The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-20 00:00:00

fount lattion

The Manor Plate.

Narcissus
Dulcet ~

••• ••• ••• •••
Won by half a length.
The Woodcote Stakes.

Elcot ...
Flirt ...
Buckthorn

••• ••• •
Won by a length.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY

IVIARLBRO'-STREE r—(THIS DAY.)
A MISCREANT.— William Finisher, a dirty, ill-looking
fellow, was brought before Mr. Hardwick, charged with
violating the persons of two little girls under seven years
of age.

Tile charge, which is of too disgusting a nature to lay
before the public, was fully established, and th• prisoner
was commi►ted for trial.
THE EXHIBITION AND THE POLICE COURTS.—Since
the opening of the " World's Fair," there have been less
charges at this court, in which district the Crystal
Palace is situated, than the public would imagine. The
police arrangements for the detection of the chevalier.,
d' industrie have tended in a great measure to cause the
depression in business at this court, as well as others in
the immediate vicinity.

THE LATE FATAL CATASTROPHE IN
GRACECHURCH-STREET.

CORONER'S INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.)
This morning at ten o'clock the inquest on the bodies
of Matthew Conner, Timothy Donohue, James Harri-
gan, Martin Cronin, and William Headley, who were
killed by the late accident in Gracechurch-street, was
opened before Mr. Payne, and a highly respectable jury,
at the London Tavern.
The jury having been sworn proceeded to view the
bodies, lying in Allhallows Church, and afterwards in-
spected the ruins of the building. On their return to
the inquest-room
The CORONER. thought the best way of proceeding
would be to commence with evidence descriptive of the
nature of the building, so as to enable the jury to decide
how far the Act of Parliament had been complied with
in its construction.
Mr. Cox, of the firm of Cox and Stone, Poultry,
solicitors, appeared on behalf of Messrs. Bell and Cor-
bett, who were anxious for inquiry, and ready to give
evidence.
Mr. Richard Bell said the building at which the
accident bad occurred was the joint property of him-
self and Charles Joseph Corbett, they being architects
of Pope's Head Alley. The building in question
had been erected on the site of the old Cross Keys Inn,
the whole of which had been pulled down to make room
for the new structure, which was intended for merchants'
offices, fire proof, upon Fox and Barretea patent.
(Witness produced aground-plan of the new building.)
The building was commenced in September last. lie
was over the whole of the building on Friday evening
last at half-past six o'clock, and it then appeared to be
in a safe state. Mr. Dennison, the contractor for the
plaistering, was with him. They went for the purpose
of seeing it there had been any "settling," but could not
discover as much as a " hair crack" about the walls.
He went again at eleven on Saturday morning, and
found the west staircase wall, near the centre of the
building, had gone down, and drawn with it the floors
and external wall next the church. He inquired of the
contractor, Mr. Dorrett, what had been the cause, not
being able to imagine any. He was told that only one
body was under the ruins, but never left the spot until
the bodies had been taken out. There were five, one
of which was not taken out till yesterday. '.The cause of
the accident was the breaking of an iron girder crossing
the staircase from north to south. That girder was
at the top of the building. Its weight was about 35
cwt. or two tons, and it broke everthing as it fell,
the floors prizing the walls over with them at the
same time. There were eight girders of the same sort,
which were furnished by Mr. Ford. Had generally
visited the building once a day. Had seen the iron.
work generally, but did not examine into its quality.
It was perhaps his own duty, although be had not done
so. It had been examined, he supposed, by the foreman.
The contract was to have it proved before delivery.
Had proved some of the smaller bearers, but the larger
ones could not be proved on the premises. The bearers
were made a third stronger than usual; one of the
smaller ones had broken when tried with nine times the
weight it would have had to bear on the building, Had
examined the girder which was the cause of the acci-
dent, and found a Saw in the under portion of it it
was 12 inches deep; the bottom Range 7 inches
The whole thickness of the metal was 11
inch, The
flaw, in his opinion, was caused in the casting.
There are many circumstances in casting which would
make such a flaw, but I do not know how this one oc-
curred. There were means of discovering this flaw
before it was painted over; but if this girder hai been
properly proved it must have broken. This girder was
to have been proved with siz tons on the centre; but
whether it was done I have no means of say' g contractor had to The
paint the girder before it as sent
to
our premd
36ises. I calculated that the girder would have
c tons. There were such precautions taken
that if these girders had not broken nothing could have
caused the accident. Mr. Dtnnit was the contractor for
the whole work—we furnishing the materials, part of
which, the bricks,
lime, and sand, we purchased of Mr.
Reddin, a large dealer in these things. There was more
cement in the building than in any other building where
it was not Wholly cote:filleted of cern( nr. lam sure the
accident did not occur from any detect in the brickwork.
Before we commence a building we give notice to the
district surveyor; we show him the drawings
before t~e commence. The surveyor was only
on the premises once during the progress of the
works, and then he came only about the party %. ails.
I thing any one may carry up a building without the
personal sueeriete ndence or the district surveyor. The ac-
eident, lem a nfident, occurred through the breaking f
the girder, which had a flaw in it. The building was of the

96
97!4

81%
36:54

321,4
3214
100 A

b 914
89%

extra first-rate class. The district surveyor never made
any c.,mplitint about the insecurity 01 the building. We
had no other surveyor but ourselves.
Margaret Harrigan, wife of one of the wen: killed,

-----
QUEEN'S BENCH.--(THIS DAY.)
The Court was occupied during the whole morning in
trying an action which was bri,ught to recover a part of
the value of a cargo of chicory, which on its arrival in
the port of Loudon was found to be greatly deteriorated
i❑ value. The only question involved in dispute was
whether the cargo was damaged previously to being
shipped, or on board the vessel on ita voyage from Goole
to London?
The trial had not concluded hen we went to press.
EXCHEQUER.-('1•HI. DAY.)
(Before the LORD CHIEF BARON and a Common Jury.)
BRIDGER C. NORMANDY.
This was an action wider the lot-rpreader Act to try
whether certain goods seized by the plaintiff were the
property of the defendant.
The mutter, which has been repeatedly before the
Court, arise out of a demand made by a coal merchant
against a director of the Patent Elastic Kamptulicon
Company fur coal supplied to the company to the value
of 621. The particulars of the case were wholly un-
interesting.
The jury found a verdict for tho plaintiff.

IV E TV COURT.
(Before the COMMON SERGEANT.)
John Piddington, aged 43, described as a labourer, was
convicted of unlawfully assaulting Bridget McMahon,
aged six years, and sentenced to 12 months' imprison-
ment with hard labour.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
(THIS DAY.)
The May adjourned sesions were opened this morn.
ing, at the Court-house, Clorkenwell-green, before Mr.
Sergeant Adams.

The calendar contains the names of 61 prisoners.
There was great difficulty in forming a jury, and a
great many who did net answer to their names were sat
down as fined.

The Learned JUDGE, in his address to the jury, ex-
pressed his regret that so much time had been lost in
getting a panel together.
Denis Derhing, convicted of picking pockets at the
la►t sessions, was brought up for judgment.
The Learned JUDGE read a list of the prisoner's nu-
merous convictions for larceny of various kinds, amounting
in all to forty-eight, since the sessions of November,
1845. Any future chance the prisoner could have must
be in another country, as he would be transported beyond
the seas for ten years.