The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-13 00:00:00

RAGGED SCHOOL UNION.

Yesterday evening the annual meeting of the
Steads and supporters of the Ragged School Mika ma
held at Exeter-hall. The Red of BsArrsasaar occupied
the chair, sad on the platform warm-Lord Stratford de
Radcliffe, the Hon. Arthur Kinuaird, 1L P., Sir Robert W,
Cardea, Rev. Emilius Baylv Rev. Dr. Merle d'Aubigue,
Rev. Newman Hall, Rev. vr:Oadmaa, he. The hail Ile
crowded. . .

The report which was read pee an interesting accand cf
the proceedings of the union during the year. It com-
muned by asserting that in the report of the Royal Con-
missioaen on Education, statements bred en imperfect sad
erroneous information had appeared, oal=lated to injure
ragged schools. Since the 001111111/SiOZIOre report bad been
Issued a most minute invaitigstion had been made into the
questions relating to ragged schools by a committee of the
House of Cornmeal, and the result bad confirmed the opi-
nions of the friends of the union, and had proved that the
report of the consmiesionas had not only been at variance
with facts, but also at ea/linos with the evidence of thei,
own inspectors. In connection withthe union there were in 171
school buildings 201 Sunda -schools with 25,000 scholars ;172
day-schools with above 18,000 scholars, and 211 evening
schools with above 9,003 scholars. The industrial schools were
3,800, and the voluntsry teachers numbered 2,800. The
appeal for a special fund of 3,0001. bad been responded to
to the extent of 2,0001., and it was hoped that the other
1,C301. would soon be forthcoming. The grow income had
been 8,800/., and after meeting the neeeseery expenditure, a
balance of 1,2391. remained.
On the motion of the Rev. E. BArcrr, seconded by the
Rev. Newnan HALL, the report was unaoinao.ndelaatited.
The claims of rigged schools ware afterwards by
several gentlemen, and before the meeting separated a
cordial vote of thanks wee given to the Earl of Shaftesbury
for presiding.

SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE SOCIETY.

A conference of the members and friends of this
newly-formed society took place yesterday at the Free.
masons' Mr. B. Gorunr, place_ yesterday
presiding, whohaving
the beans, with some appropriate remarks, the
opened the
the secretary, read the report, which stated
that the soden was founded in 1860, with the object of
India/lig the Midi= public of all denominations to set
aside by weekly offerings a portion, not to. than one-tenth,
of their annual income, to promote the cause of religion and
charity. It was entirely untectarian, knowing no party or
sect, and embraced amongst its members ministers and lay.
men belonging to almost every denomination. Its sphere
of operations was the United Kingdom, the annual income
of whose population was estimated at 1,000,000,6001. sterling.
The imperial and local taxation was about 100,000,6004
while the expenditure in intoxicating drinks and other
vitiating luxuries was quite equal to that sum. The
charities of the country were not in proportion to its
wealth, the income of all the great missionary societies
united being only about half -a-million sterling, which is
about the coat of an iron-plated war frigate, and lees than
the duty paid on tobacco alone. An immense field ins
threaten open for the operations of the society. The
report then detailed the operations of the society through-
out the country, which had been of a most encouraging
character. The working expenses of the society were esti-
mated at 1,0001. per annum, which it was hoped would be
contributed by the friends of the movement without having
recourse to any public appeal. Nearly that amount had
already been contributed by a few friends for the first year.
The Rev. Mr. Roes then read • paper, giving several re.
markable instances of increase in the charitable receipts of
those churches and chapels who had adopted the recommits:.
&tined this society in respect of weekly offerings. A long
discussion then ensued on the best method of extending the
operations of the society, taken part in by the Rev. Mr.
Minna, Mr. P. Cater, Mr. Radon (of Bolton), Mr. Duncan
(of Ireland), the Rev. Mr. Weeks (of Manchester), Mr.
Linke, Mr. Wardell, and others, and resolutions were ulti.
mutely adopted in furtherance of the objects of the society.

FATAL. AOCIDENT ox THE SOUTH EASTERN RAIL-
War.—This morning an inquest was held before Mr. Payne,
coroner for London and Southwark, to inquire into the
death of George Smith, one ofi the guards on a train
on the South Eastern Railway. It ap from the
evidence that on Saturday morning the poor fellow
was sinning in shunting some trucks at the Tun-
bridge Station, and bad, in endeavouring to jump on to the
step of ass of the trans, slipped and fell emcee the hoe,
and a train coming in the opposite direction passed over his
left leg obliquely, mutilating it in • frightful =non.
He was immediately attended by a local doctor, and by his
advice sent up to the hospital by a special train, and Mr.
Bryant, the surgeon, most skilfully performed the operates
of amputation at the thigh joint, but the unfortunate de
ceased did not rally, and died in the afternoon from the
effect' el the shook to hie system. A verdict of "
Acd-
dental death" was returned.
Figra.tonnurany Sunotron.—On Saturday evening
Mr. G. S. Brent held an inquest in the boardiroora of
Chelsea workhouse on the body of Andri Amnon Eider
man, 32 years of age, a Swede, by trade • fancy weed
carver. It appeared that shortly after 9 o'clock on Taman
inning, the 29th tilt., the deceased, while smoking a cigar,
fixed himself at the window of a tobacconist's shop, in
Sloane-street. There was a woman sitting in the shop,
before whom be grossly misbehaved himself. She com-
plained of what had occurred, when he ran away with
his clothes in disorder. A police-constable being on the
spot, chased him, raiss—ng • cry of " Stop thief." He ran
into Upper George-street, where • young man named
Cullen, seeing him coming along the road and hearing the
cry of " Stop thief," ran into the road to catch him. While
behind him he said, "If you run • mile I'll have you."
He put his hand on the deceased's left shoulder. When he
did so the deemed took something out of his trousers
pocket which seemed to Cullen to be a life preserver, and as
the deceased veined his left arm, and appeared about to
strike him, the latter bobbed his head. They were stall
running. At that instant he sew a flash and heard a report,
and the man dropped down in the mad. It all happened
in about two minutes after be took up the chase. The cca-
stable came up as the man fell. Mr. George Conn, surgeon,
of Weethourne-place, Eton acre, was immediately celled,
and saw the deceased lying on his face in the road in a pool d
blood. He was dead. It was ascertaioed that the demand
had been formerly convicted of an offence similar to that
which had led to his death. Elizabeth Zetterman, of Wynd-
ham-street, Maryleboneroad, identified the body as that of
her husband. She was married to him in September last,
in Paris. She bad been in St. Mary's Hospital for a short
time, where he visited her. She need to be afraid of him.
He always carried loaded fire-Irme. He was not given to
drink, but smoked opium, and wee very nervous and irri-
table. The jury returned • verdict of "]Math from rupture
of the heart by means of a pistol ahot, but whether that
shot was intended for himself or any other person there WAS
not sufficient evidence before them to show."
DEATH FROM THE BITE or AN ADDER.—The
Sussex Express has the following :—" As • little boy, named
Wilkins, of Bargeas-hillorea returning from school, one even-
ing last week, he clambered up a bank to examine a bird's
nest, and groping with his hand among the mow he felt, as
he supposed, a sharp prick from a thorn, but which after-
wards turned out to be a bite from an adder. As the
real cause of the wound was not suspected, the swelling
of the hand and arm was not properly attended to until
the virus of the reptile bad spread into the system, when
he was taken to a surgeon, but it was too late, and the poor
little fellow died under it on the second day." The same
paper records another case :—" On Timidity last, a little
boy named Newland, about nine years of age, residing with
his parents at Sayers-common, HuntOerpoint, on his way
home from school, about five in the thernoon, crossed some
fields lying between Hurst and &yen-common, and amused
himself by bird'snesting. Upon discovering the eat
of a grey bird, he thrust his lilt hand into it, and
though he never saw the adder, was immediately
bitten on the back of the forefinger. The boy's Cries
brought to his assistance • man named Standing, who drew,
what he believes to be an editor's tooth from the finger, and
conveyed the boy to his home, where he was shortly after-
wards attended to by Dr. Holman. A search was made the
same evening for the adder, but without soccer. OW Setr
day last, however, a person named Press, succeeded in kill-
ing a female adder, about two feet in length. near the spot
where the boy was bitten, end which is believed to he the
reptile that bit the boy, ea it has • tooth miming. Muck
sympathy is shown for the poor little fellow, and although
he has suffered greatly, we believe his clue is an considered
hopelem."
Carnal. Pawn. ONI SHILLIWE Dates
MONDAY, MAT IL—Admissions on payment, 1,563; dittos
by season tickets, 644 ; total, 2,109.