The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-25 00:00:00

commotion took place and various cries were raised. I
don't think I should know the above persons again.
Police constsble 171—On Sunday evening last I was
on duty at the Surrey Hall. I was under the direction
of Police constable 65. I was at first stationed at the
sate in Penton-place to keep the people back to allow
those with tickets to come first. I remained there about
a quarter of an hour, when the gates were opened to allow
the public generally to go in. I then went to thegrove, and
afterwards to the hall. I was posted at the main en-
trance, and to attend to the inside occasionally. The had
was then filling fast. I had charge also of the door. I
was at the stairs near the door until after the rush of
people trying to make their exit from the hall. At the
time of the rush I was four or five yards inside the build-
ing. I saw nothing that gave rise to it. It was a spon-
taneous movement. I saw no rush to come into the
building ; they came in thick and gradually. When the
rush was made I was forced out of the building by the
internal crowd. Anxious inquiries were made, " What's
the matter " and screaming. There were in an instant 20
or 30 persons on the ground round my feet. After the
rush was over, I went into the building again by the
main door. There was still great confusion inside, occa-
sioned by persons trying to make their way out. I cried
out " Keep back—keep your seats, it's all right."
About that time a gentleman said to me, "Policeman,
you had better make your way to yon corner, the peo-
ple are being killed." I went as fast as I could to the
north-west corner, and I there saw at least 100 persons
lying one upon another. They were on the stair-
case and on the stones, at the bottom of the
stairs. I believe I was the first policeman there, but I
almost directly saw police-constable 153 there. Tne
balustrade had then given way. I carried three women
out of the crowd, and gave them to their friends. I
think one man I took from the stairs afterwards died.
I didn't take any one out dead. I rendered all the
assistance I could to remove them from the staircase.
I took no one into custody for an offence. A great
many persons appeared to be more or less injured.
George Sines, tailor, 20, Ironmonger-row, Old-street,
St. Luke's—l was in the front seat at the end of the top
gallery, facing the pulpit. Wh-n Mr. Spurgeon was
praying I was looking into the body of the building, and
I distinctly heard a cry of " Fire !" but I am unable to
say from whence it proceeded. I immediately rose on
the alarm, left my seat, and went to the top of the stairs.
At that time there were about 500 more persons on the
bottom of the lower flight of stairs. There appeared to
be a block. I stood still, and in less than half a minute
there were 400 or 500 persons on the stairs. Sing-
ing commenced afterwards within the building.
I called out " It's a false alarm," and
just at that moment the balustrade gave way. Is .w
no policeman there at that time. I saw from 80 to 100
persons fall down the well—they were hanging to one
another like bees. The balustrade must have given
way from the pressure. Several persons fell after that.
One woman, dressed in black, fell on her head, which
rebounded so much that he almost saw her forehead. I
saw a woman partly out of the window, but what be-
came of her I don't know.
One of Mr. Spurgeon's friends said that the woman
alluded to left the grounds in good spirits.
Witness said he considered the block arose from the
bar being over at the end of the stair.
Mr. Superintendent Lund said the bar had been re-
moved.

Witness said there was a part of a bar across the
stairs when he first went up.
Mr. J. A. Joyce, coal merchant, Rosemary Branch,
Canal-bridge, Hoxton—l entered the hall three minutes
before six o'clock, and took my station about the middle
of the lower gallery, over the entrance. Everything ap-
peared to be going on peaceably. I distinctly heard at
first a slight clapping of feet, followed by a cry of "fire."
In a moment there was a panic throughout the building,
and every one made for the most ready exit, some
to the doors and others to the windows. I got
on the seat behind where I had been sitting, and
jumped over to the floor. When I got to the top
of the north-west staircase I saw it give way.
The stairs were densely crowded. The woodwork of
the balustrade broke, and the iron bars were torn from
their sockets. Every person near the spot was hurled
with great force to the well before. My attention was
afterwards called to the window of the balcony at the
end of the gallery. I saw one person in particular—a
dying woman, whom I have since ascerta'ned was Mrs.
Barlow—lying on the leads. I saw a tall, stout man
(Heard) fall with the balustrade, and died.
The Coroner—l think you make a mistake.
A Juror—A. tail, stout man fell and broke his leg.
Witness—lt may be that I have made a mistake in
the man. I saw a woman, whom I believe to be Mrs.
Mead, put through the window from the gallery to the
leads. There was a great pressure in the crowd at the
time.

Thos. Fullager, sen., house-decorator, Doctors' Com-
mons —I was at the Surrey Gardens on Sunday evening
last. I was standing at the entrance door when I saw
two men enter and whisper together, as if bent on mis-
chief, one came out and laughed and went in again,
and soon after there was a mob of people ; there was no
rush inwards. Two men forced their way into the hall,
and I heard one say "Jack has played his cards well,
and has won his bottle of brandy. I wish he had put
the gas out."
The Foreman—You had better put yourself in com-
munication with the police.
Mr, Superintendent Lund—l know all about it
already.
Thomas Cooke, beadle and constable of the parish—
I received the bodies at the workhouse. I have since
visited the gardens and taken the dimensions of the
staircase at the N.W. entrance. The flooring is of stone.
There are 14 steps to the front landing-5 ft. 10 in. i❑
length from the wall to the banister, the depth 7 inches,
and the width at the wall from 12 to 13 inches, and
next the balustrade bars 6 inches. The first landing
at the wall is seven feet three inches, and by the side
of the banister four feet. There are ten similar steps
from the landing to the first gallery. No part of the
stone work of the steps is displaced. Everything ap-
pearel perfectly sound is its construction. I presume
the steps are supported on one side by the brick wall
and on the other by an iron pillar. It is called a spiral
staircase. The balustrade had partly given way at the
first landing downwards. The stonework had given
way and the woodwork broke in the solid. The depth
from the first landing to the bottom of the well is eight
feet, and the one above 13 feet 10 inches. The it in
bars were fixed two and a-quarter inches at least in the
stone from the edge. The width of the gallery door is
lour feet, and the window five feet, and three fee:.
from the floor. There are two doors trom the gallery
on to one landing, and the crowd from above would also
meet there.
The Coroner asked if any gentleman present wished
to give evidence.
The Foreman said that Mr. Superintendent Lund had
sent for a man who saw the balustrade give way.
Mr. Superintendent' Lund said that police-constable
164 P saw the balustrade break.
Police-constable 164 P was then called. He said—
As I entered the building I saw a woman hanging from
the balustrade. She fell down and injured her head.
A man fell on her. I pulled her out, and the blood
streamed over tne. I put her on the grass. At
the time I was pulling the woman from under the
man the halutrade pave way, and about a dozen or 13
persons fell over. The woma❑ was hanging by the
banisters before sh 3 fell. After that ab ,Ut. 50 persons
ell on the others with their heads downwards. Lie
public alter the balustrade broke was made to go down
the other staircase.
Mr. G. Diggings, superintendent of the gardens, in the
employ of the company.—On Sunday night I was in
the ball standing in the principal entrance about a quar-
ter to 7 o'clock. Up to that time there was perfect
silence in the hall. My attention was attracted by a
noise, end I saw three or four persons ru❑ out followed
by a great rush from the body of the hall. I was
unable to enter the ball by that entrance, and I
went to the north-west tower and endeavoured to
ascend the staireae. Thera was no one on the ground
at this time. I was unable to ascend the staircase from
the number of persons hurrying down. I got up after-
wards six or seven steps on the outside of the banister,
but was obliged to descend, and returned to the well o f
the staircase. Just after that about three feet of the rail
gave way, through which two persons fell, and
others jumped through. I saw Mr. Superintendent Lund
there when I first went in. I understood several persons
had been killed on the upper landing of the first gallery.
I saw a man (Heard) lying on his back with his heal
on the first step of the second flight of steps. I saw no
female down. I assisted with others in forming a bar.
rier, by linking our arms, to prevent the crowd from
above and the first gallery going over the stairs. In the
north-east tower I saw Sergt. Coppin endeavouring to
appease the people. I afterwards sawthree females on the
leads, who, I understood, were placed there. There
was no dead body in the lower part of the hall until
they were brought there by the police. There is no hell
in the building. The nearest fire-place is 80 feet
from the hall, and has not been used for some
mouths. I cannot trace the slightest cause for
an alarm of fire. No portion of the ceiling has
given way. I have heard a. tinkling sound repeatedly
from the current of air rushing through the drops of the
chandelier. It might easily be mistaken for the tinkling
of a bell. I should think there were not more than 5,010
or 6,000 persons pissent. There was much unoccupied
nom in the galleries. The hall is estimated to hold
10,000 persons, and I have seen more in the hall than on
Sunday evening last,
The Foreman of the Jury said he considered it strange
the witness should have forced his way up the gallery to
prevent the egreis of the people.
Witness—l went up to see what was the matter, and
prevent the pressure from the galleries.
Mr. Superintendent Lund said if we had not done it, and
formed a barrier to prevent the people from rushing
(low's, more than 100 persona would have been killed.
Mr. Jones, the architect, who was not sworn, said the
measurement of the stairs, as stated by Mr. Cooke, was
nearly correct. He attributed the breakage of the banis-
ter to the pressure from living beings, relieved awl then
reapplied. Every other part of the building was sound.
No accidental fire cen arise in the building without
inatchea or things of that sett beiig thrown about the
bundine ; and in the case of an escape of gas, the build-
ing being mostly lit from above, it would escape by the
facilities of ventilation in the roof.

The Foreman of the Jury said they were ready to
hear the evidence of any person who had any additional
information to give.

The Coroner-af,ked Mr. Superintendent Lund if he
had any further evidence to offer, or knew of any?
Mr. Superintendent Lund—No.
The Coroner having summed up the evidence,
The jury retired at twenty minutes past six to consi-
der their verdict.

After an absence of upwards of an hour, they returned•
the following special verdict :—" The jury on each case
find a verdict of Accidental Death, which occurred on
the staircases of the north•weut terrace. It is, however,