The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-27 00:00:00

EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 21, 1459.

bed been ailed on to give additional 'snarly by the tank la
which be had a vitaatt

S rC. Criswell waa not surprised that • clan who hai
yielded to Itiuptati n should be alled on by his emyl•gers to
bite aidi hind s.tiori•y. He would beer no d,filenoy in
euptorling bin wife if he parted with his mistress. He lutist
pay the petitioner IOOL • year.

01:7711171501 V. OrTTEIIIOOI.
TM petitioner, a wafter at the Conservative Club. nought
•judicial apparel= from his wife on the ground of her
cruelty. Ito bad been married about twelve years, end had
had three chi deem by her; tut since 1853 she had been
addicted to deiolliug, and hod often behaved with great vio-
lence to him. In IBS7 she wss imprisoned sty months for
sasaultitle him.. _

Mr. W"aollett apposed for 'be petitioner.
The cost greeted the separates.

ESSOLVENT DEBTORS COURT.—MAY 28.
(Bofors th. Chief Cseguntakesr.)

IN RE CHARLES WILLIAMS.

The Insolvent, who had teen one of the promoters of the
Natiuoal Deader:sing Manure Company, was opposed by Mr.
Sargood for Mr. fillubbr, the meneruser of the Court of Bank-
ruptcy, and two other directors of the company. Mr. Macrae
16 mated on the former oecan'oa.
The insolvent hot brought an wins agalost the opposing
creditor u superionntlent of the cimpiny, in which be was
nonsuited, and they were put to;841. law expanses. A shoat
time beck the insolvent petitioned the court, but the c rte of
the action bad not been taxed at the time of the vesting
order, bad the elsim es a debt wee struck out. The insol-
vent WIN arrested for the costs ant again petitioned.
The Chief Coramissfoner Wag of opinion that the insolvent
wee not justified in bringing the action and patting the
parties to 641, law expenses. lie gave a juigment of four
months from the vesting order on the 26th alt.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Murphy.)

IN RE WILLIAM RICA.
Mr. Macrae opposed for a creditor named Lee, and Mr.
Howse supported.
TOW was an epplic Won for • fial order under the Pratec-
ti..n Act, and the question wee whether the insolvent wee a
proper person to be relieved. His debts were not larp, end
Once he contracted the debt, as a butcher, with Mr. Ise he
had pit.' Dim several sums; but when he stopped his medit
he could not go on. Oa beteg seed he petitiosed the court.
The court thought that the Insolvent had been compelled
to petition, and therefore gusted the final order.

IN NE ADAM JOIN assay.
The lesolvent, a clerk to the miry of billegton parish,
who appbeJ for his anal trier, was opposed by Mr. Way for
• creditor earned Hoidsworth.
The insolvent had a salary rt. 2001. a year, and he pro-
posed to set aside 401. a year for his creditor.. He could not
est aside a larger stun on account of the members of his
family be bad to eumrt.
Mr. Way complained that the first payment was to he
made in October, and that the insolvrnt's attorney was to be
first paid. He had never heard of such a proposal.
Mr. George Lewis said he had filed similar proposals and
bad been paid as attorney for Insolvents in ths manner men-
tioned.

31r:Cornrolsviontr. Murphy accepter] the proposal, and the
protactioa Was emended until October for the first payount.

ss ilie3 and a Leif in length, extending nada the scalp,
having prostrated the bone.
Thomas Pri.c.or. 247 h, proved taking the peewitr into
enetody. He trot saw him running, but afterwards be found
him in a weter-chwer. A knife was bonded t, bim by the
whores Fletcher, which was turned at ttc pint, and had
epota of blood on it. The prisoner denied having had a
knife in his parmesan.
The pHs met mode no au,:esaatial de'eace to till charge,
sad the jury found him Guilty.
Mr. Cressy raid there wee a doubt as t the prisoner
tiling the knife, and be would give him the benefit of it by
posing a vary light stiernee to whet he should otherwise
have done, sad which he should always do when it was
proved that a knife bad been wed. He sentenced him to
eight month.' herd labour.

TIIB LATE ACCIDENT AT WESTMINSTER.

The adjourned inquiry into the esusee of the
desthe of tto unt rttenate men through the late accident at
the new Lull ling of the Westminster Belem lid Company,
is Victoria-street, was renamed yesterday afternoon at the
Westminster Hospital, before Mr. Bedford, the coronae for
Wes min•ter.

Mr. Rede int Billantine represented Mr. Myers; Mr.
Btargeon and Mr. Moseley appeared for some of the de-
ceased ; and Mr. Buechel! watched the proceedings on behalf
of the Westminster Hotel Company.
Mr. Cherie. Ainslie, architect, deposed that he was de-
sired by Mr. Whitehurat to entwine the some of the acci-
dent and the limbos of the remaining tc.drad, in order to
kvgive hie opinion se to their strength. He was shown them
• workman named O'Neal. The timbers cAraisted of
y pieces of tie, 4 sad 4, inane broad and 9 Wolter deep.
He had examined two of the timbers which gave way. He
bad no doubt they eau way from having been over-weighted.
They were not equal to the work. The timbers ware very
knotty, and in one be *Nerved that the fracture had com-
menced at one of the knots. The beans had been cut oat of
• larger piece of timber, sad the ottalde had been
laid downwards. Thls be considered detracted from their
strength. He considered that such timber placed io such
• position over an uneupported span of 20 fret would not bee
more than • tem and a half placed on the centre. The beams
were five in number, they bad been covered with booed—
If inch deeds. He did not think the cicala would materially
strengthen the structure, as each of them would not bear
more than a quarter of • ton placed in the c nitre. The stage
might have easily beau supported either with struts or tied,
in which cue the transella would have borne 20 tons, or in-
deed say weight which the b nude would carry. The plank-
ing on the transelb, which wee the usual 12 feet planking,
would bear very Hills weight. He considered the wood of
which the Inutile was made won not rot ; it was full of
knots and quite From; it was nut unsound, but would have
much lea strength in the position in which it was placed
then good timber.

William Fry, brkklamir, deposed that he was employed
on the Westminster Palms Brett works on the day end the
day previous to the occident; was at work therein the night
before till bslf•past fire o'cleck. On leaving did not peril-
colarly notice west material. wet on the stage. On leaving
hie work was at a lower level than the stage. He bad
nothing to do with boating the stage, but he Paw it
about ten minutes peat viz mast morning of the accident.
Hostile the stage fall. There was • greet guantityof bricks
sad mortar as it at the time, as well as a meet mazy la-
hoofers. He should consider there wee from 7to 8 toes
weight of metwials on the step, without counties the
weight of the 16 men. Judging from the size of the pile of
bricks he noticed on the wigs at ten minutes past sir., he
•hm!d my there were 2,600 or 3,000 bricks on it as well as •
large quantity of mortar, probably shout a ton and • hell
or 'hem quarters. He formed his opini et of the quantity of
materiels merely by judging of the size of the piles be
zetioed on it. He did not take very particular notice of Its
stage beyond remarking it to be very much loaded—he should
my to excess.

James Timelier, bricklayer, deposed that be was employed
working on the stage prerimasto widens the day of the accident;
had lett off work at half-past flvo on the evening before.
He did not think there was a great deal of materials ea the
stage, but did not take much notice. He was wetting on •
block stage, placed on the stage where the accident =lured.
Did net know bow much material was on it at the des.
There was no under stage up at the time. Had lifted Mr.
Myers 's son gave cedars to build the upper scaffolding, and
to leave the under one standing. Mr. W. Myers gave par-
ticular orders that it was not to be removed. He (witnsezi)
bad asked
O'Neal why he had takes down the under
folding, as it would probably save the men if anything
occurred to the upper one. Could not say how long before
the acoldent the lower atege was removed, or whether there
were ally struts under It. He believed the bottom scaffold
was taken away to build the upper one. That was against
Mr. 111's distinct order'.
Fitzpatrick deposed to being on the btulding at
the time of and previous to the accident. He was engaged
from On to seven on the previous evening in landing bricks
for the stage. Hs continued his work on the followlog day,
lading bricks and mortar for the stage. Did not go on to
the slag, that morning. Could hardly tell how much
bricks Its lauded, but he had since laedeg eight barrows of
bricks in six minute.. He did not think he was working so
feet on the day in question. He had probably landed twenty
barrows of bracts on the preview' evening, and more than
twenty on the following MOThiliff. He bad landed more
mortar than Wicks on the mottling of the accident. A
barrow of mortar would probably weigh 2 cwt. A barrow ofl
Meta contained from 64 to 90. He bad not worked very
quick is seeding up the bricks on the night before the
accident. There was no support under the stage, it was
merely resting on the walls at the sides.
Mr. George Myers called. He was, with his *OOP, cos-
treater for the building of the Westminster Pekoe Hotel.
There were 330 men employed on the works at the time of
the faddist. The men were not engaged by him bat, he
believed, by William Coleumo, the general foreman of the
work,. The men were not engaged in gangs but indivi-
dually. He recollect, l there being • lower stage under the one
which mimed the accident. That stage had completed its
purpose, and it was necessary to build one higher up, the
order f r which was given by William Coleman. Witness
did give orders to Coleman and to Patrick O'Neal, the fore-
men of the scaffeld-usen, to put six timbers In the wall,
sad he had given positive directions to both that the lower
meffolding was we to be removed, but that it should biased
with struts to support the upper scaffold. He had given cordon
both to Coleman and O'Neal that uprighte were to be
placed both above and below the lower scaffold, so as
effectually to support the upper one. The timber for
scaffolding wee brought from his wharf, and he had given
stria orders to his foresees that if It wee not found good it
should be teat back, es he was se much on the stages se any
of hie men. In go ting to the upper stage he did not nodes
that his orders re.pecting the lower scoff old bad bees neg-
lected. He did not know that the lower stage had been
moseyed, but be thought that the upper stage war supported
by uprights from it until the time of the widen,. He wee
on Um works at the time of the accident, and mediated in
getting out the injured men. He hod ordered the men to
remove the rubbish to extricate the men, but never toll any
pees.ll to remove the material for any other purpose. O'Neal
was responsible for the good quality of the timber used on
the works. O'Neal lied his entire authority to return
any timber he did ffot consider good. There wee no
scarcity of materials, as be kept • very large store. He
(witness) was daily on the stage when In town. No
complaint was ever male to him by any of the men that the
stage was nasal*. O'Neal would lot have been instilled in
removing the stage without Coleman's maw. Wooer onn-
sided the upper stage competed to c irry 30 tons pry
distributed. Accordieg to the usual mode ef working there
would be more materiels towards the centre. The stage
ought to have carried 15 tone in the centre. Under ordinary
eireumetrnoes there would not be more than • to and a h.lf
of bricks on the stage, se they were need as feat as they sere
put there. Witness was of opinion that there was not more
than 700 bricks on the stage at the time of the accident; that
would be about a ton and a half. He did not give any
order about sending up the bricks, and he only ordered
the removal of the mirerials, se far as it was necessary
to
extricate the men after the fall, and none were removed
afterwards. He did not usually look to see that his orders
were obeyed; he trusted to hi* foremen. U be, am a pros-
' tic& man, had to construct such a scaffold for such a purpose
sa the Doe in question, he would have supported it with
strata, or uprigtits ; and he had given orders to th.t effect.
It could have been strutted in an hour. If support-id as be
bad directed the scaffold would have borne 30 tone mom. It
was O'Neel'a duty to see that the order was executed.
Coleman's duty was general superinteodence. The upper
and lower stages were about 13 feet ap ort. Did not give
any orders about the construction of the stage. The
forma& would trust to the acaffolders that all the
stages were in proper order. He did not consider
the wood used was very knotty. He always thought
that the stage was supported as he bad directed. Ho coast-
dered the occident might have arisen from men jumping'
down on the stage. Men collecting in large bodies on scat-
folding was one of the chief difficulties which builders had
to coned against. A comparatively slight Mbiloion on •
loaded scaffold caused by men jumping on it, would some-
times bang it down. Did not think there could have
bean 20 barrows of mortar on the stage. A sergeant of
pollee bad come to the works on the morning of the accident
to prey, nt materiel being removed, and he had given orders
that eons should be removed. Could not in his own mind
at all serous'. for the accident.

—.—
By Mr. Serjunt BsHotline—He wu down in the well just
after the accident, and did not think there were mote than
700 bricks there. The 16 men ought not to hue ben
collected together on the stage. It wee against his order,.
He had trusted to O'Neal an to the erection of the stages.
Mr. Coleman It.d not refused O'Neal's appli-ation for mate-
rial. The men would not have been juatified in removing
the nnierstage by Mr. Joseph Myers' orders, ea Coleman's
orders to keep it up were imirretive. Heald not elf:alder the
rue a Recd one. He looked to O'Neal to construct all
scaffolding properly.
Mr. Joseph Myers, the son of the above witnesa, and
oo,ontraetor wi'b turn, was then celled, and deputed that he
was in the habit of ae.ieting his father in the eoperintendence
of the works. Wee at the work. the evening before the iteci-
dent. Had a conversation with Woodley, the foreman brick-
layer, obent hell-peat live. He asked him if the
trade union would object to the men working over-ti or.
Woodley raid no. Witness had then raid, we shall have some
more materiel up for the men in the morning. Woodley bad
said that the stage had been 'baking dunng the afternoon.
He (witness) tamed to Coleman and told him no materials
woes to be got up, bat that a new stage should be got up that
everting ready for the ma in the mornieg. Coleman had
made some remark about the walls not beteg evin for getting
up the new stags_ and he (witness) had pointed out how it
could be done. He had &eked Coleman to to the new stage
got up before be left the buililier, and he had sold he
would. It was 'phut his (eri.neses) orders that
the materials were got up on the old stage. lie never
said be did ant care a that he would stop the work li
material was not got up. lie only mid that if the malerial
was not up on the new stage, the turn should be tranairned
to other sieges where there was plenty of materiel. He con-
eiiit It d that the new stage could be made in half so hour.
Hr ri d not know that the stage bele e was taken down. He
could not say how much sluff wee on the stage. The
probable canes of the accident, he thought, woe the 11686
running to their work, and jumping on the scaffold.
It yea well known that the nbeation of two
bra jumping en a saagald had often brought it
daft. He coodidered that the acetraid had beet

giving wiy fur some time before it fel. A been Fiedler to
those os d fir the tremens bore a strain of 3i tune risi:y.
The men need to poi over the stage doling ttie early pwt
of the work, but at the time of the aceidi nt the tr.ciwurk
was too high. Ile n-ver saw a piece of timber her fee,
knots than the broken p4eces produced. He did nn
urge the men to load the stage, and did not swear he would
stet die men if the stage were not loaded. lie wee not is
the habit of discharging the men. He did not know how
much material there was on the stop, but he should think it
impossible to pack move than 1,6 M bricks on such a stage.
He had not told the men on the dsy is question to send up
the bricks testae. It did not follow that all the briiks sod
materiel landed were for the stage that broke down. Then
weee several other stages supplied from the same landing.
_ _ • '

Mt. T. Habeiel, aldermen of London, timber merchant,
&road, that he had examined the frarturei timber in the
room, and cowl tared it good and sound wood. There were
knots In it, for every one knew timber did not grow without
toots. He cold not tell the strength of the timber by look-
ing at it, but he considered it good timber, and he should
hare considered it pretty free from knots, even If It had con-
tained a great many more knots than it din/.

Mr. Morley and Mr. Starption having ex a with to
produce further Minalfie evidence, the taquiry was adjourned
till Thursday neat at two o'clock.