The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-03 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 3, 1849

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

Yesterday Mr. Bedford held an inquest at the Mor-
path Arms, Millbank, on the body of Mr. Nicholas
Loftus, aged thirty-four, a gentleman known in the
literary world, whose death occurred under the follow-
ing melancholy circumstances :—lt appeared in evi-
dence, that the deceased resided at No. 37, Ponsford-
place, Pimlico, and for some days had suffered from
an effusion on the brain. On Saturday last he was
so bad as to bo obliged to keep his bed, but the
following day he so far recovered as to be able to
walk out. Whilst proceeding down Roehampton-street,
adjoining his own residence, by some means which
could not be clearly ascertained, be fell down one of the
areas of an unfinished house, and fractured his right
collar bone. Ho was taken home, and Mr. George
Pearse, surgeon, of Regent-street, attended and reduced
the fracture, and deceased appeared afterwards more
comfortable. The next morning Mr. Pearse was sent
for, and on his arrival he found that deceased bad torn
off his bandages, and that he was in a partial state of
delirium. He again bound up the fracture, and left him;
but in half an hour afterwards a person came and in-
formed bim that he was dead. He immediately hastened
to the house, and found that life was extinct. A post
mortem examination preyed that deceased had died of
apoplexy. The jury having consulted, they returned a
verdict of" Death from apoplexy, accelerated by a fall."
Yesterday Mr. Baker held two inquests; the first at
the Windsor Castle, City-road, on the body of Charles
Barker, aged 56, of No. 14, Regent street, City-road,
who was found in his bed with his throat cut on the
evening of Friday last. It appeared from the evidence
of Mrs. Mary Fawcett, and other persons with whom
he was intimate, that deceased had been in inde-
pendent circumstances, but, having been reduced by
misfortune, he had latterly been engaged as a tradesman's
clerk. Verdict, " Temporary insanity."—The second
inquest was at the Spread Eagle, Homerton, upon the
body of a male person of gentlemanly appearance, name
unknown, who was found in the Regent's Canal, near
the Cat and Mutton bridge, Hackney, on Saturday after-
noon last. There was no clue whatever to the circum-
stance, and whether death was the result of accident or
a premeditated deed remains unknown. The jury re-
turned an open verdict of" Found drowned."
Two CHILDREN BURNED TO DEATII.—Last night
Mr. Payne held two inquests in St. Bartholomew's
Hospital, on the bodies of Jane Irons, aged six years
and a half, and Shadrack Fulerd, aged four years, who
were burnt to death. The evidence in the first case
proved that on Saturday forenoon last a man named
Alfred Walker, in passing Pierpont-row, Islington,
heard some women crying " fire !" He went to No.
11, and on getting on to the stairs he found a number of
rags burning, and the place full of smoke. He, how•
ever, succeeded in getting into the first floor front,
when ho found the child lying in the middle of the room,
surrounded with fire. By taking his coat off, he wrapped
it round the deceased and extinguished the flames, and
then brought the child to the hospital, where it died on
Monday. The evidence in the second case proved that
the child lived with its parents at Ne. 2, Clarke-street,
Goswell-road, and on Saturday week it set fire to its
clothes in a similar manner to the other, and received
such injuries as to cause its death on Sunday last. Ver-
dict in each case " Accidental death."

EXTRAORDINARY CATCH OF MACERREL.—PLY-
MOUTH, DEC. 30.—The first and only mackerel boat
which has arrived here for the present season is the Mary
and Ann, of Hastings, Captain W. White, and she made
her first attempt last night. The nets were so full that
they grounded with the weight of fish in them, and it is
supposed that if the dog-fish had not devoured a great
quantity of mackerel in the meshes, the. nets would have
parted altogether. As it was (counting 120 fish to the
100), 7,750 mackerel were secured in a perfect state, end
a great number in a broken state. Besides these there
was a large quantity of pilchards, and, it is calculated,
about 5,000 dog-fish, which were thrown away. The
7,750 mackerel were sold for 751. 10s., and the major
part forthwith dispatched for Billingsgate market.
DEATH OF GEORGE FISHER, ESQ. —lt is with
deep regret that we this day record in our obituary
the death of a gentleman who has long held a prominent
position in this town as a banker, and latterly as resident
director of the Eastern Counties Railway Company. The
melancholy and unexpected event which has thus sud-
denly deprived us of a respected fellow-townsman, oc-
curred at his own residence, the Leys, on Saturday
morning. An inquest was held on Monday evening in
presence of Mr. Cooper, Coroner for the borough, at the
Little Rose, in Trumpington-street ; and the evidence
adduced on that occasion showed that the immediate
cause of death was disease of the heart. Mr. Ficklin,
the medical attendant of the deceased, stated that he had
acted in that capacity for many years. On Saturday
morning, about half-past nine, he received an urgent
message to attend the deceased. He found him in bed
and was immediately impressed with the conviction that
was dying. The unfortunate gentleman continued
conscious for some time ; but ultimately became insen-
sible, and died at half-past ten o'clock. At
that time Er. Bond and Dr. Fisher arrived,
and the opinion of the three medical gentle-
men was that death was produced by disease
of the heart. A post mortem examination was
made on Sunday morning in the presence of Mr.
Ficklin, Dr. Bond, Dr. Fister, and Mr. Bumstead. The
heart was found much diseased and very irregular in its
structure. The stomach alto was much diseased; and
these two causes were considered quite sufficient to ac-
count for death. There was no rupture of the internal
organs. The immediate cause of death was the morbid
condition of the heart. The lamented gentleman had
had a fall several we ks ago, rrodueing a slight contu-
sion under the knee; but this was quite of a supciticial
character, and had no connexion whatever with deceased's
death. Mr. Ficklin stated that his larucntel friend had
long suffered from a weak and disordered state of the
stomach end irregular action of the heat t, frequently re-
jectieg his food immediately after partaking of it. The
jury considered any further evidence unnece,.ary; and
returned a verdict in accordance with the testimony
whirl; we have stated. Seldom has any event created
so profourd a sensation in this borough as the death of
this gentleman. We deeply sympathise with the amiable
family whom he has left to deplore his loss—a loss
which will be long felt and regretted on public as well as
private grounds. Mr. Fisher was once our chief magistrate
of this borough, and as a leading Conservative, generally
took an active part in oar contested election.—Cam-
bridge Advertiser.

PUBLISHERS AND COPYRIGHTS.—The 6001. a year,
for ten years, to Mr. Macaulay, for ten years' copyright
of the first two volumes of his " History of England,"
is perhaps the largest sum ever given for a work in two
volumes. The largest sums heretofore known to have
been paid, are-4,000 guineas to Washington Irving
for his " Lifo of Columbus," in four volumes, octavo-
-2,000 guineas to Moore for his " Life of Byron," in two
volumes, quarto—and 4,5001. for ten years to the pre-
sent Bishop of Oxford and his brother for the " Life
of Wilberforce," in five volumes, octavo. Mr. Roberts
is said to have received 3,000 gullies from his " Life of
Hannah More," in five volumes, octavo—Mr. Twiss
2,000 guineas from his Life of Lord Eldon,"—and
Mr. Stanley something like 1,500 guineas,
from his
" Life of Dr. Arnold;" but these were receipts upon
the payments to Moore, Irving, Wilberfore, and Ma-
caulay. Tho largest sum ever realised by any one
work, whilst it continued to be called a new publica-
tion was eighteen thousand poueds, the proceeds of Sir
Walter Scott's "Life of Napoleon,"—the work of twelve
months, and published in nine volumes, octavo, in
1827. " The Row " was literally besieged with demands
fur the " Life of Napoleon," as Stationers' Hell used to
be on " Almanack Day," when the excluiive privilege of
printing almanacks belonged to the Stationers' Com-
pany. Of largo sums realised by the sale of new works
in a very short period, several of the novels by Sir Walter
Scott and the monthly issues of Mr. Dickens might be
instanced as probably, both in numbers and profit, cx
ceeding anything in literature since Sacheverel's
" Trial," or Dryden's " Hind and Panther "—the
two most remarkable instances of successful publication
recorded in the early history of bookselling in this
country. The " Life of Columbus " has not yet, we
believe, paid its expenses; the " Life of Byron " was a
loss till its appearance in one thick volume with double
columns; and the " Life of Wilberforce," it is well
known, was a heavy failure. Mr. Macaulay's annuity
is, therefore, a lottery with the Messrs. Longman. Tho
best and most remunerative books in English literature
have been bought by booksellers at the lowest prices.—
A thencum.

The Bank of England have intimated to their cor-
respondents that on the 28th of February next the busi-
ness of their branch at Gloucester will be transferred
to the one at Bristol, and that the Gloucester branch
will be closed. The distance between the two branches
being now very little over ono hour' travelling by rail-
way, the directors do not consider it necessary to con-
tinue both of them in operation.

TIII DECEASED EARL OF AUCELAND.—AIthough
there are no Cabinet ministers in town, rumour has
already pointed to two noblemen as likely candidates for
the office of First Lord of the Admiralty—viz., the
Marquis of Normanby, now ambassador at Paris, and
the Earl of Carlisle, the First Commissioner of Woods
and Forests. Captain Charles Eden, the relative and
private secretary to the late Noble Earl, proceeded to
the Grange on Monday, and having given the necessary
preparatory directions for the removal of the body of
Lord Auckland to London, returned to town yesterday.
The place of interment has not yet been fixed upon,
but it is probable that the remains of this very highly-
esteemed and much-lamented nobleman will rest in the
family vault at Beckenham, near Bromley, Kent. The
noble houses of Buckinghamshire, Bexley, Godolphin,
Brougham, &c., are thrown into mourning by thf a sad
event.—Herald.

T o
QUESTION.-Yesterday a deputa-
tion t itants of Farringdon Ward Without,
ufrsni CITY
the
inhabitants
waited upon the Lord Mayor with a requisition signed
by upwards of 500 of the inhabitants, praying that his
Lordship would convene a wardmote for the considera-
tion of the question of the enormous price of gas in the
city of London. His Lordship appointed the wardmote
to take place on Friday, the 12th instant, at the Court
House, in the Old Bailey, at six o'clock in the evening.
Tin WEATllER.—Yesterday the barometer at the
Royal Humane Society's Receiving-house in Hyde-park,
stood at 28 Fabr., or four degrees below freezing point.
So rapidly was the ice formed, that in the Regent's-
park and northern districts, Hackney, Peckham fields,
&c., there was some skating.
ICE.—Tho Berwick Salmon Fishing Company
obtained their first supply of ice this season on Saturday
last. The ice caused by the frost of the two preceding
days was about an inch and a quarter in thickness, and
996 cart loads have been stored in the ice-houses.
In the year 1848, 11,073 emigrants only have left
Antwerp for Transatlantic countries, whereas in 1847
the number was 16,720. This falling off is naturally
attributed to the influence of recent political events.—
Brussels Herald

EXTRAORDINARY ROBBERY ON

THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

A series of robberies of the most extraordinary
and extensive character were perpetrated on the up
and down mails traversing the Great IVestern Rail-
way during the night of Monday last. In the ab
sence of any official information on the subject, the
following particulars in reference to the depredations,
obtained by our reporter from the most authentic
sources, will be read with interest.

The up-mail leaving Plymouth at 6 35 P.M., and
Exeter at 9 P.M., on Monday, arrived at Bridgewater
at its usual hour—half-past ten o'clock. At this sta-
tion various bags of letters which had accumulated in
the Post-office van during the trip were, in accord.
ance with the usual custom o the guard, placed in a
tender immediately at the rear of the Post-office,
and securely locked up. The train, which, in addi-
tion to the Post office and tender, consisted of about
six or seven first and second class carriages, left
Bridgewater in due course, and proceeded on its
journey to Bristol, the run between those two places
being timed to occupy one hour and ten minntes
without stoppage at any station. On the arrival
of the train at Bristol, shortly before midnight, the
guard went to the tender in the rear of the Post-
office in order to deliver the Bristol bags, when to his
astonishment and dismay he discovered that all the
bags had been more or less tampered with, some
being cut open, and others left with the seals broken
and strings untied. A very cursory examination of
their contents satisfied him that all the money or
registered letters, as well as the bankers' parcels, had
been abstracted, and without a moment's loss of time
he communicated first with the two travelling- Pest-
office clerks accompanying the mail, and subsequently
with the Post-office authorities at Bristol. The dis-
covery of course occasioned extreme consternation
among the officials. The guard was quite positive
the bags were safe when the train left Bridgewater,
and as no stoppage had taken place between that
town and the city of Bristol, it was evident that the
robbery must have been effected by some parties
travelling by the train, and while it was in motion.
After a few moments' consultation it was resolved
to send the metropolitan bags on to London in
the state in which the guard had discovered
them, and accordingly the train left Bristol on its
upward journey after a very short delay. On reach-
ing town at an early hour this morning the guard
proceeded direct to the Post-office, in St. Martin's-le-
Grand, and made a full report of the circumstances
above detailed. The various bags were immediately
subjected to examination, when it was found ,that not
only were the whole of the registered letters and
bankers' parcels abstracted, but in some cases the
" bills" on which all registered letters and valuable
parcels are entered were also missing, so that it is im-
possible to say how far the plunder has extended. As
a precautionary measure information was forwarded
by the Post-office authorities to the various City
banking-houses, so that a check might be put upon
the disposal of the contents of the stolen letters. At
the same time active measures were taken in order to
discover a clue to the depredators, and in the course
of the morning Mr. S. Clarke, superintendent of the
Great Western Railway Company, with two or three
officials of the Post-office, left Paddington for Bristol
in order to investigate the affair.
Later in the afternoon, and while Colonel Maberly
was engaged with several of his officers in matters
connected with the unfortunate affair, information
reached town of a.second robbery, precisely similar
in character, perpetrated on the down mail which left
London at 855 P.M. on the same evening. In this
case the bags deposited in the tender were perfectly
safe on the arrival of the train at Bristol at a quarter
past one o'clock A.m. On the tender being opened at
Bridgewater a scene similar to that previously ob-
served at Bristol presented itself—all the bags were
more or less mutilated and disturbed, and the more
valuable contents abstracted therefrom. Happily, in
this instance the vigilance of the parties in charge of
the train resulted in the capture of the supposed
thieves, and all circumstances considered, there seems
great reason to hope that the scoundrels who effected
the first robbery were also the perpetrators of the
second.

The parties alluded to are two men of respectable
appearance, both of whom travelled in a first-clms
carriage, occupying the next compartment to the
Post office tender. Their implication in the affair is
placed beyond doubt by the discovery of several
registered letters and money parcels in the carriage
in which they rode. Immediately upon their appre-
hension they were conveyed to Exeter, where they
are to be brought up for examination before the
magistrates this morning.
The presumption now entertained by those best
calculated to form an opinion is that both robberies
were effected in the same manner, viz., by parties
who rode in a first class carriage, first contriving to
occupy the next compartment to the Post-office
tender, and subsequently, when the train was in
motion, at the imminent risk of their lives, leaving
their carriage, and stepping at once on to the tender,
and then traversing the narrow ledge running along
that carriage, until they came to the door, which
there can be little doubt they were previously pre-
pared to unlock. This done, there would be little
difficulty to overcome. The tender is always well
lighted by a lamp suspended from the centre of the
roof, and having once obtained entrance, an expert
thief would sreedily nbstr;ct the booty. The risk of
self-immolation must of course have been great, but
this probably was little considered by the depredators.
The impudence of the second robbery immediately
following upon the first is really almost incompre-
hensible. It can, perhaps, only be described as one
of those shortsighted acts by which offenders against
the law so often bring themselves within its meshes.
Had the scoundrels known, as is the fact, that the
same two Post-office clerks who travel with the up
mail to Bristol return with the down mail to Bridge-
water, probably they would have been content with
their first plunder, and escaped, for some time at
least, with impunity. The robbery altogether is
certainly one of the most daring and extraordinary
ever perpetrated, and it is most devoutly to be hoped
that on a full investigation of the affair there may be
no ground for suspicion that any of the employts in
the Post-office or upon the railway hare been con-
cerned in it in any way.
Of one thing there can hardly be a doubt, viz.,
that if the bags from the Post-office must continue to
be placed in a tender, a guard will in future be ap-
pointed to travel with them. The omission of some
such precaution would be altogether inexcusable.