The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-29 00:00:00

Joseph James, gasfitter, deposed that he was present when
B iveridge went to the station to bail deceased. He did not
hear any conversation between Beveridge and Inspector
Swanson relative to deceased having been seen by the divi•
sion surgeon. He was present the whole time, and if any
such conversation had taken place ho must havo heard it.
The deceased's wife was at the station door, Ile did not
hear her make any complaint of her husband having been
ill-used by the police.
Police-constable James llancher, recalled—When he saw
deceased in the station-house ho did not observe any wounds
on the head or forehead.
By the Coroner—He positively denied that he ever struck
the deceased. lie was on reserve duty in the passage.
By Mr Draper—He visited deceased several times in the
cell in the usual way, through the wicket. He then got
the key, opened the door, and looked in. The deceased got
up from his seat. He had not got his hat on. Witness
advised him to put it on, and shut the door, as he thought
all was right.
Walter Theolnld, police-constable 63 A, said he was on
reserve duty on the night deceased was in the station. He
saw deceased, but saw no wounds or bruises on his head.
Saw him several times in the coll. 'When on reserved duty
he never carried a truncheon ; it was not usual. He was
relieved by Police-constable Maidtnent. He positively denied
that he ever struck deceased.
Police-constable Maidnacnt recalled. He positively denied
that he ever struck the deceased while under his charge.
Polic©•constable M'Farlane, who brought deceased from
St George's Hospital to the station, said the deceased
waked, but appeared very weak. He (witness) put his
arm through deceased's on their way from the hospital to
the station. He positively denied that he ever struck the
deceased.

The Coroner then proceeded to sum up. Ho said that
it was hardly possible to exaggerate the importance of the
case, having regard to the difficulty of coining to a satisfac-
tory conclusion. Ho trusted that the jury would give to it
their most earnest consideration. They would first do well
to bear in mind that although the fall which it was proved
the deceased underwent in the park might have caused some
of the injuries, yet it did not follow that all the injuries
from which he suffered were thus occasioned. There were
three periois of time, in some one of which the fearful in-
jury to the skull and brain, from which Ceath resulted, must
have been received. First, during the time which elapsed
between the moment of his parting with Canly to enter the
park and his being found lying on the ground near Stafford
House; secondly, while he was being taken to the station-
house from St. George's Hospital; and thirdly, while
in the King-street police-station. He would not waste
time by considering the suggestion that the fatal injuries
were received after the deceased was bailed out of the
station, as the fact and the evidence conclusively negatived
such a supposition, It might then be first assumed that
the deceased was perfectly sober when ho entered the park.
The medical evidence was decisivoly given that the in-
juries were not the result of a fall, but of a fight or a
very brutal assault. Now, it appeared improbable the fatal
injury was the result of an attack, made in open daylight
in the midst of the park. Robbery was not a motive, for
the deceased was not plundered. The medical evidence,
conflicting enough on various points agreed in this, that the
injuries to the skull and brain had not been inflicted at the
time the deceased left Sc George's Hospital in the custody
of police-constable MTarlane. Where then were they in-
flicted ? M'Fariane led him along Constitution-hill and
Birdcage-walk at seven in the evening. It seemed impro-
bable that that officer, who appeared to have behaved with
kindness to his prisoner, could have hurt him, Then came
the period of time during which the deceased was in the
police cell. He was handed from the custody of one inspec-
tor and one constable to another, and all those men when
asked, after the usual caution, replied that they had not
struck the deceased. But it should be borne in mind that
the injuries were such as could not have arisen acciden-
tally. The bruises were almost the size of a walnut, and Mr
Hawken stated expressly that they were such as would be
produced by the blows of a truncheon. If the jury were of
opinion that the police had struck their prisoner, a defence-
less unprotected man, such repeated blows with a truncheon,
it was hie duty to tell them that such an act would be
proof of such malignity of disposition that it would amount
in the eye of the law to wilful murder. It was painful to
arrive at such a conclusion with regard to the A division of
police, which was the picked corps of the force ; but if the
evidence led to that conclusion, the jury should not shrink
from its duty, but to return a verdict of wilful murder
against some person unknown. But if, in spite of the me-
dical evidence, they should think it possible that the inju-
ries resulted from falls, or an assault or fight in the park,
then they should return an open verdict, to the effect that
the evidence did not show how the deceased came by his
injuries.

The Jury were then locked up, and fur nearly three
hours they were unable to decide upon their verdict. At
. _ _

six o'clock they returned into court with the following ver-
dict :—" That the deceased died from the fracture of the
skull, but the evidence is not sufficient to prove how the
fracture arose; and tho jury are unanimously of opinion
that the surgeons of St. George's Hospital ought to have
kept the deceased in that institution, and not to hzvo given
him over to the hands of the police."
The unfortunate widow of the deceased, only 42 years of
age, residing at No 2, Ponsonby-terraee, Milbank, has been
left with seven children, the oldest a girl only 16 years of
age, the others varying down to four months, wholly un-
provided for and dependent on her for support. The ma-
j,)rity of the witnesses generously presented the widow with

he awounte paid tb.uulby th,) eerouer for their atieudance,