The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-30 00:00:00

DECEMBER 30, 1867.

t urned in company with another man not in custody.
When Allen and the man with him joined Desmond
and Justice, they all remained in conversation for

five minutes, when Timothy Desmond, and the
man not in custody, left the other two standing at
the corner, and walked down Short's-buildings, ia
the direction of Corporation-lane. I afterwards
spoke to Ranger, and from what he said I gave
directions to Sutton, who followed them up Roso-

man-street. I went back to Short's -build-
ings, and continued my watch. About ten
minutes after Sutton left the explosion took place.
After the explosion I went to the gate of the
prison. Ranger came out, and then I saw Allen
and Justice running up Corporation-lane towards
Clerkenwell-green. Allen was in advance, but the
woman was close behind him. They were not
stopped in St. James's-walk. I assisted Ranger
in apprehending Allen, and as we were taking them
to the prison, I saw Timothy Deanond come run-
ning round the corner from Short's-buildings into
St. James's-walk. Sutton caught hold of him by
his left hand, having the woman Justice in his right
hand. He gave the woman into the care of a private
person and secured Timothy Desmond, and all three
were taken inside the prison. It was directly
after the explosion I saw Sutton come running out
of Bridewell-walk.

By Mr. Harper (who appeared for the Desmonds
and English)—l went on duty on the day of explo-
sion at 3 o'clock. I did not see the three persons
go into a public-house. I never saw Allen leave
the others and go to a public •house ; he went away
once for about Bor 10 minutes. I did not see that
Justice bad a jug in her hand. I was standing in
Short's-buildings when the explosion took place.
Allen and Justice were standing there, but Desmond
was not with them. I never saw Desmond run
towards the prison gate after the explosion took
place. Ranger was inside the prison gate. When
. Desmond came round Allen and Justice were in
custody. I saw Sutton take hold of Desmond about
four or five minutes after the explosion. My direc-
tions were to watch every person I saw loitering
about. There were not a number of persons about
at the time, as the visiting hours are from 12 to 2.
I did not go on duty until 3 o'clock. I did not
see either William Desmond or English there at all.
Sir T. Henry—Did you go all round the prison
when you first went on duty ?
Witness—Yes, your worship, once.
Allen—Did you see me drinking beer before In-
spector Thompson went into the prison ?
Wituess—No. Inspector Thompson was in the
prison before I was on duty.
Alfred Worth--I am gate warder at the Rouse
of Detention. About half-past 12 on the 13th, the
day of the explosion, the man Allen came to the
gate and asked me if any person had been to visit
Casey. I gave an evasive answer.
Sir T. Henry—You did not want to give any in-
formation?

Witness—No, sir. After that the woman J us-
tice came. I hail never seen her before. Casey
had been in the house about three weeks at this
time. The woman asked to see Casey, and I gave
her a pass, but not the number of a call--a different
course to that usually adopted. It is not my duty
to ask questions of visitors ; that is done at the
second gate. When Allen first came I thought it
advisable to tell Satton to watch him. Whilst
Justice was in the prison Allen stood on the
edge of the kerb outside the prison. I did not
notice anything particular about Justice when
she left, but I looked through the wicket and
saw her recognise Allen, but she did not speak to
him. A short time after this, however, I saw Allen
and Justice in close conversation near the Prince of
Wales beershop. I was relieved at the gate for an
hour, but on my return I saw them still talking
together. Before, however, I left the gate for my
dinner I saw Allen leave Justice and go toward the
east end of the prison wall and look at it. On his re-
turn I saw a second man with him, whom I had not
seen before. He had a brown coat on, sandy hair,
a tuft of hair under his chin, and wore a black
billycock hat. He was a perfect stranger to me.
When they came to the corner of St. James's-walk
they separated ; the stranger went up St. James's-
walk, and Allen returned to Justice. About twenty
minutes past three I saw Timothy Desmond join
Allen and Justice, and enter into conversation with
them. They appeared to talk most familiarly with
each for some minutes.

Allen—Would it be a quarter of an hour ?
Witness—No. On separating, Allen went to-
wards Stratton's-yard, Desmond towards Rosoman-
street. Allen returned in a short time to Justice,
who was standing at the corner, and in about five or
seven minutes the explosion occurred, when Ranger
ran out of the prison, and Allen and Justice ran off
in the direction of St. James's-walk. I saw T. Des-
mond in custody : he was being brought from the di-
rection of Rosoman-street. At the time Allen and
Desmond were brought into the prison both had black
hats on. In the struggle that took place between
the men and the constable as I was letting them in
both their hats fell off, when I picked them up and
kept them until the following morning, when the
men were taken out in the prison van. I then
handed them to Constable Ranger. I locked
each prisoner up, viz., Desmond, Allen, and
Justice in three separate cells. When
Timothy Desmond went with the van on the fol-
lowing morning I noticed he had a grey or white
billycock hat on. I don't know from where he
could have obtained the hat.

Sir T. lienry —ls that hat in court ?
Desmond—Yes, it's here. The prisoner then
hastilly pulled the hat from under his coat for au
instant, and then quickly put it out of sight again.
Sir T. Henry—That white felt hat must be de-
livered up.

Desmond sulkily complied with the directions of
the chief magistrate.

Sir T. Henry—Let constable Ranger take charge
of it.

Witness, in cross-examination, said—l saw
Timothy Desmond join Allen and Justice, and
about a quarter of an hour before the explosion
took place he left them. If he had been there be-
fore I think I must have seen him. .1 will not say
that Justice did not have a jug in her hand
when I saw them pushing to get in the beer-
shop. Allen had nothing in his hand either. He
had them both in his pockets. The explosion had
not taken ;place three minutes before Allen,
Desmond, and Justice were in custody in the
courtyard of the House of Detention. I cannot
say whether the prisoners had been roughly
handled. They were not treated so inside the
prison. Desmond had been evidently drinking, but
he was not drunk. I believe he tried to trip the
constable up and it was found necessary to put him
upon his back.
William Quartly, 244 G, said—l was on duty at
the House of Detention on the 13th. I saw Allen
and Justice together about half-past three in front
of the prison gates. Justice was walking up and
down with her hands under her shawl. There was
a cab at the prison gate. I heard the explosion. I
was at the time in Clerkenwell-close, and I then ran
towards Clerkenwell-green. I met Ranger and
Sutton near the prison wall near the posts in Short's
buildings. I believe they had lodged the prisoners
at this time. I, Ranger, and Sutton then went up
by the prison wall towards Corporation-lane. On
arriving at the lane I found the wall and several
houses had been blown down. I saw Constable
Moriarty. He was standing up, but the lower part
of his great coat was blown away. His face was
covered with blood, and he was all over dirt. I
took him to the doctor's in Middleton-street, and I
went back to Corporation-lane and kept the public
back whilst the ruins were being searched.
Allen—Are you positive you saw me standing
there at a quarter past three ?
Witness—Yes, positive.
Henry Bird—l reside at 67, Turnmill-street,
Clerkenwell, and am a dairyman. On the 13th
inst., shortly before 4 o'clock, I was serving a Mrs.
Parr with milk, at 6, Corporation-lane. 1 saw a
truck, drawn by two or three men—l believe the
latter—coming up the lane. Two men were draw-
ing it, but I can't say whether a third was pushing
it. I was coming from the direction of Bowling-
green-lane. 1 saw it go up near St. James's-
passage, where they turned the, truck half round,
when it ran back into the gutter, and as the truck
/ stood up I saw a barrel on the pavement, but I

cannot say whether they turned it out or whether
they lifted it. One of the men took a tarpaulin
from the truck, another man twisted the barrel
round, so that on'z. head went near to the prison
wall, and then the tarpaulin was thrown over it.
I should think the head of the barrel was about two
or three feet from the prison wall. One of the men
took the truck away in the same direction as I had
seen it come. I think the other two men went
towards St. James's-buildings. I then saw a man
of gentlemanly appearance standing on the pave-
ment siear the wall. Ile seemed to take no ❑otice
of the men who were with the barrel, neither did
he speak to them. Ile crossed the road, went
down to the barrel, examined the head of it, and
then I saw him take either a fusee or a match
and strike a light, which be applied to the
head of the barrel, pulled the tarpaulin over the
head of the barrel after he had lit it, ar.d the❑
crossed the road to St. James's-place.
Sir T. Henry—Why did you not seize the inn?
Witnea3--Why did I not seize him? Why, I be-
came frightened like the rest. I did't know 11:)w
long it would be before it went off.

Cross-exatnined—lt was about two or three
minutes after I had first seen the man at the barrel
that I saw Constable Moriarty. I told him I had
seen a gentleman put a light to a barrel, and that it
looked very suspicious. I could see up Corporation-
lane very well at this time.
Sir T. Henry—To where the barrel was ?
Witness—Yes.

Examination continued-1 then went to my horse
and cart, and as we were going to Coburg-street the
explosion took place. It might be a minute be-
tween the time I mentioned the matter to the
policeman and the explosion. He had time to get
down to the barrel if he liked.

Sir T. Henry—Did he walk or run towards the
barrel ?

Witness—Hc walked rather laiified to it ; he
neither ran nor walked.
Examination continued—Mr. Young was not
standing at his door when I first saw the man put
the light to the barrel.
Mr. Giffard—Look at the prisoners—do you re-
cognise any of them ?
Witness—That man (Timothy Desmond) seems
to me very like ono of the men who pulled the
truck, and that one William Deimond looks very
like the man who put the light to the barrel. Hii
beard and hair are the same colour. I believe him
to be the man, although he wore different clothes. I
should not like to swear to the man, as I only saw
his side face.

Sir T. Henry—Have you any belief on the sub-
ject one way or the other?
Witness—l cannot say more than I have.
Sir T. Henry—What do yea wish to have taken
down as your answer ?
Witness—He appears to be the same sort of man.
He is the height, and his pair of whiskers corres-
pond with that of the man who did the deed. But
if he is the man, ho is now.dressed very differently.
He hal another coloured coat on, and appeared not
so stout as he is now. I should not like to sw.!ar
to him as being the man who put the light to the
barrel.

Sir T. Henry—You are not asked to swear to
him. What is your belief ?
Witnesi—Well, as far as I can say, from the
side view I had of the man, he looks very much
like him, but I can't swear that he is.

By Mr. harper--I only saw one match lit. The
man who did it was about sft. 9in. in height. lle
had a long beard and whiskers, and one of the men
who pulled the truck spoke with a rough voice.
George Richardson, 239 G—l assisted in taking
out the bodies from the ruins in Corporation-lane.
I took out the body of S trail Ilodgkinson from the
ruins of No. 3 house. She was quite dead.
Witness having proved the deaths of Mr. and
Mrs. Evans, and the other unfortunates killed by
the explosion,
Mr. Poland said that was as far as he proposed
carrying the case that day, and he therefore had to
ask for a further remand.

The prisoners were then formally remanded for a
week.

William Desmond, Nicholas English, Mulvany,
and O'Keefe were then placed at the bar charged
with treason-felony.
Sergeant Bunce was recalled. He said—l had for
weeks been watching the French Horn publichouse,
and had often seen William Desmoud and the cther
prisoners there from time to time. I had seen
English there nightly during the whole of the time
I was on the watch. I have seen a man named
Macarthy there is company with English. About
the 7th of December English came with three young
men. He introduced them to the people in the
room at Kavanagh's, saying these are three brave
Irishmen and brave fellows. Macarthy spoke to
them, and told them he had been in the 6th
goons. He had a long pipe in his hand, with which
he showed them the cuts aid guards of the sword
exercise. He said he would give the the upper
cut, and take off their heads to the tune of
" St. Patrick's Day in the Morning.!' English was
standing, but 1 could not hear what he said. On
the 9th of December, two nights after, three young
men came to the French Horn and asked for Eng-
lish. He met them at the door, shook hands with
them, and then introduced them to the rest of the
company. He said " These are three of our brave
brothers," upon which the company shook hands
with them, and then conversation ensued, which
was carried on in a low tone, when English called
them on one side and said " If you want anything
else you can go to No. 5, James-street, Commer-
cial road, and mention my name; you can get any-
thing that you want." That is all that took place
in my hearing. I have not been to see what
sort of a place is James's-street is. On the 13th of
Dec. I was again at the house. I saw O'Keefe
and English there. Macarthy, and -two of the
younger brothers of the prisoner Casey were also
there. I beard O'Keefe say to two men, " I saw
the stop by the public-house. I then felt afraid
and ran away." I did not hear any more on that
occasion, or did I that night. On Sunday morning
I took O'Keefe into custody—it was on a charge of
being concerned in the explosion. I arrested him
in Great Windmill-street. I found the cards pro-
duced upon his person. O'Keefe was liberated
from the charge about half-past one, but Sutton,
the officer, had previously seen him and identi-
fied him as one of the people he had seen loiter-
ing about the House of Detention, previous to
the explosion. He was liberated by Superintendent
Gernon. O'Keefe said he could account for his
time between 4 and 5 o'clock, and I made certain
inquiries, reported to my superior officer, and then
O'Keefe was liberated. O'Keefe, previous to leav-
ing, said the Clerkenwell affair would crush the
Fenian movement, as it was never intended to take
innocent blood. I have an opportunity of going to
Egypt, and I shall certainly embrace it." On
Thur.day, the 19th inst, I went with Sergeant Cole
to the French Horn publichouse. Mulvany, Eng-
lish, and about 14 other persons were there. Cole
told Mulvany he had a warrant for his apprehen-
sion, signed by Sir Thomas Henry, for treason-
felony. English was standing a short distance
away from him, and he told him the same.
I took English and told him I was a police-
sergeant, and that there were two officers present
in uniform, and that they need have no doubt
about the matter. English became extremly vio-
lent, and exclaimed " Warrant, or no warrant, I'm
not going." He began to plunge about with his
arms, and got hold of me by my neckerchief. He
struggled very much, and two of his companions
had hold of me by the necktie, each pushing the re-
verse way. I forced him towards the door, when
he exclaimed, " Now, boys, for your revolvers,"
and whilst I was struggling with him I drew my staf
and knocked him down. He fell outwards, towards
the doorway. I fell on the top of him, and two or
three of his companions fell on the top of me.
I had a body of police waiting outside,
and after some further resistance we got to the
station. I then searched his lodgings, but found
nothing there relating to the charge. I apprehended
O'Keefe the same night, but he did not offer any
resistance. _ _ _

_
Thomas Haßent, 184 have been engaged
watching the publichouse kept by Kavanagh for
about three months. I have seen English, Mul-
vany, O'Keefe, Timothy Desmond, and occasion-
ally William Desmond visit the house. Same
of them came to it nightly. English and
Mulvany were the most constant visitors. I
have on many occasions seen the whole of the pri-
soners now present. I was with Sergeant Cole
when he arrested English. He was very violent,
and before he could get him out Bunce had to strike
English with his staff.
By Mr. Lewis—l have heard that the house was
used by the tailors during the strike.
Sir T. Henry—The strike was all over at this
time.

By Mr. harper—l have never been in the house
except on the occasion of the arrest of English. I
have frequently spoken to English during the time
I have been engaged watching, but I never talked
to him about Fenianism. eheard some one cry
out Now, boys, for the /evolvers, but I can't say„it
was by English. I don't know that the police in
that neighbourhood carried revolvers. I did not
do so, neither did any of the constables that I
know of.

Mr. Poland —That, sir, is as far as I propose to
go to-day, and I now have to ask fur another
remand.

_
Sir T. Henry—Certainly. The prisoners are
remanded for a week. _ _

Mr. Lewis applied that Mulvany might be ad
milted to bail, but his request was at once refused

F•ITAL EXPLOSION 11T THE FAVERSHAM

POWDEIZ. MILLS.

A fearful explosion occurred on Saturday morn-
ing at these powder mills, by which eleven men
were blown into the air and killed instantly, and a
great quantity of valuable property destroyed.
The gunpowder works belonging to the Messrs.
llall are situated about a mile from the town of
Faversham, and are completely isolated from any
other buillingi. To this circumstance may be
attributed the safety of the town, for the force of
the explosion was tremendous, and had there
been any habitationa near a much greater
sacrifice of life would have been inevitable. The
force of the explosion was so great that it shook
all the windows and broke some glass in the city of
Canterbury, about 10 miles distant. At the powder
works the explosion carried everything before it.
Trees of giant SIZ3 were uprooted and thrown a dis-
tance of several hundred yards, and the boiler of
the engine, weighing about half a ton, was found
deeply imbedded in one of the fields on Ham Farm,
a considerable distance off. The fields near the
works are strewn with fragments of bricks, and the
young trees near the scene of the explosion are cut
off as with a scythe. In fact, the whole neighbour-
hood presents the appearance of having been visited
with a terrible convulsion of nature.

The works were opened as usual on Saturday
morning, and all went well till close upon 11 o'clock,
when a fearful explosion occurred in what is called
the " corning-house." This was followed almost
immediately by two other explosions equally severe.
Measures were at once taken to ascertain the extent
of the disaster, and it was soon found that there
was not one left alive to tell the tale of how it
originated. The three houses which were blown
into fragments were large and substantially built,
and stood at a distance of about 300 feet apart.
They were all thought to be completely isolated,
and were protected from lightning and from the
danger of one communicating fire to the others by
high mounds of earth which surrounded them, and, as
was supposed, isolated all three places from each
other. The powder was finished in its manufacture
in these houses, and it was, therefore, all the more
necessary that extra precautions should be taken to
insure their safety. The raw material is brought
from the green powder houses to the press-house,
where it is ;squeez.al into cakes by a screw
worked by steam. Thence it is conveyed in cakes
to the corning-house, where it is separated and
grained ; and from this place it passes in all but a
finished state to the glazing house, where it is packed
in bags or barrels as may be required. There was,
it is admitted, a large quantity of ganpowler in a
manufactured state in this part of the works on
Saturday, but not more, • we are informed, than
Messrs. halt are allowed to have in stock at one
time. A vast number of exaggerated reports were
in circulation in reference to this point on Saturday,
but we believe that when the inquest on the remains
of the unfortunate victims comes to be held the
statement we have made above will be satisfactorily
proved. Enough powder, however, was left to do
incalculable mischief, and the loss to the Mess: s.
Hall is very great without being needlessly exagge-
rated.

At the time the explosion occurred there were 12

men at work in the portion of the manufactory
which has been destroyed. Of these 11 were blown
up with the houses in which they were at work,
and on Saturday night scarcely a fragment of any
of their bodies had been discovered. A portion
of a leg or of a trunk was found among the ruins,
but this is all that now exists of the unfortunate

The fragments of the building and timbers
were cast up in the air to a height of about 200
feet, and the heavier portions of the structure were
thrown to distances which might seem incredible to
any but an eyewitness. The explosion occurred in
the corning-house, and it was followed at intervals
of about half a minute by the pressing and glazing
houses. When the explosion occurred every one
was for the moment paralysed, but in a few minutes
abundant help was at hand, but every soul had been
blown away with the houses in which they were
working. the manager, the foreman, and all the
available strength of the works were on the spot in
a few minutes, but all they could do was to look on
in dumb dismay at the miserable wreck. Later in
the day the huge gaps which had been made in the
fences by the blowing away of the trees were
boarded up, and a detachment of coastguardsinen
and county police posted at all the available points
of entrance to prevent intrusion. Many of the friends
of those who were known to be working in the mills
came up to learn the fate of the workmen, and
many a fireside iu Faversham was made dark by the
fearful calamity. The following are the names of
those who were killed :—John Young, married, six
of family ; George Taylor, married, two of family ;
Edward Young, married, two of family ; William
Sole, married, three of family ; William Austin,
married, two of family ; Christopher Jencock, mar.
ried, no family ; Thomas Baldock, married, no
family ; Thomas Amos, married, five of family ;
William Eley, married, one of family ; John Payn,
married, five of family ; and Thomas Back, mar-
ried, three of family. There are thus 11 widows
and 29 children left to mourn the loss of their na-
tural protectors ; and what aggravates the cala-
mity is that many of the children are very young
and unable to do anything for themselves. We
believe that everything was done by the Messrs.
Hall to alleviate, as far as kind consideration
could, the force of the blow to the relations of
the- sufferers, and it is only justice to say thus
much at a time when of all others sympathy is most
prized.
Besides the damage done to the works a good
deal of property has been destroyed in the tows of
Faversham by the concussion of the atmosphere con-
sequent on the explosion. A great number of win-
dows were shattered, and on Ham Farm, about a
quarter of mile from the works, the farm steading
has been rent from end to end, some stacks of pro-
duce tossed about as by a whirlwind, and other
damage done to the house and buildings which it
will cost a good deal to repair.
Two hairbreadth escapes have come to our know-
ledge since writing the foregoing, that of the engine-
man at the works, who went out of the house a
minute before the explosion to a place at a short
distance, and was only stunned by the concussion.
He can tell nothing of the origin of the explosion,
and knows of nothing having gone wrong till he
was thrown 'upon the ground and rendered sense-
less. A second escape is that of a labouring man
who was comicg up to the corning-house with a
horse and cart, and who was lifted bodily off his
feet and deposited in a stream of running water a
considerable distance off. An inquest on the re-
mains of those who perished will be held to-day or
to-morrow.

men.