The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-10 00:00:00

THE CARBONIC ACID OAS ACCIDENT AT
POPLAR.

INQUEST.-(THIS DAY.)

• •
This forenoon Mr. Richards, the deputy coroner,
resumed, at the Spotted Dog Tavern, High-street, Poplar,
the inquiry respecting the deaths of Charles Cooper, 'pi
40, and Thomas Hoyrnay, aged 24 years, who were killed
on last Tuesday week in • well 50 feet deep, at the W est
India Dock, Poplar.
The inquest had been adjourned for the attendance of—
William Fletcher, who was in • very weak state, had
to be seated while giving his evidence. He said that lie
was the captain of the gang that had the sinking of the
well. Last Monday week it was suspected that there Us
foul air in the well, and it was tested with a " naked
candle," and the light went out. Some water was then
thrown down into the well to remove the foul air, and
the men continued to work. None of the men at work
complained of the foul air or refused to work. They
talked about it on the Tuesday morning when they west
to work at the well, and when ho arrived he found
Hoymay descending the well shaft. He fell old the
ladder and tumbled into the water. Cooper and witness
followed because they thought that Hoymay had merely
slipped into the water. They never thought of the foul
air.

Coroner—What wu the sensation that you felt when
you entered the well
Witness—l felt none. I lost my senses at once, and I
remember nothing more. I did not order the deceal;ed mm
to go down into the well. While the men were at work s
small pump was kept at work, and the drawing off the
water created a draught, and that caused the carbonic acid
gas to ascend, and the ventilation was by that means kept
right The pump was not at work when the accident
occurred. .

A juror mid that the men ought to have seen that tit
pump was at work before they went down, and in futon
it would be well if the works were not carried on unless is
was first ascertained that the pumps were at work.
Mr. Poland, barrister, who appeared for the contractor
said that Fletcher was a sub-contractor, and that be es
responsible for the way in which the miners did their wort
at the welL
. . .

The Coroner said that a party in court had stated that
the deceased men had been murdered, but he thought thii
if men ever had committed suicide they had done w
They were aware that a poisonous gas was it
the well, and yet they entered it. It Aimee
looked like dogged obeUnacy. The case mi
• very lamentable one, but it only showed the pm Cason
of English working men, they will perform their work re
matter how dangerous it is.
The jury returned • verdict "That the deceased me
were accidentally suffocated in • certain well shaft hrA
which they had descended for the purpose of f01i0.%
their occupations."

To-morrow Mr. Samuelson will ask the Secrets!
of State for the Home Department, whether it is tie
that Mr. Conolly, who watched the proceedings before to
Trades' Union Commission on behalf of certain trade,. LA
been forbidden by the commissioners to continue le
attendance; whether he committed any offence sgoO
the commission ; and, if so, what was the offence. 1%1
whether it is true that permission was offered to C 00,4
to continue his attendance on condition of signiti
document which had no reference to the business of the
commission.

Sir dolman O'Loghlen intends to call attennon
to the state of Ireland and the legislation for that marl
proposed this session by her Majesty's government ; sod to
move a resolution on the 26th.

- - -----
Mr. Lamont, to-morrow, will more an addn•rt
for copies of all correspondence between the French Ba
British governments previous to and relating to the inn^
sion of the Mexican Republic by the late Arch...ate RA.

The Select Committee on the Ecclesiastical Titles
and Catholic Relief Acts met yesterday, and examined 31r.
Jostles O'Hagan, one of the judges of the Cowmen Ilea
in Ireland, and Mr. Hope-S.-a:Kt, (I.e.—both Ilmnan ra•
tholics. The learned judge (the OW state.) described the
act to be a dead letter, and the sole cline of the alien,t ion
between the Roman catholic hierarchy
in Ireland arid the
executive government of that country. The ex: ,t
of Mr. Hope-Scott is to bo resumed on and his
evidence will be followed by that of Dr. Ullathonie.lli,hoP
of Birmingham.

Mr. J. Vokes Mackey, conservative. was nom'
noted yesterday as Lord Mayor of Dublin for 1,4:. The
present Lord Mayor Joynt WWI proposed for reelection.
On this amendment the numbers wens—for. ; aCkin't.
26. Dr. Carroll was then proposed as a catholic c4ndidate.
To give time for his cancan, and prevent the election ti
Mr. Mackey, eight or ten divisions took place oil the WAr
tion of adjournment, which was ultimately earned.
ILLEGITINIAeIi IN SCOTLAND. The Itegistro
General for Scotland mentions in bis tenth detailed av
Dual report that in 1864 the illegitimate births in Scotl.eri
were 9.9 in every 100 births. In the northeastern
lions they were 15.5 per cent. A ten year: averige obeli
that 9.1 per cent. of the children were illegitimate
Scotland. According to the numbers of births registeoi
as illegitimate in England, only 6.4 per cent. were Merl'
mate in that country during the same period. It ser,"
that illegitimacy is on the increase in Scotland, as doh
1856 and 1857 only 8.5 per cent. of the births was Or
gitimate.