The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-02 00:00:00

of the °DINTS.

Capt. Ho'
exorcised ?
Witneso—Oue hour.

To—Wet sash time are the prisoners

Capt. Williurns-1; " running double" compulsory o
prisoners " for trial ? "
Witnes•—lt is.

,
Capt. Williams—Are prisonen " for trial " punished for
speaking to each other ?
Witnesa—They an.
Captain Williams—Then I beg to tell you that it is quite
illegal to punish prisoners " for trial" for speaking to each
other.
Chief Commissioner—No doubt of it.
Captain Williams—What are the punishments inflicted
on prisoners before trial for prison offences ?
Witness—Bread and water.
At this stage of the inquiry the commissioners began to
inquire into the case of Charles Decal.
William Lawson was called. He said—l remember Deval
coming in last October. At that time I heard Cotterill,
one of the warders, say to him, " What, you're
here again, are you. I'll grind the foul out of
you. Ill' see that you don't leave this place with your life."
Ile died on the 9th of March. I saw him most dale. He
sunk gradually and was taken to the iniirlluarY• I saw him
three or four days before he died. The last time when I
went to him I thought he was looking better. He said to
me, Coil Norton, the warder." When Norton came
Decal asked for some water, and then he said, " Old Cot-
terill has not murdered me yet." I mentioned this to
Bubery, the lodge porter, very shortly after. Before I went
to the infirmary to see Decal I had seen a couple of coffins
in the store. I said they had better keep ready-made.
Pakeman said that he had marls the coffins by thegovernor's
orders, that one was ffir Decal, for that the parent., said
he must die. The other coffin was for a man named Hall,
who died the same day as Deval. The witness added that
it was told him that the governor had said it might be in-
convenient to make two coffins on the same day.
Norton, the es-infirmary warder, corroborated the state-
ment in the main of the last witness
Cutterill, the warder, was recalled—Positively swore that
he had never mad* any each observations as had been sworn
to by the preceding witnesses in regard to Decal. Bis
months after the man came to the gaol witness observed
that the man's health was failing, and called the attention
of the governor to the fact. He was never again put to hard
labour.

Baly—Did the governor send for the surgeon imme-
diately after you reported to him that Devil's health was
failing ?
Witness—l believe he did.
Harley, formerly a warder, was re-called. He deposed :
—I sat up in the ward with Dival a few nights before he
died. I thought him in . He said, "I am here a poor,
lonely man. Old Cotterill has not got his wish. He has
not ground the soul out of me yet." I fetched an officer
named Brooks, in whose presence Devil repeated the ob-
servation, and I reported the feet to Mr. Freer, the deputy-
governor, neat morning. He replied, " Oh, take no notice
of him."

Brooks being re-called, more that he had heard the ob-
servations used, but never by Decal himself ; on the con-
trary, be had expressed his thankfUness.
George Pakeman, the coffin- maker, was next called—Had
WI order from the governor to make a coffin for a prisoner
on the 3rd of March. Afterwards heard that it was for
Deval, who died a few days afterwards.
Capt. Williams—Was it usual to make a shell before
prisoners died ?
Witness—Never before.
Capt. Williams—lt is not an unusual thing to have a
shell ready.
Freer, the deputy-governor, heard from Norton about a
month after Decal entered the gaol that Cottarill had said
he would grind the soul out of Decal ; also heard it from
tke night-warder a few days before Decal died. Did not
report this to the governor; the expression was common
talk in the prison.
Chief Commissioner—Wh we talk was it?
Witness—Amongst the warders.
Chief Commissioner—Did you ever mention it to Cott'.
rill ?

—Witness—No.
Capt. Williams—Was it talked of as a single fact, or
amongst other facts connected with the prison ?
Witness—As a single fact.
Mr. Blunt, the surgeon, having been recalled, deposed to
the fact that Deval wall occasionally delirious several days
before his death. In all his (witness's) eouvenation with
Bevel he never made we of any such expreasiems as had
been imputed to him respecting Cotterill.
Chief Commissioner—l don't t►ing that there is anything
in that matter about the calk; we are quits agreed about
that.

Rubery, the lodge-porter, swore that it had been for a
long time common talk in the prison about the cruelties
practised by Cotterill and others; these had been going on
for two years and a half, long before Lawson left the gaol.
Prisoners on leaving had lived threats of violence against
the governor, Cotterill, and some other officers.
Captain Williams—Did these threats apply to the present
governor only,-or to Captain liaconochie
Witness—To Lieutenant Austin only. I told him that
he was threatened, but he told me not to mind them.

Another case of death in the gaol was then gone into; it
was that of Samuel Gray. With reference to this Norton,
the Late warder, was eslled. His statement was, that
Gray, with others, was in the exercise ground on the 18th
of November. Jefferies ordered them to double-quick
running. Gray said that he couldn't do it. Jefferies per-
sisted—the man made an effort, but fell, and discharged
blood from his mouth. Searles afterward, said that he
was skulking it, and wanted to gat extra diet. The man
died not in the infirmary, but in his cell on the 4th of
November following.
Mr. Baly—How much blood came from him ?
Witness—About half a pint.
Mr. Baly—Did the surgeon examine his chest or send any
medicine ?
Witness—No, he did not. He was impatient, and left
the cell. His sister, who was in the workhouse, was never
sent for until after his death. Deceased was always ill, and
partly paralysed.
Jefferies, another warder, being calla', flatly contradicted
the last witness in every particular, except as regarded an
admission that Gray was always ill, and that for the last
few weeks of his life he could scarcely crawl.
Helder, another witness, stated that Gray died in hir
cell ; that for a long time he was confined to hie bed, with
no one to watch him except the regular night-watch, though
he was at that time unable to help Matear. Three months
before Gray died he asked to ace his . Witness
mentioned it to the governor, but he that he could
not go tram the regulations.
Mr. Baly—Have you known prisoners who were under
medical care left without a watch, and die in the night
alone ?

Witnees—l have.
Mr. Blunt, the surgeon, deposed to the state of Gray's
health. He was (he said) paralysed and ruptured. Wit-
ness gave orders that he should only take gentle exercise.
The man frequently spat blood, but he never complained to
him of ill treatment.

Capt. William's—Did you mention to the governor
about the man seeing his friends, knowing the danger he
was in ?

Witness—l don't know. I think my impression was that
he had no friends. _ _ _

[The surgeon • report road was to the effect that death
resulted from "meningial apoplexy."]
William Lawson again recalled, swore that on the day
referred to by Norton he saw Gray pus to his cell from the
exercise-grounds ; that he looked ill, and witness followed
him into the cell, when he !mod him bleeding at the
mouth. Gray informed him that he had fallen down whilst
at the double-quick exercise. Witness thought this a case
of cruelty, and the fact was accordingly impressed on hie
memory.
Capt. Williams—Had you (the taller) a pea key to the
cell. in this prison ?
Witnees-1 had. I frequently went into the cells of the
prisoners and conversed with them.
Capt. Williams—Was there no officer attending these
prisoners on their way from the exercise-ground
Witness—There was not.
At five o'clock the inquiry was again adjourned.

BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPPING.—The following
letter, on the subject of British seamen, in reference tea ,
Plymouth ship, shows the difficulties in which owners are
sometimes placed Sir,—l have no doubt bat you will
find roojn in one of your columns for my letter. I beg to I
say that I sailed front Cardiff on the 24th of May, bound. to
Barcelona, with a crew—six in number, and several times
on the passage the mate, George Bundle, had got the crew ,
to mutinise—u they would do just u they liked and steer '
as he told them, which was a wrong cause several times. 1
When I arrived at Barcelona, I lodged my complaint with
the consul, and so did the crew. I then wished him, as
there was one of kl.M.'s frigates in port, to have than tried
by Admiralty Court—which was done; and, when the
could not Drove anything against me, as they wanted
to get dear of the ship, the consul, untied of
punishing them, told them to go on-board and de their
duty. The consul said to me that he would not have i
them ashore on the government, but if they could get an-
other ship he should have no objections to it. Two days
after I took up the ship's pen, and told him if he did not
have the mate dischar I should leave the shi in p his
charge, and protest, an go to England. He then had him
discharged. This is the way a master is treated by his
crew, and when in port they are not punished.—l am, sir,
your obedient servant, Taos. Wznana, Muter of the
schooner Jane.—JOHN CRIILLRM, seaman; Joan J• KIS
HOWARD. seaman ; WILLIAM FLA. boy."
NA rues.—The Corriere Mercantile of Genoa quotas
a letter from Naples of the 15th, mentioning the discovery
at Pompeii of three human skeletons, evidently belonging
to one family, together with that of a dog. The postures in
which they were found lead to the presumption that they
were engaged in flight at the time of the eruption, but
were overtaken by the lava, the dog refusing to leave his
masters. They bad bags of gold and silver coin with
them; one of the skeletons, still displaying rings and
ornaments, wu that of a young girl, probably the daughter
of the fugitives.
CORNWALL HALLWAY.—The works in connexion
with the great bridge over the Tamar are being commenced
by Mr. Mare, the contraetor, and the cylinder for raising
the centre pier, 30 feet in diameter, and 80 feet deep, is to
to soak.