The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-16 00:00:00

DEATH OF AN ACTOR F 100.31
CHLOROFORM.

On Friday evening Mr. Langham, held an inquest at
Charing-cross Hospital on the body of Mr. Charles Verner,
aged 39, an actor, connected with the London theatres,
who died on Monday last, in the hospital, while under the
influence of chloroform, administered preparatory to his
undergoing a surgical operation. Mrs. Elizabeth Verner
said the deceased, her husband, had been an in-patient of
the hospital for the last three months, labouring under a
disease of the jaw. His sufferings were of the most acute
character. It was at the joint request of herself and
the deceased that the operation was to be performed.
She was aware that chloroform was to be adminis-
tered previous to the operation, and neither herself nor
her husband would have allowed the operation to have
been performed without it. They were made fully
aware of the danger attending the operation, but were
prepared to have it done at all hazards, the sufferings of
deceased were so great. Mr. Edwin Canton, M.R.C.S.,
and surgeon to the hospital, said the deceased had been
under his care for several weeks past, suffering from a
malignant disease of the upper jaw-bone. It was a disease
likely to prove fatal, and from the progress made by it,
the death of the deceased must have taken place in a few
weeks. He suggested that an operation should bo per-
formed, with the very faint hope of a cure, at the
same time informing the deceased and his wife of
the great danger attending it; but they replied they
should wish it to be performed at all risks.
Every care had been taken to prepare the deceased for
the operation. The chloroform was skilfully and pro-
perly administered in his presence, and that of several of
his colleagues, by Mr. Peter Marshall, the regular chloro-
formist of the hospital. Within two minutes of the chlo-
roform being administered, the patient fell back and died.
The galvanic apparatus, and all other appliances used in
cases of this sort, were at once resorted to, but life
was extinct. No attempt had been made to perform the
operation. He considered the use of chloroform one of the
risks incidental in cases of operations. Before the chloro-
form was administered it had been ascertained that the
deceased was free from any heart disease. The jury
returned the verdict, " That the deceased lost his life by
the administration of chloroform, but that the chloroform
had been skilfully and properly administered."

The directors of the Evangelical Alliance have
determined on holding their conference fur the present
year at Derby. The business will commence on.the morn-
ing of Tuesday, November 23, and last for seven days.
The authorities of Christ Church, Oxford, are
constructing a reading room for the use of the college
servants of the society. The example set by the Dean of
Christ Church will doubtless be followed by other colleges
at Oxford.

THE BISHOP OF OXFORD'S RESIGNATION.—The
Bishop of Oxford will deliver a charge to the clergy in
various parts of his diocese, commencing on Thursday, the
11th of November. Shortly after his visitation he will be
translated to the see of Winchester.

Mr. Sheriff Barclay granted a warrant on Thursday
on the application of Mr. Robertson, of Dundounachie, in-
terdicting the servants of the Duke of Athole from molesting
or otherwise annoying Mr. Robertson, while passing the
toll-house on Dunkeld Bridge.

The Rev. Samuel Deny has been appointed to the
rectory of Pensthorpe, near Pakenham, vacant by the death
of the Rev. H. Dugmore. The living is described by the
Clergy List as being worth only £5O a year, with twelve in-
habitants and no church.

It is stated that the Home Secretary has directed
the release from custody of Mr. Shipman, who was committed
by the Court of Bankruptcy to a year's imprisonment in
respect of certain speculations during his management of the
Agra and Masterman's bank. Mr. Shipman had served only
half of his term, of imprisonment.

LEIGH MINT'S ESSAYS.—In connection with the
Leigh Hunt Memorial,which is to be uncovered at Kensal-
green on Tuesday, it has been decided upon issuing a
volume of charming papers written by this author. The
book will be entitled " A Tale for a Chimney Corner, and
other Essays," selected and edited by the author's personal
friend, Mr. Edmund Oilier.
MR. BRIGHT AND THE DoGS.—The President
of the Board of Trade was lately staying with some friends
who are not usually ranked as Liberals. In the course of
conversation one evening, one of them said, "Mr. Bright,
you ought to put a duty of 20s. on dogs." The right hon.
gentleman paused for a foment, and then replied, " Yes,
but it is the rich man's dog that barks at me !" The rich
man said no more, and we presume the poor man's dog had
a chance for its existence so far as Mr. Bright is concernes.
A BROTHERLY INFORMANT.—OR Thursday the
body of a woman was found in the canal, Blast-lane, Shef-
field. It appeared to have been in the water about a week,
decomposition having just commenced. A great many per-
sons identified the body as being their respective relative,
but all afterwards confessed their error. Amongst others, a
man said it was his brother's wife. He appeared much
affected, and went to his brother's house to inform him.
On arriving there, however, he found the supposed deceased
had not yet risen, and was in good health.
A SEAL IN THE THAMES.—A few weeks ago a
seal (Phoca vitulina) wandered as far as Putney, and was
shot ; but, as is usual with seals shot in deep water, it
sank, and was not seen again. A less fortunate adventurer,
however, met with a different fate. About eight
o'clock in the evening, a man belonging to a barge,
lying between Woolwich and Purfleet, was startled by a
peculiar noise in the water. At first he thought it was a
man overboard, but from the peculiarity of the noise, and
finding no response to his challenge, he armed himself with
a gun and watched the spot from whence the sound
emanated. He saw a figure moving about in shallaw water,
and immediately fired. The result was the discovery of a
fine seal, measuring 3ft. 51in. The seal is now in the pos-
session of_Mr. James Ward, of Harley-mews south, who is
engaged in preserving it, and when ready it will bo
exhibited in his father's establishment, 2, Vero-street,
Oxford-street.

TERRIFIC BOILER EXPLOSION IN NORTIIIIMBER-
LAND.—On Thursday afternoon there was a terrific boiler
explosion at the saw-mills and workshops attached to the
well-known collieries belonging to Messrs. Lamb and part-
ners, at Cramlington, Northumberland. The boiler had
been out of use three days untlergoing repair, and exploded
while the engine-man was getting up the steam. Large por-
tions of the boiler were hurled a distance of from three to
four hundred yards, and the pipes much further. The saw-
mills were reduced to ruins, and the workshops were
also greatly injured. Edward Shields, a mason, who
had gone into the firehole to light his pipe, was killed on
the spoirtnd Anthony Caddy and James Roberts, work-
men, who were struck by the flying material, are so much
injured that they are not likely to recover. Some of the
pitmen's cottages were greatly damaged by the explosion,
but the families escaped. A horse, however, belonging to
Mr. Storey, butcher, which was standing at a cottage door
while its master was delivering meat, was struck by a piece
f fiteAni pipe p 4