The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-18 00:00:00

INQUEST AT THE ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL

A second inquest was opened in the afternoon at
the Royal Free Hospital, Gray's-inn-road, before Dr. Lan-
kester, on the body of Martha Thompson, aged ten.
The Coroner said he had a right to inquire not only into
the cause of death, but into the acts of the persons who
carried it.
Some formal evidence was taken as to the identification
of the body.
The 'foreman of the jury, upon their retain from the
dead-house, assured the coroner they bad performed their
duty of Inspection with feelings of horror.
Mr. Thompson, father of the deceased, lived at 3, Cor-
poration-lane. He was • brass-finisher, and at the time of
the explosion was in the workshop behind. He heard
what be thought was • clap of thunder, saw a Bash, and
heard the explosion roar in the air. Then came • sound of
falling houses, and he expected every moment to be
crushed to pieces. He pulled out the sash, and jumped
out of the window. He went towards the ruins, and found
his wife crawling about. She found the senseless body
of the deceased, which he took from her. He then
looked after the other children (two of whom, with
his wife, are in St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and
another two in the Royal Free Hospital) By-
and-bye he saw the deceased at the corner of
a street in • eab, and she ejaonlatod " That's my
tellser." He had seen nothing more of her, being too ill,
and had not even seen her body. (The witness was in •
most painful state of depression, and had to be given •
stimulant before he could summon courage to see the
remains of his child, as it was necessary he should do.)
Dr. Hill, the house surgeon, described the injuries from
which the deceased died. Both eyes, he said, were de-
stroyed, so that even if she had got well she could never
have seen again. Her nose was split, and her face was
absolutely cut to pieces by broken glass. Sbe died at
three o'clock on Sunday afternoon. She was sensible to
the last.
The inquiry was adjourned to Friday week.

The arrangements made by the polio, authorities, both
at the West-end and in the City, are s►id to be of an ex-
tensive character, and on the necessity arising the services
of a large force of men can be called into speedy requisition.
In the City of London, Colonel Fraser, the commissioner,
Captain Hodgson, the chief superintendent, Mr. Foster,
the superintendent, and Mr. Inspector Duddy, of the
reserve, have mad. arrangements for the proper protection
of the public buildings under their charge, and a force of
reserve men hays been kept ready at hand for active ser-
vice at a moment's notice. These men are all armed with
revolvers and outlaws.

The attempt made to fire the premises of Messrs.
Parma], the wholesale clothiers of Bishopsgaterstreet With-
out, has Induced those gentlemep to offer a reward of 1001.
for the apprehension and conviction of the offenders.

At the Bow-street Police-court donations have been re-
ceived for the benefit of the sufferers by the Fenian outrage
at Clerkenwell of 21.2 a. from Mr. W.B. Waley ; 20.6 d. from
" Mercurius," and 121. 4s. 61. collected at the Exchequer
and Audit D•par►ment, Somerset-house. and handed to
the sitting magistrate by Mr. B. Hayward. In the course
of the afternoon a gentleman presented himself before Mr.
Vaughan for the purpose of being sworn in me a special
constable. Mr. Vaughan said be bad received a eommu-
nication from the Home-offica relative to the swearing in
of special conetables, and should be happy to take the
necessary steps, but he could not do so until information
had been laid before him. The (catkin= said it was
stated in the papers that the Home-office bad authorised
the swearing in of special constables, and be did not con-
sider that such a notification ought to hare been published
until arrangements had been made to carry it out. Later
in the day an information was laid by Superintendent
Durkin, of the F division, and the necessary formalities
having been complied with, it was arranged that the
magistrates Auld attend at this court and at the several
vestry balls in the district for the purpose of swearing is
special constables.
Our Greenwich police reporter was requested to notice
that, in compliance with a letter received from the Horne-
office, respectable persons will be sworn in to act as special
constables at that court between the hours of 10 a.m. and
I p.m., and at Woolwich Policed-.wart, between the hours
of 3 and lp. m. . .

At a meeting of the Paddington vestry held yesterday,
the Rev. the Dean of Exeter in the chair, Mr. Roche, the
vestry representative at the Metropolitan Board of Works,
said he felt it his duty to draw the attention of the vestry
to some remarks make by the Common serjesnt at the
Central Criminal Court on the previous day. He hoped
the vestry would give such a forcible expression of their
opinion on the recent dastardly outrage at Clerkenwell
as would assure her Majesty government that the vestry
viewed the outrage with unmitigated abhorrence, and that
they tendered to government the whole of their energies,
so that the government might, by the strong hand of the
law, backed up by the approval of every public body in the
United Kingdom, vindicate the laws which apply to the
security of life and property. For the future to be lenient
would be to be criminal. Mercy most stand on one aide,
and justice be brought to the front,andbe meted outsternly
to every one found connected with these horrible outrages.
The Rev. Dr. Burns said he heartily endorsed the sen-
timents expressed by the last speaker, for he felt the time
had now arrived which compelled them to make extra
efforts for the better security of their lives and their
homes. He therefore begged to move that " The atten-
tion of this vestry having been called to the atrocious
outrage which was perpetrated on Friday last, the
13th init., at Clerkenwell, desire to express their utter
horror of the same, and also their readiness to co-operate
with the government in all necessary measures for the
maintenance of the order and peace of the metropolis."
Mr. Kemahead, J.P., said he had great pleasure in second.
ing the motion. Serjeant Gruel's, M.P., expressed his
gladness that government had, at last, began to exert
itself. The motion was then put and 1111211114 nnaniinanaly.