The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-24 00:00:00

DRAINAGE OF THE METROPOLIS.

The following hasbeen addressed to the chairman
and members of the Metropolitan Board of Works
by Mr. Bidder, one of the three engineers employed
by that body to draw up a plan for the main drain-
age of London :
"A further Letter from the Government Re-
ferees (Capt. D. Galton and Mr. J. Simpson) relat-
ing to the Main Drainage of the Metropolis,' has
been addressed to her Majesty's First Commissioner
of Works. It is a letter expressive of .regret for
oversights' (p. 5), and of apology for omissions' (p.
13); a letter endeavouring to explain away past mis-
takes, and. to build up new theories upon essentially
new formulm (p. 3). It embodies an elaborate defence
of the now exploded fallacies of the government re-
ferees respecting their sewer gaugings, and a renewed
attack upon the plan adopted by your board for
carrying. out the main drainage of the metropolis.
" There would be no difficulty in replying to all
the observations of the referees, were it necessary
to do so. But there is little in their letter that is
new, and the little that is new is neither important
nor correct. The argumentupon details has already
been placed beyond the limit of controversy by the
decision of your board upon the matters of principle;
and it would as ill become me as it ill becomes the
government referees to endeavour to distract and
divert your attention from the great work in which
you are about to engage, by prolonged conflict on
details which have already been sufficiently dis-
cussed.

" There is one point, however, in the letter in
question to which it appears to be necessary to ad-
vert. Various references to the so-called erroneous
assumptions of Mr. Bazalgette' (p. 4), the errors
into whiCh he has fallen' (yr. 9), &c., are the pre-
lude to a new proposal of the government referees
for the main drainage of the metropolis on what
they call ' a reduced plan' (p. 13). The flimsy dis-
guise of a letter in reply to our Observations' has,
therefore, been adopted with a view to disparage
and injure, and shake your confidence in your.own
engineer, and to induce you, even at the twelfth
hour, to transfer the execution of the main drainage
works to the engineers who acted as the referees
of government.

That your board, having detected the object,
should have declined to consider the letter of the
government referees, was only consistent with that
sense of honour which actuates all public bodies in
our country. But Ido not think it the less neces-
sery to enter a public protest against a proceeding
so unprofessional in its character, and so unworthy
gentlemen acting avowedly on Government instruc-
tions—a proceeding, for which lam glad to believe
that there is no sufficient precedent, and which not
even the vexations of defeat, or the bitterness of
disappointment, can sufficiently excuse.
" The 'reduced plan,' which the Government
referees have thus propounded, is based upon the
discharging the entire metropolitan
grainagge principleboyf one outfall channel on the north side
of the Thames'
(instead of by channels on each side).
tThoe whole
is now recommended that
sewage and rainfiow should be
attain this
southern
carried- across the Thames at the most convenient

=NM

THE SG rN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 24, 1858.

HORRIBLE CHARGE OF WIFE MU.RDE.R
IN MANCHESTER.

MANCHESTER, THURSDAY.
This morning the neighbourhood of Lever-street,
Manchester, was thrown into a state of great ex-
citement in consequence of a rumour that Henry
Reid, a carter, living in that street, had murdered
his wife. Many persons were soon on the spot,
the alarm being given by the sister of the deceased.
Ultimately the man was apprehended on the charge
of murder, and Mr. E. Herford, the city coroner,
held an inquest on the body of the deceased this
afternoon. The evidence showed that, on that
morning, the deceased's sister, on going to the
house, was unable to obtain admission, and on look-
ing through the window, she saw deceased lying at
the bottom of the stairs. She forced an entrance,
and found her sister was dead. She called out to
the prisoner, deceased's husband, who was in bed,
"Henry, what have you done ?" and he answered,
" She has hung. herself from the balustrade of the
stairs." On being taken into custody he repeated
the same assertion. _

Ann Holden said—The prisoner and deceased
lived at the back of her house, and at three o'clock
this morning she heard a great noise in their house.
Something heavy appeared to be thrown down
stairs. I heard the sound as if it fell three times.
The falls appeared to be about a minute after one
another: I heard a female voice say, " Oh, dear,
oh dear I" and they was a reply, but I could not
tell what was said. I and my daughter sleep
together. After the noise we lay awake about half
an hour, then all was quite still. We have often
heard them quarrelling and fighting.
John Elliott, jun., house surgeon at the Royal
Infirmary, said—The deceased was taken there this
morning
about half-past ten o'clock. I examined
the body, and found above the right eye a lacerated
wedge-shaped wound, from which a quantity of
blood had flowed. On dissecting the integuments
I found the tissues infiltrated with coagulated blood.
The wound penetrated to.the skull, and was about
an inch across. The wound, I think, would be
caused by some blunt instrument, or by falling
against a hard corner. The skull was not fractured
or indented. On the right cheek there was a recent
bruise ; and she also had the remains of a black
eye. I found this cord (produced) tied very tight
round the neck. There was a mark upon the chin,
which had been made by the cord. In front of the
angle of the jaw there were corresponding livid
marks, as if the force upon the ends of the rop e
had,„come from behind. If she had suspended her-
self the noose must have slipped from where I
found it. On opening the windpipe I found a corres-
ponding indentation on it with the mark outside.
If she had hung herself the head would have fallen
back, and the weight of the body would have pushed
the noose up closer under the chin ; and the marks
I saw on the jaws would have been in another posi-
tion. The mark round the throat was lougitudinally
parallel. The liver presented the appearance of a
person who drank a good deal. Deceased was
about five months' advanced in pregnancy. The
cause of death was undoubtedly strangulation.
The subsequent evidence was unimportant, and
finally the jury brought in a verdict of wilful
murder.

The pri4oncr is a returned convict, 'who had re.
ceived a ticket of leave in May last.

TRAGICAL OCCURRENCE AT WOL-

VERIAMPTON.

Yesterday, at the Old Bush Inn, Wolverhampton,
Mr. T. M. Phillips, coroner, held an inquest on the
bodies of two persons, named respectively Jane
Bowdler and John Bebee, who met with their
deaths near that town under the extraordinary
circumstances detailed in the following evidence:—
W. Handley, a miner, deposed that at 5 o'clock
on Monday evening he went with the deceased
Bebee, and anoiher companion named Cook, to
Bilston, where, at a publichouse on the road from
Bilston to Wolverhampton, they remained drink-
ing till about midnight. At that hour information
was brought to the last-named house that a girl
had drowned herself. Witness and Bebee went
towards Gibbett Turnpike-gate on their way back
to Wolverhampton, and then turned on to the coal-
fields near there, by which Bowdler's house was
situated. They saw a youth, named Joseph Smith,
following the deceased, who was running away from
her father's house towards a pool of water. Smith
overtook her and brought her back towards her
father's house, but she escaped *Om him again
several times. After a quarter of an hour, how-
ever, Smith knocked up the girl's father, put her
into the house, and asked him to lock the door.
The father did not lock the door. Smith then
joined witness and Bebee, and all of them watched
the house for about 10 minutes. After that time
the girl opened the door, came out of the house,
and again ran off towards the pool down a tram-
way belonging to a neighbouring ironworks.
Bebee called to her and asked her where she was
going ? She stopped, and replied that she was
going to a cottage, and John Bebee might go with
her if he liked. Witness understood Bebee to say
that he would go with her where she went, and he
went after her. Jane Bowdler then recommenced
running. Smith and witness followed the two
deceased, keeping them in sight. At about a mile
from her father's house Bowdler came to the water
and jumped into it. - As she was jumping into the
water Bebee caught hold of her dress and was
pulled in himself. Both went in over head. They
came up again, and Bowdler then had hold of
Bebce's hair. They were struggling together when
Smith went into the water and tried to reach them
with one hand, while with the other he laid hold of
witness's hand, who remained on the bank. They
sank again. Upon seeing this witness and Smith
ran to the engine-house' 100 yards away, where
there was a watchman. They told the watchman
what had happened, and lie immediately went down
to the pool. The deceased were not then to be
seen. Witness and Smith then told the circum-
stance to the girl's father, and then at the police
station at Bilston, whence three policemen came
with a drag. At half-past 5 o'clock both the de-
ceased were brought to the surface, each locked in
the other's embrace. When, however, they came
to the surface the bodies separated, and it was six
o'clock before Bebce was brought out. Smith kept
company with the girl, but he did not appear vexed
when Bebee followed her, nor did he leave witness
from the time Jane Dowdier last ran from her
father's house till her body was recovered the next
morning. When Bebee was in the water he twice
shouted, " Will !" meaning witness.
Thomas Bowdler, the girl's father, deposed that
she was 17 years of age, and was a milliner and
dressmaker, working at home. At noon on Mon-
day she was at the house of Smith's father. In the
evening at seven witness met her coining out of his
house, when, in reply to him, she said that she was
going to Bilston to do some errands for herself.
Witness did not see her again until midnight, when
she rapped at the door.. He got up and opened
it, when he saw Smith standing at the gate. Wit-
ness, as he admitted his daughter, wished Smith
" Good night." Witness then barred the door. No
other conversation took place between witness and
Smith. When the girl came in he told her to come
to bed. She commenced to unlace her boots, and
said she would come immediately. She slept in the
same room with him and his wife, her mother.
After being in bed ten minutes he again called to
her to come to bed. The kitchen was on the same
floor as the bedroom. When she did not reply he
went to the front door, called his daughter by her
name, but received no reply. He could see no one at
that time. Witness returned to bed, and his wife
got up and went round the house. In about three
quarters .of an boiii Smith and another young
man came to his house and said, " Oh, Lord, she is
drowned, down in the hole of water ;" adding,
" There are two of them ; John Bebee jumped into
try to save her and they both went down." Wit-
ness went down to the pool, led by Smith and an-
other young man. Deceased was not in the habit
of remaining out late at night. On the previous
Saturday night, however, he complained to her for
being out late—namely, 12 o'clock, when she said
that she had been waiting for Smith, with whom
she had for some time kept company. Witness
only told her that she must learn to keep better
hours. He did not scold her. His daughter used
to work for Smith's parents, who remunerated her
with new clothes. He had heard that she had
passed a house on the Bilston-road at half-past ten
towards home.
Joseph Smith was then sworn, and after being
cautioned by the coroner to say nothing that might
criminate himself, deposed that he was 20 years of
age, and lived at New-village, in the parish of Bil-
sten, -with his father, who kept a horse and cart.
He had kept company with the deceased about six
months. He had not promised to marry her. Last
Wolverhampton races he stayed out with her all
night, and took her home in the morning. He was
out with her on Saturday night. They were toge-
ther at the White Lion till a quarter to ten. He
was with her again on Sunday afternoon, at Penn-
common, till half-past ten at night, at the public-
house with the sign
.of the Barley Mow. On Mon-
day he met with her at noon at Goldthorn-hill
waterworks by accident. She was then in com-
pany with a
young man, a stranger, mid when she
saw witness she left that person and came towards
him. Witness then asked her where she had been ?
She said "to her uncle's, on the road to Worn-
bourne, to fetch him." I told her that I did not
think that was a cousin of hers, or else he would
not walk away like that without speaking. I then I
told her to go home, and she went after the young
man, the -stranger, and witness went with his com-
panions to seek for blackberries on Penn-common,

where he and his companions had three quarts
of ale. About eight o'clock that night wit-
ness again met the girl near to her house,
going towards Bilston. In reply to the
witness she said she was going to the doctor's,
at Bilston. He said he would go with her. She
went to a doctor's shop in the Market-place, in
Bilston, and witness stopped at the door. She had
often gone there before. Witness did not know
what she had bought. They went to a liquor-shop
opposite the Leopard, and had two pints of ale. A
little after 10 they went straight home along the
turnpike-road to the house of the girl's father. The
inmates were gone to bed. She aroused them.
The father struck a light, let her in, and invited
him in. He refused, wished the girl good night,
and the door was shut. Witness did not go home,
but hid himself under the wall which surrounded
the house. He did not go home, because she had
said that she wanted to go down the tramway to
see a young woman. He did not go with her when
she said so because he wanted to get home. After
he had been secreted some time the deceased Jane
Bowdler came out of the house, jumped over the
wall and the pigstye, and ran off towards the pits.
Witness followed, overtook her, and with force
took her to her father's house and told him to lock
her in. Her father was up and had a lighted candle
with him. He asked witness what was the meaning
of her running, out ? Witness replied that he did
not know ; all he knew was that she said she
wanted to go down the tramway to a young woman.
Witness then came away from the house, but did
not leave it, because the girl said that her father
would thrash her if he (witness) was not there ;
nevertheless she had wished him to go home. Again
the girl came out of the house, leaped over the wall
and the pigstye, and ran off. Again he overtook
her and took her back to her father's house, telling
him to lock the door, as he (witness) was afraid,
-from what his mother and sister had said, that she
wished to "make herself away." All that the girl
had said to his mother and sister was to wish them
" Goodbye," which she had never before done. Wit-
ness again remained about the house, and deceased
came out the third time. For the third time wit-
ness pursued her, after a chase of 300 or 400 yards
overtook and took her back, again telling her father
to lock the door, but he did not. Each time that
he overtook the girl she laughed at him as though
she was delirious. Witness, after taking her to her
father the third time, was coming away and over-
took the deceased Bebee and the witness Handley.
They said, " where's Jane ?" and told him that they
had heard of her going to injuro herself. While
they were talking Bebee said, "There she is, Joe!"
The girl had come again out of the house and was
running away. Bebee and witness Wei.' ran after
her. Bebee got near to her, and witness wo.s about
12 yards from them when they went into the pool.
Witness went in up to his knees, but could trot
reach them. They came up and the girl had bold
of Bebee's hair. They came up three or four times.
The Coroner (to the jury)—This is a very strange
affair, gentlemen, to say the least of it.
Eliza Smith, the mother of the last witness, and
a girl named Ball, who had lived with the Bowdiers,
both deposed that the deceased girl had threatened
to destroy herself several times because her parents
were cross with her.
A policeman deposed to the finding of the body ;
after which

The Bury found a verdict to the effect " That Be-
bee was drowned while attempting.to save the life
of the other deceased, but they required a post mor-
tem examination of the body of the girl."

THE LATE ACCIDENT AT THE SHEF-
FIELD.

Yesterday morning, at the Town-hall, Sheffield,
the inquiry into the cause of the accident at the
Surrey Music-hall, which resulted in the deaths of
five persons, was resumed before T. Badger, Esq.,
coroner. _ _

Mr. A. C. Branson appeared to watch the pro-
ceedings on behalf of Mr. Youdan, proprietor of the
hall ; Mr. Broadbent appeared for Mr. Flint.
John Maxwell, silver polisher, said—l was at the
SurKey Music-hall on Monday evening, Sept. 13th.
I was sitting in the middle of the pit. About a
quarter past eight I was looking up to the gallery,
watching a young man and woman in their non-
sense, when I saw a man with a pistol on the edge
of the gallery. I saw him place it on the top of
the board in front of him. As soon as he had got
the pistol on the top he fired, and the glass of the
chandelier fell on the stage. Mr. Youdan came on
the stage with his arms outspread, and requested
the people to keep their seats. -Then a cry of
" Fire !" came from about the place where the
pistol had been fired. That was about ten minutes
afterwards. I told the gas man on Monday even-
ing that it was a pistol that had been fired. I have
always said so. I was too far off to say what sort
of a man he was. I told the constable he looked an
elderly man. I could not swear to his dress. I
can't say whether he had a hat or cap on.
Frederick Ward, in the service of the Midland
Railway Company as a shunter, said—About a
quarter past eight I was looking across the gallery
to a friend of mine, when I saw a man in the
second seat, as I thought, with a pistol in his hand,
about two seats before me. The man was dressed
in a white jacket or slop. He appeared about 26
years of age, or from that to 30. He had black
hair and whiskers. I saw the pistol fired. I saw
an explosion, but I could not tell whether it was
from a pistol or not. I think it was from a pistol.
I told a policeman I saw the explosion, but that I
could not swear it was from a pistol. I cannot say
that I smelt anything. I smelt no gas. I cannot
say I smelt any powder. I saw the flash, the
smoke, and the wadding as well. The wadding
flew over the pit. I. cannot swear what it was that
came out of the pistol. -It was something like
burnt paper. The pistol was directed to the left
corner of the stage. The burnt paper dropped in
the pit. The smoke I did not take particular notice
of. It might be a minute after the explosion before
people began to go out.
Madame Eliza Marietta said—While I was sing-
ing on the stage I saw a flash come between two
women's shoulders. I heard a report of a pistol or
gun ; I cannot say which, as I did not see them.
I have not said that I saw a pistol. I did not smell
any gunpowder. I cannot say that it was a gun
or a pistol, or either. It was like a pistol shot. I
think it was not a report of gas explosion. I had
not smelt gas. Directly after I heard this report I
heard a cry of fire. Something fell immediately
after the report, but I cannot say what it was. I
was not hurt. I was alarmed, and was taken off
the stage. What passed afterwards Ido not know.
Other witnesses were then examined; two of
whom stated that they saw a man fire a pistol, and
two others that they heard the report of a pistol.
Charles Duke, 30, Fuynivars-lane, was present
on the night in question, and sat beside the young
man Greaves. Smelt a strong smell of gas under a
ledge where the glasses are laid. We told a gasman,
but he took no notice of us. Greaves then took out
a cigar from his picket, and said he would have a
smoke. Before this a man puttied the chandelier,
but this did not stop the smell of gas. Greaves
§truck a match to light his cigar. Witness then
heard a report from the place complained of, and
also a cry of fire. I did not see a pistol. The gas
went off when Greaves struck his match. Did not
smell any powder, but saw a flash. The report was
not so loud as that of a pistol.
James Ellis, ironmonger and gasfitter, George-
street, made an examination of the gas fittings of
the hall on the 15th inst., and could not find the
least escape of gas from any portion of the pipes,
and came to the conclusion that no explosion of gas
had taken place. He was assured that the gas fit-
tings were exactly in the same state in which they
were on Monday night. If there had been a leak-
age of
.gas on Monday night there was time to have
it repaired, but I could not fail to have discovered
the repair.

Thomas Frederick Cashin, C.E., was employed
by Mr. Flint,.gasfitter, to examine the fittings, and
found the piping all perfect. In his opinion there
could have been no explosion of gas, there being no
leakage whatever.
Thos. Davenport, manufacturer, was in the boxes
and heard an explosion. His first impression was
that it was from a pistol, but his after impression
was that it .was an explosion of gas. He went up
to Mr. Youdan and told him he thought a pistol
had been fired off. He heard a cry of fire in the
gallory. He did not smell gas or gunpowder, and
did not see any smoke. He saw a flash, but not the
white smoke that usually accompanies the firing of
gunpowder. The flash was much too large and
broad for a pistol.
Sarah Ann Beatson sat next to the young man
Greaves. Complaint was made that the ~as was
escaping, and a man came to see after it. He tried
the piping over the chandelier, and there was a
little blaze. He brought what seemed white-lead.
About half an hour afterwards there was an explo-
sion. She could not say what it was that went off.
She thought it was gas at the time., All the people
around complained of the gas escaping. She did
not see any pistol.
Mary Ann Richardson was sitting beside Sarah
Ann Beatson. The gas smelt very bad. About
half an hour after an explosion took place. The
flash took her eyesight. A gas man came and said
there was no leakage.
Several other witnesses were examined.
Mr. Youdan said he felt no smell of burning till
after the cry of " Fire !" He ran round to the gal-
lery stairs and found a velvet mantle smouldering.
Mary Fitz-Simons identified the mantle, and
said she lost it in the rushflownstairs. She could not
say how it got on fire, or whether it had Ven
caught by one of the gas brackets on the stairs.
Flint, a gas-fitter, said that in consequence of a

complaint made to him i before the explosion, he
examined the gallery front, but found no trace of
gas escape from piping, tli ough there was a slight
escape from the joints (A the chandelier. He had
not interferred with the gas-fittings after the
explosion.
At eight o'clock thcju ry adjourned till to-morrow.