The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-11 00:00:00

.1_ SEPTEMBER 11, 1846

-!* THE MURDER AND MUTILATION
• - - -IN DERBYSHIRE. '
ITASLAXD, NEAR CHESTERFIELD, THIIRSDAY AFTER-
NooNT.—This morning, at ten o'clock, the adjourned in-
quiry before Mr. J. Hutchinson, Coroner for the imme-
diate locality of this place, into the alleged murdee- of
George Collis, was resumed at the Shoulder of Mutton,
in the. Village of Hasland.
The circumstances connected with the perpetration of
the awful deed of slaying and cutting up a human being
were briefly narrated in The Sun of Tuesday last. From
the peculiar appearance of - the ranains there can be
little question that the poor victim was clove down with
an axe, or some such instrument, from the incision
through the hat, and in the skull found in the soil, in
Falcon-yard, at the back of the Market-place, at Ches-
terfield, not far from the late residence of the deceased,
who, it will be remembered, had not been seen alive from
the 7th of December last. The peculiar fact of the legs
and thighs being tied together, also proves beyond a
doubt that not only had violence been committed, but
that the limbs had been tied together after they had been
so dismembered, and then thrown into the soil.
The jury, of seventeen inhabitants of the town and
neighbourhood, having been sworn,
Mary Manx, mother of deceased, deposed that de-
ceased lived with her some months at Brampton. Wit-
ness saw him last in the early part of September. It was
on a Sunday. He did not say then that he was going
-away. Witness never had seen him tineo, nor had she
ever heard of him. He was drcs ed in a black coat, buff
waistcoat, and black trousers, white ribbed stockings,
and light-coloured neckerchief. He had also in his
pocket a handkerchief, marked with his initials. He had
also a yellow canvas purse in his possession. Witness
did not know how much money he might have had in his
pocket, but he had some. Thinks he had two keys upon
him. The constable who had charge of the case showed
her some clothes this morning.
The clothes were here brought into court, the mother
immediately exclaimed, " Ohl they are his," evidently
much affected.

The CORONER then requested the witness separately
to identify each garment, which she did most distinctly.
Thomas Harvey, shoemaker, of Chesterfield, was then
called and sworn. On the 7th of September last, about
half-past 7 o'clock in the evening—it was on a Sunday--he
passed the shop at the corner of the shambles occupied by
Platt. When witness passed the shop he beard blows of
a dull, heavy, deadly character, not such as sound when
a block is struck. It appeared to him, as if something
stuck to the back of the cleaver. It did not sound like
wood. The blow was repeated three or four times,
and after the first or second blow, he was not positive
which, he, witness, heard a deep moaning, which was
repeated. He was so confused at the time he could not
swear exactly whether he heard the words, " Oh dear,"
or not. Witness then went back to his friend's house,
and said to the persons there, "Oh my God, there's
murder in Platt's shop." Witness's brother, who was
smoking in the chimney corner, laughed at what he
(witness) said. Witness and his wife, and his brother-
in•law, Thomas Bellamy, then came away. After this
they again called at Platt's shop, and asked him what he
was doing ? He said "I am sick." Witness said,
" Who have you got in the shop.?" He (Platt) said,
" Nobody ; I have had some rum." Witness's wife or
sister then asked Platt whether they should fetch him
some water. He said, "No, I shall be better directly."
One of the women then charged him (Platt) with
having his girl in the shop, and he said, "I have not
anybody here." Witness could not exactly remember
any more. _ _ _

Elizabeth Harvey, wife of the preceding witness, gave
a most minute detail of the whole of the circumstances,
as previously sworn to by her husband. The only new
features were, that when she applied to Platt, upon his
complaining of being sick, to ope❑ the door, he refused
to do so, as he should‘soon be better.

James Radford, gaol keeper at Chesterfield, was them
called and sworn—He stated that on the morning of the
sth of September last he was the prisoner of witness,
and that he appeared then much affected, and, without
any reserve, he made the following voluntary statement:
—"I am innocent of the murder of George Collis; those
who have murdered him I hope will be found out, for
him and I were the best of friends. The watch which
was in pal#n at Cockson's I bought of a man named
' Lankey ' Bill (a provincialism for a Lancashire man).
I gave him 10s. for it ' • he told me he had won it at a
raffle at Mansfield. I borrowed Bs. of Walker. He said
the watch is now at our house ; you will find it under
the bank in the pantry." He (witness) and William
Sharp, another constable, then went to the house, where
he found the watch as described. It was wrapped in
paper, and appeared to be concealed. (The watch was
here produced by the witness). It was a good silver
article, rather of an antique appearance, but appended
thereto was a stout steel chain, and neat appendages.
Radford, by desire of the Coroner, then showed the
watch to the mother of deceased, who declared it to
have belonged to deceased up to the time she last saw
him.

Other evidence, similar to the preceding, was given.
At this juncture the inquiry was adjourned for a few
minutes.

Caroline Redmall, the wife of a pork-butcher in the
shambles—Platt, in the early part of January, offered
me a watch for sale; the one produced is the one he
offered. He told me at the time that he had won it at a
ruffle at Mansfield. He wanted 2/. for it. Witness made
him no offer for it; she was not in need of anything of
the kind.
CORONER—Had you any conversation with Platt since
that time? Witness—On Thursday morning last.
CORONER—You have heard that a body supposed to
be Collis's, has been found?— Yes.
CORONER—Where did you retet with him? Witness
—Against our shop- door. He said he had not seen
Collis for some time. He also said that he (Collis) had
murdered himself, for he had said he would do so. He
told him so one night, when near the Highfield. One
Saturday night Collis had ono or two rows with him; he
said he was afraid he should do it while he was with

him; meaning at his shop. Platt did not pay the money
he owed witness's husband; at least, not that she knew
of. He did rot pay any to him, she was certain, about
the 3d of the present month.
(The proceedings had not terminated when this ac-
count left.)

ACCIDLNT ON THE LEWES AND

HASTINGS RAILWAY.

LEWES, THURSDAY AFTERNOON.—Another accident
has just occurred on this line, and from the very same
cause, apparently, as that which took place about three
weeks since—viz., from the train running off the line
into a siding, owing to the " points" being left open,
either by neglect or otherwise. It appears that in order
to afford the contractors facilities for the removal of rails
and timber from the water-side, a temporary tram-road
has very recently been constructed, running from the
line to "Spring-ditch" (a branch from the river) within
about two or three hundred yards of the station. The
line being several feet above the level of the meadows,
and the distance to " Spring-ditch" but trifling, the de-
clivity of this tram-road is very sudden, say one in
thirty. About eleven o'clock, a special goods up-train,
laden with hops and wool, started from Polegate
station. On arriving at the spot we have described,
the engine-driver perceived that instead of his engine
keeping the line she was entering the siding, and
beginning to rush dovin the decline. Terrified by the
danger, he lost all presence of mind, and, without wait-
ing to reverse his engine, jumped off almost before he
had entered the tram-road. Fortunately, the train was
going very slowly—it is stated not above six or seven
miles an hour—and he received no injury, but a bruise
or two on his knees, from falling on the chalk. The
stoker took it more easily, and waiting till the engine
nearly reached the level, " picked out," to use his own
expression, 4‘ a soft place," and jumped into the meadow
unhurt. The engine rushed on, followed by the train,
the impetus it had received from the very sudden descent
forcing it some yards beyond the temporary rails, and
up the steep bank of the ditch, over which it ploughed
its way, falling headlong into the water, where, when
we saw it, it wa3 lying with the wheels of one side in
the air. The tide was out, and at the bottom of the
ditch lay a raft of heavy timbers; upon these timbers
both engine and tender fell. One loaded truck fol-
lowed them over the bank, falling on the engine, the
remaining being suddenly brought to a stand still.
This truck was loaded with pockets of hops, but owing
to the lowness of the tide, the water, fortunately, did
not reach them.

Immediately on the occurrence of the accident an ex-
press engine had been sent off to Brighton, and in about
an hour Mr. Pountain, the superintendent of the
Brighton station, arrived on the soot. On instituting
inquiries into the cause of the accident, nothing conclu-
sive could be ascertained. The man to whose care the
charge of these and other points near had been entrusted,
distinctly deposed to these points being in good working
order, and to his having, in company with another ser-
vant, carefully oiled them at half-past nine in the morn-
ing. No brick or other truck had passed through the
points down the siding since a very early hour in the
morning, and one of the foremen of the works, Mr.
Douglass, declared that he himself saw the points quite
right at a comparatively short time before the accident
happened. The points are
," self-acting," and from a
minute investigation of their position, &c., it appears that
the train could not possibly have run into the siding un-
less they had been set open. Whether they were so set
open for trucks to pass into the siding and forgotten, or
whether any malicious person had purposely blocked
them up, is at present unknown. Workmen have been
employed during the afternoon in reloading the hops,
and getting the engines, &c., out of the ditch. The
tide, however, having rapidly risen since noon, the en-
gine and tender are nearly covered with water ; and
when we left the spot it appeared doubtful whether
they could be extricated till the tide had again receded.
Singular enough, the engine driver, Charles Clarke, is
brother to the man who was injured at the Pevensey
accident. There were eleven waggons in the train, ten
out of the eleven being loaded with hops, and the
eleventh with wool. ' Amongst other names on the
pockets we observed those of Mr. Thomas Arcoll, of
Guestling, Mr. William Woodhams, of Udimore, Mr.
John Austin, of Brede, &c. The air was completely
perfumed by the fragrancy of the hops. Fortunately,
the day being fine and dry, the pockets which had tol be
unloaded from the one or two damaged trucks took' no
harm. The accident in no way impeded the traffic on
the line ; the siding alone being affected by it.
The present is a very fortunate escape. Wool and
hops can bear such "collisions," but what might have
been the effect, had the train been full of passengers in-
stead of goods, it is fearful to contemplate. It is very
clear that the "points" on a line ought not to be left to
the tender mercies of contractors or the casual workmen
they may think proper to appoint. They should be
placed under the especial charge of careful and compe-
tent servants appointed by the company. Let the con-
tractors and the company arrange' as to the payment of
these men as they choose, but the responsibility of their
appointment should rest with the company.—Sussex
Advertiser.

JOSEPH ADY.
I - TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—With reference to your remarks on the subject
of the noted Mr. Joseph Ady, I confess that I was, some-
what foolishly, deluded into the sacrifice of the sum of
one pound, under the promise of information greatly to
my advantage ; such information, however, proved to
be a mere warning as to my liability to be outlawed as
a subscriber to one or two of the railway schemes pro-
jected last year. _
Should Mr. Ady be sufficientlS fortunate as to obtain
a like amount from even a very small portion of the sub-
scribers to such schemes, his system will prove highly
lucrative, if not altogether honourable.
Your insertion of these few remarks may tend to put
the unenlightened on their guard, and will oblige, Sir,
your very humble servant,
Sept. 10, 1846.
M

ILITARY and NAVAL FLOGGING.
TO _THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Since an inquest was held on the body of the
7th Hussar who was flogged at Hounslow, many cases
of similar barbarity have " been brought to light," and
it is but fair to presume that they are perfectly true,
for if they were not so surely some " advocate of the
lash" would ere this have come forward to contradict
them. _

I read of one man whose " back mortified ;" of
another having had 115 lashes, who was attacked with
"1)(1-jaw ;" of two others, each of whom received 150
lashes, whose sufferings terminated in " sloughing and
fever,"—in all these instances death was the result of
military flogging.
It was, no doubt, with reference to the above. named
cases, that Mr. Wakley, in his speech at Exeter Hall,
stated " he was sorry to b- compelled to express the
opinion that it had been inflicted with a knowledge that
it had proved fatal to human life." Whether the Hon.
Gentleman was or was not correct in his supposition, it
is impossible to say—whether the Commander-in-Chief
was or was not acquainted with the cases alluded to,
when he " approved and confirmed" the sentence for the
" cruel" flogging of White, it is not for me to decide.
This, however, appears to have been certain, that the
reduction of the punishment from two hundred lashes
down to fifty lashes was not made until a storm of
public indignation had fallen upon the heads of all the
"military authorities" who were concerned in that " deed
of blood."
I fully believe it to be the wish of the Duke of Wel-
lington, that, in future, no British soldier shall be
flogged to death ; for he not only said, when speaking
of the Hounslow affair, " this shall not happen again"
—but he has also provided in the " law of fifty lashes,"
that even that reduced punishment shall not take place,
should the weather be either too hot or too cold, and
that the state of health of the party sentenced shall be
ascertained.
Now, I would ask any one possessed of the com-
mon feelings of humanity, is it just that for "no in-
famous offence," a fellow-creature should be tortured in
so horrible and dangerous a manner, that the "probable
preservation of his life shall partly depend pn the heat'
or the cold' of the weather at the time his punish-
ment is inflicted ?" I think after the opinions which
have been expressed by Mr. Wakley and other eminent
medical men, with regard to flogging, that it would be
exceedingly difficult to find the man who would, upon
his own responsibility, decide at what degree of tempe-
rature fifty lashes might be inflicted with safety to
human life.
But I turn from the contemplation of such cruelties
as these to the cheering fact, that the public press have
nobly laid aside all party feelings and political differ-
ences, in endeavouring to obtain the total abolition of a
law, which, being in " direct opposition to every precept
of Christianity, is necessarily demoralising in its effects,
and utterly at variance with the mild and merciful spirit
of the age in which we live."
To you, Sir, who have been foremost in exposing the
iniquities of military and naval flogging, I take the
liberty of sending these few observations, and if you
consider them worthy of insertion in the columns of
The Sun, you will much oblige, yours, &c.
I. W. BOYES.
14, Angel-court, Throgmorton-street, Sept. 9, 1846.

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—I shall feel obliged by your allowing thin letter
to be inserted in the next number of your valued journal,
which has reference to a paragraph that appeared in the
one for last evening, the 9th instant, giving an account
of the possibility of collision on the Midland Railway,
by the train leaving Nottingham for Derby at 5 P.M.,
and the one from Derby to Loudon at 5 5 P.M., the
express. Your correspondent in the midland district
seems to be labouring under some delusion which I
cannot describe ; but by reference to the following ex-
tract from his account you will sec the error he has
fallen into, and the sooner it is corrected the better. As
it is, it will only mislead the public, and make it appear
that the company do not attend to the necessary pre-
cautions which are requisite. He states that, " the de-
parture line from Derby till the 5 5 P.M. train arrives at
the turn to the Junction at Red Hill, is the same line as
the 5 P.DI. train from Nottingham to Derby passes
upon after reaching the turn nearest Derby to the
Junction." Thus, distinctly incorming the public that
the trains to Derby pass on the same line as those from
Derby, which is an erroneous idea. I should have
thought that the Midland line had been made long enough
for him to see that there were two lines of rails. Hoping
that these few lines may be of service to him and all
others who are constantly in the habit of reporting, I
beg leave to subscribe myself; JUSTICE.
Newark, Sept. 10, 1846.