The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-14 00:00:00

able to give a good account of themselves. They
have hung and killed several hundreds, and flogged
and transported any quantity. lam sick with the
indifference shown to life, and I am happy to say
that it is nearly over, and we have returned to Port
Royal again. I have had a good opportunity of
seeing the beautiful island, and I must say I never
saw anything like itbefore.—From your affectionate
son and brother, tg N. 9,

The following extract from a letter received in
Birmingham, from a gentleman resident in Jamaica,
has been handed to us (Birmingham Post) for
publication :

" St. Thomas-in-the-Vale, Nov. 13, 1865.

" To-day we are able to record the cessation of
martial law,'' which, for a month, had allowed the
shooting and hanging and flogging of its victims.
" The evil spirit engendered by slavery is not got
rid of in less perhaps than a hundred years. In this
late outbreak they have revelled in blood,- and
sported with life ; and when the truth dare be told
it will appea.

" An overseer or attorney differed with a black
head man, of superior character ; but I dare not say
more until I gain correct information of the sad
affair.

" No one attempts to do anything but condemn
the savage outbreak : yet none of us can believe
there was a wide-spread intention to murder the
white and coloured (people) at Christmas, form a
republic, burn Kingston, &c. These are the false and
foolish assertions of men who are alarmed, and con-
jure up to themselves the most dreadful things."

The Salisbury Poisoning Case.

SALISBURY, Wednesday.
The inquest on the body of William John Storer,
a surgeon's assistant, recently committed for trial
on a charge of having poisoned his sweetheart, Miss
Emily Sophia Blake, the daughter of a surgeon
practising at Salisbury, was held to-day at Fisherton
County Gaol, before Mr. R. M. Wilson, the coroner.
The deceased was found dead in a bath about half-
past 2 o'clock yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. Mr.
Whatman, solicitor, of Salisbury, appeared to watch
the proceedings on behalf of the family of Miss
Blake.

The first witness called was Mr. Dowding, the
Governor of Fisherton Gaol, who deposed to• the
custody of Storer since his committal on Sept. 21.
He saw the dead body of the prisoner in the bath-
room about half-past 2 o'clock on the previous after-
noon. He could not say that the deceased had
previously attempted to destroy himself, but he had
surreptitiously tried to get poison into the gaol
through the aid of one of the officers, but did not
succeed in doing so. The officer was immediately
suspended, and he absconded in the night time, pre-
vious to the investigation of his conduct by the
visiting justices. Witness, in the presence of the
magistrates, interrogated Storer about attempting to
get poison into the prison, when the latter said it
was not for himself, but for the warder's wife, who
was suffering from cancer. Witness had never
heard Storer say anything which would lead to the
supposition that he intended to destroy himself, but
he had repeatedly said that he was tired of the place.
There was no special superintendence over him, but
he was seen in common with the other prisoners 30
or 40 times a day by one of the warders. When the
magistrates expressed a hope to him that he had not
intended to take the morphia himself which he had
attempted to get into the prison, he spurned the
idea, saying, " Certainlynot ; I know myself too well
for that." It was usual to allow the prisoners to have
a bath unattended, except in cases of infirmity on
the part of prisoners where the attendance of an
official was necessary. In reply to a juror, the wit-
ness said it had never occurred to him that it was
desirable the prisoners should be attended at the
bath. That was the first suicide in the prison since
it had been occupied. The bath in which the pri-
soner was drowned was an ordinary long bath, the
same as was used in Millbank and Pentonville, and
at the time the body was found there was 12 or 14
inches of water in it. The bath was 21 inches deep.
There were two taps to the bath, one for hot and
the other for cold water, and a prisoner could turn
on any quantity he liked. There was no fixed limit
to the period during which a prisoner was allowed
to remain in the bath. It was about ten minutes or
so.

Witness did not know how long the deceased
was in the bath. It was an established rule of the
prison that every prisoner should have a bath once
a month—oftener if he requested it. Witness never
had any reason to suppose that Storer's mind was
affected. The deceased had previously bathed in
accordance with the rules of the prison.
Charles Newlands, the second warder of Fisher-
ton Gaol, was next called. He deposed that Storer
asked for a bath on Tuesday, and the witness cut
his hair and took him to the bath-room. When he
was cutting the deceased's hair the latter said to
him, " Cut it very well," and the officer replied
that he would cut it as well as he could, and do
what he could to please him. When he went into
the bath-room witness let about 9in. of water into
the bath and left the prisoner alone in the room,
locking the door upon him. He did not afterwards
see the prisoner alive.

William Hamilton, the chief officer of the gaol,
deposed to finding the prisoner dead in the bath.
He was lying on his face in the bath, and his hands
were tied behind him with a strip which he had
torn from a cotton handkerchief. He was quite
dead, but every possible means was tried to restore
animation, under the direction of four medical men
who were called in.

The Coroner, during the progress of the case,
said, according to the practice of the gaol, there ap-
peared to be an opportunity for a prisoner to com-
mit suicide by applying for a bath. They were not
inquiring into the prison discipline, however, which
was rather a matter for the visiting justices. In
summing up, the coroner said there appeared no
evidence that the deceased was of unsound mind,
but the responsibility of the verdict rested with the
jury.

The jury returned a verdict of felo de se, adding
that they were of opinion the warders ought to have
an opportunity of superintending prisoners while in
the bath. The body was ordered to be interred at
midnight, without religious service.

MARKETS—This Day.

METROPOLITAN CATTLE.

Our market to-day was heavily supplied with beasts, in
for the most part prime condition. All breeds changed
hands slowly, at a decline in the quotations compared with
Monday of 2d per Blbs. A few very superior Scots and
crosses sold at 5s 4d, but the general top figure was 5s 2d
per 81bs. The show of sheep was tolerably extensive.
Tho demand was heavy, and inferior breeds were rather
lower in price. The best Downs realised 6s 8d per 81bs.
Calves were in moderate supply and fair request at Our
quotations. The sale for pigs and milch cows was very
inactive at late rates.

Per 81b to sink the offal.
s ds d
s d s d Crse. & inf. beasts... 3 4 3 8 Pme crs-wool sheep 5 8 6 2
Second quality do ..3 1u 4 4 Prime s'thdown cio.6 4 6 8
Prime large oxen ..4 6 4 10 Large coarse calves.* 4 4 10
Prime Scuts. &c.... 5 0 5 2 Prime small d0......5 0 5 4
Crse. and inf. sheep. 4 Cl 4 8 Large hugs 4 ti 4 6
Second quality do ..4 10 5 6 Small porkers ..4 85 2
Lamb....os Od to Os Od.
Suckling* calves, 198 to 22s ; and quarter-old store pigs, 29s
to 148 each.

Head of stock on sale.

Total supply.

Foreign supply.
Beasts 4,2(0 Beasts I CS)
Cows. llO Cows
Calves
Sheep
170 ca ves
120
180
eigs 412 Figs