The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-03 00:00:00

A BOY TWELVE YEARS OLD CO3l-1
- II CV-1D IV 7 • 7 "

MITTED FOR MURDER

0) l toirsck, 'to tv,qu-geld at the King's
licad lintel, lior,hain, touching the death of Wm.
Gibson, aged 14 years. The first witness, Lucy
Jenkins, deposed to seeing deceased and a boy, John
Payne, walking up the Church-causeway on the
evening of the 14th June. She sat at work, but hear-
ing a cry looked up, and saw Gibson crying, and he
said " you've done—you've done it, look here." Just
at this time Mr. Killick, who lives just opposite, came
out and asked what was the matter, when Gibson said
" Payne has stabbed me with a knife." She heard no
struggling between them, she only heard the cry.
Did not see any knife.—Robert Killick deposed to
saying to Payne, " Why did you stab him (Gib-
son) ?" and Payne replied, " because he hit me on
the side of the head with his fist." Gibson denied
having bit bim at all. Saw blood running from
Gibson's side. Didn't see a knife at all. The boys
then parted, and each went in the direction of their
homes. Mr. James Winkwortb, surgeon, from a
post mortem examination made that morning, stated
that there could be no possible doubt that deceased
had died from the effect of a wound given with a
pocket-knife. William Stedman, the magistrate's
clerk, deposed to taking deceased's dying statement
on oath. It was that be was walking up the Church
causeway when he saw Payne sharpening a knife on
a stone. After having passed Payne about six
feet, he looked round and saw Payne coming after
him with a ki•ite in his hand, which he immediately
thrust into his right side. A man looked out of a
window on the causeway at the time and told Payne
be would be either hanged or transported. He (Gib-
son) had never had any quarrel with Payne; neither
did he say or do anything to Payne previous to biA
stabbing him. The jury returned a verdict of " Wil-
ful Murder against John Payne," adding that they
were of opinion that the act was committed with the
smallest possible premeditation. Payne was after-
wards brought before the magistrates and committed
to take his trial for wilful murder at the Sussex Sum-
mer Assizes.—Brighton Guardian.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

(From the Report of the Registrar-General.)
In the week ending last Saturday the deaths regis-
tered in the metropolitan districts amounted to 1,032.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1841-50
the average number was 924; if, for the sake of better
comparison, this average be raised in the ratio of in-
crease of population (which during the last fifty years
was 1.778 per cent annually), it will become 1,016, an
amount which differs not materially from the number
now returned.
It will be observed that there is an increase of more
than 60 on the week immediately preceding, when the
deaths were 968. But this excess is not the effect of in-
creased mortality; it is due to cases where coroners
have held inquests, in many of which, though they
occurred at earlier dates, the registration bad not
been completed till the end of the quarter. Sudden
deaths, under which designation are classed cases
in which persons have been found dead, or have died.
suddenly, and the fatal disease has not been as-
certained—these, which in the previous return were
only eight, have risen last week to 29. Bat the
great majority of inquests is on deaths from violence, pri-
vation, intemperance, &0., and in this class the number
has been in each of the two last returns above the
average, in the former week amounting to 52, in
the latter to 85. In the present list the deaths of two
persons are ascribed to privation, of 2 to intemperance,
2 to want of breast milk or inanition, 3 to poison, 7 to
burns and scalds, 4 to hanging or suff hcatitin, 18 to
drowning, 41 to fractures and contust.ns (chiefly trom
carriages and falls), and 6 to wound. and other injury.
l'he present return shows that the mortality from
:list-uses of the organs of respiration continues to exceed
the nsual amount at this period; the deaths in this class
were 124, while the corrected average is 98. Phthisis
4as fatal to 145 persons, which differs little arum the es-
timated number.

The fatal cases included in tho zymotic or epidemic
class have risen from 205 in the preceding week to 218
in the last. Smallpox carried off 21 children, and 3
efrsons above 15 years; measles was fatal to 41 chit
dren, scarlatina to 14, pooping-cough to 46, croup to 5,
Lhrwth to 4, diarrt'asa to 16 chi,dren and 3 adults, typhus
t,.► 38 persons. But this class is not in the aggregate
above the average, though measles and hoopiug-cough
are apparently rather prevalent.
It was mentioned above that two persons died of pri-
vation. The following are the particulars of the cases:—
At the Workhouse, Whitechapel, on 21st June, a la-
bourer, aged 60 years. died of " starvation." He was
brought by the police from Angel-alley.
At the London Hospital, on 21st June, a labourer,
aged 42 years, died a " sudden death accelerated by
want." An inquest was held in this case.
The following are the particulars of a case of cholera
which was registered last week:—
At 54, Hill sireet, Walworth, on 20th of June, a car-
penter, aged GO years, died of " cholera (14 days),
chronic disease of the stomach (2 years)." Certified by
medical attendant.

STATE or THE WEATHER DURING THE PAST WEEK.
SUNDAY.—The sky was generally covered will cloud
01 near noon, and clear during the remainder of the day ;
cirrostratus. Electricity—Nothing was shown throughout
the day.
MONDAY.—The sky, with slight exceptions, was covered
with cloud till 4h. P.M., and mostly clear afterwards; cumuli,
cumulostrati, cirrostrati, and light scud. Electricity—Nothing
was shown at any examination.
TUESDAY.—The sky was covered with cloud during the
morning and afternoon, and at night it was principally clear ;
cirrostratus and fleecy clouds. Electricity—Nothing
.was
shown throughout the day.
WEDNESDAY.—The sky was obscured with cirrostratus
during the morning and afternoon, and at night the amount
of cloud was variable. A solar halo was visible during the
morning. Electricity—Nothing was shown throughout the
day.
THURSDAY.—The sky was generally clear throughout the
day. Electricity—Positive, and tension weak during the
afternoon.

FRIDAY.-The sky was clear throughout the day. Elec-
tricity—Positive, and tension moderate during the afternoon.
SATURDAY. - The sky was almost free from cloud through-
out the day. Electricity—Positive at 9h. A.M., and none
was shown after this time.

The mean reading of a thermometer placed on the main•
mast, and read each day at 9 tl. A.M., was 67.5° ; and the
mean reading at 9h. P.M. was 62.7°; the mean readings at
the Royal Observatory for the same times were 68.94, and
59.6° respectively.
The reading of the barometer increased from 29.58 in. at
the t eginoing of the week, passing the point 30 inches early
in the morning of the 23d, to 30.13 in. by 9b. P.M. on the 24th ;
it continued at about this reading till after noon on the 2 ith,
w. en it began to decrease slowly, arid from noon on the z7th
to the end of the week the reading was about 30.03 at all
times.

MORTALIT Y in the METROPOLIS.
!UMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED L
THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JUNE 23, MI.
ttidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases ...*2IB
Diseases of Uncertain Seat ... 50

Tubercular Diseases ... 189
'iseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... ... 127
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels ... 30
thseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of
Respiration ... 124
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestion... ... 54
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. ..• ••• 13
Ohticibirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &o. ... 8
Diseases of the Joints, Bongs, and Muscles .•• 12

.
Diseases of the skin, &o. ••• ••• ••• ••• 1
Via!formations... ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 0
Fremature Birth ... ••• •• ••• ••• 27
atrophy ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 25
Old Age ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 39

Sudden ... ... ... ••• ... ... 29
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance ••• 5
au se s not specified ... ... ... ... ...

DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES ... ... 1,032
Population Deaths in corm- Deaths
Entunerated, sponding week in the
____

1841. of 18.60. Week.
West Districts... 301,189 . . 165 ... 152
North Districts.. 376,568 .. 200 ... 201
Central Districts 374,199 ... 164 ... 169
East Dis,ricts ... 393,067 ... 201 ... 244
south Districts.. 503,346 ... 235 ... 266

Totals... ..... 1,948,369 ... 963 ... 1,032
Males ... ... ... ... ... 519
Females ... ... ... ... ... 513