed, to some extent,
the true position in which Mr. Salmon stood to the
bank. The inspector at once communicated with
the management in Edinburgh, and the consequence
was the immediate suspension of Mr. Salmon from
his office of agent. The whole of this transpired
while be was at Stirling administering justice, and
he was first made acquainted with the fact by one of
his sons, who at once drove from Falkirk to Larbert,
and intercepting his father at that station, conveyed
him back in a gig to the bridge of Allan. The next
morning Mr. Salmon left Falkirk for Edinburgh by
the mid-day train, and he has not since been
heard of.

THE PRISONERS CARTEL, charged before Mr.
Corrie at Clerkenwell with fraudulently obtaining
2501. from a Mr. Durgan, under plea of obtaining
for him a Government situation, have been fully
committed for trial.

THE GREAT SHREWSBURY LAW CASE, involving the
right to the first and oldest earldom in the land, and
to estates worth 40,0001. a year, is now fairly before
the Lords, and will soon come on for hearing. Lord
Talbot is the claimant, and the opponents of his
lordship's claim are three in number—first, the Duke
of Norfolk, as guardian of the interests of his infant
son, to whom the late earl bequeathed his magnifi
cent property at Alton Towers; secondly, the Princess
Doria Pamphili of Rome, as only surviving child of
John, 16th earl ; and, thirdly, Major Talbot, of Castle
Talbot, county Wexford, as a rival claimant to the
title.

LORD PANNURE'S RESIDENCE, in Chesbam•place,
during the night of Saturday last, was entered by
thieves, and a large amount of valuable pro•
perty stolen. The family jewel case is gone, and
with it, it is said, the badges of several orders of
which Lord Panmure is a knight. The police are
in consternation at the escape of the burglars, and
hourly conclaves have since been held on the subject
in Scotland-yard.