The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LO DON, SATURDA.Y _EVENING, SEP [EMBER G, Iris 4,

TEE FATAL CATASTROPHE IN LITTLEI
SWAN-ALLEY.

INQUEST ON THE BODIES.
The following appeared in successive editions of Th,
Sin of yesterday.

Yesterday morning Mr. W. Payne, deputy-coroner for
the City of London, opened an inquiry at St. Bartholo-
new's Hospital, relative to the melancholy and lament
able deaths of Thomas Palmer, and Elizabeth Pullen,
Thomas Pullen, and James Pullen, his step-children,
occasioned by the fall of the house No. 9, Little Swan-
alley, Moorgate-street, on the morning of Wednesday
last.

Previous to the jary assembling at the hospital, they
met the coroner in Little Swan-alley, and examined the

ruins.

Mr. W. Jones, ward clerk of Coleman-street Ward,
in which district the house was situated, attended and
watched the proceedings, accompanied by several of the
members of the Common Council, Commissioners of
Sewers, and vestrymen of St. Stephen's parish. Mr.
Woodthorpe, the district surveyor, was present with
plans of the premises.

The jury was a highly respectable one, comprising
the principal tradesmen of the parish in which
the dreadful calamity occurred. Mr. Perkins, of Cole-
man-street, a member of the Common Council, was
appointed foreman.

The jury having viewed the bodies (that of .Elizabeth
Pullen having been removed from St. Stephen's dead-
house to the dead-house of the hospital), considerable
delay occurred in commencing the inquiry from the want
of accommodation for the jury, and the proceedings had
to be conducted without tables for the jury to write on
and take notes of the evidence.
The jury having been sworn,

The Coroner said that, as the inquiry was one of con-
siderable importance, he proposed first to take evidence
identifying the bodies, then medical evidence as to the
nature of the injuries from which the deceased persons
died of, and then such evidence as would show how and
why the building in question fell, and ascertain thereby
if any blame attached to any person.
Elizabeth Pullen deposed that she lived with Palmer,
the deceased, who was a labourer, about 31 years of age,
at No. 9, Little Swan-alley. The three children now
dead were hers, and resided with her and Palmer in
Little Swan-alley, at the time of the accident. She bad
resided in the house on two occasions. She had been
back the last time about three or four months, and
occupied the first floor back. The front room of the
first floor Was occupied by other persons. The Kings
occupied a room above. About four months ago she
lived in the room of a Mrs. Marsh, at 2s. a-week, and
continued her tenant till about six weeks since, when
Mr. Crane became the landlord of the premises, and she
had since that paid the rent to him. She had complained
to Mrs. Marsh of the state of the house. There was
only one room on the ground floor ; the floor
of the room underneath that she occupied had been
taken away. Last Saturday night week she com-
plained to Mr. Crane, when she paid him her rent, of
the state of the floor, and pointed out the broken state of
the flooring near the fire place. The wood was much
decayed. As he stood at the door he looked at the
place, and said he would look to it. He did not call
again until Sunday last, when be came for his rent.
On Sunday last she paid him again her rent, but nothing
had occurred then to excite her alarm. In the course
of the evening she fancied she heard a cracking noise,
and noticed it to Mrs. King and deceased, Palmer, and
said she should soon get out of the house.
By the Foreman—Mrs. King said at the time that she
had heard strange sounds, and that they had better get
out as soon as possible.

Witness continued—About nine o'clock on Tuesday
night she .heard a cracking noise near the fire
place. It appeared to be in the same place
she bad heard it before. She and deceased,
Palmer, had not then retired. All the family slept in the
same room, but in different beds. The children slept in
a bed under the place where she heard the noise. Her-
self, Palmer, and the baby slept in one bed, and the
three children now dead in the other. About 10 o'clock
they retired to rest, and about 5 minutes past 12 she
was awoke by her child. She got out of bed to give him
something, and walked the room with him fur a short
time. She then heard a fearful cracking again. Her
hushing the child did not shake the room. The room
began to shake very much, and she awoke Palmer and
desired him to get up, as the house was falling. He got
up and went to the children, and she opened her room
door and alarmed the other inmates (the Kings, who
were over her head): Whilst standing on the top stairs
outside her room door, one half of the floor of
the room gave way, the window fell, and was
smashed all to pieces, as was also the fire•
place ; hearing the crash she tried to run down
stairs, and the shaking of the house threw down the
stairs, and she and her baby were thrown into the
street ; but how it happened she had no recollection.
She had made no complaints to the ward beadle or any
other person. She had not seen any of them round that
neighbourhood. She believed her mother, who lived in
the house before her, had complained of the state of the
house to a lady who visited the neighbourhood to distri-
bute charity amongst the poor occupants of the neigh-
bourhood. Crane accepted her as a tenant from Mrs.
Marsh, about 6 or 7 weeks ago.
By the Jury—Last week she experienced difficulty in
closing the door, but it did not create alarm in her mind
as to the state of the house.

By the Foreman—Her other son, who was about 15
years of age, had not returned from his work when the
accident occurred. She saw him in the court shortly
after the house fell. She did not know where Crane lived.
She believed in Charles-place, Bell-alley. The boards in
front of the fire-place were all broken away and decayed.
There were no nails in them, and after sweeping the
floor she had frequently to put the boards in order the
best way she could.

James Frederick King deposed that he was a book-
binder. He occupied the top floor back, over that of
the last witness. The other room on that floor was
❑no'cupied. He had lived in No. 9 about seven months,
always occupying the same room. During that time he
had complained of the state of the house. A. week
before the house fell he complained to Crane of the dila-
pidated state of the house, particularly the state of the
indoor of the room ; it had a frame, but most of the
glass was broken. On complaining of it to Crane,
he said they might put in the glass themselves if
they wanted it. He paid Crane I s. 6d. pf. r
week rent. When he took the room of Mrs. Marsh the
glass was then broken, but being unable to buy glass he
patched it up the best way he could. The floor of his
room was " thoroughly rotten and eaten away." He
showed it to Crane, who said, "Oh, you must make the
best of it." On Sunday morning last Crane called for
the rent. He was unable to pay him, and again com•
plained of the state of the house, to which Crane replied
" If you don't pay you know the consequences," and he
b'sen left. On Tuesday night he was engaged preparing
his work for the following day. About ten minutes to
12 he and his wife retired to rest; a few minutes after
he was aroused by a sound, and he said " Hark, how its
hailing." His wife said it was no such thing for the stars
were shining. He and his wife, and his wife's sister
and four children slept on the floor, having no beds ;
shortly after hearing the sound he found himself below ;
the floors appeared to have " fallen in all of a lump
together ;" there was only a shop on the ground floor ;
the cellars went down a few steps ; he did not think any
of the ground floor had been out away ; he had never
complained of the state of the house to any one but
Crane ; he believed the house had not been examined
by any one ; he bad never seen a surveyor there ; Crane,
the landiord, lives at 19, Little Bell-alley ;. he is a mes-
senger in some office in the City.
Mrs. King, who walked home, and appeared to be
suffering from the injuries received on Tuesday night,
deposed that about three months ago a person inspected
the house, and ordered the rooms to be whitewashed.
He inquired who was the landlord, and said the house
appeared in a very bad state. From the manner in
which the person alluded to came, she thought he must
have come from the Board of Health. She had long
noticed the dilapidated state of the house. Pieces of
mortar used to fall from the ceiling. On Friday night
she and her sister awoke by a sound like the "unloaling
of a cart-load of bricks." The noise appeared to pro-
ceed from between the two houses. She got up and
procured a light, but could not see that anything had
fallen. She did not mention it to any one the following
day, because Mr. Crane was very hard upon them,
and she thought if she did he would think it
was done to get out of the place. On Sun-
day Seibert, who occupied the room adjoining Palmer's,
was hammering all day, putting a lock on to his door.
Mrs. Palmer said, " I don't think any of us will want
locks or bolts long for I don't think the house will stand
long." Witness then corroborated her husband's evi-
dence with regard to the noise on Tuesday night. She
got up with her baby, and saw in the fire-place a light
which came from below, and she said to her husband
she thought the house was on fire, and whilst saying
that she fell through the floor. She saw the crack the
side of the room nearest No. 8, from whence
the noise appeared to come. Mr. Reynolds and Mr.
Cox looked at the house in the spring of the year, but
she did not know their object.
By the Foreman—OA Friday sight she azul her Bider

considered the house was unsafe. She made no atternp
to leave or make any complaint of the state of the house.
Sarah Parry, who formerly occupied rooms in the
house, deposed—That about three years ago she noticed
the dilapidated state of the premises. The plaster from
the ceiling near the window, and the bricks from the fire
place began first to fall. She was a tenant to Mrs.
Marsh, and on complaining to her she had it repaired.
About the same time one of the steps of the stairs gave
way from decay. The summer before last while white.
washing the room some of the plaster fell down, and she
could see through. She was sister to Mrs. Pullen, and her
mother occupied the house for a long time. From her
observations she was satisfied the house was in a very
bad state. Mr. Horton, Mr. Reddington, and others
called some months since and looked at the exteriors of
the houses. They said they wished the houses were all
down, and asked the occupants why they did not leave.
They said the parish wished to have the houses down.
Mr. Reddington did not go into the house because he
was afraid to go over the stairs.

Mr. E. Woodthorpe, district surveyor, deposed that
he knew the premises in question and produced plans he
had made of them. About 18 months ago, when he was
condemning houses in Sun-court, adjoining Little S wan-
alley, he found from observation, before his notice
had been called to it, the property in a dilapidated
gate. He condemned the property in Sun -court
under the old building act, which vested these powers
in the Court of Aldermen ; those houses were pulled
down. At that time he examined the exterior walls of
the building in question. He had no power to enter
the premises and survey them. He had to take care that
no danger was likely to occur from old buildings to pas
sengers and the adjoining property. By the new act the)
occupiers of houses were pro ected as much as passen-
gers, &c. Under the old act, and on a certain process
being gone through, he had power to survey—without
it he could not enter premises for that purpose ; the In-
spector of Pavements gave him notice of any houses
being dangerous, and on receiving it he applied to the
Court of Sewers for authority to act. He was
not aware if Little Swan-alley was in the dis-
trict of the Inspector of Pavements.. If he saw
danger he should move in the matter without
notice ; and report to the Commissioners of Sewers.
There was nothing definite in the act to compel sur-
veyors to walk round their districts like policemen, and
examine the dwellings, but it was the spirit of the act.
He had condemned a whole street on his own observa-
tion, and without his attention having been called to it.
The removal of the houses in Sun-court had not affected
the stability of the house in Little Swan-alley. These
houses were from 150 to 200 years old. The wood work
was all worm eaten. He had examined the premises
since the accident. In his judgment the interior of the
house fell bodily from decay of the ends of the rafters
and wood work generally being worm-eaten, and, falling
in this manner, the outer walls were forced over a shed
into an adjoining:court. The weight of the people in the
house was more than the floors could bear, and that was
the cause of their giving way. The exterior settlements
of the house were not so serious as many in the neigh-
bourhood. The house in question showed less exterior
indications of falling than the houses Nos. 10, 11, and 12
now standing. Similar defective action was going on in
them, and that of No. About ten or twelve years
ago he believed the house was prescribed by the Wood
inquest. He had since taken measures for securing the
whole of the adjoining property. Unless there were
some exterior indication of danger he should not ask to
go inside. The only way to have known the state of the
floors would have been by taking ap the boarding and
examining the bearings.
A Juror handed to the witness a presentment relative
to the buildings in question dated 1845, and asked whose
duty it was to take proceedings under itl

Witness said he believed it was referred to a select
committee of the Court of Aldermen.

The Foreman said that he was the foreman of the in-
quest referred to, which was presented to the Court of
Aldermen, who referred it to a select committee of the
Aldermen of the ward through the City solicitor, with
power to take the necessary steps for putting them in a
proper state of repair. From his own knowledge he
could state that the repairs required were attended to.
By a Juror—He had no doubt the surveyor at that
time h td the repairs done.
In answer to a question from Mr. Waddington, one
of the jury,
Mr. Woodthorpe said that he took the opportunity of
going into the houses Nos. 8, 10, 11, and 12, a day or
two since, and he found the interiors of them in an un-
sound state. He had since obtained the necessary au-
thority, and had condemned them this day. The most
dangerous part of these houses arose from the chimney
shafts, which, owing to the excavations of the cellars,
were now supported by the joi,ts of the building only.
These old chimney shafts were three times the weight of
modern shafts. Surreptitious repairs to houses were
frequently done, the surveyors knowing nothing of them,
and great injury was frequently done to houses by sink-
ing the cellars 12 or 18 inches deeper than they ought
to be, and it was generally done without the knowledge
of the surveyor. He considered his duties to be, that,
on seeing a building in a ruinous and dangerous state,
to give notice to the Commissioners of Sewers, and when
en his rounds to look out and examine buildings
externally, and see if there were any dangerous or ruinous
'indications. He made periodical visits, but at no speci-
fied time, such as once or twice a-year.
By Mr. Bennett (juryman)—Have not the state of
these houses come under your especial notice since you
condemned the houses in the neighbourhood about 2i
years since ?
Mr. Woodthorpe—There have been no external indi-
cations of danger.
By Mr. Bennett—Did you take no means to survey
these houses when in the neighbourhood about three
weeks since I

Mr. Woodthorpe—l did not examine them specifically,
but only in a casual way with other buildings.
In answer to a question from another juryman, Mr.
Woodthorpe said he did not know before the accident
that these houses were condemned in 1845. The duties
of the surveyor were defined in the old act, but had not
been inserted in the new act.

By Mr. Jones (Ward Clerk)—He believed the indica-
tions of decay in these houses have been going on ever
since they had been built. The walls and ch.'moeys were
from 1 foot to 18 inches out of the perpecdicular. The
houses 10, 11, and 12, were kept back in their position
by being tied with iron rods.
Mr. Perkins, the foreman, was then examined relative
to the presentment of the house to the Court of Alder-
men in 1845, and added that as the landlord paid atten-
tion to the summons, the repairs were done without the
further interference of the Court of Aldermen.

Mr. Bennett proposed to examine Mr. Perkins relative
to the actual execution of the repairs, but he was inter-
rupted by
The Coroner, who said it was not necessary to go
into that. They need not be so particular, because that
was merely a Court of Inquiry.
Mr. Bennett said he thought the jury should examine
into it, because if the Corporation faded to do their duty
in 1845 they were to blame.
The Coroner said they had nothing to do with that
now. It was a question for their consideration when
they deliberated.
After some further discussion,
The Coroner said it had been shown that repairs were
ordered and executed.

A Juryman said he thought the question arose
whether the City surveyor of 1845 did his duty on the
presentment made.
The Coroner said that was not a question then before
them.

Mr. Poking said that repairs were done to the
house at the time, which satisfied the gentleman who
represented the property.
John Thomas Hopkinson, sanitary inspector, and in
spector of pavements, deposed that he was appointed to
those offices by the Commissioners of Sewers for the
North Middle district, in which Little Swan-alley is
situate. When he saw a dilapidated building, it was
his duty to give notice to the district surveyor in writing.
As a sanitary officer he examined premises internally
and externally. He was appointed to his office in
April, 1856, and he inspected the house in question on
the 23d of May last for sanitary purposes. The state of
the houses he reports to the medical officers, who report
to the Commissioners, who then order the issue of the
proper notices. The house then only appeared to want
the plaster made good and cleaning. If he had noticed
anything out of the usual course he should have reported
it to the surveyor. He considered he was empowered,
as inspector of pavements, to enter any house he thought
ruinous or dangerous. He was through Little Swan-
alley four times last week, but did not notice any
indications of danger from the house. The district sur-
veyor always attended promptly to his reports. He
had examined many houses, especially in Golden-lane,
in worse condition than thosel were. He served Mr.
Crane with the proper notice to lime white and plaster,
and the repairs were done. He did not notice if the
staircase was broken, or that the boards of the floor
were loose. The cellar was uninhabited ; he did not
inspect it.
_ _ _

Mr. Randall, of No. 4, Sandell•terrace, Poplar, owned
the property in question up to about four years since.
During the time he had it the City authorities complained
of its state, and gave him notice to repair, which he at-
tended to. He thought the notice was served on him
about ten years since. He disposed of the property,
about eight or nine houses, to Mr. Crane. It was held
under a lease on the life of an old lady, of Greenwich,
who died about five weeks since.

By a Juryman—He could not recollect the amount of
repairs done to the house, in consequence of the notice
served on them. All was done to the satisfaction of the
authorities. Crane acted as his agent for the collection
of the rents previous to his purchasing witness's interest
in them.

Mr. Crane, the person above referred to as the holder
of the property, deposed that he resided in Little Bell-
alley, and was a messenger at MesArA. Morrish and Co.'s,
Gresham-street. When he took the property Nos. 8 and
9 were rented by Mr N. Marsh, who let out N 0.9 to weekly
tenants. Marshleft the premises about 4 or 5 weeks since.
He used to go to No. 9 to collect his rents, and went
into the rooms. He saw on those occasions the tenants.
Oa Saturday fortnight Mrs. Pullen called his attention
to A board that was loose iu .the Boor near the Orel

place. It appeared to have been occasioned by the
c'itoppini, of wood. On moving it he could look into
the cellar. Last Saturday night he called, but saw
neither of the tenants, and went again in consequence
on Sunday morning. lie then saw Mrs. Pullen who
paid him her rent without making any complaint.
She did not call his attention then to the state of the
floor near the fire-place. He also saw King, who made
no complaint. A. step on the stairs was lose but nothing
to indicate danger. No complaint was even made to him
of the state of the house except the loose board. He was
in the house three hours t,efore it fell. He did not no-
tice anything that indicate:i its falling. He repaired all
the windows except King's a week before the accident,
and be refused repairing; theirs because they were bad
tenants. He had only been served with a notice to
lime white and repair, which he attended to at the
time.

By a Juryman—The property was not surveyed when
ho purchased it of Mr. Randall at 75 guinea, per annum.
Shortly after he had them they were condemned. He
had received the rents up to the time of the accident,
not knowing the old lady was dead on whose life the
property was held. He knew the property was in a bad
state of repair, but he did not consider it dangerous.
Mr. Bennett—lf you had attended to the repairs of
Pullen's floor you would have discovered the joists were
rotten.

By a Juryman—He never examined the main tim-
bers of the house. He did the repairs when Marsh
rented the house.

Mrs. Sarah Marsh, of 10, Little S wan•alley, deposed
that when her husband rented No. 9, they let it out in
tenements. She lived in it about three years ago. It
was not particularly out of repa'r. It was rented as an
old house. She had complained of certain repairs being
necessary to Mr. Crane, which he had attended to. She
never heard any cracking sounds, nor considered it in a
dangerous state.

By a Juryman—She never felt any alarm about the
house.

Police-constable Richard Hewett, No. 154, deposed
that he had known the houses for 18 months, and the
inhabitants also. They never complained to him of the
state of the premises. On Tuesday night, about ten
minutes past twelve, he heard a noise like unloading
stones from a cart, accompanied with screaming. He
proceeded to the spot, and found the house in ruins.
Screams were coming from persons in the ruins, as well
as those in the surrounding houses. The house appeared
to have fallen down bodily. He then procured assist-
ance. Mrs. Seibert and Mr. Seibert were got out, and
conveyed to the hospital. Palmer and the other de-
ceased, with the whole of the inmates, were taken from
the ruins. Palmer was taken out dead about two hours
after the accident. He was taken from the cellar.
Elizabeth Pullen and the other deceased were taken out
before Palmer. They were conveyed to the hospital.
He passed the house about a quarter of an hour before
the accident. He neither heard nor saw any,hing indi-
cating danger. Every assistance was rendered to the
persons as they were taken from the ruins, and they
were forwarded without delay in cabs to the hos-
pital. _ _ _

By Mr. Bennett—He did not consider it a part of
his duty to report the dangerous state of buildings to the
district surveyor. If he saw anything dangerous, or the
inhabitants informed him of anything dangerous, he
should report it to his inspector.
The Coroner said he had the names of several other
witnesses, who spoke to the same facts, but

•
The Jury said they considered it was not necessary for
them to be examined.

Mr. Elliott, churchwarden of St. Stephen's, Coleman•
street, stated that there were a number of these dilapi-
dated houses in the neighbourhood in question, which
required examination, and he hoped the coroner and jury
from what they had that day heard would express
strongly their opinion that it should be done forthwith.
He should call on the sanitary inspector to do his duty
more efficiently than heretofore.
Mr. Inspector Todhunter handed iu a list of the di-
lapidated houses in the district, and said that although
it was no part of the duty of the police to examine these
buildings and report them, he should take care it was
done in future. _

Mr. Dailey, house surgeon, deposed that when Palmer
and ihe two lads were brought to the hospital, about 3
o'clock on Wednesday morning, they were all dead and
the extremities were cold. There were no fractures, and
they appeared to have died from suffocation. They
presented the appearance of persons having suffered from
an accident such as that above described.

Hewett was re-called, and stated that the girl Pollen
was not sent to the hospital because a medical man who
was present, and Mr. Child, the police surgeon, pro-
nounced her dead.

This being the whole of the evideuce,
Mr. Bennett submitted that evidence should be pro-
duced to show that the necessary repairs were done to
the house on the presentment in 1845, and what was
the state of the building then.
The Coroner said he did not consider it was necessary
for them to go back so far on that occasion. It would
bear but very remotely on the fall of the house.

Mr. Bennett said that if the timbers of the howe
were rotten in 1845 no repairs could have made them
sound and safe.

The Coroner said they had heard the evidence of the
foreman on the circumstances. He would call any one
else the jury wished, but he thought it unnecessary.
The Jury having expressed an opinion that they
thought it unnecessary to call further evidence,
The Coroner summed up, remarking that it would
he their duty, amongst other questions, to consider
if there had been gross and culpable neglect on the part
of any person that would make him liable to a criminal
charge. The external part of the 132 use did not appear
to have given indications of danger, and it was for them
to say if there had been that serious and formal notice
given to the landlord to repair the house by the inmates,
the neglect of which would involve him in a charge of man-
slaughter. He (the coroner) wished, and no doubt they
did also, that more vigilance had been used on the part of
those ho had to survey the neighbourhood, and ascer-
tain the state of the buildings, because if there had been
the rotten state of the house must have been found out,
without blame attaching to any person for it, and the
house have been pulled down and this unfortunate acci-
dent have been prevented.
. . .

The jury, after deliberating twenty minutes, returned
a verdict of accidental death, accompanied with the fol-
lowing recommendation :—" The jury earnestly recom-
mend to the Commissioners of Sewers that they would
authorise a special survey forthwith to be made of all
buildings in the City of London, that from age, or other
causes, may be supposed to be out of substantial repair."
The Coroner said he concurred in the recommendation.
The inquiry occupied from 11 o'clock till half past four
o'clock.

FALLING OF A PORTION OF THE WEL-
LINGTON BARRACKS.

Yesterday an inquiry which lasted for upward of six
hours, was held before Mr. Langhain, the Deputy Coro-
ner for the city of Westminster, touching the death of
Thos. Csamier, aged 40 years, who 1 st his life by the
falling of a portion of the new wing of the Wellington
Barracks in James street, Buckingham-gate.
It will be recollected that the whole of the corner of
the copping-stone fell down, precipitating slit persons to
the ground, one of whom was killed on the spot, and five
others so seriously wounded that it is very doubtful whe-
ther any will recover.

The inquiry took place at Westminster Hospital.
There were several Government officials present.
The first witness examined was Andrew Mall, who
identified the body of the deceased.
Alfred Wells, potman at the King's Head, James-
street, Westminster, said that about 10 minutes before 10
on Wednesday morning he went on to the scaffold with a
can of beer, for the purpose of supplying the workmen, as
usual, with their morning beer. He was in the act of
pouring out a half-pint of beer to Matthews, one of
the injured men, who was standing on the corner of the
coping stone. Witne-g saw the coping crack, and immedi-
ately fell back into the gutter on to the roof with his can.
The stone fell, carrying away a portion of the wall, and
precipitating six men on to the scaffolding and carrying
the whole to the ground.
By the Coroner—There was nothing weighty, and only
one man standing on the stone when he saw it crack.

William Herrick stated that he was a brickiaater, and
was at work on the scaffold when the accident occurred.
He had just finished the work he was engaged on, near
where tae accident took place, and was coming towards
the putnian for his beer when he saw the coping cant
over. Char!es Simpson and others were trying to get
their beer. By the time he got up to the front he saw
the stone fall over. It started up two or three feet before
falling, rolled over, carrying a portion of the wall, and
knocked the scaffolding down.
Coroner—Was it the weight that broke the scaffold
Witness—lt was the weight, in my opinion, for there
were not 100 of bricks or a stone on the scaffold at the
time.

Coroner—Was it a good scaffolding I
Witness—l have seen worse.

By a Juror—What was the width of the coping•stone?
—lB inches in and 15 projecting. The counterbalancing
weights were not put on.
By a Juror—Did you consider the putlogs (the cross-
beams in the scaffolding) were strong enough ?
Witness—l did not build the scaffolding. I don't know.
At this stage of the proceedings a juror suggested to
the coroner the advisability of ordering the contractors
from the court, as he thought that their presence pre-
vented the witnesses from stating all they knew.
Charles Thompson deposed that he had superintended
the erection of the scaffold;. he thought it was strong,
but he had never erected one before in London, and diet
not know what round putlogs were.
Several other witnesses were examined, who deposed
to the same facts, and it was admitted by all that if
beech or fir putlogs had been used the scaffold might
have resisted the weight.
Henry Keen, a bricklayer, said that he was on the
scaffold at the time of the accident. He considered it
was caused by the lad Simpson standing on the stones,
and knocking them to level them down. There was a
foreman to the job, but he was not there when the occur-
rence took place. There were no iron cramps at the
building on Wednesday morning, bat the foreman had
gone to see after them. .

A Juror—Some of the workmen, while we were look-
ing over the building, said that they would have come
forward, but they were afraid of the consequences.
The Coroner—This is far too serious a matter to be
stated in a conversation ; we ought to have it on oat).
Juror—But I assure you there was a man at work cn
the building who positively said he should like to give.
evidence, but he was afraid he should be discharged.
Coroner—nen, if such is the case, for the sake of the
public and the contractors, the inquiry should be ad-
journed.

After some further conversation on this point,
Mr. A. Chester was sworn and deposed that he was
holm surgeon. When the deceased was brought in with

F,l

Avij other persons, they were at once attenilpiihy witne,s,
INlessrs. Barnard, Et, It, Holthou,e, and iFimaTi.
decea,ed had •ustaitied an extenive fracture the kt.tj,,
and dhd in al) .111-. 80 minutes after ad in6sion.
. .

George Sail, foreman, said teat be was not present at
the accident. He saw the cornice about 10 o'clock in the
morning, and left to go to the city to see after the iron
cramps, which ought to have been there on that morn-
ing. He did not give any orders for the men to proceed
with the work without the cramps, and as the accident
happened during hi, ah,•ence he could not say how far
they had :got on. It was in the specification that the
cramps were to be provided, but if they had not been in
the contract he should not have considered them neces-
sary. The lad Simpson. standing on the stone loosened
the joints and caused the accident.
Coroner—Now, relative t) the important communica-
tion made by one of the gentlemen of the jury as to some
of the men having been intimidated—is that a fact !
Witness—l can only say I have not heard of it.
Coroner—Has there been a strike among the men
since the commencement of the works ?
Witness—Yes ; but that occurred about two or three
months ago.
Coroner—Did you think it necessary to prop up the
cornice ?

Witness—No, certainly not.
Coroner—But if it had been propped up, .would this
have taken place ?
Witness—No, it would not.
Mr. James Jones, a builder, said be went to see the
building after the accident, and found the putlogs to be
only sawn quartering 3 feet by 4 inches. He had worked
for builders for years in London, and never saw such a
scaffold before—that was., respecting the putlogs. If
the putlogs had been beech instead of deal they would
have stood any weight, and it would have split the
beards instead of the putlogs.
By a Juror—He thought most decidedly the putlogs
were placed too wide apart. The scaffold was not strong
enough.
This being the whole of the evidence, the coroner
summed up, the court was cleared, and, after a consulta-
tion of about an hour and a half, the jury returned the
following verdict :—" That the death of Thomas COnnor
was occasioned by a portion of the cornice falling on
him, but, had the iron cramps directed to be used by the
specification been applied as the building progressed, the
accident would have been prevented."