The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-17 00:00:00

VNZ ONOZ1114;

MlLLl3A.n.—Yesterday Mr. Bedford held thqui6i4
on three more persons who died from Asiatic cholera in.
the Millbank Penitentiary, making 20 deaths In the
whole from the disease within the walls of that prison.
The first inquiry was into the death of Oliver Pendle-
bary, aged 50, who was admitted into the gaol on the
25th of May for four years' penal servitude, having been
convicted of robbery after he bad been dismissed as a
ticket-of-leave man from Portland Prison, where he lied
been confined under a sentence of 17 years' transp.rta-
tine. The unfortunate man was seized very suddenly
with the attack while in school, and, upon being con-
veyed to the infirmary, the usual symptoms of Asiatic
cholera set in, and he died the same night from the
disease. Mr. Attfield, the resident surgeon, said that
the disease, although there were cases every day, had
abated 10 per cent. That part of the prison—viz.; pen-
tagons 1 and 2—where most of the patients came from,
had bet-n entirely vacated and closed up. Everything
was, in fact, being done by the authorit:es to prevent
the spread of theavful scourge, and with that object the
prisoners were being continually moved to country
quarters. About 400 had already been sent to Dorches-
ter Gaol, and upwards of 300 more were going to be
forwarded also to Dorchester to occupy the barracks as
well as the prison. The diet, under the direction of Dr.
Baly, had been entirely changed, and two ounces of
rum were given to each inmate every day. Verdicts of
death from Asiatic cholera were returned in the two
cases. _

The low parts of St. Clement Danes have long been
uneeer;ably .orious as one dour chief Lonion strong-
holds of fever and cholera' and admirable have been too
outposts by which it has been defended from the access
of cleanliness and health. To the west the slaughter-
houses and r tting garbage of Clare-market, and to the
north the plethora of corruption bursting out at every
pore from the over-fed grave yard in Portugal-street
(only recently closed), have maintained for many years
a manufactory of death on the largest scale. And who-
ever will penetrate into the interior recesses of this sad
region may discover for himself how perfect are all the
arrangements for securing the largest possible amount
of unhealthiness and filth. A labyrinth of lanes, alleys,
and courts twists and winds and writhes its ugly net-
work over a space of ground scarcely larger than the
open gardens of Liuceln'e-innefields —a spece which, had
it been built upon in accordance with the laws of health
and sense, should not have contained a quarter of the
buildings that are now crowded on it. Alleys turn out
of alleys and coults out of courts. Dusky passages,
between overhanging and blackened walls, wind out of
and into one another at every third step, as though their
main object was to " dodge" the extereal air and
shut it
out by the intricacy of their convolutions. sigh above
the pavement soar the foul and crumbling walls, blink-
ing, like dens .ged human faces, with their shattered
windows, half blind with dirt, and flutteriteg with
coloured rags and paper ; arid, leaning towards one
another overhead, as if in a sort of drunken foedeess, or
as though the universal st geation and indolence of the
place had deprived the very houses of enerey enough to
keep themselves upright, the tall roofs and craggy stacks
of chimneys still further bar out the upper light and air.
A CANDIDATE FOR THE CHOLERA Considerable
consternation has been caused amongst the ishabi-
tants of the Lower Marsh, Lambeth, Granby-street,
and the surrounding districts, in consequence of the
following appalling discovery, whi •h, had it not been
made when it was, might have been the means of
spreading the cholera, or some other frightful disease,
amongst a number of poor families. From what
can be gleaned, it appears that a female, named S phis
Payne, had for some time past resided at No. 53,
Granby-place, New-cut, and was supposed to get her
living at shoe binding. She was of :mete an eccen-
tric manner that she scarcely ever spoke to any of
her neighbours. During the last few days she was sud-
denly missed from passing to or from her habitation, and,
her room remaining fastened, various; rumours acre soon
in circulation in the neighbourhood, so that it was deemed
advisable to call in the assistance of the police. No. 55 of
the L division was therefore sent for, and upon his
knocking at the door and demanding admission, it
was at first refused ; but on his threatening to break
the doer in, it was at length opened, when the ~fficer
was nearly prostrated by a fearful stench that arose from
the room. The woman .tepeared to bd brea;hing nearly
her last. Dr. Dud was promptly scut for, but he
requested the officer to open the window and sprinkle
chloride of lime over the floor, as the stench was 1 retidicial
to any one entering the place. Those preliminaries Laving
been done, the room eas found in such a horrible state
that it would be difficult to describe it, and the woman,
who had apparently been trying to starve herself
to death, was completely covered with vermin, and
could scarcely breathe. Not fewer than sixteen live
cats and three live dogs were in the place, whilst
the skins and skeletons of a great number of other
cats and dogs were found, either sticking to the floor or
piled up in different parts of the wretched hovel.. Dr.
Dod having temporarily attended to the woman, she was
removed to Lambeth Workhouse, but she is in such a
reduced condition that little hopes can be entertained of
her recovery. The authorities, apprehensive of an out-
break of cholera, at once adopted measures for purifying
the court by means of limewash, &c., and the room has
been cleared of the dead cats and dogs.
THE CHOLERA IN EsSEX.—The Essex Herald says :
We regret to state that this malignant ec,,urge has
visited Essex with all its untamed virulence. On Friday
week it first male itself apparent in Epping Union-
, house, and since that time no fewer than 16 inmates
have died, and five of them since Friday night. In
Romford Union-house, too, the disease has made its
appearance, six cases haring occurred there last week ;
and deaths have taken place at Dagenham and Ilford.
CHOLERA IN GLASGOW.—The epidemic has spread
still more widely since our last. On Thursday there
were 34 cases in the City Parish, 11 in the Barony, and
2in G. ;on Friday, 19 cases in the City Parish, 16
in the Barony, 12 in the Govan ; on Saturday and
Sabbath, 44 in the City Parish, 16 in the Barony, and
7in the Govan. On Thursday there were altogether
22 deaths reported ; on Friday, 19 ; and on Saturday
and Sabbath, 19.—Seittise Guardian.

PAISLICY.—In Charleston, a large suburb situated on
tieing ground to the south of Paisley, a good deal of ex-
citement and alarm prevail in consequence of several
cases of cholera having occurred there within the last
day or two. On Saturday and yesterday there were no
fewer than four cases in one family, that of a man named
White. This man's wife and one chili died on Satur-
day ; a son, of about 12 years of ate, died yesterday ;
and a daughter was so ill yesterday afternoon that no
hopes of her recovery were entertained. The locality
where these cases have occurred suffered very severely,
it will be remembered, on a previous visitation of cho-
lera.—North British M ail.