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, on
the bodies of William Abbott, aged twenty-seven, and
William Wallington, aged fifty-seven, two prisoners
under sentence of transportation on board the hulks at
Woolwich.

The coroner had signified his intention, in conse-
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 attended by request of the coroner. A
short• hand writer from the Secretary of State's office
also attended, and took copious notes of the proceedings.
Mr. Peter Bossey, surgeon of the convict establish..
went, 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 kin.

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 psi-
sonar with flogging, though he cited cases in which the
prisoners had for a time successfully feigned illness.
There were cases iu 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 their 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, which treatment 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 case of a man named Haydon, that
he 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, who,e 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. Babbingtoa, 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 GO. 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 ;
theom first,mo n s because aaun Hon.
s a statement
was madeal w inay thealways
lo looked u
House p
upon
Commons
in a serious light; and secondly, because attacks made
in that House could not be publicly answered, except by
Members of the House. Members in that House could
say what they liked ; it was not libellous; they had a
carte blanche, and could slash right and left, and the
poor injured person had no remedy except he had a
private friend, who was a Member of the House, toe cotn
a-
tradict it. He regretted the House did notve agite _
committee of inquiry, because it would. hathe
chffagesd.
Mr. Bossey an opportunity of disproy g
the jy agreed
he concluded by hoping
Mr. Bossey, through the inquiry.
honourably
with him that he came ho
After paying a compliment to the skillianed character of

The fifteonth annual meetingj
vox.-- l t ilit at Exeter Hall, ohn Pearce,
institution was held es n
THE LINENDRAPEBS AND S 1 i.oxf Ac
theEßscu Eb
subscribers
bleNr
sS
tTnI Tt
this
ing sums, subsequent . 4d.,
Esq., president. ne reporttotiie s4ltiohwoefdEtehbe.,7Bceli6p:t—ofBlo6le. folol.low-
e of ball tickets, made a total of 2,6771. Os. 3d.
which, with contributions and 711. 2s. 5d., pro-
dividends
report 1,370/. have been invested in the pur-
chase of Consols. The capital stock of the institution con-
sists of 18,2721. Bs. Three per Cent. Consolidated Annuities,
and 10,0601. in Three-and-a-Quarter per Cent. Annuities.
Twenty-four applicants have received pecuniary assistance,
exclusively of two widows, who were in 1843 placed perma-
nently t
loinutheutundAs.,
Yesterday Mr. Wakley, M.P., commenced an inquiry at the
Wheat Sheaf, Iligh-street, Camden-town, on the body of
Miss Sarah Ellen Collier, aged 19, lately residing at No. 16,
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
Clop of Messrs. Bell and Co., chemists, of Oxford-street.
Mr. 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.)
Adjourned accordingly.
hr 7 M. .
ts have taken place :—Rev. W. G. Hump , ,
p o i CLERICALn
en INTELLIGENCE. The following ax.
dean in
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sTrinityLondonCollege;
t. h
eCambridge,Re ~
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No
vbi be s
on
to domestic
b e
_ chaplainrural to the.
the diocese of Chester ; the Rev. Richard Neale, M.A., of
Queen's JYoolinrk's,
Rlegeve: Cambridge,johaGroom, toi be;
j.rAec.,toeruorfatSetaionfbsutrn'
Liverpool, to the incumbency of Rsinford, in the parish of
shuireeen:s theC College,
Frescot, Lancashire.