The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-16 00:00:00

IRELAND.

Jan. 15.
The Dnngarvan inquest was resumed yesterday
morning. Major Wombwell, Lord Hastings, Sir
Nugent Humble, and other witnesseswere examined.
Major Wombwell deposed that the troops broke
away to go down the quay. He cried to the trum-
peter, " For God's sake sound the assembly ! " He
was' frightened lest the Lancers should hurt the
people, lie told them not to use the points of their
lances. The inquiry is still proceeding.
John Clancy, the shipping clerk, arrested at
Kingstown some time ago on a charge of Fenianism,
was released frome Mountjoy Prison yesterday in
compliance with a memorial from his employers, the
Messrs. Paigrave, Eden-quay, having given the

required security.
Mr. Joseph Whelan, a publican, of Marlborough-
street, was arrested yesterday, charged with having
attempted repeatedly to administer the Fenian oath
to a man named Healy. A new rifle and bayonet
were discovered in the prisoner's house.
At Drogheda, Judith Bagnall, a woman of 70,
and Mary, her daughter, aged 37, were committed
for trial at the assizes by the Drogheda magistrates
yesterday for having arms and ammunition con-
cealed in the apartment which they occupy in an
almshouse. Bail was accepted for their appearance

when called on.
On Saturday, at Cashel, Constables Reddick and
Allan arrested, on suspicion of complicity with the
Fenian crganisation, two Americans who came by
Bianconi's mail car at a quarter to 1 a.m. They
gave their Dames as Michael Murphy and Michael
Morrison. The former, on being searched, was
found to have a revolver and ammunition, and a
number of greenbacks. The other had £32 in gold.
They were unable to give any cause for visiting
Cashel, and stated they came from New York, and
arrived at Queenstown on Wednesday. The Hon.
Mr. J. Ffrench remanded them to next petty ses-
sions, on Wednesday.
On Sunday, Dr. Bernard, the newly-appointed
Bisbop of Tuam, was consecrated in the Cathe-
dral, Armagh, by the Primate. The assisting pre-
lates were the Bishops of Cork and Kilmore, and
the preacher was the Hon. and Rev. William
Conyngham Plunket.
The general court-martial, under the Presidency
of Col. Stuart, C. 8., reassembled at the Victoria
Library, Royal Barracks, yesterday morning, and
proceeded with the trial of Private Murtagh, of the
83th, who was charged with that he, having come
to the knowledge of an intended mutiny in her Ma-
jesty's forces, did not communicate the same to the
commanding officer. Lieutenant and Adjutant
Drage prosecuted, and the prisoner was undefended.
He pleaded not guilty.
Private James Meara, late of the 85th Regi-
ment, and now of the 43d Regiment, gave evidence
as to the mode usually adopted to promulgate
Fenianism in the army, and recited the oath alleged
to have been administered. He also said that one
of the means adopted to spread the organisation in
the army was by appointing persons to make in-
flammatory speeches to the soldiers on the history
of Ireland. In referring to the oath administered
to members of the brotherhood, the witness said the
latter portion was " unlit for publication."
President—l think we had better hear it
through.
Witness—l only remember it imperfectly, sir,
but it was to this effect—"A person taking the oath,
in case he revealed any of the secrets of the brother-
hood, or betrayed any of his associates, he ' pro-
nounced' himself to death, forfeited all claim to
Heaven, and deserved all the torments of Hell."
President—Did you ever hear the oath admi-
nistered ?
Witness —No ; they never allowed a third
party to be present when the oath was being given.
In case of a rising, all Irishmen (soldiers or civi-
lians) who would not take the oath would be shot.
The arms of the loyal soldiers were to be rendered
useless by cramming bullets into them, so as to
give Fenians time to form. The forage yard was
also to be set on fire to create confusion, and the
horses were to be disabled. He did not know
the ;prisoner. He got the knowledge of Fe,
nianism by becoming a Fenian himself, in order
that he might give information of the conspiracy.
He heard several Fenian agents deliver speeches.
Privates Atkinson and James gave evidence
similar to what was given on the previous trial of
Simpson.
The Court adjourned till this morning.
A meeting of the Dublin Corporation was held
yesterday, the Lord Mayor in the chair. A report
was read from the Board of Superintendence stating
that, in consequence of the present system of ap-
pointing officers to the city prisons persons physically
unable to discharge the duties had been nominated
as officers, and that therefore the Board of Superin-
tendence could not be responsible for the safe cus-
tody of the prisoners. Alderman Tarpey denied the
charge made in the report as to unsuitable appoint-
ments having been made by Government ; but Mr.
Devitt and Mr. Sullivan asserted that broken down
policemen had been appointed, and that it was ab-
solutely necessary that a parliamentary inquiry
should take place to ascertain the truth of the charges
that had been made against the• Board. A resolu-
tion to this effect was adopted.
We have had a very severe frost here for nearly a
week. Yesterday the ice on the pond of the Zoolo-
gical Gardens in the Park was strong enough for
skating. Large numbers of gentlemen and ladies as-
sembled there yesterday, and an accident occurred
which was near proving fatal to many of them.
Professor Houghton, the secretary, has published
an account of the occurrence, from which it appears
that the ice was perfectly safe on the shallow part of
the pond, but not so on the deep end near the city.
A rope wrts drawn across to warn the skaters and
visitors to keep off the deep water, and marked
" dangerous." The public unfortunately disregarded
the warning, and towards 2 p.m. crowded in large
numbers on the deep end of the pond, where the ice
was smoothest and most dangerous. A group of
ladies and gentlemen crowded together in one spot,
and the ice gave way, precipitating them all into
the deep water. The ice ladders and life buoys of
the society were immediately brought into requi-
sition, under the superintendence of Mr. Carter and
the men in the employment of the society, who did
their duty steadily and bravely, and were assisted
by b 3 D, Michael Travers, who risked his life re-
peatedly in aiding the men of the society to work
the ice-ladders. Mr. A. T. Foster, of Lincoln's-
inn, Mr. Stephen Creaghe, Mr. Wm. Barlow, and
Mr. E. Cooper, at great risk to themselves, aided
in breaking the ice and relieving the " jamb" of the
ice-ladders, which at one time threatened to become
very dangerous. When the sufferers were removed
from the water they were carried to the superin-
tendent's house, where it was found that the fol-
lowing required medical treatment :—The Misses
Owen (3), Miss Simmons, Miss Flint, Mr. P.
Deaker, Mr. R. T. Foster, and Mr. Monks. They
were promptly treated by Professor M'Donel, Dr.
A. W. Foot, Dr. Wade, Dr. A. L. Owen, Dr. Per-
cival, Dr. Green, and, aided by the kind nursing of
Mrs. Carter and her female servants, were shortly
pronounced out of danger.
At a general meeting of "the laity" of the Dublin
Conservative Registration Society, held on Satur-
day, Mr. B. L. Guinness, M.P., in the chair, after
exhorting the members to increased exertion, the
report stated that—" The necessity for the Conser-
vative party at the present crisis to exert their in-
fluence, either by energetic personal action or by
increased contributions to your society, is manifest,
especially when we see the giant efforts our oppo-
nents are making to sap the foundations of our most
cherished institutions, and, by alliances of an ultra-
Democratic nature, deliberately planning the sub-
version of our time-honoured, truly liberal, and
free Constitution."
At a meeting of the members of the Royal Irish
Academy yesterday the secretary read a letter from
the executors of the late Mr. Halliday, stating that—
" Mrs. Halliday had decided on presenting intact
to the Academy her husband's entire collection of
pamphlets, tracts, and papers relating to Ireland.
Having been left his property absolutely, she was
desirous of paying that tribute of respect to his
memory, and at the same time of preserving to the
Academy so valuable and unique a collection."
The Rev. Dr. Carson said no felt muck pleasure

in having the opportunity of proposing a vote of
thanks to Mrs. Halliday, and also to Mr. Walsh for
the terms in which he had made the communication.
It would be hard, indeed, to over-estimate the value
of the collection. He understood that it included
14,000 separate works, most of them of great Irish
ecclesiastical and antiquarian interest. They were
selected with the discrimination and scholarship that
so eminently marked their late lamented brother
member. In fact, it was in every way a most valua-
able contribution to the library.
The President (Lord Talbot de Malahide) said he
was sure there could only be one opinion as to the
importance of the donation, and of the feelings
which they ought to evince towards the lady who
had been so kind as to carry out in a complete
manner the wishes of her late husband. He had sat
at the council for many years with Mr. Halliday,
and he was bound to observe that he never met any
one who had the interests of the Academy so much
at heart.

The Poor-law Inquiry at Bethnal-Green.

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Yesterday Dr. Markham, one of the inspectors of
poor law for the London district, held an inquiry, as
a Commissioner of the Poor•law Board, at Bethnal-
green Workhouse, into the charges made against

Mr. Massingbam, one of the district medical officers.

The facts of the case may be briefly stated. On Mon-
day, the 6th, an inquest was held upon a woman
_ _ _

who died after childbirth, under such circumstances
that the jury, in their verdict, said that the " con-

duct of the parish doctor (Mr. Massingham) was in

human in not attending the deceased when the

parish order was given to him, there appearing to
be nothing to prevent his doing so ; and the
jury also considered "that he is unfit to be

Continued as the parish doctor, and should be re-
quired to resign his appointment." The guardians
immediately held a special meeting, and, having

suspended Mr. Massinghain, sent a report of the
case to the Poor-law Board, and this inquiry was

ordered.

The first witness called was Matilda Grimmo, the
sister of the deceased woman. She stated that the

deceased was the wife of a working man, and had
obtained an order for admittance to the Lying-in
Hospital. The pains of labour came on at about 9
o'clock on Wednesday, the 2d inst., and a cab was
sent for to take her to the hospital. The weather
was so bad that the cabman would not go under a

fare of ss. The money was raised with difficulty.

and then the cabman would not go unless paid 7s.
Time was thus lost, and the woman was confined ou
the floor of the room, and was safely delivered.

This was at 11 o'clock. About 6 o'clock the same
evening witness obtained an order for Mr. Alassing-

ham's attendance, and she went with it to his house,
which was not, she said, five minutes' walk from
where her sister was lying. She told him, she said,
that her sister had been confined, and he said that
he could not come that night, but would come in
the morning. She told him that her sister com-
plained a great deal of pains, and he replied that
they were after-pains, for which he would give some
medicine. The next morning, finding her sister
very bad, she went at half-past 10 o'clock to Mr.
Massingbam's, and saw him sitting in the parlour
reading the paper. She asked him to come and see
her sister, who, she said, was apparently dying. His

reply was, " I cannot help that ; I cannot come until
my usual time of coming round." The son of Mr.
Massingam came at half-past 11 ; the deceased died
at half-past 12. When the son came he applied
mustard poultices. lie remained about 10 minutes.
Mr. Massingham came about an hour and a half
after the death.

Amelia Fox, a nurse who delivered deceased,
stated that she went to Mr. Massingham's on the
morning of the 3d, at about half-past 8. Mrs.
Massingham was in the shop, and she informed Mr.
Massingham, who was in an inner room, that he
was wanted. His reply was that he could not be
seen for half an hour, and witness went back and
sent a little girl.
Annie Ferry, the daughter of deceased, aged 15,
stated that she went to Mr. Massingham at half-
past 10 o'clock on Thursday, the 3d, and said to Mr.
Massinghana, whom she saw, " Please, sir, my me-
i ther is dying." He replied, " Fiddle-de-dec, non-
sense. If your mother was put to bed yesterday she
can't be dying to-day." Witness stood crying, and
he said to her "Don't stand crying here, that won't
bring her back again."
Mr. H. llarris, the medical officer of the City of
London Lying-in Hospital, who made the post
mortem of the deceased, gave evidence showing that
she died of inflammation of the lungs and effusion of
scrum in the bag of the heart (the pericardium). He
said no power could have saved her on Wednesday;
but he could not speak as to what medical attend-
ance could have done if she had had it on 'Wednes-
day.

Mary Ann Massingham, the wife of the district
surgeon, was then sworn. She remembered a woman
coming on Wednesday, Jan. 2, with an order for
Mr. Massingham. She said she had got an order for
the doctor for a poor woman who had been taken
ill. Mr. Massingham asked some questions, and the
reply was it was all over some hours and he was not
wanted. All she wanted was a bottle of medicine
for the after-pains. She gave him a bottle and said,
" I suppose you know what to give ?" and he replied
" I suppose I do." He gave the medicine. She stated
that it was a midwifery case. lie asked, "Am I
wanted directly ?" and she said, " You are not
wanted at all." When she had the medicine, she
turned round and said, " You will give her a call,
doctor, to-morrow, on going your rounds ?" Wit-
ness was in the shop next morning from half-past 7.
No one called for the doctor until 8 30. At that
time a woman called and wanted to speak to him.
She was told he was not up at present. While the
woman was there he came down, and witness told
him he was wanted. He replied, " I shall be disen-
gaged in half an hour." Witness did not tell who
it was wanted him, for the woman never said where
she came from.
Stephen Sadler, the relieving officer of No. 1 dis-
trict, stated that it was usual to fill up the orders,
and he could not say why the one given for deceased
was not filled up. The impression on his mind was
that he was told the delivery was over, and he
thought it was hardly right to call it a midwifery
case. Had he been called upon before delivery he
should have written upon the order " urgent." He
did not consider this as an urgent case from the de-
scription given to him. The order represented an
ordinary case of sickness and not urgent, and should
be visited as Soon as the medical officer could get
the time to visit. He had visited the room occupied
by deceased and her husband, and he found it com-
fortably furnished for a working man—that was to
say, there was everything necessary. It was on
Thursday witness visited the house, and the husband
said he did not want anything from the parish, for
that might be given to some who wanted it more
than he did.
Ann Searle, who stated she was waiting for medi-
cine when Mrs. Grimm° came in with the order,
gave a similar account of what had taken place.
The same story was told byillissllassingharn, who,
it appeared, was also present when the child came,
and she allowed that her father said, " Fiddle-dee-
dee, nonsense," to the child.
Mr. Massingliam's answer was that the order did
not describe any urgency about the case, and that
he was not informed of any urgency until Thursday
morning, when he was delayed from going by an at-
tack of dysentery. His answer to the little girl was
given, he said, through his mistaking her for another
child.
Mr. Defriez, a medical gentleman, deposed that Mr.
Massingham had been under his care for dysentery.
The sister of the deceased woman was further ex-
amined, and stated that tha reason she did not ap-
ply for the order earlier was because the relieving
officer's place was closed between 11 iu the morning
and 5 in the evening.
Mr. Howard, clerk to the guardians, acknowledged
that this was the case, as the relieving officers were
then out visiting, but lie said an order could have
ben obtained at the relieving officer's residence.
The poor people, it appeared, were not aware of this.
The husband of the deceased woman was interro-
gated, and it was elicited that he, deceased, and five
children lived in one room, for which they paid 2s.
6d, a week, Lie had 18a, a week for his labour, and

thou gh he was obliged to acknowledge that deceased
got neither meat nor beer every day, he was very
reluctant to allow that the deceased was pinched.
The Comniissioner told him he had apparently
done the best he could for his family, and had shown
no inclination to come upon the rates.
In some ce nversation which took place between a
gentleman -who said he was foreman of the inquest
jury, the guardians, and the Commissioner, it was
elicited -that Mr. Massingham had given a certifi-
cate of death in this case, and on Mr. Massingham
stating that be believed the woman caught cold
waiting in the passage for the cab, evidence was
called to prove that she was never out of a warm room.
Throughout the inquiry the guardians watched
the case with seeming great interest, and endea-
voured. to elicit the whole truth.
The Commissioner said the Poor-law Board would
report upon the evidence taken by him.