The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-09 00:00:00

LBY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. I

GRAVESEND, Saturday Morning.
Arrived, Dec. 2—Blyth, from Dantzic; Cosmopolitan,
steamer, from Hamburg ; Neva, steamer, from Dunkirk
Belgian, steamer, from Ostend; Moselle, steamer, from
Antwerp.

DEAL, Satruday Morning.
Passed —Lope de Page, screw steamer, from London for
Corunna.
Anchored—Strathspey, from London for Otaga ; Cal-
liope, from London for Masulipatam.

SHOCKING DEATH FROM STARVATION. —Yes ter -
day evening Mr. Richards, deputy coroner, held an inquiry
at the Black Dog Tavern, Church-street, Bethnal-green,
respecting the death, in the street, of Charles Prosser, aged
43 years. Thomas Cole, 36, Old Nichol-street, said that
the deceased, who was his brother-in-law, was a furniture
packer, but, through paralysis, he lost his employment in
September last. He had a wife and four children dependent
on him. His wife, who was now in the workhouse laid up
with fever, told witness that they then lived at No. 2,
New-court, Spitalfields, under Mr. Henry Wearing, and
that they had lived there five years. They were, however,
unable to pay a sum of either 3s 3d or 5s (witness could not
remember which), and the landlord seized their goods and
turned them out, and they had no place to go to. Mr.
Wearing gave them a pot and two chairs, and they came to
witness's house, where they all lived in one room. They
were often without food, and the wife got fever, and had to
be removed to the Fever Hospital. Deceased got relief in
bread and meat for the children from the parish, but he
tried to support himself by odd jobs. Some of the children
getting the fever witnessalso took it, and having to go into
the Fever Hospital himself, the deceased was left without
a habitation. Police-constable Briggs, 164 H, said that on
Tuesday he was on duty in Church-street, Bethnal-green,
when he saw a crowd gathered around the deceased on the
pavement. The deceased was very thin and miserable-
looking. He was so ragged that he had to wear an apron
to conceal the fact that he had en only the remnant of a
pair of trousers. A party was giving him brandy. Witness
said to him, " Where do you live ?" and he answered, " I
have been turned out of my lodgings at a lodging-
house." Witness proceeded to remove him to a lodgiDg-
house in S wan-street, but he died on the way, and before a
doctor could arrive. Upon searching him witness found in
his pocket 85d. in coppers, and a petition, in which he
stated his misfortunes, and from which it appeared that he
had got various little sums varying from 3d to 4d., and in
two instances to a shilling —in all 6s. 2d. Dr. F. J. Burgess
said that he was called to the deceased, and found him to
be dead. The body was very much emaciated. The post-
mortem examination showed that there was no food in
the stomach or intestines, and that death had resulted
from collapse of the heart from want of food. There
was no smell of drink. George Cole stated that on Friday
last deceased's wife came out of the Fever Hospital be-
cause her children had got fever. She met the deceased in
the street by claance, and she remarked " that he was so
cold—that he was as cold as death." He gave her 21-d. out
of Gd. that he then had. He was a sober steady man, but
since Lc was plunged in poverty he drank when he could
get it. Mr. Burrows said that the workhouse people
sent down to bring the deceased into the house on Tuesday,
but they found that he was then dead. The wife and four
children were however taken into the workhouse, and they
were all now dangerously ill. The Coroner having re-
marked upon the melancholy nature of the case, the jury
returned a verdict " That the deceased was found dying,
and did die, from the mortal effects of collapse of the heart,
caused by the want of the common necessaries of life,"

One of the most disgraceful scenes ever enacted
in a court of justice occurred at the Petty Sessions,
held in the Town Hall, on Wednesday. At the
time appointed for opening the court, the sole occu-
pant of the bench was Mr. 0. Pell, who, it will be
remembered, a few weeks ago made a complaint
publicly in this court respecting some misunder-
standing and unpleasantness which had taken place
between himself and Mr. Field, the clerk. After
waiting for some ten minutes, Dr. Jephson,
Major Machen, and Mr. J. P. Gubbins entered
the room, when Mr. Pell, who at that time was
occupying the chairman's seat, calmly inquired
from Dr. Jephson if it was his wish to
preside on that occasion. Dr. Jephson answered
" No," and then went on to inform Mr. Pell
that in consequence of his misconduct in that court
on a former occasion the justices had resolved not
to sit with him again. He (Dr. Jephson) and the
other 'magistrates would therefore adjourn to the
magistrates' private room, where the cases would be
heard. Mr. Pell derisively said, "If the Bench re-
fused to sit with him, he would sit with them," and
then, amidst the titters and laughter of a densely-
crowded court, he rose from his seat and followed
D. r. Jephson, Major Machen, and Mr. Gubbins
into the private room. The reporters and a few
policemen also went in, and were just in time
to witness another scene. Dr. Jephson having
taken his seat as chairman at the head of the
table, Mr. Pell, whose chair was opposite, ad-
dressing him,said, " Mr. Chairman, do you wish to
administer the oath ?" Dr. Jephson replied that
he should leave Mr. Field to attend to that, as
before. " Then," said Mr. Pell, " I will do so."—
Mr. Gubbins interposed, and said that a majority
of the Justices had decided that point, and it was
their unanimous opinion that the clerk to the magis-
trates was the proper person to administer the oath.
Mr. Pell answered that he did not care for the
decision of any majority, the law said that the Jus-
tices
were to administer the oath, and if Dr. Jephson
neglected to do so, he should do it himself. Amidst
general confusion and squabbling among the Justices
the first case was called on. When police-constable
F. Brown, who was the first witness, stepped for-
ward to be sworn, Mr. Field, under.the reiterated
instructions of the magistrates, who were calling out
" Swear him, Mr. Field," proceeding to put the oath,
when Mr. Pell jumped up, and commenced the oath
at such a rate as made the words appear a perfect
gabble. As he was close to the witness, and had
placed himself in such an attitude that the at-
tention of the witness appeared directed to him
more than to the clerk, Mr. Gubbins cried out,
" Don't kiss the book," an injunction the witness
faithfully observed until it had been ascertained that
Mr. Field said all the usual words constituting the
oaths when the witness "kissed the book,',
one of the justices triumphantly observing
that " Mr. Field administered the oath,"
a .statement Mr. Pell indignantly denied, and
" I gave the oath." At this stage of the pro-
ceedints another magistrate arrived, Mr. F. Dins-
dale, and as the place was inconveniently crowded
a second adjournment back to the court was agreed
to. On their re-appearance the magistrates, with
the fortunate few who had witnessed the farcical
proceedings in the " private room," were received
by the delighted audience with subdued laughter and
applause. Here similar scenes occurred over and
over again. When each witness entered the box,
Mr. Pell persisted in administering the oath, and the
clerk, under the direction of the other magistrates,
did the same thing. If Mr. Pell was fortunate
enough to gabble through the prescribed form
before the clerk, then the magistrates would cry
out to the witness, " Don't kiss the book," which
which Mr. Pell neutralised by a vehement exclama-
tion of " Kiss the book." Sometimes the witness had
two oaths administered, both of which, he was in-
formed, were illegal ; and at other times there was
such confusion prevailing--two gentlemen talking
at the same time—that the oath seemed a mass of un-
intelligible gibberish. On one occasion a witness, Mr.
Nathaniel Merridew, cashier from the bank, while
being sworn, had his hand held down by Mr. Pell
until he had finished repeating the oath, the other
justices crying out to Mr. Merridew " not to kiss
the book," and Mr. Pell protesting that the clerk's
oath was illegal. In this discreditable way the whole
of the business was conducted.—Birnzinghanz Post.