The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-20 00:00:00

Explosion in the City.—Three Lives Lost. I Mr. Mill, M.P., on Municipalities for the
Metropolis.

A fearful occurrence, resulting from explosion
and fire, produced by the ignition of a quantity of
Mephisto Chinese fire (a new invention for the
amusement of juveniles), took place yesterday fore-
noon at the premises in the occupation of Mrs.
Simmons, situate in Mitre-court, Mitre-square,
Aldgate, by which three individuals unfortunately
lost their lives. It appears that the upper part of
the premises in question were let by Mrs. Simmons
to lodgers. The back room on the first floor was taken
for an office about a month ago by two parties of the
name of Larsen and Chone, who described themselves
as cigarette-makers and exporters, and one of them
occupied an adjacent bed-room at night. Mrs. Sim-
mons was in the habit of attending upon them and
was frequently in their room, but never saw any-
thing in the place to excite her curiosity or appre-
hension that there was anything dangerous in the
room beyond what seemed to be a few reams of thin
white paper, which; as she imagined, the cigarettes
were made of. But on Saturday last she saw brought
into the house by them a box filled with small pack-
ages known as " Moor's. Mephisto Chinese Fire" (a
magical light). This was placed in their room, and
yesterday morning one of them told her they ex-
pected a customer would call to purchase some of
the fire, and wished she would open the door when
there was a knock. A few minutes before 12,
hearing a knock, she went for that purpose, but
the door was opened by Chone, who con-
ducted the customer up stairs, and they had
not been in their room long before she was
startled by a loud explosion overhead. She rushed
into the passage with an intention of going up stairs,
to learn the cause, when she was met by vivid bright
flames, which appeared to fill the house, forcing her
to run out immediately into the street. At this
moment a sweep, who was engaged at the next
house, looked out at the back, and there saw a man
lying in the back yard of Mrs. Simmons's house
with his clothes on fire. Flames were also issuing
from the window of the first-floor back room. The
sweep directly got over the wall to the unfortunate
man's assistance, and put out the fire about his clothes.
He was, however, dreadfully burnt about the face
and body and was insensible. Whether he was
blown out of the window by the force of the
explosion, or jumped out to escape the flames,
is a matter of conjecture. As soon as possible a
stretcher was obtained from the police-station, and
the poor fellow was forthwith conveyed to the Lon-
don Hospital. While this was going on at the back
a number of people had gathered in front, and
hearing that several persons were in the house an
effort was made to get at them, but this was beyond
all human power, as the whole of the interior of the
upper part of the house was in a blaze. The police
gave immediate information of the fire to different
brigade stations in the City, and several engines
were quickly on the scene playing into the burning
premises. By considerable exertion the firemen
managed to confine the ravages of the fire to the
back part of the house, although it had extended up
the staircase to the upper rooms and roof, yet the
place is not entirely destroyed. As soon as the fire
had been extinguished, and the smoke and steam had
dearel off, the bodies of the two other unfortunate
nen were at once seen among the black burnt debris

of the back room. It was a hideous spectacle to
the firemen who made the discovery. In one corner
of the room was the body of one of them in a sitting
posture, with the flesh burnt off his head, face, and
legs. It was supposed he had been blown into the
corner by the force of the explosion. The other
body was found stretched on the floor, and was also
shockingly burnt and disfigured. The former, by
means of a pocket-book which the firemen found in
his coat, proved to be Mr. Heyman, of 36, Herbert-
street, New North-road, Islington, who had offices
at 4, Berwick-court, St. Mary-axe. This was the
customer, as represented to Mrs. Simmons. The other
body was that of Mr. Chone. He had evidently
been thrown down on his face. Both bodies were
subsequently deposited in shells and taken to the
dead-house of the parish to await a coroner's in-
quest. The sufferer who was taken to the London
Hospital proved to be the partner Larsea. He died
shortly after his admission to the hospital. He is
described to be about 60 years of age. Mr. Heyman
was 37 years of age and Mr. Chone about 40.
The police, from the inquiries they have insti-
tuted, have every reason to believe that the room
was taken by the unfortunate deceased for the os.
tensible purpose of trafficking in the new inven-
tion, " Chinese fire," which is now in great demand,
and that their representation that they were
cigarette-makers was merely a ruse on their part to
get possession of the place.

Health of the Metropolis.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Report.)

In the week that ended on Saturday, Decemberl6th, the
births registered in London and ten other large towns of
the United Kingdom were 4,130 ; the deaths registered
3,090. The annual rate of mortality was 28 per 1,000
persons living.
In London the births 0f,',1,096 boys and 1,002 girls, in all
2,098 children, were registered in the week. In the corre-
sponding weeks of 'ten years 1855-64 the average number,
corrected for increase of population, was 2,026.

The deaths registered in London during the week were
1,440. It was the 50th weok of the year; and the average
number of deaths for that week is, with a correction for in-
crease of population, 1,450. The deaths in the present re-
turn are a little under the estimated amount.

No case of cholera was registered in the week; 27 deaths
occurred from diarrhoea. Typhus was fatal in 94 cases ;5'
deaths from typhus occurred in the sub-district of Mile-end
New Town; 49 deaths were caused by measles, 48 by scar-
latina, 13 by diphtheria, 52 by whooping-cough, and 15 by
smallpox Smallpox is reported as raging in the sub-dis-
trict of Spitalfields ; 3 deaths from it were registered in the
sub-district.

A bootmaker, aged 48 years, died on the 7th of December
at Guy's Hospital from hydrophobia.
The daughter of a shoemaker, aged 11 years, died on the
11th of December at St. George's Hospital from hydro-
phobia (3 days).
Tho wife of a woodcutter, aged 40 years, died on the 11th
of December at 27, Clarendon-street, Southwark, from
suffocation caused by an escape of gas from themain of the
Phoenix Company.

The daughter of a clerk in holy orders, aged 23 years,
died on the 11th of December of broken heart from acute
mental distress ; she lost a sister five weeks previous to
her death.

The following fatal carriage accidents were registered in
the week :—A labourer, aged 18 years, fell from a van ; died
on the 29th of November atthe Poplar Hospital. A shop-
man, aged 63, was run over by a cart ; died on the 3d Dec.
at Middlesex Hospital. A carman, aged 19, was run over
in Oxford-street ; died on the 10th Dec. at Middlesex Hos-
pital. A coal porter, aged 60 years, was struck against an
arch while riding on a van ; died on the 9th Dec. at 8,
Bond-street, Lambeth. A sailor, aged 47, was run over;
died on the 13th Dec. at the London Hospital.

Since the beginning of the present year 221 persons of
various ages have been killed by horse conveyances in the
streets of London. _ _

The annual rate of mortality last week was 25 per 1,000
in London, 26 in Edinburgh, and 31 in Dublin ; 43 in
Liverpool, 31 in Manchester, 45 in Salford, 28 in Birming-
ham, 29 in Leeds, 26 in Bristol, 34 in Hull, and 27 in Glas-
gow. The rate in Vienna was 25 per 1,000 during the week
ending the 9th inst., when the temperature was 8.6 deg.
Fahrenheit lower than in the same week in London, where
the rate was 25 per 1,000.
In Liverpool the births in the week were 393, the deaths
394; in Manchester the births 242, the deaths 212 ; in Sal-
ford the births 85, the deaths 96 ; in Birmingham the
births 303, the deaths 179 ; in Leeds the births 216, the
deaths 123 ; in Bristol the births 120, the deaths 81; in
Hull the births 68, the deaths 68 ; in Edinburgh the births
116, the deaths 88 ; in Glasgow the births 324, the deaths
222 ; and in Dublin the births 165, the deaths 187. There
were 269 deaths in Vienna during the week ending the 9th
inst.
SouthamPton.—Among the population of this borough
(estimated to the middle of the present year at 53,001), 19
deaths were registered during the week ending last Satur-
day ; of those, six were again referred to scarlatina. The
annual rate of mortality during the week was 19 per 1,000
persons living.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 30.444 in. Tho barometri-
cal reading increasedfrom 30.28 in. on Thursday, to 30-61 in.
on Friday ; a higher rate than any since January, 1859,
when the reading was 30.61 in. The mean temperature of
the air in the week was 39.7 deg., which is 0.8 deg. below
the average of tho same week in 50 years (as determined
by Mr. Glaisher). The highest day temperature was 46.9
on Monday ; the lowest night temperature was 29.9 deg.
on Saturday. The entire range of temperature in the week
was therefore 17.0 deg. The mean of the highest tempera-
tures of the water of the Thames was 45.1 deg. ; that of
the lowest was 43.9 deg. The difference between the mean
dew-point temperature and air temperature was 4.3 deg.
The mean degree of humidity of the air was 85, complete
saturation being represented by 100. No rain fell during
the week. The general direction of the wind was N.E.
and N.

The following letter from Mr. J. S. Mill, M.f'.,
was read before the Parliamentary Committee of
St. James's Vestry, yesterday :

Dec. 13, 1865.

Dear Sir,—l have seen with great pleasure in the
newspapers the movement which the St. James's
Vestry has originated at your suggestion for the
union of all London into one. body for municipal
purposes, with smaller bodies of the same sort for
purposes special to each of the Parliamentary divi-
sions. I have long wished that an effort in this
direction should be made. All the more important
town interests are common to the whole town, and
can only be properly attended to by a body repre-
sentative of the whole ; and I quite agree with you
that there should be but one such body, and that
the functions (for instance) of the Board of Trade
should merge into those of the united municipality.
I also go on entirely along with the proposal to abo-
lish the jurisdiction of the Middlesex magistrates in
the metropolis, and to have none but stipendiary
magistrates. The only point on which Ido not
agree with the scheme as reported is the choice of
magistrates by the citizens or the municipal body.
The proposed corporation ought of course to have
powers equal to those of other municipal corpora-
, tions ; but it seems to me the choice of judicial offi-
cers is best placed, not with any corporation, but
with a Minister or great public functionary, who
can be held responsible for making a proper choice.
As a geneial rule skilled professional officers are
hardly ever well chosen by numbers ; some one
person must make it his business to find them and
judge of their qualifications.
I do not know if this view of the question has
been under your consideration, or that of the b
vestry;efore
bpt as I hope to aid in bringing your plan
Parliament, 1 am glad to begin already an inter-
change of sentiment with you on the subject.—l
am,Sdear sir, very truly yours,
James Beal, Esq. (Signed) J. S. MILL.

The Charge Against Madame Rachel,

MARLBOROUGH POLICE COURT.

Tho following appeared in a late edition of The Sun of
last eTenln g

Rachel Leverson, the celebrated "enameller" of Bond-
street, appeared by her solicitor to answer a summons
taken out against her by Aurora Knight for unlawfully
obtaining from her £33 and a diamond ring, value £2O,
the property of George Knight, with intent to defraud.
It will be recollected that the summons was originally
taken out by a person calling herself the wife of an Ame-
rican consul, who had come to England expressly to em-
ploy the skill of Madame Rachel to make her " beautiful
for ever." She further alleged that Madame Rachel had
extorted from her the money and ring mentioned in the
summons without doing that which she had engaged to do,
viz., the removal of marks left on her face by smallpox.
On the summons being called on the plaintiff, Aurora
Knight, did not appear.
Mr. Sayers said he quite anticipated such a result, and
he would now'say that a more fraudulent and scandalous
charge had never been made against any person. He
begged it would be clearly understood that Madame Rachel
had made no attempt to prevent the plaintiff from
believed,appear-
ing,or had she taken any steps to get her out of the way.
It was a false and malicious charge, made,intiff
for the purpose of extortion ; and ho could not
but regret that the suggestion that had been
made for the postponement of the publication in the
daily papers until the summons was heard was not adopted.
With respect to the woman making the charge, he called
her an impostress—one put forward by other parties toin-
jure Madame Rachel, and one who, finding her scandalous
charge had had effect, now studiously kept out of the way.
He had seen this person, who said she had been made the
dupe of Madame Rachel, and so far from being
lady, he was in a position to prove she was one of
the lowest class. The great wonder to him was that
Madame Rachel had been so imposed upon as to have be-
lieved that she was the wife of an American consul. The
woman was well known at the Cafe de Leon, and she had
at one time called herself Lady Jones, Aurora Knight,
and the sister to Dr. Hunter, whose name had been so
much before the public of late. Instead of a lady, this
woman occupied, he believed, a second floor
back room in ono of the streets in the Strand,
and when Madame Rachel went to her she found her
taking her tea in her poor apartment in the dark. She
said she would give Madame Rachel £lOO to make her
beautiful, but how such a person was to pay such a sum
was a circumstance he would not stop fo inquire. Madame
Rachel, however, attended her ten days, and she
then ordered her baths ; but as 'the woman said she
had been suffering fzom small-pox, she of course would
not allow her to use the baths at her establishment, but
advised her to go to those in Argyll-street. Instead
of doing so, he was in a position to prove that this Ame-
rican lady, as she called herself, went to the baths in
Endell-street, and there complied with the directions of
Madame Rachel by the outlay of twopence. (Laughter.)
This woman said she had given Madame Rachel £3O, and
a diamond ring of the value of £2O, but that was the
greatest untruth that was ever uttered, and could only
have been said to serve some malicious purpose.
All the money Madame Rachel had ever received from the
woman Knight was four napoleons and a 10-franc piece,
and instead of getting from her any more the person mak-
ing the charge actually borrowed 7s. from his client.
Madame Rachel on becoming aware of the charge made
against her went to the residence of the woman, and there
Knight told her she was under a mistake, as she had not
taken out a summons against her, or had she ever been to
Marlborough-street Police-court at all. On being told
that such, however, was the case, she said she would go
with Madame Rachel to Marlborough-street, but without
waiting for the defendant she put on her bonnet and left
her residence for this court.
Mr. Tyrwhitt—That must have been when she came
here and said Madame Rachel had restored her ring.
Mr. Sayers said there was no more truth in that than
in her first statement, and he could only say, in addition
to the observations he had addressed to the bench, that
he challenged the plaintiff to come forward, and, if pos-
sible, make out her case against Madame Rachel. That
she knew was impossible, and therefore she wisely ab-
stained from making her appearance in court.
Mr. Tyrwhitt said,,with respect to the proceedings of
that court appearing in the newspapers, he had nothing
to do. The persons who bad to collect the news of the
day had a duty to perform, and the wonder was how it
was so well executed. With respect to the summons,
that, of course, would be dismissed, which circumstance,
he felt certain, would be made as public as the application
to him in the first instance.

LONDON GAZETTE—Last Evening.

WHITEHALL, DEC. 19.

The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to
be passed under the Great Seal, granting the dignity of a
Baron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
unto the Right Hon. Sir John Romily, Knt., Master or
Keeper of the Rolls and Records in Chancery, and the
heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name,
style, and title of Baron Romilly, of Barry, in the county
of Glamorgan.
The Queen has also been pleased to direct letters patent
to be passed under the Great Seal, granting the dignity of
a Baron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire-
land to theßight Hon. Sir Francis Thornhill Baring, Bart.,
and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the
name, style, and title of Baron Northbrook, of Stratton, in
the county of Southampton.
WAR OFFICE, PALL-MALL, DEC. 19.
4th Regiment of Hussars—Edward Fox, Gent., to be
Cornet, by purchase, vice Isaac Burnley, whose ap-
pointment has been cancelled ; Frank Gooch, Gent.,
to be Cornet, by purchase, vice A. B. Corrie, who has
retired.
11th Hussars—Assistant-Surgeon Oliver Barnett, from the
12th Lancers, to be Assistant-Surgeon, vice W. H. Mus-
champ, who exchanges.
12th Lancers—Assistant-Surgeon William Henry Mus-
champ, from the 11th Hussars, to be Assistant-Surgeon,
vice 0. Barnett, who exchanges.
9th Regiment of Foot—Colour-Sergeant Thos. Sterritt to
be Quartermaster, vice Patrick Boylan, deceased.
30th Foot—Charles Benjamin Charlewood, Gent., to be
Ensign, by purchase, vice W. H. Lee, transferred to the

65th Foot.
39th Foot —Major Robert Hamilton Currie to be Lieutenant
Colonel, without purchase, vice Brevet-Colonel William
Munro, C. 8., who retires upon half-pay ; Captain
and Brevet-Major Charles Denison Pedder to be
Major, without purchase, vice Currie ; Lieutenant Ed-
ward Gatty to be Captain, without purchase, vice Brevet
Major Pedder, Ensign Charles Napier Milner Hamilton
to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Gatty ; Frederic
Edward Lyster, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice
Henry Alfred Austen, whose appointment on the 10th
of October, has been cancelled.
42d Foot—Ensign Walker Aitken to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice William Jones, who tetires ; Andrew
KennediMacpherson, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase,
vice Aitken.
60th Foot —Lieut.Clifford Fortescue Borrer to be Instructor
of Musketry, vice Lieut. W. G. Turle, who resigns.that

appointment.
65th Foot—Lieut. Robert Mitchell, from half-pay, 28th
Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice A. B. Toker, promoted to a
Half-pay Company, without purchase ; Ensign Alfred
Harper Toulmin to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice
Robert Mitchell, who retires ; Ensign William Han-
fling Lee, from the 30th Foot, to be Ensign, vices

Toulmin.
Rifle Brigade—Ensign Alfred Mordaunt Egerton to be
Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Richard Winstanley Or-
merod, who retires ; the Hon. Algernon H. Grosvenor
to be Ensign by purchase, vice Egerton.
3d West India Ensign, Samuel Thos. Atkinson
abe Majority,antoo d without
othuot
Dunn to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice E. D. Jones,
promotion of Brevet-Colonel Evelyn
who has retired; Ensign Walter Roberts, to be Lieute-
nant, by purchase, vice, J. Dooley, who has retired.
. eoirdiFi2cllBkl it
I:
Pj oucnkel
,i ugto
1864,n to
to
18th June, 1861, but such antedate is not to carry back
pay.
purchase, HenryHA L F
F-
BREVET.
_ _

Brevet-Colonel George Jackson Carey, C.B. Major, 18th
Foot, to have the temporary rank of Brigallier-General
while in command of a Brigade in the Australian
Colonies. _ _

-.llWundermentioned promotions and alteration of rank
to take place in her Majesty's Indian Military Forces, con-
sequent on the death of Lieut.-Gen.Heury Sargent, Madras
Infantry, on Nov. 19, 1865; and Major-Gen. St. George
Daniel Showers, C. 8., Bengal Infantry, on the 9th of
October, 1862 ; Major-General John Kynaston Luard,
C. 8., Madras Infantry, to be Lieutenant-General ;
Major-General Hubert Marshall, Madras Infantry, to take
rank from 10th October, 1865 ; Colonel John Liddell, C. 8.,
Bombay Infantry, to be Major-General ; Colonel Edward
Darvall, Bengal Infantry, to be Major-General.
The undermentioned officer, who has retired upon full-
pay, to have a step of honorary rank as follows : --Deputy
Inspector-General of Hospitals W
Bombay Establishment, to be Inspectr ch
General om:-duke,
A f
,
_ _ _

Hospitals.
MEMoRANDUM.—Captain and Brevet-Colonel Hamlet
Cooke Wade, C. 8., half-pay Ist Dragoon Guards, has
been permittd to retire from the service by the sale of
his Commission under the conditions of the Circular
Memorandum, dated Horse Guards, Feb. 15, 1861.
ADMIRALTY, DEC. 16.
gies,l3oria. Robertse, WilliamM Manse), n sel,
Flees-
Commanders Arthur Thomas Thrupp, Michael Culme
Seymour, Thomas Hutchinson Mangles Martin, William
_jameesmDeaildilonuCeouirt.
Fitzherbert Ruston,
and Charles Bayley Oulinady Dent,
to be Captains.
Stevenson Twysden, Henry Berkeley, Thomas Borr tt,
Sir John Swinburne, Bart., William lJerenzy Donaldson
dSeerlibcYJ' ojhentsn,GaenedrgDavid Boyle, to be Commanders.
Lieutenants
Lieutenant Robert HenDryEeg•urre Molyneux to be Com-
mander.

GENERAL SCHOFIELD AND THE AMERICAN BoND-.
HOLDERS.—The report that appeared last week in the
Paris papers that General Schofiold was in that city on a
special mission created quite a commotion among the
Continental holders of United States securities. At
Frankfort-on-the-Maine the opinion prevailed among the
timid that the General was instructed to demand the
immediate withdrawal of the French troops from Mexico,
and that, in the event of refusal, war would ensue. There
were many personal visits of Bankers and other interested
Fran
parties to the United States Consul-Goneral, at k--
fort, to ascertain if he had any official news respecting
General Schofield's visit to Paris. His reply that the
General was on a visit of pleasure only quieted their
fears for a time. A day or two later it was ascertained
that the General had visited the United States Legation
at Paris, and this simple fact created another excitement,
which caused a decline of one per cent. in United Statel
securitiea,