The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-16 00:00:00

THAMES.

Six boys, named Thomas Haggerty, Charles
Macarthy, John Cassidy, Charles Farrell, Thomas
Reardon, and Thos. Dogherty, sons of Irish parents,
whose ages varied between thirteen and seventeen,
were brought before Mr. Secker, charged with steal-
ing rope on the Thames.
It appeared from the evidence of Inspectors Fox,
Griffin, and Bridges, of the Thames police, that
organized gangs of boys were constantly prowling
about the river and pilfering anything they could lay
their hands on, and that they hired boats for the pur-
pose of carrying on their depredations, between sun-
set and sunrise.
Numerous convictions had taken place at the
police-courts, and at the sessions, but the number of
young thieves did not appear to diminish.
The prisoners were detected, at an early hour on
Sunday morning, in the pool, in two boats, with a
quantity of rope which they had pilfered. One boat
containing Haggerty, Macarthy, and Cassidy, con-
tained the rope tender belonging to the Pike schooner,
which had been cut away, in the ccurse of the night,
and was identified by the mate of the vessel. The
remainder of the rope could not be identified.
The officers stated that all the prisoners had been
summarily convicted, and some of them had been in
custody again very recently on suspicion. Dogherty's
last conviction took place in July, 1847.
The prisoners generally conducted themselves in a
very audacious manner, and said the River police
would not let them get an honest living.
Mr. SECKER said the police could not hinder them
from doing that, and they would find it to their ad-
vantage to return to honest courses. It was lament-
able that so many young thieves should be in the
dock charged with serious offences, and it was painful
for him to deal with such cases. He must visit all
the prisoners with further punishment. He sentenced
Haggerty, Macarthy, and Cassidy each to two months'
imprisonment and hard labour, Farrell to one month,
Reardon to twenty-one days, and Dogherty, who had
not been heard of for eighteen months, to seven days'
imprisonment only.

THE TOOTING CHOLERA CASES.
Mr. Wakley held an inquest yesterday, at Chelsea
workhouse, on five children named Kellick, Ridgway,
Hartley, Ingar, and Pollington, removed from Mr.
Drouet's pauper establishment at Tooting, where they
had died of cholera. In the course of the proceedings it
wits elicited that the Chelsea guardians have 105 pauper
children still at Tooting, and that ten children from
Chelsea had died at Mr. Drouet's.
The CORONER observed that he had heard very bad ac-
counts.—Mr. Popham said that there had been no true
case of cholera at Tooting since Saturday ; the cases
were mostly consecutive fever. The Coroner—How
many deaths have you had at Tooting altogether ? Mr.
Popham—Over 100. I cannot exactly say. The Coroner
—Yes, a great many more than that—more than 130.
Mr. Popham—The number of deaths there have been in
the ratio of lin 2/ of those attacked. The Coroner—
How many parishes have their children at the Tooting
establishment now? Mr. Drouet replied that there were
the children of only three parishes now with him, viz , St.
Georges-in-the-East, St. Luke's, Chelsea, and Clerken-
well. All the remainder belonging to other parishes
were the sick.
John Kellick examined—Was a labourer, and now an
inmate of Chelsea workhouse. His two children were
sent to Tooting from that workhouse about nine weeks
back. They were then as healthy girls as they could
wish to see. The age of the elder child was eleven
years, and that of the deceased nine years. He visited
them first at Tooting about six weeks back, and then
was more satisfied with their appearance than when in
Chelsea workhouse. When he saw the children he was
not allowed to see them in private. The children were
seat out into the lodge to see him, and the porter and
some other officers of the establishment were there.—
By the Coroner—l did not ask to be permitted to see
them privately and alone. I again saw them on my last
monthly Sunday out, and I then asked them if they had
sufficient to eat there, and they answered "No." I took
them down three allowances of pudding, which my wife
had bought here, and two allowances of bread and butter,
and although the children had just had their dinner
they were so hungry that they ate the whole of it.
They said they did not get enough to eat there, and they
wished they were at home, meaning back at the Chelsea
workhouse. I did not complain to the Chelsea guardians
that my children had not enough to eat at Tooting. Had
I done so I might have met with worse treatment than I
have done. When I went the second time I found that
as well as not having had enough to eat the younger one
was eaten up with the itch. I was there last Sunday
week, and then thought my children looked well; but
that was the time they were dying. On the following
Thursday I received notice that my child was ill, and on
going to Tooting the same day I found the deceased in
one of the sick wards, and very sadly. I remained in
the ward with her for two hours. I have been down
there several times since. I saw no medical gentleman
attend upon my child, or any other, all the time I was
there. Mr. Kite—Do you mean to say you never saw
me? Witness—Yes, I saw you and that gentleman (Mr.
Popham), but not attending my child. I think there
were about fifteen children in the ward where my child
was. Coroner—Did you ask to see the medical men
about your child? Witness—l did not. lam positive
I saw no medicine administered either by the nurses
or the medical men. When I came back I sent in a
petition with four others, to the board, to say that we
would find lodgings for our children in the parish, if
the guardians would let them come away from Tooting,
and Lind them in food. The answer was, that the guar-
dians had decided that the children should all remain at
Tooting, and it could not be allowed, The foreman—
Do you know if there is any complaint of the food at
Tooting now? Witness—No, there is not. The children
say they have plenty of food now, since this has broken
out. The Coroner—lf the guardians have allowed their
children to remain at Tooting, no doubt they had good
reason for doing so. In doing so, however, they must
be aware they have involved themselves in a vast amount
of responsibility. It is not assumed that a wrong has
been done; but, if there has, it will be a portion of the
duty of the jury to investigate who are the authors of
that wrong.
Maria Inger said she was the mother of the deceased
Sarah Ingar, and saw her dio at the Tooting Asylum at
four o'clock on Saturday morning last, after an illness of
twenty-four hours. She had great pains and cramps in
the stomach, and had mustard poultices and other reme-
dies applied, and medicines administered by the medical
gentleman. Deceased had been at Tooting about eight
weeks, and on remarking that she looked very pale the
last time she saw her, she complained that she was kept
out in a cold yard. By the Coroner—l saw her in the
lodge, but I had no opportunity of speaking to her in
private. I did not notice that she was scantily clothed
except about the neck and shoulders. On Friday night,
after she was taken ill, I asked her if she had sufficient
food, and she said, " No, mother; I did not get food
enough," and she then told me she had. bought bread of
one of the nurses, with some halfpence 'I had given her.
On the Friday evening nothing was given her but brandy
and water.
Mr. William Horn Popham deposed that he was a
member of the Royal College of Surgeons. He had
attended the deceased, George Hartley from Tuesday
last, when he was first attacked, until the time of his
death, on the morning of Friday last, the 12th instant.
His case presented all the usual symptoms of cholera,
and he died in a state of collapse. By the Coroner—
Witness was sent to the Tooting establishment by the
board of directors of the poor of St. Pancras, at the
suggestion of the Board of Health, to attend the boys
belonging to the parish. Ho saw also most of the other
patients, as he went occasionally into all the other
wards, as well as that in which the St. Pancras children
were placed. Mr. Baillie, Mr. Penn, and Mr. Phillips
were also surgeons in attendance on the children.
Mr. WALKEY then, addressing Mr. Popham, said—
You have now, Mr. Popham, been called to prove the
c:yu,sebuotf tbhye
andd
eathbyof
yoonue owfiltlhbeedefcueratsbeedr,
examined
eeHd Hart-
ley,
upon to state what is your opinion as to the cause
of this calamity; and it is therefore essentially neces-
sary that you should be present during the whole of the
inquiry, so that you may know and make yourself ac-
eqvuiadienntoeedgwivitehmall the facts of the case developed by the
Mr. Popham said he was desirous of explaining one
circumstance, which was rather important. Amongst
the facts which have gone forward before the public,
Mr. Grainger, in his evidence given at the inquest held
on Friday last, at the Free Hospital, stated that the pa-
tients had lain five in a bed. He (Mr. Po sham) had
given Mr. Grainger that information under an erroneous
impression that it was a fact, but he had subsequently
a5l-ertained, that where he supposed that to be the case,
it was a fact that a board had been placeed between two
beds for the purpose of making an additional bed for a
patient, which made it appear that five were in a bed.
Thp CORONER then observed that the inirtiry hail
how tlie point et which it w,),114:1 be Lt..,
should be adjourned. There would be two questions
into which they would have to inquire. The first was
as to how this calamity had originated, and, secondly,

as to non-removal of the children belonging to Chelsea
from Tooting, which would require to be most fully
gone into; and he supposed that some of the members
of the board of guardians would, ut the proper time, be
able to state the reasons which induced them to deter-
mine on con'inning them there to the present time.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and, after
a lapse of about half an hour, the public were re-ad-
mitted, when,

The CORONZR said it would be necessary that this
inquest should be adjourned until after that held at the
Free Hospital was concluded, so as to prevent the two
clashing together. He proposed to take the Free Hos-
pital inquest on Tuesday and Wednesday next, and it
would no3t probably be held on the following Tuesday.
He would, therefore, suggest that this inquiry should be
adjourned until after that time.

The Foreman of the jury (Mr. Martin) said they had
found that the board of guardians had up to the present
time sent no medical man to take the especial care of the
children belonging to that parish, and the jury had in
consequence of that fact, while the room had been closed,
at the suggestion of the Coroner, resolved to suggest to
the guardians present their unanimous wish that the
children now remaining :at Tooting should be removed
home to Chelsea.

Mr. Fielder (Vice-Chairman of the Board of Guar-
dians) rather warmly advocated the course the board
had adopted in keeping the children at Tooting.
, Mr. Ryder (the Chairman) said he would tell the fore-
man and the jury why the board had come to the con-
clusion they had done. They believed that the outbreak
had been caused by the excessive overcrowding of the
establishment, and the want of proper ventilation ; and
there being after the removal of the other children
plenty of room and plenty of nurses and medical men in
attendance, which was not the case at first, they deter-
mined oa the non-removal of the Chelsea children. The
children had also now food of a superior quality, and the
board were, therefore, of opinion that as they could not
find any place in Chelsea in which upwards of 100 per-
sons could be placed, it would be better to keep them
where they were at present.
A juryman said he bad seen a family of five children
a day or two since which had come from Tooting, and
such objects he had never before seen, for they appeared
half starved.—The inquiry was then adjourned.
In St. Pancras yesterday, Mr. Mills resumed the in-
quiry upon the cases of the children brought from Toot-
ing, who died in St. Pancras Workhouse. The inqaest
was again adjourned.

The following are the official reports forwarded to the
Board of Health with respect to the continuance of the
cholera at Tooting and elsewhere:—
" Surrey-hall, Tooting, Jan. 15.

Death from cholera
Deaths from the consecutive fever of cholera ...

Under treatment ... 84
Convalescent ... ... 79
" No new cases of cholera have occurred, but there
are two of disordered bowels.

" W. J. KITE, Resident Surgeon."

The following is the report of Mr. Bird, the surgeon
of St. Pancras Cholera Hospital, to the directors of the
poor, yesterday:—
" Temporary Hospital, St. Pancras, Jan. 15.
"I am happy to have again to make a very favourable
report as to the children; there have been no fresh cases
or deaths, and upon the whole there seems to be a gene-
ral improvement.

" The three patients reported last in a state of collapse
have passed from that stage of the disorder, and, I think,
with every appearance of teir ultimate recovery.
" Number attacked ... ... 128
Deaths ...
Remaining under treatment ...
Collapse
Convalescent

... 10

•... 109
" HENRY BIRD, Surgeon."
The report received from Touting from Mr. Popham,
the medical officer sent down thither by the parish of St.
Pancras, is as follows:
" Mr. Drouet's Establishment, Tooting, Jan. 15.

" I am happy to say that the improvemen6 in the state
of affairs at Mr. Drouet's establishment has been so greet
as not to require my attendance there after to morrow.
There is not a single case of cholera now in the esta-
blishment. " W. H. POPHAM."

THE FIRE IN LINCOLN'S INN.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
No fire that has occurred in the metropolis since the one
at Paper-buildings, in the Temple, about eleven years
ago, has created greater interest than that of Sunday
morning last, in New square, Lincoln's Inn-fields. The
oldest firemen can scarcely remember a fire of similar
magnitude burning for so long a period. Although the
engines were kept at work during the whole of Sunday
night and yesterday, there remained at seven o'clock last
evening a considerable body of fire in the basement, and
also in the walls of the building. The engines were
obliged, at that hour, to be kept at work upon the ruins.
During yesterday forenoon, whilst the firemen were em-
ployed upon this fire, a number of parties came running
with information that another had broken out in Chan-
cery-lane. One of the engines was immediately taken
there, when it was ascertained that some of the burning
flakes had been wafted by the wind upon the roof of the
Law Chambers, No. 77, in the lane, and having melted
the gutter plate, had come in contact with the timber
underneath, and fired the roof. When the brigade ar-
rived the flames were raging with such fury that the
two roofs at the least were in great danger of being
consumed. With the aid, however, of plenty of water,
the fire was extinguished, but not before considerable
damage was done by fire and water.
During yesterday Mr. Braidwood, the Superintendent
of the London Fire Establishment, was on the ruins,
giving directions to the firemen and superintending the
removal of what property could be found. An inspec-
tion of the place was also made, with the view of ascer-
taining the cause of the disaster, but up to the present
time without the least success. Mr. Loder, the head
engineer of the Farringdon-street Brigade, has been en-
gaged during the whole day in searching after deeds and
other documents known to be within the ruins, and
where they were sufficiently cooled to allow of search
being made, many things of considerable value have been
recovered.
The deeds and important documents lost are enormous,
although the firemen were enabled, during yesterday
morning to rescue from the ruins a vast number of papers
and useful documents belonging to Messrs. Jones, Bate-
man, and Bennett. Not fewer than nine of Marr's fire-
proof boxes were taken outlof the basement, where they
had fallen from the first floor, and upon opening them
the deeds and other documents were found uninjured.
This is exceedingly fortunate, as the papers had refer-
ence to property of considerable value. The account-
books belonging to the same firm, with several drawers,
filled with important writings, have been taken out of
the premises slightly injured, but a great number of tin
boxes, containing legal parchments, &c., have been en-
tirely destroyed.
The firm of Messrs. Jones, Bateman, and Bennett—
one of the oldest and most extensive in the Inn—have
strong grounds for supposing that some of the deeds,
&c., left in their custody, will be recovered.
Mr. Peter Erie has also succeeded, with the aid of the
firemen, in recovering many papers and important docu-
ments. The moment Mrs Justice Erie heard of the
misfortune he hastened to the scene, and accompanied
his brother into the ruins, where they assisted in the
, rescue of several documents.
Mr. Hudson, one of the gentlemen on the basement
floor, was insured for 300/. in the West of England Fire
Office. One book alone in the chamber, he e,tiniates us
being worth full that sum. From the fact of a row or
books being now seen on one side of the chamber—pro-
bably 200 or 300 in number—there is ground for sup-
posing that the valuable volume alluded to may be
amongst them. Some time must, however, elapse before
the firemen will be able to enter that portion of the pre-
mises to make a search.
Mr. Hetherington, a barrister of great practice, on
the other hand, has lost everything his chambers con-
tained ; and so has Mr. Kettle, another eminent burls-
, ter. This gentleman had a most narrow escape. He
slept on the ground floor, at the back of the premises,
and, before any alarm was given in the front, he was
awakened by hearing a slight noise like the dripping of
water in the next room. He immediately jumped out
of bed, and, on opening his door, he found the passage
full of smoke, of such a suffocating nature, that he
could not pass through. He then ran to another door,
and found that the fire was breaking into the passage,
so that his escape in that direction was also cut off.
He next made for one of the windows, but his escape
was in that direction almost hopeless ; for had he
jumped down, he would then have had to climb up a
wall twelve or fourteen feet high. Not knowing what
to do for the best, Mr. Kettle sat upon the window sill,
whe he remained calling " Fire," and " Help " for up-
wards of an hour, during which time the flames broke
, through the door of his room, and destruction looked
him in the face. At length, however, a lamplighter's
ladder was brought, and by its aid he managed to effect
a retreat. His opinion is that the fire must have occurred
in the area floor, immediately under Mr. Hetherington's
chambers.
During the day the following surveyors connected
with the fire-offices visited the ruins, in order to find out
the extent of the property that was insured:—Mr. Top-
lie, of the Sun; Mr. Belton, of the Licensed Victuallers;
Mr. Jury, of the Imperial; aid Mr. Sabine, of the Lon-
don Fire Office. From the inquiries made they ascer-
tained that Mr. Sergeant was insured in the Westminster
Fire Office; Mr. Marquis, in the Law; Messrs. Jones,
Bateman, Bennett, in the Westminster; Mr. Pitman, in
the same office; Mr. Hallett, in the Legal and Commer-
cial; Mr. Clarke, in the Westminster; Mr. Bridges, in
the same; Mr. Freeling, in the Imperial; Mr. White, in
the Westminster; Mr. Peter Erle, in the Sun; Mr.
Kettle, in the Licensed Victuallers; Mr. Hetherington,
in the Sun—but neither Mr. Campbell, Mr. Wallace, nor
Mr. Burnett, were insured for a single penny.
The houses on either side have sustained much less
damage than was at first expected.
At half-past nine last evening it was still deemed ne-
cessary to continue playing upon the ruins. to:

NOVEL
PROPELLER FOR STEAM-VESSELS.—Lieu
tenant-Colonel Sir T. Livingston Mitchell has secured a
patent for a new form for the screw propeller of vessels.
The inventor had observed the peculiar motion of the
" bommareng," in its rotatory motion through the air,
that of whirling round a hollow centre, leaving a vacant
centre of gravity; and it suggested itself to him, that
this centre might be in a line dividing the two eccentric
parts, so that they should be together equal to the re-
mqining central portion; on experiment this view was
co ;firmed, and he considers an angle, similar to that of
" bommareng" will prove the best form for the ap-
plication of the screw principle in propelling vessels.
Motion is communicated as usual to the shaft, and the
blade of the propeller may he made with oiie side con-
vex, and the other flat, or with two flat or kit) eutivi.x
sides: when mode Hat, it will chamfer the edges. It may
be constructed with more than one blade; but it is con-
sidered one will auswer better than two or more.—
Mining Journa6