The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-21 00:00:00

CLERKEN WELL

Mr. Barker attended the court at a much earlier hour
than usual, for the purpose of swearing in special con.
stables. His time was fully employed, as during the day
he swore in over 130. There were many gentlemen, in-
cluding some from the Royal Free Hospital, the whole of
the New River employee, the Chartered Cat Company, of
Brick-lane. and several others. Many gave expi elision to
strong feelings as to the outrage committed against their
families, houses, and homes, and it appeared pretty evi-
dent that an almost uncontrollable feeling was existent to
put down soy combinations for the commission of similar
outrages.

REDUCTION of PONTAOI ON LITTERS TO THE
UNITEn STATEi OR TO RE FORWARDED THROUGH THAT
COUETRT. —On the lit January next the combined rate of
British and United States postage on letters posted in the
United Kingdom addressed to any part of the United
States, sad whether conveyed by packet or by private
ship, will be reduced to aixpenee per half-ounce or frac-
tion thereof, provided each postage be prepaid. Unpaid
or inenfficiently paid bitten will be liable, on their deli-
very in tha United States, to an additional charge. Upon
registered letters a registration fee of four-pence will be
chargeable ; and this fee, together with the postage, most
be pre-paid. A corresponding reduction will be made on
the same day in the postage of letters forwarded through
the L'nited States to the following colonies and other
places, viz. :—Canada (including Nova Scotia, New Bruns-
wick, and Prince Edward Island), British Columbia, Van-
couver's Sandwich Islands, Havana Mexico,
Panama, Colon. Letters fer any of the British colonies
here specified will he chargeable with a reduced rate of
sevenpence per half-ounce, or fraction thereof. The same
rate of sevenpence per half-ounce will also be chargeable
on letter' for Bermuda, addressed " 144 New York." The
portage of letters addressed to British Honduras (which
are now (new:tried, as a rule, by way of New York and
New Orleneal will also be educed, and will become one
shilling and a penny per half-ounce, or fraction thereof.
Letters for any of the foreign places named above will be
chargeable with a reduced rate of one shilling per half-
ounce, nr fraction thereof. Upon all letters for inch
foreign places. as well as upon those for British Columbia
and Vancouver's Island, the postage must be paid in
advance.

k ORGEltiri ET • MANUFACTURER. —At the
Staffordshire assizes, on Thuraday, before Mr. Justice Heat.
lug. Elijah Hughes, who had pleaded guilty on
the previous day to two charges of uttering
forged acceptances to bills of exchange with intent to
defraud the Manchester and Liverpool District Banking
company, was brought up for sentence. The prisoner had
occupied an influential position in the Staffordshire
Potteries. where he carried on business for many years as
an earthenware manufacturer. The sum represented by
the forged acceptances of the prisoner amounted to about
UM. Ha was sentenced to six year.' penal servitude.
MoLLIIR'S Coe LITER Om. —The First Prize,
sod only -liver Medal at the Paris Exhibition, has been given to
PI Muller, for hie purest Norwegian Cod Liver Oil. The
Sileetion was made from about thirty competitors. This Nor-
wegian ell le exclusively used in capes of debility and col:sump-
and the contracts for the North London Consumption am.
ere now made with Peter Molle r, of 22. Mincing-lune
kr all Chemists. la. 11l per hottic—i•dverttestasiat

THE CLERKENWELL OUTRAGE.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.
(Concluded from yesterday's Express.)

Captain Codd having arrived, -
The Coroner told him that the question had arisen in
the minds of some of those who had listened to the evi-
dence whether this explosion might not have been pre-
vented. They had been told by Inspector Thomson that
Sir Richard Mayne had made certain communications to
him at the House of Detention, and that they were
practically disregarded. They were, therefore, very
anxious to give Captain Codd an opportunity of answering
any statement that had been made.
Inspector Thomson, at the request of the coroner, then
repeated the statements be had previously made.

Captain Codd said the substance of Inspector Thomson's
narrative was quite correct, but he denied any discourtesy.
It was improbable, as the coroner would see, that when a
man sent a message of thanks to another, he intended
anything discourteous.
The Coroner—Suppose a man received information
from the police that his house was to be blown up or
burnt. He would not stay at home, and say, " Now, I'll
take care of the inside, If you wiU take care of the out-
side.' He would be much wore likely to go to the police
and ask whitt additional force or assistance could be placed
at his disposol. It has therefore occurred to me, and to
some of the jury, whether some further communication
should not have been made by you to Sir Richard Mayne
as to what it was desirable to do under the circumstances.
We understand perfectly that you had fire•sams in the
prison to deal with anybody who might have broken into
tt ; but when you were told that the wall was to be un-
dermined outside, with a view to the rescue of prisoners,
the question is whether something more ought not to have
been done than was done.

• •
Captain
the original receipt of prisoners with
alleged Fenian tendencies I sent my chief warder to the
superintendent at she Clerkenwell station upon the matter;
and I then said there, as well as to Inspector Thomson,
that if I were to suggest anything to Sir Richard Mayne,
which it was not my business to do, it world be that a
cordon of police should be pat right round the prison. As
far as my duty was concerned I bad nothing whatever to
do with that, and I told the inspector plainly that it was
not for me to suggest anything to Sir Richard Mayne. At
the same time I did offer the suggestion as to the cordon of
police, which would have prevented any one coming near
the wall at all. _

The Coroner—When did you make that suggestion ?
Captain Codd said it was when Groves, who was accused
of murdering a Life-Guardsman, was first brought to the
House of Detention. His chief warder then saw Inspector
Bryant at the Clerkenwell station, and th►t officer said he
had already received orders from Sir Richard Mayne, the
chief commissioner of police. The clerk to the visiting
justices went down and saw Sir Richard Mayne himself,
and Sir Richard said he could give no assistance.
Inspector Thomson—May I remind you, Mr. Coroner,
that the information about the blowing up of the prison
walls was only conveyed to the governor the day before
the occurrence took place.
Captain Codd said—More recently than the occasion
he had mentioned he told the officer at Clerkenwell
station that the beet thing was to place a cordon of police
round the prison, and he certainly did say that if Sir
Richard Mayne would take care of the outside of the
prison, he (the governor) would not fail to protect the
mside.

A juror said he and his brethren should like to know
something respecting the intimation sent to the prison as
to the explosion of iriday.
Captain Codd said the information came originally from
Sir Richard Mayne, and he naturally °occluded that the
man who wu in a position to give it to him would take
abundant care of the outside of the prison, as it was his
duty to do. That seemed to be very plain.
A Juror—Then I suppose you do not consider it a part
of your duty to take care of the outside of the prison ?
Captain Codd—No. My duty is to look after the in.
side, and I was prepared to do it. There my responsibility
ended. Besides I communicated with the police in the
first instance. When the clerk to the justices went down,
I believe Sir Richard Mayne mid we must take care of
ourselves, and that he could not spare us any constables.
I should not like however, to say that as evidence, be-
came lam speaking from memory only. As I said, I had
my information from him first, and then on Thursday
evening the chairman of the court, who had received a
communication from the Home Secretary, came to me him-
self. I then took care of the inside, as was my duty. In
my report I don't allude to the destruction of the houses
in Corporation-lane at aIL I have nothing to do with
the. I simply state that a breech was made in my wall.
The Coroner—When a communication is made from the
Commissioner of Police to the governor that a breach is
likely to be made in the wall of his prison, I must say I
cannot help expressing my wish that some further com-
munications had been entered into. The Commissioner of

Police should have done much more than he did—(mar,
hear)--and I cannot help wishing that the governor had
put himself more in communication with the police. The
consequence of all this is, an explosion took place because
there were no police on the spot to see that a truck con-
taining such a dangerous load was not deposited under the
prison wall. It has been said that two or three extra
constables were sent down to the prison, and I certainly
do not feel that is the sort of protection that should have
been afforded with the knowledge which the Commissioner
of Police had that there was a chance of the welPs being
undermined and broken into. I cannot avoid uttering the
opinion that had some more adequate precautions been
taken these wretched proceedings need not have taken
place. However, we are obliged to Captain„Codd for his
attendance,
-- . _

Captain Codd—You said, Mr. Coroner, that you wish
the governor had put himself more in communication with
the police, and I will beg you not to lose sig:it of the fact
that I did information originally. The clerk to our
justices attended upon Sir Richard Mayne personally.
Then Sir Richard Mayne gave me information that the
place was to be attacked. Now lam an old soldier, and I
consider that the man who knew so much as that should
have taken means for the protection of the outside of the
prison. I said I would take care of the kernel if he would
take care of the shell. (Hear, hear.)
Captain Codd then withdrew.

The Coroner summed up the facts that had been sworn
to by the various witnesses, and concluded by remarking
that there appeared to be no doubt that the men Allen and
Desmond and the woman now in custody were connected
with the man who fired the barrel, although they did not
actually do it. Still the law made a malicious act which
led to the death of other persons, even if it were not done
in malice against the individual, an act of wilful murder,
and this was what the jury had to decide.
The jury retired to consider their verdict.
Captain Codd returned, and stated that he wished it to
be understood when he spoke of having been refused
amistance by Sir Richard Mayne, the refusal onlT had
reference to an application for 20 constables for the inside
made when the prisoner Groves was in the House of
Detention. _ .

--kftren.al absence of 20 minutes the jury returned. They
found th►t the deceased had been killed by the explosion,
and they returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against
the prisoners Desmond, Allen, and Justice.
The warrants for their committal were made out and
banded to Inspector Potter.

FRESH CAPTURES.