The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-10 00:00:00

THE DESECRATION OF ST. MARTINS
CEMETERY.

Last evening, pursuant to announcement, a public
meeting of the inhabitants of St. Pancras was held
in the spacious Vestry Hall, calculated to hold
2,000 persons, for the purpose of -giving expression
tb opinion as to the recent revolting desecration of
the dead in the cemetery of St. Martin's-in-the-
Fields, at Carriden-town.

The time announced by the placards for holding
the meeting was half-past seven o'clock, but long
before that hour every available part of the hall
was filled, and the platform and. gallery were
crowded, not only by the clergy and gentry of the
'district, of all denominations, but by a large num-
ber of elegantly-dressed ladies.
The Rev. J. Fitzgerald, the incumbent of St.
Stephen's, Camden-town, was called to the chair,
and was supported by the Rev: J. K. Jennings,
M.A., the Rev. A. W. -Yarrow, 8.A., Mr. Church-
warden Cameron, Messrs. Farrel, Garvey, Furniss,
Streeton, North, Sheffield, Part, and the leading and
influential ratepayers of all parties in the parish.
The Reverend CHAIRMAN, in opening the busi-
ness, explained away any impression which might
exist that he was acting in opposition to the Bishop
of London in this matter. He was happy to say
that the bishop was in no way way responsible for
the faculty for the removal of these bodies, and
which had led to the frightful desecration f the
dead which had occurred in their locality. That
faculty, had been obtained by false affidavits and
untruthful representations to the consistorial court
of the diocese. He would not say that the vestry
.of St. Martin's and their inventive vestry clerk had
tole a falsehood in asserting that there had been no
desecration of the dead, but they all knew and had
seen for themselves that there had been one of the
most gross outrages on public decency ever perpe-
trated. (Applause.) •
The Rev. A: W. YARROW moved—" That the
occupation for building purposes of the Camden-
town Cemetery (belonging to the parish of St.
Martin's-in-the-Fields), and the consequent excava-
tions and removal of vast numbers of coffins and hu-
man remains; not bein g justified by any public neces-
sity or benefit, but being. principally for the purpose
of making up to the vicar of St Martin's-in-the-
Fields the deficiency of his income caused by the
closing of the cemetry, is a wanton desecration and an
unholy interference with the sanctity of the grave;
andthat the manner of the removal (by breaking into
the coffins with pickaxes, and casting the remains and
broken coffins into :one common pit), is an outrage
on decency and the feelings of the survivors, as well
as a dangerous public nuisance." (Loud applause,
and 'tremendous excitement followed the reading).

He said this revolting desecration of the dead on
the part of the vestry of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields
was most disgraceful, because it had been perpe-
trated by fraud and misrepresentation. (Hear.) It
had been done to reimburse the vicar of St. Martin's

his fees upon funerals, and it was a most unholy
course, and he did not altogether exonerate the
bishop from the proceeding. Burials had taken
place withineven the last three years, and notwith-
standing the statements of the vestry of St. Martin's
and their inventive vestry 'clerk, Mr. Dangerfield,
he begged to state that bodies had been buried in
this identical spot of ground, for he had buried
them there himself (vociferous cheering).
Mr. Henry North seconded the resolution, which
was put and carried unanimously amidst loud accla-
mations. _ _

Mr. M. A. Garvey moved the second resolution
—" That the Act of Parliament conferring powers
to build on parts of the Camden-town Cemetery
was obtained on the express representation (as
appears by both the title and preamble of the
Act itself) that those parts had never been niade in
the part abutting. upon Bayham-street ; that such
representation was false, the truth being that several
hundreds of human bodies had been interred therein;
that, building leases having been contracted for a
faculty was afterwards obtained for removing all
the coffins and human remains, upon a reprcsenta-
tion (as appears by recitals in the faculty) that
they consisted of the coffins and remains of paupers
and others removed to that place 30 years ago from
Charing-cross ; that such representation also was
false, the truth being that numerous other inter-
ments have from time to time taken place there ;
that this meeting is, therefore, of opinion that the
powers of building on the cemetery and removing
the dead have been solely acquired by means of
false representations, and that it is the bounden
duty of the vestry of St. Pancras to prevent it by
all lawful means.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. Christian moved, and Mr. Furniss, amidst
tremendous applause, seconded, the following
resolution :—" That the thanks of the parishioners
are especially due, and hereby given, to the press
of the metropolis, for the able and manly manner in
which they have reported and written on the sub-
Mject of the late revolting desecration of the St.
Martin's burial ground, Camden-town ; and that
the conduct of the police force on the same occasion
has been characterised by its usual forbearance and
urbanity."
Mr. Stretton and several other gentlemen having
addressed the meeting, the resolution was carried
unanimously:
An enthusiastic vote of thanks was given to the
chairman, who, having responded, this unanimous
meeting broke up at a late hour.

DEATH FROM AN OVER-DOSE OF

IPECAC, UANHA.

Mr. Wakley, the coroner, was engaged for some
time yesterday afternoon in an inquiry relative to
the death of a woman named Hannah Barnett, aged
48 years, the wife of Mr. William Carnett, residing
at 1, Keppel•street, Marlborough-road, Chelsea,
who died on the morning of Friday last from the
effects of a powder composed of compound ipecaen-
which it is stated she had received as a medi-
cine, being an out-patient of St. George's Hospital.
Mr. Carnett, deceased's husband, stated, in answer
to the coroner, that his wife had been an out-patient
of St. George's Hospital, and produced the paper of
admission to that effect. She had been supplied
with medicine from the hospital, and to the lest of
his knowledge and belief the ipecacuanha pnvders
formed a portion of it, as he was not aware of their
having come from any. other place. On the morn-
ing previous to her death she informed him that
she had taken one powder and the half of another,
as she thought it would do her good. She was
suffering from dropsy at the time.
Eliza Phillips, a lodger in the same houo,' stated
that the deceased came down to her room between
10 and 11 o'clock in the morning of the t ame day,
and said, " I believe I am poisoned, for I have
taken a powder and a half, and I feel so sick. I
think it was too much." Almost immediately aftee-
wards the deceased became very drowsy, and
witness had some difficult), in getting her to her
own room, *here she was laid on the bed. As she
became worse, and her face assumed a livid appear-
ance, witness at once seat for Mr. Faxon, a sur-
geon in the neighbourhood, who arrived in a few
minutes.
Mr. Faxon stated that on his arrival he found
the deceased labouring under what appeared to him
to be the effects of opium. He directly administered
emetics, including three quarts of coffee ; she was
also continuously walked about the room until 8
o'clock at night, when he came away. He saw her
again at 10 o'clock, and at. half-past 3 o'clock on
Friday morning, he was called to the house again,
but upon his arrival he found her dead. He subse-
quently made a post-mortem examination of the
body, and found the heart three times its
natural size, and the liver was in the same condi-
tion, weighing at least ten pounds. In the abdo-
men he found six quarts of water, which produced
a corresponding debility in the surrounding organs.
On being asked by the coroner as to the cause of
death, Mr. Faxon replied that he attributed it to
the opium contained in the iiricacuanha she had
taken, and which amounted to 37 grains. He here
handed two packets to the coroner, one containing
36 grains of what he believed to be compound
ipecacuanha, and the other 16 grains, the remains
of a full powder. Both papers were without written
directions. •
The coroner said. he could not believe that such
powders were sent from an hospital in such a care-
less manner. He recalled the husband, and asked
him if any.proof could be procured that his wife
had these powders from St. George's Hospital ?
Mr. Carnett replied that he had no evidence be-
yond the statement of his wife to him to that effect,
and having seen her
,with the hospital letter con-
stituting her an out-patient.
The room was Cleared of strangers at this point,
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ar
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and
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handed
htdi aie
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ee
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the custody of Mr. Faxon, the surgeon ;
overds teaegm e
toe.
after which the proceedings were adjourned for the
purpose of a more searching inquiry into what
scemf at present a very singular affair.

At Alais (Gard) three evenings -ago cries of
" Murder 1" were heard in a house in the Rue Sabatier,
and when the neighbours rushed in, they found the occupier
of it, a man named Cazotte, struggling with and trying to
stab a young man named Vidal. They rescued the latter,
and found that he had already received seven stabs,
which, however, it is believed, will not be mortal,
and they gave Cazotto into custody. Vidal, it ap-
peared, some time ago paid his addresses to Cazotte's daugh-
ter, but in consequence of some squabble with Cazotte about
money matters ho brbke off with her, and married another
young woman. Cazotte was greatly exasperated, and
vowed vengeance ; but after a while he said that he would
forgive Vidal. On the day in question be met him in the
street, and invited him to hiehouse to seal a reconciliation
over a bottle of wine, but on arriving there he seized a knife;
and, as described, attempted to murder him.