The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-15 00:00:00

SHOCKING CRINOLINE FATALITY.

` Dr. Lankester, the Coroner for Central Middle-
sex, held an inquest at the Bank of England Tavern,
Cm Paddington, yesterday, touching
the deathbr o-fpc
$a vs
eking
ve
ka ti en
Airs. Sarah Padley, 18 years of age,
a
residing at 6, Buckingham-terrace,
which rook place under melancholy
circumstances.
Thomas Spencer, a lodger at 6. Buckingham-ter-
race, deposed that on Sunday at 11 20 a.m.,
Hiouedrasncrtenamthseirsosuominganfdrofmoudanroom he heard
the first floor.
the deceasedn in a mass
of flames. He seized a piece of carpet from the floor
and enveloped her in it, andthrew her upon the land-
ing ; by that means he succeeded in extinguishing
the fire before life was
quite extinct every particle of her Wearing a l'but not until
exceptherboots
was completely consumed Rea r
helpless
creature's
body was frightfully burned all over. Two rooms
were set on fire in consequence, and on the arrival
of the husband (who was absent at the time) directly
afterwards, he set to work to extinguish the fire in
the rooms, and by diligent efforts soon succeeded in
.doing so.
Maria Mason, a young sister of deceased, said she
Was Wearing at the time a muslin dress, extended by
the the
fire
em in thea
crinoline, and having occasion tofrcormoss
skirt of the dress got ignited
grate. The flames spread rapidly before assistance
arrived.

The coroner said it was, as he feared, one of those
numerously distressing casualties from the use of
the dangerous crinoline. Such cases were much
more numerous than the public generally
because, being now so common, many of them were
never reported in the public journals. If every fatal
public would
crinoline accident were reported the supposed,
know of them,
an.,A
then he felt assured that crino-
line, the modern and often fatal nuisance of society,
would soon be abandoned.
The jury,
ner, returned a verdict of
" Accidental death,
through
Wearing crinoline."

FIFTY YEARS AGO.--There was a great flocking
into the army and navy on the part of all classes—from the
public schoolboy, the prince of the field, to the troublesome
cottage lad, who sooner or later went for a soldier, or ran
off to sea, wept by his mother, and by no means regretted
by the neighbours. There was a great deal of smuggling
in those days,
and much more poaching. There was a good
deal of Hang
occasionally—breaking- of threshing,-ma-
chines in agricultural counties, and of power-looms in the
manufacturing districts : but a commoner safety-valve
was poaching. There was less netting
birdstli ofwhich we are
complaining under ourand snaring
of game than now, and more shooting. This was
Part of the now e great temptation
to the slaughtertemptation.
of
small It is
present plague of slugs,
caterpillars, and wire-worms. Not only boys y but men
like the excuse for
popping off guns : and hence the extir-
pation of many useful birds which we may never seo re-
stored. If the village butts and universal archery of old
England hod existed now, or if we now had the general
practice with weapons which another generation will see,
our small birds would at this moment have been devouring
the moderate quantity of caterpillars, which would have
made their appearaziae,—Once a Week.