The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-02 00:00:00

CONVICTION OF AN INNOCENT MAR AND
lEEE PARDON.

wismaxtreze, rouos-courr.—(THlS DAY.)
Mr. Belle, on taking his met upon the bench
this morning, drew &Steadies to the following matter,
which exhibits extraordinary peculiarities :
A few months ago Dominique Carron, a youth,
was charged, with three others, with sacrilege,
at St. Jude's Church, Chelsea, and committed
for trial, protesting his innocence. A witness on
his behalf, whose evidence was most material, was
not called upon the trial, and Dominique Carroll
was convicted and sentenced to seven years' transpor-
tation, as he was at that time on a ticket of leave.
About a month ago one of the real culprits
in the sacrilege believing himself at the point
of death, declared he could not leave this world in peace
without confessing that Carroll was innocent. This was
immediately oommunioated to his friends, and it was stated
that Carroll was working hard to obtain a honest living
when falsely accused with this offence. Mr. Sane, hearing
of the matter, wrote to the governor of the prison (not
that where Carroll was confined), and he, procuring the
dying declaration of the sick man, it was forwarded forthwith
to the Home Secretary, and the worthy magistrate now
desired that it should be immediately communicated to
Carroll's friends that her Majesty, by the advice of Sir
George Grey, had granted him a free pardon.

THE EXPLOSION OF GAS AND LOSS OP LIFE
NEAR REGENTS-PARK.

INQUEST.Itrais DAY.) Si
This forenoon Mr. W. Payne, coroner, held an Li
inquiry, at the Horseshoe and WUataheaf Tavern, Mellor- Is;
dreet, Southwark, relative to the death of SamuelSbinger,
wed 44 years, who died from injuries received by an explo- 81
mien of gas at the premier of Mr. (lambert, 62, Avenue- at
road, Begent's-park, on the 16th of May, by which two 81
persons also lost their lives.
Si
Mr. Montagu Williams, instructed by Mr. Kempster,
appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of Mr. al
Greenwood, thecontracter for the arrangement of the gas
fittings. 11
Mary Anne Tanner, 32, Mellor-street, Southwark, 1
daughter of the demised, said that the deceased was a r,
tent maker in the employ of Mr. Benjamin Edgengton. s
Witneas knew nothing of the occurrence which led to his

death.
Mr. Charles White, M.R.C.S., 69, Tooley-etreet, said
that he was called in to see the deceased after he had been
removed from the scene of the explosion at Avenue-road,
Regent's-perk. He found him to be suffering from a
severe wound in the forehead. He lingered until Thurs. tF
day when he expired from the effects of the injury he had 81
received. 81
M. Ernest Lambert said that he was director of the 111
French Gallery, at 120 Pall-mall. On the 16th ultimo he
made arrangements to give a ball at his private residence, at lc
62, Avenue-road, Begent's-park. Mr. Edgington, the marquee is
manufacturer, erected two tents at the back of the house. In
On the morning of the 16th witness was in bed when he 81
heard a loud explosion. Witness was awoke by the noise, 1,1,4,
and seeing his wife leave the room he followed her. Wit- B'l
ness then said that the whole of the back of the house had gi
been blown out and it presented the appearance of • coin-
plate wreak. There was a slight fire raging and several 84
persons called out " Fire, fire." it
By the Coroner.—There was a gas pipe in the billiard al„
room which communicated with the gas pipes which were 81
carried through the garden for the purpose of lighting the ig
tents up. In the billiard room there was a gas meter which
supplied the billiard room, the gallery, and the tents with gas. 8
Witness had never told the servants not to turn off the
gas from that meter. But since the explosion he had been
given to understand that the servants were in the habit of
not turning off the gas at that meter. One of the
servants had told witness that they thought
that they turned the gas off every night.
for they went to a meter which supplied
a large chandelier in the gallery with gas, and turned off
the gas in that meter. That meter was a small one, situated
in another part of the home underneath the gallery.
They were not aware that when they turned
off the gas at the small pa metre they were
not Gutting off the gas from the other parts of the
house. Witness had been told by Anne Waters,
after the explosion, that at 6 o'clock on the morning of the
occurrence she perceived a strong smell of gas in the house,
and she went downstairs and turned off • small gas-cock,
thinking that she had forgotten to turn off the gas the
previous night from onset thepamage pipes. The exploOon
occurred at 8 o'clock.
James Bull, foreman to Mr. Greenway, the contractor
for the supply of gas-pipes from the house to the tent,
said that he connected the gas lights in the tent
with those in the house by means of lead pipes
and vulcanised India-rubber junction joints. India-
rubber joints were always used in the trade when
temporary gas fittings were required. All the gas fittings
were to have been taken down after the ball. The
pipes were carried through the pantry along the hothouses
and through the orchard into the tents on the lawn. Wit-
ness could not say where the escape of gas bad taken place.
When the fittings were complete they lit up. They then
put all the lights out.
Mr. Gambart—Yon know that the escape took place in
the billiard-mom.
Witness—l do not. I have been told that it did.
Mr. Williams—Are you aware of the fact that if gas jets
are left lighted in • room, and that all the doors and
windows are closed, in time the gas will go out, and the
room will then be filled with gas? When the room is full
an explosion will take place, if air and a light gets at it.
Witness—Yes. Dr. Lankester propounded that theory,
in • case previous to the present one. I believe
that the explosion might have been caused by the
breaking of • gas-pipe !in the billiard-room, which on the
day preceding the occurrence was used as a sort of lumber-
room. I saw several men carrying wine hampers and boxes
through that room. One of the men may have knocked •
box against • pipe and twisted it. During the
evening any person touching the bent pipe would break
it. The escape of gas from the pipe so broken would fill
the room, and the explosion would then take place. When
I thought of that as • way in which the explosion might
have been caused, I felt happy.
George liablins, one of the Metropolitan fire brigade,
proved having been called to the explosion on the morning
of the occurrence. He examined the lead pipes. The
Indianrubber joints overlapped the lead pipes one inch.
He could not say how the explosion was caused.
The Coroner said that if the explosion had been caused
in consequence of the gas not having been turned off at
the meter, he did not think a criminal verdict could be
returned against any person. There was no gross neglect
on the part of any person in not turning off the gas at
night. There were numbers of houses in London where
the gas was never turned off at night.
The jury after some deliberation returned a verdict
" That the deceased's death was caused accidentally by the
explosion of gas."