The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-25 00:00:00

FRE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 25, 1865.

no in-patients, has reopened its doors, and gives for
the past year five cases. This hospital is now very
conveniently situated for receiving cases from the
large and increasing population of Islington.
The increase of cases in the prisons is remarkable.
In these places an inquest is held on every death,
from whatever cause. The number of prisoners in
the House of Correction has been considerably in-
creased, but this does not account for the great in-
crease of mortality in that institution. Supposing
the constant number of prisoners in the House of
Correction to have been 1,700 during the year, the
number of deaths, which was 34, gives a mortality
of 20 in the 1,000, which must be regarded as a high
mortality for men of the ages of prisoners in the

House of Correction.
This list does not include workhouses. The in-
quiries in these places are perhaps fewer in propor-
tion to their inhabitants than the asylums; and this
may be accounted for by the fact that no notice of
death occurring in workhouses is required to be
given to the coroner—so that cases which might to
him appear to need inquiry are passed over by
the usual method of sending certificates of death
at once to the registrar. As the coroner's inquiry
is no doubt a great protection to those who die in
prisons and lunatic asylumns, Dr. Lankester thinks
it a question well worthy of consideration, in view
of the helpless condition of the great majority of the
inhabitants of workhouses, as to whether the coro-
ner's inquest should not be held in all cases on per-
sons dying in workhouses, or at least that all certi-
ficates of death should be referred to the coroner.

" There is one class of accidents," says Dr. Lan-
kester, " which it is gratifying to find presents a
decrease, and that is the class which occurs on rail-
ways. The great majority of these accidents occur
to men who are employed on the railway. The num-
ber of deaths in 1862-3 was 24, against 14 in the
year 1863-4. A majority of these accidents occur
from the carelessness of the workmen themselves,
while a large proportion are due to the neglect of
rules laid down by the companies for the protection
of the lives of their servants. There is one cause of

these accidents which appears to me susceptible of
mitigation, and that is the cases of death occurring
from the bursting of boilers. In two cases of acci-
dent from this cause—one on the Great Western
Railway and another on the North London—which
have come before me it appeared from the evidence
that no regular system of testing the strength of the
boilers is pursued. It appears very evident that if a
regular system of testing the strength of boilers were
adopted, as recommended by Capt. Tyler, one of the
Government Inspectors of Railways, a considerable
diminution of the dreadful accidents which take
place from this source alone might be anticipated.
The difference between the number of deaths from
suicide in the two years is so slight as to indicate on
the whole that the causes which lead to this disas-
trous occurrence have been the same in the two
years. The methods of self-destruction employed
have differed very considerably in the two years.
Thus, in the year 1862-3 there were 19 cases of
poisoning, while in 1863-4 there were but nine.
There was but one instance of poisoning by opium
in the latter year, against four in the previous year,
and two cases of poisoning by oxalic acid in the
second year against five in the first year. The only
poison employed in the second year which was not
used in the first is corrosive sublimate, while strych-
nine, sulphuric acid, prussic acid, and potash, which
were answerable for six deaths in the first year, do not
appear in the list of the second. Our legislation was
at one time ferocious with regard to the destruction
of human life. A reaction took place, which has
placed us in our present position, in which upwards
of 150 dead children are annually found in the streets
of London. It is not too much to suppose that where
one child is found another is successfully hidden for
ever. In cases where the mothers have been disco-
vered their ages averaged about 20 years ; as it is not
to be supposed the same woman commits this crime
a second time, and as the expectancy of a woman's
life at 20 is 40 years, this would give the large num-
ber of 12,000 women living in London alone who
have thus secretly destroyed their offspring."
Dr. Lankester is not prepared to discuss the ques-
tion of what measures might be adopted for the pre-
vention of this crime, but it appears to him that it is
sufficiently extensive and alarming to demand special
inquiry. There is one fact, he adds, "to which,
however, I think I ought to draw attention, and that
is, in inquiries into the causes of the death of illegi-
timate children, that the putative father of the child
very seldom contributes to its support. In an insti-
tution in London where the illegitimate offspring of
poor girls are supported, it has been stated that of
75 children provided for there were only two in-
stances where the father had contributed anything
to their support."
In conclusion, the Coroner draws attention to the

general want in London of better and more conve-
nient houses for the dead, those attached io work-
houses and for parochial use being generally incon-
nient and deficient in light, ventilation, and the re-
quisites for making post mortem examinations. He
thinks it -wouldbe most desirable to erect deadhouses
in every parish, so that the poor who have but little
room in their residences might be able to deposit
their dead until the time has arrived for the corpse
to be buried, thus avoiding the production of disease,
and the tendency to demoralisation produced by the
presence of the living and the dead in the same room.

Charge of Murder in St. George's•in-the.

East.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. John Humphreys, Middlesex
coroner, held an inquiry at the Wellington Tavern, Cannon-
street-road, respecting the death of Catherine Hurley,
aged 80 years, alleged to have been murdered by her
husband.

Mary Ann Vinch, 13, Raymond-street, said that the
deceased was the wife of John Hurley, a labourer, who
lodged in witness's house. Both were addicted to drink,
and deceased was particularly intemperate. Between the
hours of one and two o'clock on Tuesday morning witness
saw her looking out at the window, waiting for her
husband to come home. When he made his appearance in
the street she screamed at him. He asked her to let him
in, and she told him the door was ajar. She then went
down and let him in, and they began to quarrel directly.
Shortly afterwards deceased called out for witness. Wit-
ness went into the room, and found the husband had hold
of her round the waist, and was trying to get her on to the
bed. She was dead. Witness said to the husband, "1 am
afraid your old drinking habits have come back." Ho merely
answered "No ; send for the police." He was sober at the
time.

Mary Young, the wife of a soldier, said that she lived in
the room next to that occupied by the deceased, and on the
morning she heard deceased and her husband quarrelling
she thought she heard the sound of blows. When the hus-
band entered the room deceased said to him, "Have you
got money ?" and upon his stating that he had not a dread-
ful row commenced. When the policeman came the hus-
band said to him that he;was quarrelling with his wife and
that he had killed her.

Coroner—Did he say he had killed her? Pray be careful.

Witness—What he said was, "She is dead."

Police-Constable Petty, 96 K, said ho heard a great noise
in the house No. 13 Raymond-street, on Tuesday morning,
and there was a large crowd outside. Witness was called
into the house, and saw Hurley there. Hurley only said,
"My wife is dead." Witness then went up stairs, and saw
the deceased dead on the bed. He cautioned Hurley, who
then stated that when he told deceased ho had no money
she quarrelled with him and throw half a pail of water over
him. He pushed her and she fell, her head striking against
the door. Witness apprehended him on the charge of
murder.

Michael Hurley, a ragged and neglected child, of about
eight years of ago, said—l remember father coming home
after 12 o'clock on Monday night. When ho came into
the room mother took the railing off the top of the bed-
stead and struck him with it. She then took a pail of
water and threw it over him. Father pushed her about,
but gave her no blows. She was knocked up against the
door and she fell upon the floor. Father picked her up,
and as he was carrying her to the bed she died in his arms.
The Coroner said that no jury would convict the ac-
cused after such evidence from the only eye-witness of
what took place.

Dr. E. Wood, 13, Globe-street„ said that theft 'was a
bruise underneath the deceased's right eye. That would
not account for death. Tho post-mortem examination
proved that death had resulted from extravasation of blood
on the brain. The extravasation might have resulted from
a blow, from a fall, or from excitement, or even from
natural causes. The place was in a state of extreme
poverty ; the deceased had hardly a rag to cover her.
The Coroner having summed up,
_ _ _

The Jury returned a verdict—" That deceased was found
dead from the effects of extravasation of blood on the
brain, but how the said extravasation was caused there is
no evidence to show."

The War in Bhootan.

(We (Times) have been favoured with the following
Letter :

" Rungeeah, April 9.
" Long before this reaches England the telegraph
will have been told of the capture, destruction, and
evacuation of Dewangari, a landmark in the history
of one of England's perpetual little Indian wars.
" From March 21, the date of my last letter, until
the end of the month, nothing of any importance
took place. The camp at Soubaukhotta was still kept
up, and the forts and buildings there finished, to de-
ceive the enemy as to our projected line of advance.
The bait took admirably, and this pass was found
afterwards to be one succession of stockades, with
heavy abattis completely closing up the ravine.
" On March 30 the right wing of her Majesty's
55th Foot and another battery of Artillery marched
in from Gowhatty, and everything was at once got
ready for the advance. The force was told off into
two columns—the one, under Col. Richardson, 44th
N. 1., about 800 strong, with the Sappers and a bat-
tery of Artillery, being the advance guard, while the
other fomed the main body, under Col. Hume, 55th.
" The Soubaukhotta force was suddenly with-
drawn on the night of March 81, the ,tents being
left standing, and at 2 on the following morning
Colonel Richardson's' column left camp for the
mouth of the Darunga Pass, each man carrying
three days' cooked provisions with him. The hills
were reached about daylight, and the column ad-
, vanced up the pass and found the first three stockades
deserted. About 41 miles from Dewangari was a
place where we had taken and destroyed a stockade
on the 19th of March, with the loss of 12 killed and
wounded, and here we found stockades reconstructed.
However, they were not held in force, and a few
shells from the howitzers drove the defenders out
without the loss of a single man on our side.
" After this the column advanced steadily until
within 14 miles from Dewangari, where it halted for
the day, while a small party went on to reconnoitre.
A half-built stockade was found burning about 400
yards to the front, and had evidently just been fired.
Beyond this was a steep hill, on pushing up which it
was found that its summit had rashly been left un-
defended by the enemy. At this place, which was
about 700 yards from Dewangari, a sandbag breast-
work was at once thrown up, and a strong picket
brought up to hold it for the night.

" On the following morning, April 2, the main
body arrived about 7 o'clock, and the force advanced.
From the sandbag breastwork the whole position
could be clearly seen. On the proper right was a
high hill, which resolved itself into a spur running
nearly north for three-quarters of a mile. This
range was defended by seven stockades and the
Rajah's house—a substantial stone fort, surrounded
by a bastioned stone breastwork. The key of the
position, however, was not this place, but a large
stockade about 500 yards from it, and 200 yards
from the left of the spur. This was some 50 feet
square, two-storied, with walls of loose stone 4 feet
thick between log framing, and had evidently been
constructed with much care.

" A company of the 55th advanced in skirmishing
order, sheltering themselves as much as possible be-
hind trees, while the mortars and howitzers were taken
to the front and commenced playing on this stock-
ade, and on two others on the extreme left which
flanked it. A party under Captain Macdonell,
of the police, was detached to turn these last-
named stockades by climbing a steep hill beyond
them, and in the meantime the artillery and Enfield
rifles tried to keep the fire down from the main
stockade, but with little success. The guns made
very poor practice, probably because their position
was changed several times, so that they had not a
fair chance of getting an accurate range, and, on the
other hand, the loopholes of the stockade were very
small targets for the 55th to aim at.
From immediately below the stockade a steep spur
ran towards us. Under cover of this the 55th were
brought more to the front, but even from here they
could not keep down the enemy's fire to any consi-
derable extent, and probably the Bhooteas had not
more than a dozen men disabled, nor we more than
twice as many, when Capt. Macdonell's party ap-
peared over the hill, and Gen. Tombs instantly formed
up a storming party of the 29th Punjabees, the 12th
Native Infantry, and one company of the 55th, and
sent them at the stockade. The Sikhs, who were in
front, climbed upthe almost precipitous hill and went
on with a yell, but when they reached the stockade
they could find no way into it. There had been but
one small door, and that was effectually closed ; the
rats were caged, but the cage kept off the dogs. At
last Capt. Trevor, R.E., and Lieut. Dundas, R.E.,
the two engineer officers accompanying the column,
climbed up the poles of the stockade and showed the
way in. Both officers are recommended for the Vic-
toria Cross.

"Of course the defenders were doomed. Some
few may have escaped, but the rest were shot down
where they stood, and lay in heaps. If Englishmen
had not been present, even the 45 prisoners whom
we took would not have escaped with wounds, but
would have been numbered with theirdead comrades,
for neither Sikh nor Pathan has the vaguest idea of
mercy to an enemy.

"This stockade gave us Dewangari. On seeing
their stronghold, which they thought impregnable,
in our hands, the Bhooteas rushed down the hill sides
and divided into the dense jungle, where it was im-
possible to follow them with any effect. On the left
Capt. Macdonell got possession of a stockade, which
he—personally gallantry itself—was vainly endea-
vouring to get his police and some other soldiers to
storm, instead of firing at. Here Weldon, an officer
of the police, was badly wounded, but in no other
place did we meet with any opposition. The Rajah's
house was taken almost without a shot, and in about
an hour the Sikhs were scattered in every direction,
looting what little there was left to be taken.
" Our total loss in the attack was about 70 or 80
killed and wounded. Upwards of 170 Bhooteas were
counted dead on the field ; 45 badly wounded were
taken prisoners, and the number of wounded who
escaped to die in the jungle must have been very
large. One rajah of importance,the Dyagur Penlow,
was found among the dead, but the Tongsoo Penlow
himself took good care to get away with a whole skin.
'• It is impossible to say with accuracy how many
men we had opposed to us. Our prisoners say there
were between 5,000 and 7,000 men on the range the
day before the attack, and that during the fight the
Tongsoo Penlow with 2,000 picked fighting men
was waiting close by the Rajah's house on the look-
out for any signs of disorder or wavering among our
troops, but that, as our advance was so bold and our
success so complete, he saw no opportunity for ac-
tion, and took to his heels.
" During the next three days D evangari was com-
pletely destroyed, the Rajah's house blown up, the
temples pulled down, the trees felled, the stockades
burnt ; and on April 6 the place was abandoned, and
the force returned to Koomrukhotta, to be broken
up into detachments and go into quarters for the
rains, in barracks which are now being built for'
them at Rungeeah and otherplaces. It is to be feared
that the troops will suffer much from fever here.
The rains have not yet fully come, and yet the num-
ber of sick is appalling. The 29th Punjabees, 600
strong, have 140 men in hospital ; the company of
Sappers, 90 strong, has 37 men sick, and so on.
"It has still to be determined whether the
Bhooteas or we have lost the more 011 this side of
their country. On the one hand, they said, If
you do not give us the tribute you have hitherto
given us we must take its value ;' so tht ly turned us
out of Dewangari, built stockades at the mouths of
the passes to cover their foraging parties, burnt and
destroyed all the neighbOuring villages, carried off
very large supplies of grain and many hued redhead
of cattle into the interior,then burnt their stockades
and retired, having in the meanwhile, caused us at
great cost to bring down some of our best regiments
to die of jungle fever in the Dooars. On the opther
hand, we have taken and destroyed Dewangari and
killed some 400 of their men, at a co st to ourselves
of about one-fourth that number. D, )es the balance
hang even? 4, R. E."

- -
A GALLANT SAILOR'S REWARD. —Ed-1,7 d Cleary,
the soldier, who saved the lives of tho captain. and crow of
the Govindpore, during the cyclone at Calcutta, last Sep-
tember, has been presented with the Royal Hun tano So-
ciety's gold medal. Its-presentation, along with son. '° other
gifts, was mado by the Lieutenant-Governor in Bengal,
in
preseeico of tho Viceroy, and a number of spectator,
Times of India.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.