The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-09 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.

IMP9.RT4NT PRESEXTATION. OF THE GRASD
• JURY YESTERDAY.

Yesterday afternoon, about half-past one o'clock, the
Grand Jury entered the crown court, and having handed in
the last bill of indictment which they had to consider,
Wm. BROWN, Esq., M.P., foreman, addressing the learned
judge, said : M' Lord, we have now no more business before
us, but we have a presentment to make, which you will
perhaps direct Mr. Shuttleworth, clerk of the crown, to read.
The Clerk of the Crown then read the following :
." PRESENTMENT OF THE GRAND JURY AT THE LIVERPOOL
SPECIAL COMMISSION, 1853.
" The Grand Jury are unwilling to separate without
recording their unanimous opinion that the interference of
the legislature is imperatively called for to put a stop to the
present system of money payments by burial societies. From
the cases brought before them at the present assizes, as well
as from past experience, the Grand Jury have no doubt that
the system operates as a direct incentive to murder, and that
many of their fellow-beings are year after year hurried into
eternity by those most closely united to them by the ties of
nature and of blood, if not of affection, for the sake of the
few pounds, to which, by the rules of the societies, as at
present constituted, the survivors are entitled, The con-
tinuance of such a state of things is too fearful to contem-
plate, and as a simple remedy suggests itself, without
impairing the usefulness of sick and benefit societies, the
scope and object of which are admitted to be both humane
and beneficial, the Grand Jury would respectfully but ear-
nestly request that the attention of the proper authorities
may be at once directed to.this painful subject.
" The misdirection of these funds, the alarming increase
in crimes of violence, accompaniod by the barbarous use of
the knife, the lamentable prevalence of strikes among the
working-classes, arising from the ill-understood relations of
work-people and their employers, and leading inevitably to
breaches of the peace, and other calamitous results, have
forcibly impressed upon the minds of the Grand Jury the
great importance of extending the means of imparting
education to all classes of the community, for it is their
unanimous opinion that no solid foundation for any abiding
and salutary change in the habits and pursuits of the poorer
classes in this country can be hoped for unless such change
is based upon the education and training of the young ; that
the charge of education for this class ought not to be allowed
to rest to so large an extent as it now does, upon the benevo,
lent exertions of the wise and good; that there is a duty,
and a pecuniary responsibility as regards education, which
should rightfully devolve upon the state, and that this
responsibility is one which the legislature ought no longer
to shun.

" WM. BROWN, Foreman."
His LORDSHIP then addressed the Grand Jury as fol-
lows :—" Gentlemen, I third[ you have conferred a very
great service, indeed, upon society by the course you have
pursued in submitting this document. I will take care that
it is laid before the home secretary. You are now discharged
from your duties, and the country is much indebted to you
for your services.
The grand jury then retired.

SCOTTISH WIDOWS' FUND AND LIFE

ASSURANCE SOCIETY.

MEETING IN MANCHESTER.—YEsTEnDAy.

At the suggestion of the local board of management in
Manchester, a meeting of the members of the society resi-
dent in Manchester and neighbourhood, was held in the
Mayor's parlour, Town-hall, King-street. A deputation
from the head office in Edinburgh, were present, including
the Hon. Bouverie Primrose, Mr. Caddell, Mr. Mackenzie,
general manager, &C.
The chair was occupied by WILLIAM ENTWISTLE, Esq.
Mr. MACKENZIE, the general manager of the society,
read a long document giving voluminous details of the rise
and progress of the society, and or its financial position,
which gave much satisfaction to the meeting.
Mr. BOOTHMAN, secretary to the local board, read a re-
port of the affaim of the local agency, from which it appeared
that the amount of assurances effected at this agency it the
largest but one (London) at any branch office of the society.
The total number of policies issued at the Manchester branch
at the close of the year 1862, (and during a period of 16
years) was 657, covering assurances to the amount of
£872,352 151. 6d. The persons who had assured at this
office were merchants, brokers, lawyers, clergymen, and
merchant's clerks. Only sixteen shopkeepers and one
operative had. effected assurances at the branch.
The CHAIRMAN said the very fact of the. appearance of a
large number of gentlemen of so high and respectable a sta-
tion in life, and the facts detailed in the reports which had
been read, showed that it s‘as quite unnecessary for him to
address to the meeting any remarks upon the advantages
generally of life assurance, He would simply observe that
if there was any one locality more than another in this
country, where the advantages of life assurance could be
extended to the utmost, it was in a district like that in
which they were assembled, where we saw successful indus-
try rally developed, and whore there was every facility ror
extensive co-operation amongst the members of the society.
Nowhere could they look for more success than in a district
like this, in connection with a society that extended its
operations so largely over the country. With regard to the
origin, progress, and general position and prospects of the
society, he begged to otter his congratulations to the mem-
bers, in th details which had been read. The state-
ments made in the documents which had been read
offered to them the strongest prooflof the security,
of their investments, and offered inducements to others
to join them as speedily as possible, in securing to
themselves and families the advantages held ont by this
society. There were advantages which attached to this
society beyond almost any other, and he could hardly except
any one in the kingdom. The two considerations that ap-
peared to present themselves to those who were desirous of
securing their lives were, first, at what cost insurance could
be effected, and secondly, whether there was any adequate
guarantee for the fulfilment of the contract entered into by
the society, whenever it might be called upon to fulfil its
post. After noticing the certainty with which actuaries
could now, from experience, reckon upon the probabitty of
the duration of lives, he claimed for this society a recom-
mendation on the ground of cheapness of cost, and of securit
of investment. He then proceeded to show .the advantages
of mutual over proprietory assurance societies. He contended
that from the principal of mutual assurance societies, several
important consequences followed : they possessed, in his
mind, a clear superiority over every proprietory office by the
principal which regulated the distribution of their profits.
He said this, without fear of contradiction, that the princi-
ple of mutual assurance offices was not only sound in itself,
but offered an iucontestible superiority over proprietory
offices. But he would observe in passing, that in the early
stages of assurance, science proprietory offices were requisite
in order to obtain that experience upon which subsequent
calculations were founded, and thus obtain that security
which was requisite to give confidence to the assured. He
then referred to the question of security—the most im-
important question, perhaps, of all. He proceeded to show
that the calculations of this society were beyond impeach-
ment, and that its accumulated fund was equal to any
claims that might be made upon it. The society was in a
most flourishing condition, and for the success it had at-
tained they were much indebted to their friends across tLe
Tweed. (Applause).
Alderman WATKINS, Mr. E. LLOYD, Mr. It. WORTH-
INGTON, and other gentlemen addressed the shareholders,
after which the report and resolutions having been adopted,
the meeting separated.

THE E. Z.—Captain Hartshorn has published an accoun
of the casualty to his ship, which. howpv.”, dvoo uuc (us.
rinra any uovr facto.
A GENERAL HOLIDAY AT CIIRISTNIAB.—Upon this subject
the Lord Mayor of London, on taking his seat at the
Mansirm-house police-court, on Wednesday, made the fol-
lowing statement : —The Lord Mayor said, I wish to state,
in order that public notice' may. be taken of the fact, that I.
have received several communications relative to making
Monday, the 26th- instant, a general holiday, on the ground
of Christmas-day falling upon a Sunday. I believe that the
day will be generally observed as a holiday by commercial
firms in the city, and by other persons engaged in trade ;
but I fear the Bank of _England and the other monetary
establishments of the city may find it impossible to cease
entirely from business operations. I, therefore, as chief
magistrate, feel a difficulty in interfering further in the
matter, beyond the expression of my opinion that the Mon-
day will generally be observed as a holiday in the city, and
from information which I have received from the pr.ncipal
provincial towns, I feel persuaded that the day will be kept
from general business throughout the country.
CONTANTINOPLE AND THE Tuxes.—The Rev. H. Christ-
mas in a lecture on Turkey and its people, says :—" The
city being built upon hills, the streets were steep and un-
even. None of the streets were drained, and were it not
for about 80,000 dogs, who act as scavengers, they would in
a short time become in a filthy condition. These dogs were
all of them wild, and each district of the city had its own.
The houses were made of wood, and have no windows in
front, so that they presented a very. strange appearance.
The principal beauties of the city were its bazaars and mos-
ques, both of which were numerous and magnificent. Every
bazaar had niches in the sides of the wall, in which sat
bearded and turbaned Turks, smoking their pipes, and cooly
awaiting for purchasers of their wares. Every bazaar sold
a particular article, and that when any one went to buy he
must be prepared to be asked for the article he was in want of
ten times as much as it was worth, but in other respects the
Turk was perfectly honest; indeed he would rather have
his hand cut off than tell a lie. The mosques, some of
which 152 feet high, were magnificent, which was all he
could say of them ; it was out of his power to describe their
beauties. The Turks were exceedingly ignorant, but had a
great respect for all Christians. He knew of no race so re-
ligious as the Turks, and they were not like some nations,
afraid of being ridiculed. The rev. lecturer, after giving
various anecdotes illustrative of Turkish hospitality, des-
cribed the dress and arms of their military, and said it was
a great error to suppose they were weak in their army ; in •
deed it was his opinion that when they came face to face
with the red-haired unbelievers; as they called the Ras-
: sians, that the army of Nicholas, great as it was, would sink
beneath that of the Sultan."

TILE LATE £dTAL ACCIDENT 15 ,k, `IH JOHN-

STREET.

THE INQUEST. •
The inquest on the, bodies of the three unfortunate
persons killed on Monday last, by the falling of a wall, was
resumed yesterday before the deputy-coroner, at the offices
Lord-street. The names of the persons thus killed, were
Mr. Richard Hind, and John and Thomas Evers.
At the previous investigation evidence was adduced of an
introductory character.
On this occasion, the owners' of the premises were repre-
sented by Sir George Stephen, instructed by Mr. North,
solicitor; Mr. Snowball for the friends of Mr. Hind; the
tenants of the premises, Messrs. Hemming and Reynolds,
were represented by Mr. Owen. •
Yesterday the inquiry was resumed by taking the evidence
of the two lads employed in the yard to paint the metal
plates, and who stated they were directed by the overlooker
of the yard (Morgan) to place them against the wall, and
at the time the wall fell there were nine or ten lots, from 20
to 30 or 40 in eac'a lot against the wall.
The next witness examined was William Morgan, in the
employ of the tenants; as foreman of the yard in South
John-street, who said the goods which generally went in and
came out of the yard were corrogated iron in sheets. The
length of the sheets were eight feet, seven feet, and five feet
three inches; but there was one lot ten feet in length which
were obtained for the purpose of setting up the 'shop at pre-
sent in the yard.. The eastern boundary of the yard (South
John-street) is a blank wall extending 60 feet from north to
south, and is about 9 feet 8. hicheS in height from'the street.
The level is not the same inside the yard as in the street.
The ground inside the yard is about four feet higher at the
no:th end than at the south end.—There were boys employed
to paint the sheets 'of iron. They had been emeloyed since
I had been in the yard, about three months. The boys were
only employed occasionally to paint the sheets of iron, The
two witnesses were so employed.
The Coroner: Did you give them any directions'? You
are not bound to give any answer that my criminate yourself.
The Witness : I do not know what may. criminate me.
I hope the jury will not blame me.
Coroner : You must form your own opinion as to what
may criminate yourself. I again ask you if you gave those
hove any directions.
Witness : I must decline to answer that question.
Witness : I weighed the plates in the yard; the one of
eight feet weighed 22 lbs. ' • the one of six feet, 18 lbs, one
of five feet three inches, 12 lbs. I wag in the yard on Mon-
day last.
Coroner : Were there many plates in the yard on that
day
NVitness : I wish to decline to answer that question.
Coroner : There is no reason why you should do so.
Witness : There were a good many in the yard ou that
day—some packed and some unpacked. The plates were
deposited all over the yard.
Coroner : In what part of the yard ?
Witness : I decline to answer that question. I wish to
decline to give any farther evidence.
By a Juror : I can't say from whom I receive the orders
for iron that goes out or comes into the yard. The orders
came from the other side of the water. [The witness, after
being repeatedly questioned on this point, said he consi-
dered that the iron, and what went into the yard, were there
by the orders of Mr. Hemming.]
By Sir George Stephen : Tue orders were sent from Mr.
Hemming's office. lam quite ignorant of building and
building materials.
Mr. C. Reynolds said : I am in the employ of Mr. Hem-
ruing, as money collector, and conduct the business when
he is absent. Ido shot know anything about the tenancy of.
the yard, but I have understood there is an agreement. I
have frequently been in the yard, but I never gave directions
respecting the work done there. I was there on Monday,
when there were a great number of the iron plates there ;
they were on the ground, both on the right and left hand
side as you entered from Atherton-street. I had never par-
ticularly noticed the wall before the accident.
By a Juror : I did not, when I was at the yard on Mon-
day, observe any plates against the wall by South John-
street. I never went past the house in the yard.
Mr. H. P. Horner, who had prepared a plan of the
premises, was next examined. He said : I am an
architect and surveyor. I have, as requested, examined
the premises, and 'also the wall which fell. The length of
that wall was (I measured it inside) 67 feet; I measured it
with a rule, which I believe is not so correct as a tape,
therefore there may be some little difference. The wall was
9 feet high at the north end, and 7 feet high at the south
end. It was a nine inch wall, with several projecting but-
tresses, about 41 inches in breadth. I consider the wall a
well-built wall. It was an average wall for such a purpose—
a fence wall. I examined dome of the mortar, acid fouitd it
had considerable cohesive power, and,was well fitted in, be-
tween the bricks. I estimated' the weight of the wall, and
its power of resisting pressure in different positions, and I
also made a calculation to ascertain the approximate pres-
sure of the earth against it, and I consider the whole wall,
after deducting the space for the doorway, 19 tons, 14 cwts.,
3 ors., and the weight of the wall above the level of the yard.
13 tuns, 6 cwt., and the power of the whole to resist pres-
sure, at the level of the joist, one foot above the footway, to
be 7 tons, 7 cwt., 3 qrs. The cohesive power of the mortar,
I have taken for the purpose of calculation, is 60 lbs. to
the square foot of surface, for the one joint of the whole
length of the wall 2 tons. I consider the power of the wall
to resist, independently of the cohesive power of the mortar,
and the additional strength given by the under walls, to
at the highest point, 12 cwt., 3 qrs., and the power of the
mortar 5 cwt., making altogether a power to resist pressure
from within, at the-highest point, of 17 cwt., 3 qrs. I have
calculated the pressure which would be exerted against the
wall by iron plates, being placed against it in the manner
which has been described, and as far as I have been enabled
to gather from the witnesses who have preceded me, I find
only-about 1 ton, 15 cwt. of iron, thus described, was against
the wall. Supposing the plates were so piled as to be
in contact with each other, and the first plate was
a foot from the wall at the bottom, the wall would resist a
force of 4 cwt. 3 qrs. at the top, and it would require a
weight of 5 tons 6 cwt. 2 qrs. of iron, piled in a like man-
ner, to exert a pressure at the top of the wall against the
17 cwt. 3 qrs. My estimate of the power of the wall to
resist pressure is on the supposition that the wall was per-
fectly sound. I beive left out of this calculation the support
afforded by the under walls, because I consider that, suppos-
ing the whole wall equally pressed throughout, the centre of
the wall would give' way first, and the fracture extending
along the base would follow the joint at either end in a line,
without indicating the average strength, as appears to me
to be the case in the wall as it has fallen.
The Coroner ; Are you of opinion, after having examined
the wall, that 'there was every reason to suppose it would
have borne a greater weight than appears to have been
placed against it ?
Witness : Certainly, if it was perfectly sound. It would
have borne a much greater weight by several hundred
weights than was placed against it at the time of the acci-
dent. I beg to say these calculations could only be consi-
dered as approximating, and were made on the suppositiOn
of uniformity in the truck work, and in the fitting. -
By a juror : I cannot say how long the wall has been
built. Ido not know whether the door-way mentioned was
made after the wall was built or not ; if not, it most cer-
tainly would have a tendency to weaken the wall, particu-
larly if it was not carefully done. I examined the mortar,
and I did not think the lime was well mixed with the sand, ,
but it had considerable adhesive power. Ido not think the
temperature at this season of the year would have any effect
upon the walls. The wet weather may have had some effect
in softening the wall at the bottom.
By Sir George Stephen : I have not come to any direct
conclusion as to what was the cause of the wen r...nhLie.
might have been from some shock, or there might have been
some defect where it was out of my power to examine it.
There is a large sizn board on props, which props touched
the wall —these props may have injured the wall, as the wind
would have caused them to shake. Ido not know when the
sign board was placed there.
Mr. Reynolds stated that it was there long before Mr.
Hemming took the premises.
S. Helme, Esq., stated : I was sent for to examine the
wall subsequent to the accident, and I have done so. I find
the length of the wall to be 61 feet 6 inches from the outside ;
the height, 9 feet 6 inches at the south end, and 9 feet at
the north end. I also find that the wall had been built 9
inches thick, with piers of 1 foot 6 inches on the face, and
half a brick thicker than the main body of the wall itself. I
believe there were five of those piers. The earth in the
yard was 4 feet 5 inches above the foot-walk at the north
end, and 2 feet 3 inches at the south end, and the surface-
ground an irregular curved line. From the appearance of
the brick-work at the base, I think the wall was set upon
the old foundation, but there is no appearance of the ex-
istence of any fracture near the base oft he wall. There had
been a door-way in the wall, at a distance of 12 feet from the
corner of Atherton-street, the square ends of which are visi-
ble; and I infer that the door had been placed there when
the wall was built, because on each side of it were two piers,
which I think would not have been placed there, had it been
otherwise. Upon examining the materials with which the
ground had been filled up, I found that it principally con-
sisted of brick-bats and cork, and rubbish, which would have
the effect of a perforator, and would have drained the water
from the surface. The mortar is of an average quality, such
as is used in building dwelling-houses. In trying more of
the bricks, which on removal I found they possessed consi-
derable. cohesive power, and I have no doubt that the wall
was amply sufficient for the purpose of a fence. If the earth
had pushed down the wall, it would have gone down with it
to an angle of 30 or 40 degrees, but such was not the case;
and I have no doubt the wall was thrown down by an internal
lateral pressure, which such a wall was not calculated
to resist. Had the wall been thrown down by the pressure
of earth it must have occurred when the earth was just
placed there, and during its subsidency, as it would not
have acted in that. manner after it became consolidated. It
is difficult to speak with mathematical precision, of the exact
lateral pressure that would throw down a wall 9 feet high,
and of the thickness of this wall; but judging from. the
experience of very many years as a builder, I think that a
similar wall might be thrown down by a lateral pressure of
from 10 to 15 cwt. Whether I am correct or not in my
views may be learned from those who cleared away the
rubbish. Had the wall bulged out at the foot, the proba-
bility is, that it would have fallen inwards on the iron, but

! V i

if those who cleared away the rubbish found the bricks on
the foot-path, the iron on the top 'of the' bricks, it'would
certainly lead me to the-conclusion that it went over froth'
the top, and that the iron,, deprived of the support of the
wall, would fall. on the top of it. . • •
By Sir George Stephen ; I did not see, "nor (1.) I think
there was any defect in . the wall, I disagree with. the
• opinion. given by. Mr. Homer ; for I am of- opinion that
bricks when used in a wet state in wet wheather, usually
grow harder, and I cannot conceive that one course, set in
frosty weather could be injurious to the brickwork. The
work in the, mall was all firm. I am asked to give an

opinion on an hypothesis, for I cannot tell what -force it
would take to knock such a wall down, as it would involve
a calculation which I have not yet made ; but I should say,
that ten men placed in a line and pushing, would send it
over. A pressure, I should say, of ten. cwt. on the top,
would decidedly put it down. The wall might have
been affected by damp, or supposing . there had
been a vertical or longitudinal fractl4e, but to me
there did not appear to be either, Had there been a defect
in the wall, such as Mr. Horner had mentioned, it would
have caught the eye of every person, even if he was ignorant
-of building. 'I am sure it could have caught my eye as I
am frequently passing the wall. Judging *from-the Appear-
ance of the wall there did not appear to be any defect exist-
ing. There is a very heavy traffic in South John-street ;
but such traffic would not have the least effeeVupon the wall
if it was properly built. There was not, I think, any coping'
to the wall. Sonic persons objected to coping on the wall,
but that had no more to do with the wall than. the hat on

Le head.
A juror said hehad seen the.door put into:the- wall after

Le wall was built.

By Mr. 'North lam decidedly of opinion, that unless
some person had most imprudently placed a great weight
against 'the wall; it would not have fallen. 7• • '
Mr. Wm. 11. Gee said, I am an architect I 'superin-
tended the building of the wall. The materials were good,
and were quite sufficient for a fence walL I agree with the
observations made by:Mr; aiolme: I have frequently seen)
the wall, but never observed any defect in it. I have heard
the evidence giVen, and I am of opinion it was the, pressure
from within that caused the wall to fall. I should be sorry,
from experience, to place such a weight against a 9-inch,
wall as mentioned by Mr. Holme.
Mr. Jones, warehouse-keeper and rent-collector, said
there had been no alteration in the premises since the present
tenants had taken them, nor had he ever noticed the iron
against the wall being too much : if he had, he should have
dirr,ted it to be removed.
There being no further evidence, the coroner, after briefly
pointing out the most important parts of the evidence, said,
the question the jury would have to decide, would be,
whether there had been any gross neglect in any person
having the management of the yard, or whether, it was
purely an accidental circumstance.
The jury after consulting together for five minutes, re-
entered the court. _

The Coroner : Have you considered your 'verdict ?
Foreman : Yes ; we find that the persons met with their
death by the accidental falling of a wall in South John-street.
Mr. Hemming was unable to attend the court, being from
home attending upon Mrs. Hemming. whoisdangerously
We understand that all the expenses of the funeral of the
children have been paid by Mr. Reynolds, who deeply regrets
this unfortunate calamity.