The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-08 00:00:00

ALLEGED ILL-TREATMENT OF A LUNATIC.

On Saturday an inquiry wait instituted before Mr.
G. J. Brent, the deputy-coroner foe West Middlesex, at the
County Lunatic Asylum, Colney Hatch, on the body of
Samuel May, aged 49, a patient in that establishment, whose
death was alleged to have been consequent on ill-treatment
by an attendant.
Thomas John Ford, head attendant to the whole of the
male side uf the asylum, was the first witness
who mid that the deceased was an inmate of No. 14 ward,
and while there he was idiotic and very violent. He was
afterwards removed to the infirmary, where he died on
Thursday, the 2rith ult. Witness was not present at his
death, but on that morning he (witness) was aware that his
elbows were injured as though by a fall Within the last
fortnight be had behaved himself in a most turbulent man-
ner, and was constantly interfering with the other patients.
Mr. Daniel Fletcher Tromso, medical superintendent of
the male department of the as lum, deposed that on the
13th December last the deceased was admitted a bile suffer-
ing under acute mania. In January he was very irritable,
and was constantly interfering with the other patients, and
opiates were administered, but with no effect. He conti-
nued in this state until March. He was first placed in the
infirmary on the 9th January, and front thence, on the
19th ult., lie was placed in No. 14 ward He was removed
back to the infirmary on the 27th ult. He suffered from
incessant and uncontrollable excitement,which attacks were
succeeded by exhaustion. When he attended the deceased,
consequent on a report made to him on the 23rd ult., be
found some swellings about the wrists ; the elbows were also
grazed, particularly on the left arm. The deceased had much
interfered with the other patients, and it had beenstated that
he had teen thrown down. Both elbows had been cut by his
failati.s. On the 23rd he was collapsed, and was consequently
on extra diet, but the colhipes continued, and on the
28th be died. On the 30th ult. witness made a post mortem
examination, with the entire cognisance and request of the
wife. He found fractures of several ribs, of different dates.
There were no external marks. There was an old fracture
of the fifth and sixth rile on the left side, as also an old
fracture of the ninth. There was an old united fracture of
the second left rib, and a recent fracture of the cartilages of
the fifth and sixth ribs on the left side, near the sternum.
There was slight ecchymosis, and the brain was effused
with blood. The cause of death was exhanstion,aeoelerated
by fractured ribs. The deputy-coroner inquired of Mr.
Teerroan as to how he could account fur the fractured ribs.
Witness replied that he was told by one of the patients in
No. 14 ward that au attendant named Davison bad pushed
the deceased down.

Mr. William Tucker, assistant medical officer to the
asylum on the male side, deposed that deceased was in No.
14 ward. He did not know that he had sustained injuries
to the ribs till the 23th nit. On that day he saw him
standing in the five garden, and observed that he looked
very pale. He went to him, awl found that be was chilly
and depressed. He said to bun, " May, you are very ill ;
what is the matter with your He replied, "lam in great
pain ;my injuries hurt me very much." Witness then de-
sired the attendant to raise his cost and turn his shirt
sleeves up. He found his elbows had been cut,
and strapped up with plaster. He then asked him
how that was done, and he replied, " That fellow
Davison dashed me on the door in one of the single rooms."
He believed that some of the fractured ribs, were of recent
date, and his opinion was that the cause of death wee con-
sequent on the injuries received producing a shuck to the
system supervening upon those injuries.
The Deputy Coroner asked the witness if he knew how
Mom injuries had been produced.
Witness replied that he could not poesibly say. He
thought there were no means of ascertaining.
Other witnesses having been examined, who merely carro.
boated the evidence already given,
The jury considered that other evidence must be laid be-
fore them belies they could come to a verdict, and, in the
absence of such witnesses, it was deemed advisable that
they should agree to an adjournment.
The further inquiry was then adjourned for • week.

FATAL PIT ACCIDENT.-012 Wednesday morning,
about 5 o'clock, a shocking accident, resulting in the loss of
two lives, took place at the Rookery Colliery, Brumley.
Some repairs were tieing doue to the shaft of one of the
pita, and a sinker and two young men, named Benjamin
Bowen and John Smallman, were engaged oo the work, their
duty being to attend upon the sinker. At the time in
question they entered the skip for the purpose of descending
the shaft, having previously placed therein two full bucketa
of water to be taken down to the sinker, and were imme-
diately lowered. In their denceut they fell from the skip
to the bottom, a fearful depth. and their bodies were lite-
rally punished to pieces. The skip reached its destination
with the two full buckets of water, proving that it had not
tipped nor struck against the sides, no no to throw the men
out by the concussion. It is the opinion at the colliery that
the shaft at a particular spot bad become strongly inipreg-
noted with "choke damp," which overpowered thedeemaA,
so that they became insensible and fell out of the skip.—
Staffordpkire Advertiser.
Smhicg OF COLLIERS AT OLDHAM.—A large number
of the colliers of Oldham are on strike against a redaction
id their wages. At the usual settling, a fortnight ago last
Thursday, notice was given to the men employed at nine
pits, that in a fortnight their wages would he reduced to
the extent of 2d. in the shilling, which is the amount of the
last advance they obtained. When the notice expired on
Thursday night, the men ceased work rather than submit
to the reduction. A proposition was made by the com-
mittee acting on behalf of the men, that the amount in dis-
pute should be divided. and the men should be reduced Id.
us the shilling only, but this proposition did not meet with
the approval of the employers, and consequently the men
ore not at work. The remainder of the colliers in the Old-
ham district have received a Kindler notice, which, however,
dues not expire until Thunplay next. When the last ad-
vance was given to the men a corresponding advance was
made in the price of coal, but recently the price has been
lowered again.
COMMITTAL OP COLLIERS FOR CONSPIRACY AND
IPTIMIDATION.—Ou Friday seven men, named William Peel,
Joseph and George Beaumont, John Scaife, Jesse Oooder,
Joseph Kilner, and Matthias Ramsden, were brought up at
the Barnsley Court Honse, before T. Taylor, req., and
Colonel Daly, on rimmed, charged with conspiracy and inti-
midation. The case had previously occupied two days. The
(acts of the case an as follows :—The men at Woolly being
dissatisfied with the proprietors' proposal to adjust the
wages, gave notice and left. The proprietors thereupon sent
into Staffordshire and engaged 72 nee to fill their places.
They arrived on the 24th of March, and on reaching the
colliery found a considerable number of the old hands in a
plantation close to it, shouting and beckoning to the new
I hands. They then got them to fraternise, and on the (,l•
lowing morning took them to Barnsley and paid their fares
to different places on the road to Staffordshire.—After a
vast amount of evidence, the Bench came to the conclnsien,
after a few highly exciting scenes in the eliciting of evidence,
to commit the men for tnal at the next York amines. Bail
was refused, but it is Belden application will be made to a
judge in clambers on the subject.
THE Asnrow Tuax•otrr. The power-loom
weavers in the employ of Messrs. Nield, Sutcliffe, and Co.,
of Katherine-street, Ashton, left their work on Thursday
afternoon, that being the time when their fortnight's notice
of a reduction expired. It is now reported that the whole
of the weavers, both in Ashton and Stalybridge, ere out.
Although the streets are thronged with operatives, the
greatest order and quiet at present prevails. The co-
operative and trust shoy_e begin to feel the effects of the
strike most acutely.—Monekester Guardian.
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