The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-05 00:00:00

months. I will come to their case more in detail
presently.

Several new creeks discovered in July and August
which prospected well. Several layers of pay•dirt,
that is, strata of gold-bearing gravel and of blue
clay, one over the other, with layers of earth be-
tween, now found, so that increased workings
lower down in the same ground produced gold.
On Vanwinckle Creek the best claim produced
100 dols to 200 dols a-day to the hand. The com-
panies, above and below, average 50 dols and GO
dols a-day to the hand; and the diggings near the
were in California in 1849
equally
surface,
ijewhs as they
.t

Gold dust was worth 16 dots 30e to 10 dols 50c
the ounce (X 3 Os 10d and £3 17s 7d), and it was
taken in exchange for goods at 17 dols the ounce.
The average ley of the gold has not yet been accu-
rately ascertained. Some of it gave 918-I,oooths
fine, which is very high. Some gave from 800 to
900-I,oooths fine, and the average is taken at 850
fine.

I need hardly remark to you that I would not
have lent myself to giving currency to these mar-
vellous stories, were I not fortified by my own
knowledge of the general truth of all I write.

THE lIABTLEY COLLIERY ACCIDENT

;NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, MONDAY NIGHT.
The inquest on the bodies of the 199 men and
boys who were buried alive in the Hartley Pit at
the late accident, and whose bodies were recovered
on Saturday week, commenced this day at Seaton-
Delaval, a village close by the colliery. The coroner
and jury were assisted in the inquiry by Mr. K.
Blackwell, the Commissioner specially sent down
by the Home-office for the purpose, and by Mr.
Dunn, the Mining Inspector of the district. No
new facts of any importance were added to those
already laid before the public by to-day's inquiry.
The first witnesses examined were the banksmen
who were at the mouth of the pit at the time, and
who described the sudden fracture of the beam, and
the disappearance of the outer half down the shaft.
Their evidence threw no light on the cause of the
accident. The next witness was Thomas Watson,
one of the eight men who were ascending in the
cage at the time. Five of them were killed, bat he
and two others :were rescued almost by a miracle.
He gave the following narrative of his escape. " It
was about half-past 10 when I and seven others got
into the cage to ascend the shaft. We had got about
half-way up when we heard a sudden crack in the
shaft, and a moment after there came down a tre-
mendous crash of falling timber, which struck the
cage. Before we were struck something passed by
us down the shaft like a flash of lightning. The
crack we heard seemed close by us in the shaft; it
did not come from overhead. It might have been
one of the spears' (pump rods) breaking, but I
should not like to say. We were all thrown out of
the cage by the shock. Four of us were killed on
the spot. When we came to consider we concluded
from pocket, that the spears were broken, as the engine had
stopped ; and we thought that the shaft had closed
up over us. One of the men in the upper deck of
the cage had some matches in
iviean
his
the cke
bottomt
, and
we struck a light. The first thing I did
was to examine the state of the rapper ropes
(by which the signals are
to the top), and I found them all right. I wrapped
a leather belt round them with the intention of
climbing by them to bank, but one of the
men with me made such a stir about his boy
who had been carried away down by the falling
timbers that I slid down the pumps to look after
him. I found him lying among a mass of timber.
I remained with him until I was rescued. I was
the last man taken up. They let down a common
loop from the top for me, and I went up in that.
I could not see in what state the shaft was, for it
was all filled with smoke, and the wind very soon
put ,the candle out." Ralph Robinson, the next
witness, who was also ascending in the cage, gave
a similar account of the accident. About half-way
up there was a sudden crack somewhero in the
shaft; how far off it might be he could not tell,
and then they heard something falling down the
shaft all the way from bank. A shower of timber
folloWed, which crushed the cage, and struck all the
the men out. He remained in the ruins until nearly
nine at night.
John Short, the enginewright in charge of the
engines, described the immediate means taken after
the accident to rescue the men who were in the
cage below. They found the shaft stopped up by
ruins of the brattice timber, about 30 fathoms from
bank, before arriving at the high main. There was
great difficulty in passing a rope through this to
the men below. When they were got up the tim-
ber in the upper part of the shaft was cleared away,
and steps then taken to clear away the timber be-
low. By working incessantly during the night
they cleared away the impediments to within
about five fathoms of the middle seam, and
it was then that they began to meet with falls from
the side of the shaft. Up to that time they had
only the timber to deal with. The brattico was
all gone in that part of the shaft, and the pump-
trees had all been carried away. The sides of the
shaft had given way slightly in the upper part of
the shaft, but when they got within five fathoms
they began to give way to a very considerable extent,
and there were falls all right along. The sides of the
shaft were generally lined with 11. in. boards, se-
cured by round cribs 61in. thick. He co aid not say how
much of the shaft was walled or how much of it was
unlined altogther. He had only been at the pit for
a twelvemonth, and there had been no occasion to
repair any part of the shaft in his time. They found
the main pump rod broken off at from 10 to 12
fathoms from the surface. The pump-trees which
were originally fixed on the north side of the shaft
were twisted across to the south side by the fall of
the beam.

Mr. William Coulson, of Durham, the master-
sinkPr to whom the work of clearing the shaft was
intrusted, was the next witness called. He said
that being at Newcastle on the day after by chance,
he heard of the accident, and stopped at Hartley on
his way further north to see how matters were get-
ting on. Finding the state of things so serious he
offered his services, which were accepted. He de-
scended the pit about 5 o'clock, and found the shaft
in a very shattered:state. All the timber was swept
away, both of the main brattice and the side lining,
except here and there where there was a timber
hanging loose from the side. About five fathoms
above the yard seam all the rubbish Lad stuck fast
in the shaft. He set to work clearing away the
timber—stowing it in the upper seam, instead of
taking it to bank, to save time. This went on until
Saturday night, when the stone from the side of
the shaft began to fall in very extensively. Many
tons fell in, and it was very dangerous for the men.
This was about four fathoms from the middle seam.
Very little had fallen above the level of the high
main coal, but at the point where the men were
working the shaft opened out to 30 feet wide in
some places. It was necessary to fence the shaft '
up at this place, which took them twelve hours.
This brought them to Sunday morning. The
timbers of the brattice were jammed fast in toge-
ther, and there was also a great quantity of large
pieces of stone, but very little small rubbish.
What there was fell through to the bottom as
the large timbers were drawn out. On Sunday
morning they began to work at a small opening by
the side of the shaft, which they continued to work
at until Tiiesday morning, when, after getting out
a large balk of timber, there was a sudden rise of
gas, and some of the men had to be carried to bank
speechless. They were working with candles at
the time, which, if anything, burned more brightly
in the gas than before. It rose gradually in the
shaft, beating the air back, and a canvas brattice
was then put in to carry it off. This took till
Thursday morning. At this time, in addition to
the danger from the gas, the shaft was also in a
most unsafe state from the continual falls which
were taking place. When the gas came up from
below he gave up all hopes of the men being saved,
and shortly after,
when a hole was made to the
furnace-drift, one of the pitmen passed through and
found that all the men were dead. His opinion
was that the lodgment of the ruins of the brattice
took place just about the yard seams on the timber
stays, or " buntings," on which the pumps rested.
If it had not been for the enormous falls which took

place, they certainly would have got through the
rubbish two days before they did ; and the stones
then brought away, by filling up the interstices of,
the mass of timber ruins, kept back the gas.
In reply to a number of questions Mr. Blackwell
put to him as to the state of the shaft, Mr. Coulson
said he could hardly tell whether these falls would
have taken place had the shaft been securely lined
with brick. The walling in the upper part of the
shaft was much cut by the fall of the beam, but no
rubbish was brought away from it. No part of the
shaft was walled except the upper part. All the
rest was lined with timber. He himself had sunk
the shaft 17 years ago, but he could not say whether
the lining had been repaired or not since. The ex-
planation of the cause of the accident given
by Mr. Coulson, who has had 48 years' ex-
perience of shaft•sinking, and who has sunk
84 pits in his time, corresponds very much with
the opinion expressed in my former letter. He
found that the main "spears" or pump•rods were
broken about 12 or 14 fathoms from bank, and the
second spear opposite the middle seam, and their
breakage was the cause of the accident. When
they parted, the beam lost its weight as it was
making its upward stroke, and broke in the middle.
The appearance of the spears at the points where
they broke were as if they had been pulled out, not
snapped. They were broken by tension not by a
blow, and it could not have been the falling beam
which broke them. The buckets of the pumps might
have got wedged, or a clack might have fallen, but
in all probability it was the wedging of the buckets.
That would account for the breakage of the pumps
in such a manner, and it would take place just at
the turn of the stroke. The beam was broken by
concussion, not by any tensile strain. The cross-
head (connecting it with the piston-rod), which was
of malleable iron, broke at the same time. If the
beam had broken at the down-stroke it would have
been caught by the catch-pins, and would not have
gone down ; but, being broken in the up-stroke
(" going into the house" is the technical term,) it
had all the length of its stroke to fall, and the
spears, from which it could not flee itself, having
doubled over, it fell right down into the shaft.

The next witness called was
William Adams, one of the two volunteers who
first penetrated through the debris and discovered
the dead bodies. The first two they found were
lying dead on the furnace bars, and a little further
on there was a dead body lying in a doorway, keep-
ing it open. Just beyond that were at least
100 bodies close together. Most of them were lying
on their sides, as if they were asleep. There was
no water in the seam. Some of the men had
corn in their pockets, and in one or two of their
boxes, when they were brought up, there were
candles and tobacco. The air in the workings at
that time did not affect him at all; it seemed
quite good, and the candles burnt well in it.
Mr. Humble, the resident viewer of the colliery,
gave a similar account of the discovery of the bodies.
On Tuesday morning he forced his way through the
hole which had been made in the rubbish into the
furnace drift. Descending by that, he found two
men lying on ashes of the furnace, on their faces.
There were also several men lying and sitting be-
hind it. In the furnace drift were other men lying
and sitting against the walls. Passing through the
doors at the end of this drift, in the passage leading
to the shaft he found a large number of men lying
together, as if they had laid down to sleep. From
thence he passed along the gallery leading to the
staple, and there he found the rest of them lying in
heaps together. The air was bad all the way, but
on getting within a short distance of the staple he
could no longer breathe, and was obliged to return.
The candle he had with him burnt brightly all the
time. There was a bad smell, which he believed
came from the dead bodies of the men and horses.
He had no reason to believe that there were any
bodies left behind in the pit. The air at the top of
the staple was very bad—so that the men would get
no relief by going there. The air in the pit was
generally good, and there was no trouble with the
gas. His explanation of the bad air which killed
the men was, that the smoke from the furnace would
pass down the shaft and back through the lower
main, up the staple, into the middle seam, where the
men were ; and so the air would be vitiated. The
furnace would probably keep alight for half an hour
or 40 minutes after the accident.

Mr. Blackwell put several questions to the
witness as to the state of the shaft, but, not
being responsible for it, he said he could not
speak as to the condition in which it was at the
time, nor had he ever examined it particularly to
see whether it required repairs. Whenever, in his
passage up and down the shaft, he found a plank
deficient, he reported it and had it repaired.
After Mr. Humble's evidence the inquiry was
adjourned until to-morrow.

MIDDLE SEX SESSIONS.—Feb. 4.

(Before the Assistant-Judge.)

The Governor of the House of Detention, Capt.
Codd, attended to answer the complaint preferred
by Mr. Best on Monday against him, of having re-
fused Mr. Justice Mellor's clerk, with a solicitor
engaged for the defence, to see two prisoners.
They were admitted within the gates, and the inner
turnkey was informed that the gentleman was the
clerk to one of her Majesty's judges, and that he
attended to take the affidavits of the prisoners, it
being necessary that such a course should be taken
in order that an application might be made for a
certiorari. The turnkey refused to admit him, and
the reason given for the refusal was that he (the
clerk) had no letter from the judge to show who
he was. The Governor urged that this was neces-
sary according to the rules and regulations of the
prison as laid down by the visiting justices.
The turnkey went to inform him of the application,
but before he could get to the inner gate the judge's
clerk had left. He had however waited 20 minutes.
The Assistant-Judge said it certainly was an irre-
gular proceeding, especially as the turnkey was in-
formed of the purpose for which the clerk attended
—but no doubt it would not occur again.
Frederick Eyles, 18, waiter, was indicted for
stealing two sovereigns, the moneys of W. Brown-
ing, his master.
He pleaded guilty.
Mr. Tayler prosecuted ; Mr. Ribton was for the
defence.

The prosecutor was a lodging-housekeeper, at 36,
Duke-street, St. James's, and the prisoner had been
in his service some months as a waiter. He was
"a young man from the country," and when he
entered the prosecutor's service he had but a shil-
ling in his possession, though when apprehended
he had a savings bank book showing a deposit of
£3O in the name of Mary Eyles. In consequence
of suspicion, marked money was placed in the
prosecutor's desk, and two sovereigns were found
in the prisoner's box. The prisoner had a latch-
key and used to let himself out at night after his
master's house was closed, and associated with
prostitutes and all sorts of bad characters; he kept
a girl, and had two opera glasses, one for his own
use, and one for her's.
His lordship sentenced him to six months' hard
labour, and in the most kindly manner expressed a
hope that on his liberation he would strike into a
good course of life ; if he did not he would be a lost
man.
James Daley, 29, hawker, was convicted of steal-
ing
a watch from the person of Bristow Tully on
Hungerford Bridge.
(
The prisoner, when before the magistrate, con-
tended that he could not be sent to these sessions,
his point being that the offence was committed in
Surrey.
Lockyer, the prison officer, said this was with the
idea of his not beity, recognised as an old thief and
a frequent inmate of the Middlesex prisons. He
had been convicted four or five times.
The Court sentenced him to four years' penal
servitude.
James Hanshar, 31, lately a police constable at
Hampstead, was indicted for unlawfully and mali-
ciously wounding Sophia Hanshar, his wife.
Mr. Cooper was counsel for the prosecution. Mr.
Rowden was for the defence.
The prosecutrix stated that on the 23d of Janu-
ary she wasat home at Burrows, Hendon, when her
husband came home at about half-past one o'clock,
and asked her if any one was coming to take away
her things, or to go away with her. She said,
" No, decidedly, no one." He then said, "Will you
.continue to live with me now." She said, "How
can I when you have used me as you have done P"
This referred to past times, more particularly
during the last 18 months. She was cutting out
work ; words having dropped, she received a fear-
ful blow on the head, and another as she was
trying to get away, Ohp paid—l turned round,
and saw that the blows were given by a poker
which he held in one hand, and as I closed
upon him, he kept me off, and again struck me.
I went round to the other side of the room, and ho

there struck me again twice, I put up my arms to
save my head, when I received two more blows,
which disabled me. I fell, and as I was falling or
on the ground I received another blow which broke
my finger. I lay on the floor and pretended to be
dead to save myself from further violence. He
came in front of me as I lay on the floor, his coat,
which he had previously taken off, being then on.
He had not the poker. He looked at me, and took
hold of my injured hand and threw it down, saying
" I have killed you." He went out at the door, as
I thought, to escape ; but I staggered after him, be-
lieving that he had done that which would kill me,
and I did not wish him to get away. He saw me
coming after him and he stopped. I went across
the road, and a man came up and asked me to have
a policeman. I said " No." The defendant said
" I've done it." I then sat on some steps, and some
persons came to my assistance. My husband then
went away. This poker (produced) is the same I
was assaulted with. This chenille net (produced) I
was wearing when I received the blows.
From further evidence it appeared that the de-
fendant went to Mr. Growse, surgeon, at Hendon,
and asked him to go immediately to his wife, as he
was afraid he had murdered -her. The surgeon
asked him what he had done that for. The defen-
dant then said she had dishonoured his bed, and he
should go and give himself up to Sergeant Hughes.
The surgeon found the prosecutrix with five con-
tused wounds on the head, no doubt caused by such
a weapon as a poker.
Sergeant Hughes said the defendant was a con-
stable ander him, and on the 23d of January he
came to him,'surrendered himself in custody, and
said he believed he had killed his wife. The wit-
ness said " How so ?" The defendant said "By
hitting her with a poker," and he believed she was
dead. In answer to questions the defendant said
" Yesterday morning I found her having intercourse
with a lodger named Collier, who works for Hud-
son. Today I went home and found all her things
packed to go away with that man to-night, when I
certainly did hit her on the head."
Inspector Webb, Hampstead, said he booked the
charge against the defendant, who, after being
cautioned in the usual way, said—" Yesterday
morning I came from duty at six, and saw the night
duty go off. I turned down the road a little way,
and went after them. 1 turned and went home and
upstairs to bed. Joseph Collier, a lodger in the
house, slept in the same bed as I did ; my wife slept
with her mother. When I had been in bed a quarter
of an hour he got up. My wife got up at the time,
and they both went down stairs together. I heard
whispering, and Collier said to her, ' You go home
for a week, and I'll send for you.' They went to-
gether into the middle room of the house, and I
heard more whispering. I got out of bed and stood
on the top of the stairs and heard this. They were
there a minute or two. I went down and found
them in a certain situation. I said, ' This is it, is
it P' Collier said 'So help me God, I have not done
anything, James.' I said What is the use of your
saying that when I saw you ?' My wife aggravat-
ingly said, 'We did not, but our intentions were
good,' I ordered him out and he went." Further
he said to the Inspector,—" I have been dishonest
to my wife, and finding her in that position with
Collier I thought she was as bad as me. I wished
her to live with me; but she said she would not,
and that what I had found out and seen she in-
tended to write to me about. Next day I came
home and found her things packed up, going, as I
believed, and still believe she was going, to live and
cohabit with this Collier. I became very excited,
and, knowing hardly what I was about, hit her
with the poker."
The prosecutrix was subjected to a severe cross-
examination by Mr. Rowden—She denied that there
had been any improper familiarity between her and
Collier, but admitted that he had been in the habit
of kissing her. Letters had passed between them.
She was now living in Cirencester-place, and her
sister paid her rent.
Mr. Rowden, addressing the jury, said he could not
resist a verdict against the defendant for a common
assault, but he hoped the jury would, under the
circumstances, exonerate him from the more serious
counts in the indictment. On the defendant's be-
half he had to submit that, finding his wife in an
act of criminality with the man Collier, and after-
wards seeing that it was her intention to go and
live with him, he was morally, though not legally
justified in what he had done, and that the most
lenient course would meet the justice of the case.
His Lordship then summed up most carefully ;
and

The Jury found the defendant guilty of a common
assault, at the same time strongly recommending
him to mercy on account of the extreme provoca-
tion he had received and his character.

A witness proved that the defendant had been
nine years in the police, and bore a good character.
He had lost his situation in consequence of this
ease, and had two children to provide for.
His Lordship sentenced him to two months' im-
prisonment.