The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-12 00:00:00

ether on board, provided it was in a proper place of
security. The danger arose from such an article
being sent on board a vessel without letting the
master know what it was, and consequently no pre-
cautions were taken for the prevention of accidents.
The invoice of the goods in question supplied to
defendant by Messrs. Davey, M'Murdo, and Co.,
wholesale chemists, from whona they were obtained,
was then put in, to show that he was aware what
articles were supplied.
Mr. Nicholson then briefly addressed his lordship
for the defendant, who, he said, had not the slightest
idea that in the course he had taken he was doing
anything in contravention of the law. The fact IN as,
he said, a friend of Mr._ Stewart, a surgeon in India,
had written to him to send certain articles to him,
and he supplied him with two lists, and these lists
were sent to Messrs. M'Murdo and Co., and they
provided the goods referred to in those lists and
packed them, and Mr. Stewart then shipped them
without the slightest idea that he was doing any-
thing wrong. He should satisfy his lordship that the
goods were packed in the ordinary way, and that
they were believed to be perfectly seeure,and under
ordinary circumstances the jar containing the ether
could not have been broken or the contents have
escaped. He did not at all complain on the part of
Mr. Stewart of the course that had been taken by
the company, but he submitted that when he had
proved the facts to which he had called his lord-
ship's attention, he would be of opinion that the case
did not come within the meaning of the statute, and
the summons should be dismissed.

John Richards, packer to. Messrs. Davey,
M'Murdo, and Co., was then called as a witness,
and he proved that he packed the ether securely,
and placed straw between the bottles. He also
proved that the firm were in the habit of sending
articles of this description to all parts of the world,
and they were almost always packed in the same
manner as those were.

In answer to 'a question put by Mr. Atkinson, the
witness said that sometimes they packed ether in
tin cases, which were soldered by a tinman after the
article was packed.
Mr. Hayward, a superintendent in the establish-
ment of Messrs. M'Murdo and Co., gave similar
evidence. He also stated that it was the invariable
custom to describe articles of this description as
apothecaries' wares, and that similar things were
shipped every day by all the shipping houses to all
parts of the world.

Mr. Robert Warrington, chemical operator at
Apothecaries' Hall, proved that articles of the de-
scription in question were constantly shipped, and
that formerly very large quantities were supplied
from the Hall to the East India Company to be
sent to India.
In answer to questions put by Mr. Atkinson this
witness said that he did not consider there was any
danger in shipping ether in this manner, provided
it was done with proper caution. With ordinary
care he believed it might have gone safe to India,
but of course if any leakage took place it would
have been highly dangerous.
Mr. C. Davey, of the firm of Davey, M'Murdo,
and Co.' wholesale chemists, Upper Thames-street,
deposed that Mr. Stewart sent him two lists of

_ _ -- --
certain articles he required to be sent to India,
among which were those that were now the subject
of inquiry, and by his direction they were safely
packed and forwarded. Bottles containing ether
were always turned down, to see whether there

was any leakage before they were finally packed.
Mr. John Wyman,an export druggist, was called
to prove the mode in which ether was generally
packed ; but upon an objection taken by Mr. At-
kinson the evidence was not received.
In answer to a question put to him by the learned
counsel, this gentleman stated that until he heard
the evidence of Dr. Letheby he was not aware that
ether was of so dangerous a character.
Mr. Tindal Atkinson observed that as this was
the ease he had certainly acquired some important
information, and probably he would pack such an
article differently in future.
This having closed the case on both sides,
The Lord Mayor at once said he was clearly
of opinion that the 329th section of the Act of
Parliament in question had been violated, and
the evidence of Dr. Letheby fully corroborated
his own opinion that the articles that had been
shipped on board this vessel by the defendant were
of a highly inflammable and dangerous nature, and
it was fearful to imagine the consequences that
might have resulted from their being taken on
board. He had no wish to prejudice the case in
any manner or to make it stronger than it really
was, but he could not help taking into considera-
tion the dreadful consequences that might have re-
sulted from the act of the defendant, and he felt
that he was bound to inflict a penalty. He was
quite sure, from the respectability of the company
and the manner in which the case had been con-
ducted by them, that they did not desire him to in-
flict the full penalty of £lOO. (Mr. Atkinson here
interposed, and said, " Certainly not.") He anti-
pated that this was the case, and he had no doubt
that they had brought the matter before him as a
warning to others as to the mode in which inflam-
mable and dangerous articles such as these were to
be sent on board ship, and in the hope that the
publicity that would be given to the proceedings
would have the effect of preventing the recurrence
of a similar act. He then said that he should miti-
gate the fine from £lOO to £lO, and he hoped that
this would have the effect to which he had adver-
ted, which he was sure was the only feeling that
had influenced the parties by whom the proceedings
had been instituted.
Mr. Atkinson said he was not instructed to ask
for costs.
Mr. Nicholson on the part of the. defendant, then
thanked his lordship for the attention he had be-
stowed on the inquiry ; and be also, on the part of
Mr. Stewart, expressed his acknowledgment of the
fair spirit in which the matter had been carried out
by the company.

DISTRESSING SUICIDE AT DERBY.

On Tuesday afternoon a lad named. William
Walters went into one of the sheds on the Holmes
Cricket Ground, Derby, and discovered the dead
body of a man hanging from a beam in one of the
sheds. Inspector Fearn was on the spot soon after
the alarm was given, and searching the deceased's
clothing he discovered above £2O in notes and gold,
and a gold watch. In the pockets were also several
documents, and amongst them the following :
" Tell my dear wife I am lost for ever, but hope
she will be saved. Farewell. My accounts will be
all right when the Hood account is done. The
number of my watch is 1,562 inside the case. My
home is at Leicester, as below, J. Shipley, opposite
the Catholic Church, Wellington-street, Leicester."
Inspector Fearn went over to Leicester the same
afternoon to acquaint the deceased's wife and rela-
tives. It appears that the poor fellow, though well
to do in the world, and with £5OO in the Bank of
England, had been in a low desponding way for
some time past, and left his house on Friday last.
The rivers in the neighbourhood of Leicester were
examined, it being the opinion of his relatives that
he had destroyed himself. He was 21 years of age,
and had one child.

On Wednesday afternoon Mr. Coroner Vallack
held an inquest on view of the body at the Town
Hall, when the following evidence was adduced .
Walters said—About 2 o'clock yesterdayW.
I was in the Holmes. I was looking through the
cattle shed at some birds, when I saw the legs of
the deceased move to and fro. I went to the end
doorway and looked in, when I saw deceased hang-
ing by the neck. I then gave information to the
police, who came and took possession of the body.
Rowlete, the younger, said—l reside at
Leicester, and am a manufacturer. I have looked
at the body of deceased, and identify it as that of
John Shipley, alsoof Leicester, hosier. I have known
deceased about ten years—indeed, from a lad. He
has been in our employ since the death of his father
several years ago. He was exceedingly out of
health from extreme anxiety and overwork. I
never met with a more honourable, industrious, and
sober man ; his character was irreproachable. He
had been married between one and two years. His
wife was confined a few weeks since. They lived
happily. I imagine he and his 'Wife possessed
money, and that their circumstances were almost
those of independence. For a series of months I
have found him subyect to fits of depression
of spirits : they have been observable. He
has had a factiny built, and has lately removed to
it. He has also taken out a patent lately, and built
some extensive machinery. On Friday last, at noon
he called at our warehouse, and made a statement,
respecting hie affairs, from which it appeared he
was deeply in debt, and had involved also his father-
in-law and his mother. I recommended him to draw
out a statement of his affairs and bring it back to
us, and if an advance of £lOO or so would be of use
to him he should have it. He seemed to me out of
health, and I recommended him to take a little
to
oalmome
to
-morrow
w dnlietzpowder, and he would come
man. Heo left.me, apparently.
i as
whoseever' house n t
the
ee
hisas muchfath
father-in-law,
depressed
deceasede w
w hat
to inquire i_faylhaktnsame resided, e.
v e n lcame
,ng,
thel told him matter with him.
hwaadsstated to me about his
affairs. He replied at once that on the contrary
deceased's circumstances were good. He then said
ho had not seen deceased since two o'clock, when
deceased had left home. Every endeavour had been
made to find deceased, but he was not heard of until
the inspector of police made it known at Leicester
last night. Verdict—" Temporary insanity."
Ci

,APTURE OF A SitAilic—An enormous specimen
of the shark species was captured at St. Andrews on Satur-
day evening, and is being exhibited throughout the towns
i'Lle,---"S`c;tonan.