The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-13 00:00:00

LITEBAT U R R.

The Pcirsis ;or Modern Zerdusthians. A Sketch.
By Henry George Briggs, author of " The Cities,
of Jugarashtra. Oliver and Boyd.
An interesting account of the present condi.
tion of the children of Iran—the fire-worshippers--
endeared to the lovers of Moore, by his noble pox_
trait of Hafed.

Ireland : An Inquiry into the Social Condition of
the Country, with Suggestions for its Improve.

meat. By Daniel Keshan. Chapman.
A little work, well worthy of attention, in which,
among other things, the further formation of rail-
ways, and the development of all means for exer-
cising Irish industry, are justly set forth as the
principal means for promoting the prosperity of
Ireland.

The Prize Treatise on the Fine Arts Section of the
Great Exhibition of 1851, submitted to the So-
ciety of Arts in competition for their Medal. By
Henry Weeks, A.R.A. Vizetelly.

Although published so late in the day, this being
the Prize Treatise on the Fine Arts of the Exhibi-
tion, will be perused with interest by many. In
the course of his observations, the author justly
remarks that in the present day, having printing
to help us to spread knowledge, we are apt to un-
deriate the influence of painting and sculpture in
former ages in educating the people. By their
ministry the beautiful incidents of Christianity were►
imprinted indelibly in the hearts of the people ; and
in still earlier times, amid the horrors of Paganism,
Art was even then the handmaid of virtue. In the
'delineation of Silenus and the Satyrs was verified
the truth that the indulgence of sensuality levelled
men with the beasts of the field. In these and
many other of his reflections, Mr. Weeks has fully
justified the choice of the awarders of the prize.

Freedom and Independence for the Gold Lands of
Australia. By J. Dunmore Lang, D.D., A.M.
Longmans.

Dr. Lang, who was recently one of the Represen,
tatives of the city of Sydney in the Legislative
Council of New South Wales, has just published a
comprehensive history of that country, to which
work we shall take an early opportunity of referring;
and, in addition to that labour, he has in the
volume before us, which has been evidently a labour
of love, set forth in very logical reasoning and very
eloquent terms the right of our colonies to inde-
pendence—enforcing his plea by the example of a
child arrived at years of maturity being exempted
from parental control. We commend the volume
very earnestly to the public attention. Its justice
will be admitted by the majority ; but the conclu-
sion of that majority will, in all probability, be
that the time for Australian independence is not
yet come—the child is not yet able to dispense with.
the parent's protection.

The Gold Discoveries and their Probable Conse-
quences. By Patrick James Stirling, F.R.S.E.,
author of " Philosophy of Trade." Oliver and
Boyd.

This work being " an inquiry into the laws
which determine the value and the distribution of
the precious metals, with historical notices of the
effects of the American mines on European prices,
in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth cen-e
turies," will be especially welcome to the political
economist and those interested in the currency
question. To all, it will prove more or less attrac-
tive, seeing that all are concerned in the results
to which it alludes. Mr. Stirling considers that,
" should gold continue to be supplied to us for a.
few years longer, at the present unparalleled rate,
it seems impossible to doubt that the consequence
will be a great social and commercial revolution—
a disturbance of the relations and distribution of
property—not unlike what took place in England
in the reign of Elizabeth. Six years ago, the
annual produce of gold and silver did not much
exceed twelve millions sterling ; last year it was
twenty-seven ; now it is forty."

The Chemistry of Gold. Orr and Co.

The new number of "Readings in Popular
Literature " is the " Gold-Seeker's Chemical
Guide," which treats of the chemistry of gold,
with modes of mining, washing, and assaying gold
ores, and gives hints for distinguishing them from
similar substances found in connexion with them.
This little volume is by J. Scoffern, M. 8., and
is illustrated most profusely with engravings of the
various fossils and other matters which it describes.

Letters from ire/and. By Harriet Martineau.
John Chapman.
___ _

These letters were originally published in the
Daily News, and are now reprinted in a compact
form. They give an interesting account of the in-
cidents of a visit to Ireland, as they presented
themselves to Miss Harriet Martineau, together
with that lady's opinions on the subject of Ireland.

Parker's Discourses on Religion. John Chapman.
This is the last volume of Mr. Chapman's " Ca-
tholic (or universal) Series," in which he has pub-
lished many American and German works on
theology by men of different creeds, but works
many of them worthy of attention. The present
volume contains some discourses by Theodore
Parker, minister of the second church in Roxburg,
Massachusetts. In the conclusion of this work are
some remarks on practical Christianity, which
might with advantage be considered by many
Christians ; among whom, however, the author, we
fear, cannot be numbered, although so fully alive
to the moral beauty of Christianity.

Magic and Witchcraft.
Chapman and Hall's " Reading for Travellers "
gives us this month a sketch of some of the curiosi-
ties of Diablerie, the history of which is yet to be
written. The author justly remarks, that " a
grand error, and such alone as can at any time essen-
tially affect the opinions of mankind in general, is
ever the imitation or caricature of some grand
truth."

The Musical Bouquet. Sheard, High Holborn.
We rarely notice cheap musical periodicals
—the printing and getting up being generally-
of the kind not acceptable in drawing-rooms ;
but a volume of the Musical Bouquet has acci-
dentally come under our notice, and we are so
pleased with its contents in every way, that
we feel bound to cordially recommend it to
our musical readers. The printing is not in,
the unsightly type usually adopted in this order
of publications, but of first-class character in its
appearance, and the paper is better than much
that we have turned over even in full-priced.
The compositions selected are sterling and popular,
including old and new masters—Mozart, Beethoven,
Calcott, Arne, Weber, Meyerbeer, Donizetti, and
others, down to Henry Russell—are faithfully given.
and we can heartily recommend this cheap musical
periodical to all who wish for sterling productions
at a very moderate cost.

SURRENDER OF A MIIRDERER.--In the Sun, of thThorn laseyh,
atgthbeeepnoilimce
implicated
teSdtainly4a-
committed in 1847. TheP
substance
4th instant, appeared an account of the surrender
of e
murderbmr ai
bridge,
gnamed;w nearh which
cßho
wb
Manchester,ea rs t
of his statement was, that he had improper intimacy
with the wife of a man named James Brooks at Godley,
near Hyde, and that he procuredt her
e some arsenic, at
.suddernl
y,toahnedr husband in
hersnm erepquudedinst,gw. hißchrnnskhes
daided
body, and the jury decided that he had,
of a hurt in the head which he had
,awchololimerar.
rdweiacesdeihvfreenlddmwothnheetlineeviiffeocrkting
this statement, the Nvomasan married
the strength
after the murder w
body weregthsooenf
exhumed,
arrested. The rema ns of Brook's
_ and examined by Mr. Alcock,
surgeon ; but as he was unable to detect the presence
Poison, the accused
was discharged. But Mr. Alcock.
subsequently
_analysed another portion of the remains
that was less decayed, and he then found arsenic in large
quantities. This discovery was communicated to Mr.
Little, the high constable, who ordered the woman to
be again apprehended ; and on Saturday last Mr. Little
took a portion of the remains to Mr. Crace Calvert, pro-
fessor of chemistry in Manchester, for that gentleman to
analyse. Thornley and his wife were examined before
the magistrates on Monday last, but were remanded nn
_.
order to give time for the production of further evi d ee
distin-
THE FORCE OF IMAGINATION.—BuckIand, the
secting
guished geologist, one day gave a dinner, afterd many of the
a Mississipi alligator, having asked a good
him His
most distinguished of his classes to dine with
good style and
house and all his establishment were
.1 r
table looked
The dinne
taste. His guests congregated.
and plate, and the meal
splendidly, with glass, china, a ~ now do you like
commenced with excellent sou.
having finished his
the soup ?" asked the doctor, aleourmand of the day.
own plate, addressing a faro
red the other ; " turtle is it
very good, indeed, W-
ang
I do not find any green fat."
not ? I only ask because I
of a musky ,‘ I think it has somewhat
'The doctor shook
said another : " not unpleasant but
peculiar." A
tastii,, his hea
a' lligators have," replied Buckland ;
culiarly so. The fellow whom I dis-
e cayman pe
• g, a,nd whom you have just been eat-
sected this mornin
general routof
" There was a the whole guests.
in -- turned pale. Half-a-dozen started up from
Every one
the
table.
Two or three ran out of the room, and only
those who had stout stomachs remained to the close of
an excellent entertainment. " See what imagination is"
said Buckland. "If I told them it was turtle, or terra-
pin, or birds'-nest soup, salt water amphilia or fresh, or
the gluten of a fish from the maw of a sea bird, they
would have pronounced it excellent, and their digestion
been none the worse. Such is prejudice." "But was it
really an aligator ?" asked a laxly. "As good a calf's
head as ever wore a coronet," answered Buckland.—
Anecdotea of Professor Buckland.

h•••
THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR OXFORD.
ADJOURNED INQUEST.

OXFORD, 3AN. 12.
Earauel Stringer, a poulterer, was called, and stated
that he was at the bottom of Rackham's-lane at the time
of the accident, and observed the lights of the two trains.
Not knowing that only one line was used, and therefore
not anticipating the collieion, he had not particularly
noticed the lights, and he supposed that they were the
erigine fire*.
John Harris, of St. Ebbes, carpenter, stated that he
arrived at the scene of the accident shortly after the col-
lison, but he deposed to no new facts of importance.
Jesse Pinfold stated---I am a policeman on the London
and Worth-Western Railway. On Monday week I was
on duty at the Wolvercot tunnel. I saw the coal train
come in. I was then at the Islip end of the tunnel.
This was at half-past five o'clock. I signalled them that
the line was all right. The trains had two engines.
aboiL engine had a blue buffer light in front, and a white
light on each side. The guard's van had three lights—
two blue in front and one red behind. My duty is
merely to see that the tunnel is clear for the passing of
trains. The coal train was passing at the rate of four
miles an hour on the night of the accident.
John Francis—l am a policeman on the North-
Western Railway. I was on duty at the Wolvercot
tunnel on Monday night week, and stationed at the Ox-
ford end of it, when the coal train arrived. I passed at
half-past five. The engine had a blue light on the buffer
plank. I saw a red light behind the break van. I was
stooping to hold the points while the train passed, and
did not notice any other lights. A person can distin-
guish the colour of the lights at the Oxford station when
he stands at the Wttvercot tunnel.
Mr. Hester thought that after the evidence of this
witness, the statement of the witness Francis Cooper,
Who said that he noticed the colours of the lights on the
"engines from Rackhara's-corner, would not appear so
ivcredible as it had at first sight seemed to the minds of
tho coroner sad of some other gentlemen present.
wao now half-past eight o'clock, and the inquiry
was akdjourned till this afternoon.
The jury re-assembled at one o'clock this afternoon,
end proceeded to the Radcliffe Infirmary, St. Giles's,
Oxford, where they examined—
John Briscoe, who deposed—l am house surgeon at
the Radcliffe Infirmary, and was at the scene of the ac-
cident on Monday week soon after six o'clock. I was
the first medical man that reached the spot. On my
way I met a railway carriage on the line that was being
pushed along. It contained a number of persons who
had been injured. I also met some men carrying Samuel
Wilcox, who was taken to the infirmary. I went on
to the place of the accident, and found a number of per-
sons there burning lights, and several persons with lan-
terns. I saw the body of a man lying under the wreck,
and I pulled it out. It was quite dead. It was taken
to Sides's. The face was missing, but was afterwards
found. Eleven persons were brought to the infirmary.
Wilcox is the only one who has died. He died early on
Tuesday morning from the injuries which he had re-
ceived. A man named Williams and two boys are able
to be seen if the jury desire it. All the others are going
on favourably with one exception, the senior Faulkner,
who is not worse.
On the return of the coroner and jury to the inquest-

room,
Captain Wynne, the Government inspector, called the
attention of the coroner to a rule among the regulations
of the railway company for the guidance of station-
masters, which was to the effect that every officer in
charge of the station was answerable for the offices and
buildings of the company and the property there, and
and also that he was responsible for the faithful and
efficient discharge of the duties devolving upon all the
company's servants at the station.
James Kirby : I am the conductor of the omnibus
which takes passengers from the Star and Angel Inn,
Oxford, to the North-Western Railway station. On the
afternoon of Monday week I was employed in taking
passengers to the Oxford station, who were to go by the
5.30 train. I went on the platform. We got there
about six minutes before the time for starting the
train (5.40). I saw Sergeant Gwynne near the office
door on the platform. I went out before the train started,
and Gwynne closed the large outer doors of the station.
While I was on the platform I did not see anything of
Kinch. I did not leave the station, but waited for the
Arrival of the six o'clock train. While I was waiting I heard
of the accident. Two young gentlemen came running on
to the platform without their hats, and wanted a cab to
take them to the High-street. They got into my omni-
bus, and I drove them to the High-street. I came back
to the station again as quickly as possible. I then saw
Mr. Blott on the platform. He came running up to me,
and desired me to get flys or cabs, or any other convey-
ance, to fetch all the doctors I possibly could. Mr. Blott
took a fly that was near, and I went with him to show
the driver the way to Mr. Symond's, surgeon, in Beau-
mont-street. We afterwards went to Mr. Hussey's, the
burgeon. We took the two medical men. to the railway
station. I then had orders to take charge of the station
doors, and not to allow anybody but the doctors to
enter. I afterwards took three injured persons to
the infirmary in my omnibus. I again returned to
the station, when I received orders to go with the
omnibus to Strathfield Brake. I took Kinch, the guard,
in my omnibus to Strathfiehl Brake. He had a hand-
kerchief tied round his head. We went to the Star to get
another pair of horses, and while waiting there Mr.
Griffiths wished Kinch to take something to drink. I
asked him what he would have ; but he mumbled some-
thing that I could nat understand. Mr. Griffiths said
that a little warm brandy and water would do him good,
and sent him out a glass. I did not see Kinch drink it,
for there was such a crowd round the omnibus. After
,the waiter left I asked Kinch how he felt, and he
answered, " Put the break on, and go steady." He
appeared as if he was not sensible, and said to the
driver of my omnibus, " I am blessed if Joe ain't gone
off his head—he is just like Old Hughes," who used to
be our conductor. From his incoherent speech I judged
that he was insensible. At Summertown we stopped
at the King's Arms, and some one brought out a glass
of brandy and water. I don't know whether Kinch
drank it. We got to Stratfield Brake, and I helped
.Kinch out of the omnibus. He seemed as if he was
" staggerified." (Laughter.) He could not walk with-
out help. He was then put into the train, and I saw no
more of him. My impression of Kinch's state was, that
he did not know where he was, or what he was saying.
Thomas Camps examined—l am a surgeon at Stoney
Stratford, and am a member of the Society of Friends.
I affirm that I saw Joseph Kinch about half-past eight
o'clock on the morning of Tuesday week. He was at
his own house at Bletchley, and in bed. I found him
suffering from injury which he had sustained on the left
side of his head, and from bruises on the thigh, the
arms+, and other parts of the body. I did not inquire
minutely into the cause of his injuries, but Kinch, I be-
lieve, said, "We ran into a coal train." I think he was
then in such a state that I could rely upon the answers
that he gave. I did not see anything to lead me to
think otherwise. H. appeared quite conscious of what
he said. The wound on the head was not serious, but
we are not to judge of the nature or extent of such
an injury from the external character of the wound,
as sometimes serious and even fatal injury is sus-
tained to the head without any great external indica-
btions of it. When persons sustain serious injuries on
the head it frequently happens that the head is in a state
which renders them quite unconscious of what they
are saying, or which may cause them to forget all that has
previously taken place. It does not, therefore, follow
from what Kinch said to me that he might not have been
in a very different state before I saw him. I was not
sent for on the night of the accident. My conversation
with him on the next morning was almost wholly pro-
fessional. There are states of unconsciousness arising
from conousesion or injuries to the head which strongly
resemble the effects of intoxication. You will find many
illustrations of this fact in Abercrombie's " Moral and
Intellectual Powers." [The witness here quoted an ex-
tract from the life of a German clergyman, bearing out
his opinion.] I consider that Kinch's injury to the head
was sustained when he was in a state of strong mental
excitement ; but of course I cannot say what the effect
was upon his mind at the time, as I did not see him till
the next morning.

Mr. Jones, 36 juryman, said that perhaps he could
throw some light on this question. Some time ago his
own son sustained a fracture of the skull when at a con-
siderable distance from his home. The medical men
who were called in were inquiring where he lived, and
one person was guessing one place and another another,
when at length the sufferer himself said, "Oxford,"
which was the right place. Sixteen hours afterwards,
however, when spoken to on the subject, he had entirely
forgotten what he had said before, and knew nothing of
what had taken place.
Mr. Camp, surgeon, continued—The symptoms when
I saw Kinch were not such as to indicate that the injury
had been a severe one.

William Todd examined—l am a painter employed al

the Great Western Railway Station. I went up to the
~-.. N: :{, ene of the accident, on Monday week, between a guar-
( *-- -:'.'•• I-, i'i itn six and six o'clock. I saw some of the company's
)::ii\, -' ants there Kinch was then standing on the line
z, .: - •
V ' ' \I .. .• the tender of the second coal engine. He had
~',..;.
. pl 4 hand, but leant say whether •it was
•,....., - \r,
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