The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-28 00:00:00

DEATH FROM AN OVERDOSE OF SALTS.

A singular case came before Mr. Humphreys,
coroner, last evening, at an inquest held on view of the
body of a carman named Thomas Crooks, aged 53 years.
Elizabeth Crooks, 23, Raduorotreet, St. Luke's, said—
Last Tuesday the careered, being ill, got some medicine
from Dr. Bletchley. After taking it he got into a state of
great suflering ; his stomach swotted enormously. He ex-
claimed. " I am poisoned. The doctor's medicine has
poisoned me." He died soon afterwards.
Mr. F. J. Cant, pathalogical anatomist to the Royal
Free Hospital, said that the ileceeted died from inflammation
of the small intestine& caused by an excessive quantity of
Epsom salts. He had actually taken a quarter of • pound
of Epsom salts before be sent to Dr. Bletchtey for medicius,
aim the enormous quantity bad poisoned him. It generated
a gas in the stomach which caused the swelling which be
attributed to the doctor's medicine.
Deceased's wife recalled, and she admitted that he bad
taken a quarter of a pound of salts after a drinking
bout, but ahe said she knew that the quantity could
h►ve done no harm, for he bad often before taken 32
doses at one draught, and be was a man that could stand a
great deal.
Mr. Scott, solicitor for Dr. Bletcbley, said that he was
prepared to prove that the medicine famished by that
ragman wee not poisocous in it. character.
The Coroner said that evidence upon that point was quite
unnecessary after the testimony of Mr. Gant and the ad.
minion of the widow of the deceased.

The jury concurred with the learned ooroner, and returned
a verdict "That. deceased was poisoned by an excessive
quantity of Seem salts taken medicinally and not for the
purpcee of destroying life."

CRYSTAL PALACE DISTRICT GAS COMPANY.—The
directors' report, to be presented at the meeting on Thurs.
d►y next, aosounces a further reductioa in the priced gas;
to d►te from the lst of January, 186.5. The ketones-sheet
for the half-year, to the :ioth of June last, shows profits
amounting to 3.710/. 3e. 10d., which, together with 2161.
6a. sd., the unappropriated profit of the preceding half-
year, makes the a-aileble balance 3,926 f. 10e. 6d. Out of
this sum the directors recommend the deelaratims of a divi-
dend, at the rate of 6 per cent. per annum, on the pre-
ference capital ; and a dividend at the rate of 10 per coat.
per annum on the ordinary capital of the company, both
free of income tax ; the balance of 691. 4s. 4d. to be carried
forward to the profit of the succeeding half-year.
SALE OF DIAMONDS.—Messrs. Debeoham, Storr,
and Sons sold yesterday (27th Sept.), at their great 'notion
mart, King-street, Covent-garden, amongst an areortmeat of
costly jewellery, eighty-two carats of loose brilliants, which
realised 555/. 15s. ; also lot 257, a lustrous loose brilliant,
that fetched the sum of 300/. 61.

COLLISION ON THE GREAT lAA-TENN RAILWAY.—
Yesterday morning at a very early hour a collision occurred
at the Thetford station of the Great Eastern Railway which
was attended with rather a serious destruction of property,
although happily it sea not accompanied with loss of life.
It appears that about 11 p cr. on Monday night a goods
train left Norwich end proceeded safely on its journey until
it reached the Thetford station. some 31 miles ham Nor-
wich. At Thetford, however, it ran into a train composed
of lame empty cattle tracks, with a thirdchas carriage
attached. Providentially this carriage was empty, or there
would have been a fearful loss of life, as the carriage was
completely smashed, as were several of the cattle trucks, the
goods train having run into the stationary train with great
violence. The engine of the goods train sustained some
damage, and the driver was hurt in one of his knees, although
not very seriously. The stoker escaped with little or oo in-
jury. The collision caused &great wredi of plant, and the
rap-lice was blocked for some hours yesterday. although •
large staff of men was set to work with as tittle delay as
possible. The traffic was worked, however, by the down
train, and the circulation was not materially impeded. The
third-class carriage was attached to the cattle train for the
convenience of drovers, but no one was seated in it when
the collision took place, as both drovers and cattle had left
the train. This was doe to an arrangement by which cattle
are brought from Peterborough, do., to Thetford, and are
then walked to Bury St. Edmunds, • distance of about 10
miles. It is rather remarkable that nearly all the motion,
accident' which have occurred os the Norfolk section of the
Great Eastern Railway have taken place at Thetford or in
the neighbourhood. The line is very much curved on both
sides of the Thotford station, but the working of the trade
is provided for by a careful system of signals. How yester-
day's disaster occurred, and who is to blame for is, M at pre-
sent unexplained, but a careful investigation has been com-
moored by the company's officials. The damage sustained
by the plant must be estimates] at slant 1001.

A BATHER IN THE FIRTH BITTEN EV ♦ SHARK.—
Os Monday morning, while Mr. Barlard, druggist, Hogue-
street, and some other gentlemen were bathing outside the
eastern breakwater at Grantor), a rhark soddenly nee and
seized hold of Mr. Berland by the left leg, biting him is
three place. Fortunately, Mr. Barlaud wa■ Dear the bul-
warks. and, notwithstanding the severe nature of the In-
juries he had sustained, he was able to get out of the water.
The shsrk was afterwards seen b► the other beibere, who
say that this strange visitor to the Firth eppured to be
about three feet is leugtb..—Statessan.

On Tuesday morning, about 2 o'clock, an excur-
aka beim return* to Les& from Maeithestsr slapped on
the viaduct at Longwood. near If udderstiold, to wait till
soother train bad passed out of the etaticio. Whilst it
lam standing. William Device', of Dewsbury, mum, got
out, and apparently supposing that the wall was a fence
to the road, jumped over it, and fell a great distance on to
the road. He was dreadfully iojured, and died shortly
after his removal to the Bail way los.
A Shanghai letter says :—" Of the many absurd
paragraphs in regard to China which the Eogliah papers
occasionally give to the world, one regardieg a 'skull of
Confucius,' that we have lately gees, eclipses all. This
skull, lined with geld, wu looted at the Summer Palace,
and some inventive wag hoe pitted for It in the eyes
of the world the credit of bast that of Confucius.
Shade of Kwatyfoo-tre, that thy same should be so dese-
crated, or that it should be imagined that thy skull could
be devoted to such an ignoble purpose ! The skull of Dos.
lulus lies tranquilly with his body beneath the temple
erected to his enemy at Chufow, in the province of Shut-
lag ; while this was a utoneil—oes of the Esporor's utessils
loortmialy, sad therefore • relic, hut sot a vary owed ces."