The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-01 00:00:00

EXCITING SCENES AT 7 HREE FIRES.

Yesterday morning an alarming and destructive fire
which was nearly attended with fatal results to several
persons., happened on the extensive premises belonging to
Mr. John Morris Jones, Court hosier, No. 17, Piccadilly.
The fire was discovered by a police-constable of the C divi-
sion, by seeing smoke pouring forth from the front shop.
The officer at once gave an alarm, and after much trouble
he succeeded in arousing the inmates, when Mr. Jones,
finding it impossible to descend, made for the roof in only
his shirt, and John Lewis Cotton, another of the res►dents,
made his appearance at the third floor, and at the came
period the other occupants could be seen rushing in a state
bordering upon frenzy over the housetops of the adjoining
buildings. At this conjuncture Charles Arnold, the con-
ductor of the Royal Society's fire-escape, luckily arrived
with his machine from the St. James's Church station, and
having placed his escape in front of the house, he gallantly
ascended to the roof, and took Mr. Cotton on his back and
carried him down the escape. The conductor next returned
and assisted Mr. Jones down the ladder, and they fortu-
nately escaped meeting a horrible death. He next went in
search of the other inmates, who had fortunately escaped,
and during his praiseworthy efforts he became completely
prostrated with smoke, and dropped near the window, and
no doubt would have been suffocated had it not been for the
timely arrival of Conductor Robinson from Golden-
square, who pulled him out of the room, and he was obliged
to slide down the escape. The engines of the London Bri-
gade, under Mr. Staples, the chief officer of the C district,
the Duke of Sutherland, and Engineers Paul Gerrard,
Wilkinson, and Gatehouse. were soon in attendance, and
they admirably directed the firemen. The powerful steam-
engine of Shand and Mason, of Blackfriars, was also soon
in attendance, and a good supply of water was obtained.
The firemen went to work in an admirable manner, but the
fire could not be extinguished until a serious amount of mis-
chief was done. The persons saved have sent the following
certificate to the Royal Society's office :—" Had it not been
for the timely aid of the escape we must have been suffo-
cated."

Another fire, which was of a most disastrous character,

and nearly attended with fatal consequences to a great
number of persons, took place on the premises of Mr. H.
Wiseman, a carcass butcher, of 21, Crisp-street, Bromley.
The flames were discovered by Police-■erjeant Nunn, 12 B.
After repeatedly knocking at the street-door the inmates
were aroused, and messengers were dispatched in sundry
quarters for assistance. In a few minutes several persons
appeared at the windows, and Mr. and Mrs. Wiseman, who
cried piteously for help, were told to remain a few
minutes until the Royal. Society's escape attended, but
they both jumped out of window, expecting to be burned
to death if they remained any longer in the house, and by
so doing they were both severely if not fatally injured.
The engines of the London Brigade and parish were early
in attendance, and a good supply of water having been pro-
cured from the mains of the East London Company, the
engines were called into operation, but the flames con-
tinued to spread with more than usual rapidity, and they
actually ignited the fronts of two houses on the other side
of the road. The fire could not be subdued until the pre-
mises were entirely consumed. The origin of the fire is un-
known, but the suffel-er, it is supposed, was insured in the
Pheenix Fire Office. The premises of Mr. J. Sheffield,
draper, No. 20, were also extensively damaged by fire and.
water—insured in the Phoenix Fire Office; No. 1, opposite,
belonging to Mr. D. Giller, has the front of the premises
slightly scorched—insured in the Norwich Union Fire
Office; No. 2, belonging to Mr. G. Reader, has the build-
ing similarly damaged—insured in the Sun Fire Office.
Another fire took place on the premises belonging to Mr.
J. Rees, dealer in marine stores, No. 11, Cornwall-road,
Lambeth. The engines of the London Brigade and the
ponderous one from Hodge's Distillery quickly attended,
but the shop and contents, with the fixtures and other
effects were severely damaged by fire and water and the
plate glass broken. Insured in the Sun Fire Office. The
origin is unknown.

MYSTERIOUS MURDER AT SHEERNESS.

Early on, the-morning of Wednesday the body
of a man was found lying in a wheat field, a short
distance from Sheerness, in a frightfully mutilated
state, leaving no doubt that he had been barbar-
ously murdered. The body was soon identified as
that of a man named Wm. Elliott, 30 years of age,
a single man, who was employed in Sheerness Dock-
yard: The deceased was last seen alive on the pre-
vious evening, but at whose hands he met with his
death it has been impossible, up to the present
time, to ascertain. It would appear that the unfor-
tunate man was shot in the road, after which the
body was dragged into the wheat field, where it was
discovered.

Yesterday an inquest was held on the body by
Mr. T. Hills, the district coroner, at Sheerness, when
the following evidence was adduced :

John Cheeseman, shoemaker, Sheerness, identi-
fied the body of the deceased as that of Wm. Elliott,
late of Queenborough. Deceased was a labourer,
and about 30 years of age:
Mr. Edward Stride, surgeon, said he was called
to see the body of the deceased a little after 1 o'clock
on the previous morning, and found it had been re-
moved to that house. On making a careful exami-
nation of the body he found externa; marks of gun-
shot wounds on the right side of the chest, as well
as some on the forehead and the whole of the face.
Witness opened the body, and on the right side of
the chest he found that, with few exceptions, the
shots had entered the lungs. One of the shots had
passed through the eye, and those in the face had
penetrated it deeply. It ;was possible for all the
wounds to have been caused by one discharge from
the gun. Witness had no hesitation in saying that
death had been caused by the shots penetrating the
lungs, and the shots had proceeded from a gun held
on a level with the chest of the deceased. No other
marks of violence appeared on the body, nor were
there any signs of the deceased having been engaged
in a struggle.
Superintendent T. M. Green, of the Kent county
police, deposed that from intelligence he received he
proceeded to a field called Pheasant's Field, at a
few minutes past eight on the previous morning.
The field was about a mile from the Halfway House
publichouse. About eight or nine yards from the
fence separating the field from the road witness
found the body of deceased lying on its back with
the hands by its side. On the road side of the fence
he saw blood, and there was also blood on the fence,
as if the deceased had been dragged through it.
About three yards within the fence there was more
blood, as if the body had been left there a short
time, and marks were then visible of its having been
dragged on the back in a semicircle about five yards
further, where it was found. There was a great
deal of blood at that spot.
The Coroner here informed the jury that as there
was no further evidence to offer, which would throw
any additional light on the barbarous murder, it
would be better to adjourn the inquiry.
The inquest was then adjourned for a week.

7HE CASE OF SYSTEMA7IC POISONING.

Constance Wilson, alias Catherine Taylor, was to
have been brought up at Lambeth Police-court yes-
terday, for further examination, charged with hav-
ing caused the deaths by poisoning of Mrs. Atkin-
son, of Kirby Lonsdale, and of Mrs. Soames, of
Alfred-place, Russell-square. The two daughters
of the late Mrs. Soames, who had been summoned
from Germany, were in attendance to be examined
as witnesses in that case, as was also Mr. Barnes,
the father of the deceased.

After the night charges were disposed of, Mr.
Chipperfield, who has the conduct of the prosecu-
tion, entered the court, accompanied by Professor
Taylor, Dr. Nunneley, of Leeds, Mr. Whidhorne,
and Mr. Nairne, the last being the medical gentle
men who had repeatedly attended the late Mrs.
Atkinson and Mrs. Soames in their last illnesses;
and the former the gentleman to whom had been
entrusted the chemical analysis in both cases.
Mr. Chipperfield, addressing Mr. Norton, said
that he understood that the accused party had been
attacked with illness, and was not in a fit state to
been sent up from the prison.
be brought up on that day, pursuant to a remand
on the former hearing, but no medical certificate
suggestionilad of Mr. Norton, Dr. Nunneley
Chipperfield proceeded to Horsemonger-
t o
At that a
the
heeffec t
rtain the prisoner's condition. On 'their
as intimated that the governor, Mr'
Keene,
ae net anduee
nr to
1 f:a; ascertain
declined
himself the responei"
pautthheorit prisonh
ef
trheinsuhregreothnenofcothn;
gaol.
The parties in attendanc •
dics ii
ti ii
IL
owl i st
he no
du
it
n tgh eu
e waited for a consider-
able time, until at length one of the warders of.
Horseinonger-lane Prison arrived, and presented
to Mr. Norton a
certificate, signed by Mr. Harris,
the surgeon of the gaol, to the effect that the pri-
soner was labouring under an attack of diarrhoea
and sickness, and therefore unfit to be removed.
On this a long colloquy ensued with reierrnce to
the fixing a day for the further examination of the
prisoner, so as to suit the convenience and profes-
sional engagements of the medical witnesses. Ulti-
mate]
. y a day was named, dependent on the condi-
uml of the prisoner.

ANONYMOUS."—A few days since (the 24th
ult.) a gentleman called at the Charing-cross Hospital and
inquired of the porter whether some money he had just put
into one of the collecting boxes would be safe. Having
been assured it would, he immediately went away. The
same day a friend of the institution,walking past the aboYe'
mentioned box, saw, or fancied that he did, something in it.
On applying his penknife carefully he succeeded in extract-
ing 2.2 £lO-notes. Having taken these intc the hospital
and informed the resident officers of the circumstance, the
box was examined, and three more found, making a total of
£2:50 thus freely and anonymously contributed to the funds
of this deserving charity.