The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-28 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL PRIZE FIGHT.

The adjourned inquest upon John Jones, who was
killed in a pugilistic encounter with another prize fighter
named Madden, in the Kentish Marshes, near Long-
reach, a fortnight back, was held yesterday, before Mr.
C.'J. Carttar, the coroner for West Kent, at the Bull's
Head Inn, Dartford.
Upon the previous occasion the inquiry was princi-
pally of a preliminary character. It was proved that the
deceased and Madden had gone down by a steam-boat
to the neighbourhood of Dartford, and that a ring was
formed on the Marshes when the fight took place, which
ended in the death of the deceased.
At the opening of the proceedings to-day,
Joseph Hoyles was called, and he said that the seconds
at the fight were a man named James Massey for Mad-
den, and another named Jeremiah Noon for the deceased.
Alexander Findlay was then examined. He said—l
am a publican in Moor-street, Soho. I came down to
Dartford Marshes to see the fight between Madden and
Jones. I travelled by rail to Purfleet, and crossed the
river.

The coroner here cautioned the witness not to commit
himself, and told him he might decline to answer any
questions that were put to him if he pleased.
The witness, after this caution, said he came down to
see the fight, and it had begun when he arrived. He
was not in the ring, and did not second either of the
parties, and took no active part in the fight.
The coroner—Can you tell us who the seconds were ?
Witness—l only know Massey ;he seconded Madden.
Examination continued—l know a man named Sayers.
I saw him in the ring ; he acted as second to Madden,
jointly with Massey. Jeremiah Noon was in the ring,
and he seconded Jones ; another man seconded Jones,
but I don't know his name. No other persons were in
the ring but Jones and Madden and the four seconds,
and no other person interfered. I did not see a time-
keeper. I did not see a watch all the time. (A laugh.)
Coroner—Was it a fair stand-up fight ?
Witness—Quite fair. I did not see anything foul.
The last thing I saw was that Jones got off his second's
knee laughing, and blows were exchanged, and he went
down, but I don't know what caused him to fall. He
was lifted up by his seconds, but I don't know what be-
came of him. The fight was then declared at an end.
By the Coroner—Witness was quite sure that none of
the persons outside the ring interfered in any manner
with the fight. About 2,000 persons were present. He
heard of the death of Jones on the following day. He
had heard the other man, who seconded Jones calledby the name of "Sweepy." ,
The Coroner then inspired of Lillywhite, the consta-
ble who had the case in hand, whether there were any
other witnesses.

Lilly white replied that he had not been able to ob.
tainany further evidence.

The Coroner then briefiy called the attention of the jury
to the facts that had been laid before them that day, and
to the former evidence that had been adduced. It ap-
peared, as has been already stated, that on Tuesday, the
11th Dec., the deceased and Madden came down in a
steam-boat, with some 3,000 other persons, to fight a
prize battle for 501. a-side, and the ring was formed in
the Marshes a short distance from Dartford. The fight
lasted but one hour, and it would seem that the deceased
had all the best of it, and punished Maiden in a most
dreadful manner, until the last round, when, after a
struggle he fell, and became almost immediately insen-
sible,
and died about two o'clock the same night. Dr.
Culhone, a medical gentleman residing at Dartford,
was promptly on the spot, but he found that his assist-
ance must necessarily be unavailing from the c3n-
dition of the deceased ; and he gave his opinion that
the cause Gf death was effusion of blood upon the
brain, occasioned either by a blow or a fall, but
no doubt accelerated by the state of excitement in
which the deceased was from the struggle in which
he was engaged. He then explained the law bearing
upon such a case, and said there was no doubt that all
the parties actually engaged in the struggle were guilty
of manslaughter in the eye of the law, and that even
those who were present might also be included in the
charge. He concluded by stating that the
.evidence ap-
peared clearly to point to five persons as having taken
an active part in the transaction, and it appeared to him
that the jury would only be doing their duty in retort).
ing a verdict of manslaughter against the parties who
bad been actually identified as being concerned in the
illegal transaction which had resulted in the death of the
deceased.

When the Coroner had concluded a juryman addressed
him, and said he thought it right to inform him that ,one
of the jnrymen who bad been sworn upon the present
inquiry, he was informed, was present at the fight.
The Coroner said if such were the fact. he was very
sorry indeed for it, and he could not help observing that
any juryman who was in such a position had most grossly
misconducted himself. He had no right to ask the ques-
tion, because it would be his duty to give a caution at
the same time that the party was not bound to answer
it. Ile hoped, however, if the f sets were as had been
stated, that, now the proceedings were brought to a con-
clusion, every gentleman on the jury would return a
verdict satisfactory to his conscience and to the oath he
had taken.

The jury they retired, Arid, after about All hour's deli•

beration, returned a verdict of manslaughter against
Michael Madden, as principal, in tke first degree, and
tho same verdict against James Massey, Thomas Sayers,
Jeremiah Noon, and " Sweeps" as accessories.

FATAL 3IACHINERY ACCIDENT 1T
ROCHDALE.

One of the most horrifying deaths we have had to de-
scribe for a long time past occurred to a young man called
Thomas Nuttall, about 20 years of age, yesterday morn-
ing (Wednesday), at the works belonging to Thomas
Robinson and Son, Oldham-road, Rochdale. This
firm deals extensively in wood, and within the last year
or two a new saw mill has been erected near the railway.
To place the possibility of accidents at a minimum every
arrangement was adopted that could be devised. An
underground story was sunk, and in it all the shaftings
and straps were placed, so that the saw mills above were
worked from the shafts and straps below. From one end
of this underground story to the other there extends a
strong shaft about five inches in diameter, and on diffe-
rent equidistant parts of it large driving pulleys, about 4
feet diameter, are fastened, to work small pulleys oppo-
site each on a counter shaft, but distant from three to
four yards. Each pair of pulleys is connected by strong
straps. When the hands went to work on Wednesday
morning one of these straps was off, and the custom is
to put such straps on before the engine begins to work,
or to cause the engine to slacken while it is done. This
youth, however, did neither. Apparently in buoyant
spirits—for but a minute or two before he had been
offering to toss a fellow-workman for a pint of ale—and
being a venturesome youth he got hold of the strap to
put it on. He was immediately caught by the strap,
which broke, and lapped round the surface of the large
pulley, fastened him upon the surface, and carried him
round at the rate of not less than 100 revolutions per
minute, on the upper surface dashing him against the
edge of a strong beam beneath the floor above, distant
about 18 inches, and on the under surface dashing him
against the floor, distant about a foot. One of the poor
fellow's feet was smashed to pieces, parts of it being
found in different parts of the room. The other foot was
also broken off at the ankle, and hung only by a small
bit of skin. An arm was broken off right at the shoul-
der. One of the men who was standing on the steps
gave instant alarm, and an order for the stoppage of
the engine was given ; but before it could be stopped
the unfortunate man's body was thrown off the pul-
ley, and fell on the floor halfway between the
large and small pulleys. In the course of twenty
minutes, Mr. Crompton, surgeon, was on the ground.
The case was utterly hopeless ; his injuries were so se-
vere that he could not possibly live. Several times be
asked his fellow-work►nen to lift up his feet and arm.
By the advice of the surgeon he was allowed to lie where
he was, and in three-quarters of an hour his sufferings
were terminated by death. An inquest was held upon
his body yesterday afternoon, at the Cross Keys, in
Cloth Hall-street, by Mr. Dearden, coroner, and a ver-
dict of "Accidental death" returned.—Manchester Exa-
miner.