The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-01 00:00:00

FIUGIITFUL ACCIDENT AT KEN-
SINGTON.

On Saturday morning an accident of a very serious
nature took place at Kensington which has resulted
in the death of one man, while two others and three
lads have been more or less seriously injured. The
accident occurred at some new buildings in that part
of Kensington known as the "New Town," on the
south side of the great western road, and close to the
turnpike-gate. Most of the buildings composing the
new town have been erected by Mr. Inderwick, the
well-known meerschaum pipe manufacturer, of
Princes-street, Leicester-square, and a new district
church has also been recently erected here, and is now
open for public worship. About eighteen months
since, the old Kensington workhouse, which stood on
the east side of the Gloucester-road, leading to the
old Brompton-road, was vacated by the inmates, who
were removed to the new workhouse, and a lease
of the ground was taken by Mr. Inderwick,
who immediately proceeded to pull down the
old building, and laid out a square of first-class
houses upon the site. One side of this new square
is already finished, although not yet inhabited.
and the carcases of the houses on the opposite side
are built up to the height of four stories above the
basement, and roofed. It was on this side that the
accident occurred, and the following particulars,
which have been collected on the spot, may be relied
upon as correct. Each side of the square is formed
of six houses, joined together, and two large pro-
jecting ones at either end. A number of plasterers
were employed in putting up a massive projecting
cornice between the third and fourth stories of the
centre houses, and commenced their work in the
morning at the usual hour, when everything appeared
to be in the same state of security as it was left on
the previous evening. The men continued working
on the top tier of the scaffolding, a height of between
40 and 50 feet from the ground, till about 20 minutes
to 8 o'clock, when with a sudden crash, which was
heard a considerable distance, the whole of the cor-
nice work of four of the houses gave way, and
falling upon the scaffolding with great force, preci,
pitted the whole to the ground, with the persons at
work upon it. All the men employed upon the
works immediately hastened to the assistance
of the unfortunate sufferers sho were buried under
the broken scaffolding and portions of the parapet
wall, which had also given way. The centre of the
cornice was composed of large flat stones, one end of
which was built into the front wall, and all these had
broken short off, and come down, thereby add*
much to the serious nature of the injuries sustained.
Three men and three stout lads, who were serving
the plasterers with cement, were found partly covered
with the stones and rubbish, and five of them were
promptly extricated, and conveyed in cabs to St.
George's Hospital. The sixth sufferer, who when
carried out appeared to be in a lifeless state, was
attended by Mr. Abraham, a surgeon residing close
to the spot, and who had hastened thither on hearing
the crash ; but he was found to be quite dead, the
lower limbs being fractured, and there being also
a serious fracture of the skull. The body was
shortly afterwards conveyed to the deadhouse
of the New Kensington Workhouse, where it
awaits the coroner's inquest. On inspecting the
buildings from which the cornice has fallen, the re-
maining portion of the flat stones were found to be
still embedded in the wall, the exterior portion—much
the greater part, and which supported the whole
weight of the cement—having broken off close to the
wall. The scaffolding, which has apparently fallen
outwards, still remains supported by the firmly bound
cords, although some of the upright poles have been
snapped asunder at different lengths. The names of
the sufferers are—Robert Wooding, about 25 years of
age (killed) ; Dennis Hurley, 28, Daniel Delany, 28,
Dennis Earley, 15, Jahn Callaghan, 14, and Michael
Gorman, 14. On inquiry at the hospital last evening
we were informed that all the injured persons were
progressing favourably. One of the men has had the
breastbone broken, and one of the lads has had his
back severely strained ; the other injuries are prin-
cipally severe contusions.

DEATH OF A CON
Mr. Baker held an inquest at the Millbank Penitentiary, on
view of the body of Henry Johnson,On agFedrid23aywhafotedrinedooonn
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Wednesday last. Dr. Bayley, the physician, stated that he
first saw the deceased in July, 1848, when he was under
with inflammation of' the bone of the right arm, which in a
few months was followed by symptoms of consumption, in
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consequence of which the physician recommended his par-
don in December, 1849. He received a pardon accordingly
early in the following month, and was discharged, and it was
hoped that he would resume an honest career. The tempta-
tion to commit crime, however, conquered, and ho was again
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received from Newgate into the Penitentiary, under sentence
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very much aggravated. He was placed, therefore, in the
when
infirmary, where he died on Wednesday last. During his in-
carceration Le had been greatly depressed in consequence of
his friends refusing to correspond with or see him. Verdict
—" Natural death."
CONVICTION OF MISS AMPIILETT, THE LADY
SWINDLEIL..-- LEWES, SATIO ItDAY. —At the present Sussex
Quarter Sessions, Miss Eliza Maria Amphlett, the lady who
patronized several Brighton tradesmen, under the assumed
name of the Hon. Mrs. Colonel Ripon, and obtained by fraud
silks, satins, &c., of Messrs. Ilannington, of the value of
nearly 30/., was brought up for trial and convicted. The
prisoner is represented to be worth considerable property.
She was in the habit of mixing in the most fashionoble cir-
cles, both in London and the different watering places on the
coast; and when captured on the present charge was keeping
a first-rate establishment in the neighbourhood of Lowndes-
squaee. Pimlico. Notwithstanding her apparent high posi-
tion, we are informed that she has been engaged in many
unladylbse and fraudulent transactions. She pleaded guilty,
and the Chairman (Mr. Darby) sentenced her to twelve
months' imprisonment, with such hard labour as she could
undergo, adding that she would pass six weeks of the term
in solitary confinement. On hearing the sentence she almost
fainted away, and was led from the dock by the turnkeys.
ELECTRIC TELEGRAFll.—lipwards of 160 miles of
wire are to be laid down on the Lancashire and Yorkshire
Railway and branches.
CALIFORNIA MINING COMPANIES.—In addition to
the numerous companies already established in connexion
with the Californian " diggins," a new and singular scheme
has been put forward by no less a personage than Chief
Baron Nicholson. The names of the directors, trustees, &c.,
are truly imposing, and the advantages held out to share-
holders of a peculiar and unprecedented nature. The title of
this recently started company is The Long Range Mal-
Proposer Gold Finding Company, California, in five million
shares of one pound each, without any responsibility ; and
shares may be applied for in the usual form to the council o'
division of the company, at the Coal-hole Tavern, Fountain-
court, Strand, where the quartz can be inspected. George
Ilacket, Erq., has been secured by the directors in America,
an important and gratifying statement to investors.
THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH COAST
RAILWAY.—The unfortunate stoker (James Martin) conti-
nues to live in a state the most painfully distressing. His
skull is frightfully fractured. Pemberton, the driver of the
engine, it is thought may survive the fearful injuries he in-
flicted upon himself. The attempt he made upon his life
after he found that be had passed the stop signal, was one of
the most determined, perhaps, ever heard of. He thrust his
knife into his throat, and cutting right and left divided the
windpide and gullet. A number of labourers have been en-
gaged in getting up the engine and tender of the passenger
train, which had been thrown to the bottom of the embank-
ment. The company have forwarded the usual information
to the Board of Trade of the collitiou.