The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-19 00:00:00

THE WOOLWICH CONVICTS.

Yesterday an adjourned inquest was held at the Ord-
nance Arms, Woolwich, before Mr. C. J. Carttar, oa
the bodies of William Abbott, aged twenty-seven, and
William Wallington, aged fifty-seven, two prisoners
under sentence of transportation on board the bulks at
Woolwich.

The coroner had signified his intention, in coned
quence of what had transpired in the House of Com-
mons relative to the medical treatment of the prisoners,
to institute a searching investigation, and it was agreed'
to order a post mortem examination by Mr. Bossey, the
surgeon of the establishment, in the presence of some
eminent member of the faculty.
Mr. Bossey also expressed his desire that the fullest
inquiry should be made into his treatment of the con-
victs.

Yesterday Dr. Babington and Mr. Ashton Key, from
Guy's Hoy paal. attended by request of the coroner. A
short-band writer from the Secretary of State's office
also attended, and took copious notes of the proceedings.
Mr. Peter Bos,ey, surgeon of the convict establish•
ment, detailed the symptoms and mode of treatment
pursued in the case of Wallington, who had been several
times in the hospital. No remedial measures, either in
the way of medicine or nutriment, appear to have been
spared; port wine, isinglass, jelly, egg and brandy,
stewed eels, and:other articles being reely administered
to him.

At the conclusion of his evidence the Coroner put a
number of questions to Mr. Bossey as to the allegations
made in the House of Commons. In reply to these, Mr.
Bossey denied that he had ever threatened any sick pri-
soner with flogging, though he cited cases in which the
prisoners had for a time successfully feigned illness.
There were cases in which he had threatened that if the
attempts at imposition were continued, he would order
the men to be flogged; but they were not flogged, nor
were th,,ir cases even reported, upon their returning to
work. He had never threatened the really sick prisoners
under any circumstances whatever. With regard to the
charge of bucketing sick patients, or pouring cold water
over them, he stated that in the case of a prisoner named
William Theobald, who was in a state of insensibility
through paralysis, he applied the effusion of cold water
to his head, wnich treatuient saved the prisoner's life at
the time; and he believed this circumstance had been
maliciously misrepresented. He had never ordered pri-
soners who were on their death-beds out to work. It had
been stated, in the cast of a man named Hayden, that
be had been ordered to get up, and that he died almost
immediately afterwards. The fact was, the man died at
six o'clock in the morning, and he (Mr. Bossey) had
not seen him since the afternoon previous. With refer-
ence to the case of Henry Driver, whose body, it was
alleged, was opened almost before life was extinct, and
the entrails thrown into the Thames, the facts were, that
he died at eight in the morning of the 26th of May, and
the post mortem examination did not take place till nearly
noon of the 27th, and the body was subsequently deli-
vered to his friends. After some further explanations
from Mr. Bossey, Dr. Babbingtos, and Mr. Ashton Key
were examined, and expressed their entire satisfaction
both as to the cause of death and the course of treat-
ment pursued by Mr. Bossey. The hospital was more
crowded than they could wish, there being 97 occupants
instead of the general average of 60. Still the treat-
ment was excellent, and the diet was richer and better
than in Guy's Hospital.
The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict of
" Died from natural causes," in both cases.
The Coroner then expressed the pleasure he felt at
the result of the inquiry, and regretted that the attack
on Mr. Bossey should have been made for two reasons ;
the first, because a statement made in the House of
iCno
am
serious
sb3;igahnt
;Haonnd. Member was abseaelwaaay s looked upon
seattaeka
made
in that House could not be publicly answered, except by
Members of the House. Members in that House could
cartesay w hbatat
they
it
poor injured person had no remedyeespoep,ten,
likeda C; o dw assl an, not
rligibhe:,laonuds;latt?t,e_yee nh.daadtdhaae
afforded
pri
ve
friend,
ewho
regrettedw as a Member b e.itirowouofsuet
would
dd
committee of inquiry, because
the charges.
Mr. Bossey an opportunity of disproving notvue grantt o con-
tradict
nourably through the
wA3ii frtth.eßrhoipmsasyet3ihn,agt ah complimente canaho
he concluded btyo thhoep sink, gill the purrcharacter
inquiry.e eodf

ists T
to INSTITU-
TION.—The this
institution was
THE
TION.—
TLhei Nil
held last night at Exeter Hall, John Pearce,
EN., president.
The report showed the receipt of the follow-
ingfEter4onnilthAtranE nßusalAD meeting SiLorif mthEeß' subscribers7Eils
sums, subsequent to the 4th of Feb., 1846 :-8161. Os. 4d.,
dividends; which, with contributions and 711. 2s. 5d., pro-
duce of sale of ball tickets, made a total of 2,6771. Os. 3d.
Since the last report 1,310/. have been invested in the pur-
chase of Consols. The capital stock of the institution con-
sists of 18,2.72/. Ba. Three per Cent. Consolidated Annuities,
and 10,060/. in Three-and-a-Quarter per Cent. Annuities.
Twenty-four applicants have received pecuniary assistance,
t.xclusively of two widows, who were in 1843 placed perma-
nently on the funds.

DEATH BTr ALLEGED POISON-OE MEDICIFES.-
Yesterday
Mr. I-Nal:ley, M.P commenced S
Wheat Sheaf, High-street, Camden-town,.'
as intreiryboadt
body the
of
Miss Sarah Ellen Collier, aged 19, lately residing at No. 15,
in the above street. A gentleman named Bowen, proved
that deceased died on Monday evening, shortly after having
taken some medicine, according to the directions on the label
of the bottle that contained it. Dr. Cronin, it appears, had
prescribed the medicine, and an ingredient supposed to be
deleterious (bitter almond water) had been obtained at the
shop of Messrs. Bell and Co., chemists, of Oxford-street.
Wakley stated that the post mortem examination had
not, yet been completed, and in the absence of that requisite
evidence he would adjourn the inquest to Friday (this day.)
Add urnod seem dingly.
CLERICAL INTELLIGENCE. The following ap-
pointments have take,tphsce :—Rev. W. 0. Ltunaphry, MA.,
of Trinity College. Cambridge, to be dorneeic chap' ain to the
Bishop of London •, the Re R. Wilson to be lurid dean in
the diocese of Chewer; the Rev. Alchard Neale, M.A., of
Qtren's College, Cambridge, tv he rector f Stainburn, York-
shire ; the Rev. John Groom, M.A., curate of St. John's,
Liverpool, to the incumbency of Rainford, in the parish of
Prescot, Lancashire.