The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-23 00:00:00

7WR FATAL

AT LEWES.

LEWES, SEPT. 22.
The inquest on the bodies of the four men killed
at the Lewes sheep fair, by the explosion of a
steam-engine, was opened this afternoon at the
Elephant and Castle Inn, before the county coro-
ner (Mr. F. H. Gell), and a jury chosen from the
principal tradesmen of the town.
Mr. Briggs was in attend rice to watch the pro-
ceedings on behalf of the Messrs. Cheale, the owners
of the engine ; and Mr. Hillman attended for the
family of the deceased, Hilder.

Henry Lamport examined—l hare this afternoon
seen the body of a man at the Elephant Ind Castle,
and I recognise it as that of my son, Reuben Lam-

,ort, a farmer's labourer. He was at the Lewes

sheep fair. My son lived at Findon, and was 25
years of age. I did not witness the accident. De-

ceased was a single man, and had come to Lewes
for a holiday.
Jane Borrer, the wife of John Borrer, sawyer, of
Lewes, deposed that she kaew John Gold, one
of the deceased, and that she had that evening seen
his body. He was a workman in the employ of
Messrs. Cheale and Son, agricultural implement
makers and engineers at Lewes. She saw him
yesterday morning going to the fair, and that was
the last that she saw of him till she saw his dead
body. _ _

Air. Briggs, a professional gentleman, attende(
to watch the case on the part of Messrs. Cheale and
Co., and he elicited the fact that Gold was perfectly
sober when he left home, before he went to the fair.
John Borrer was examined as to the recogni-
tion of two of the bodies, John Gold and Jesse
Upton. The latter was a married man, and had
left a large family, seven or eight children.
John Hilder examined—l am a farmer at Hor-
sted Keynes, and I have seen this day the body of
my son, Albert Hilder, a single man, who was 23
years of age. He left me about seven o'clock yes-
terday morning, and I never saw him afterwards
alive.
Dr. Smythe examined—About ten minutes after
one o'clock I was sent for to the fair, and on my
arrival I saw a man whom I understood to bo Jesse
Upton being taken off the ground, dead. There
were two others quite dead, Reuben Lamport and
Sohn Gold. Albert Hilder was living, but died in
a very few seconds after I saw him. I also saw a
boy named Woodall who had been injured. The
three bodies were much mutilated. The injuries
were such as might have been produced by the fall-
ing of the engine or any ponderous body upon
them. I remained by Hilder for the few moments
that he existed. I have to-day, with Mr. Murrell,
examined the four dead bodies now lying in this
With respect to Gold, I find a fracture of
de right thigh, a fracture of the right knee, a
acerated wound of the pelvis, and a fracture of the
Left thigh bone, a fracture of the frontal and tem-
poral bone, exposing the brain, which caused his
death. Any one of the latter injuries would be suf-
ficient to cause death. With regard to Jesse Upton,
lie had extensive fracture of ribs, on both sides, pro-
ducing injury to the lungs and heart* hick was quite
sufficient to produce immediate death. With re-
gard to Reuben Lamport the injuries are prin-
cipally to the head, lacerating the brain quite suf-
ficient to produce immediate death. As to Albert
Hilder, his left jaw-bone was much fractured, a
severe scalp wound, compound fracture of left wrist
joint, and an extensive lacerated wound of the
wrist. His death was caused by injuries to the
head. A large piece, or several pieces, of iron,
blown away from the engine might have caused
the death of 1-lilder, but not of Jesse Upton, who I
believe was killed by the falling of the engine upon
him.

,011 Se.

Mr. Murrell examined—l am a surgeon. I was
present soon after the accident occurred. I had
heard of it, and I immediately mounted my horse
and rode towards the ground. On my way I met
the body of Hiller. It was the wish of the police-
men who had charge of the body that I should re-
turn with them to the Elephant and Castle. I did
so, and I remained there till the dead bodies of two
)ther persons had arrived, namely, John Gold and
Reuben Lamport. I have this afternoon, with l)r.
Smythe, examined the four bodies, and I agree
with the evidence that he has given in every par-
ticular.
At this stage of the proceedings, half-past seven
o'clock, Mr. Briggs suggested that as a portion of
the machinery of the exploded engine was in the
hands of Messrs. Cheale and Co. it should be placed
in the custody of the police, in order that every
inquiry should be made and the utmost investiga-
tion should be given to the case.
The inquest was then adjourned till Monday
next.

_ -
prison without the option of a fine. As it was, h•
would have to pay a fine of 40s. or, in default of
payment, one mouth's hard labour in the House of
Correction.

Tho prisoner was locked up in default.

WORSHIP-STREET.—Ann Jones and Jane
Bunker, young women, were charged with stealing
from the shop of Messrs. Hopkins, drapers, 61 and
62, High-street, Shoreditch.
Mr. Thos. Clowt, an assistant to the firm, stated
—On tha previous evening the prisoners requested
to be shown some mantles, and were conducted to
that department upstairs. His suspicions were ex-
cited from a previous visit they had paid, and he
gave directions that they should be watched. Sub-
sequently, from information afforded by one of the
apprentices, an officer was sent for, and in the inte-
rim the prisoners descended, and said they had se-
lected one on which they wished to leave a deposit
of a shilling, which was refused, and they in return
were accused of robbery. Bunker replied instantly,
" If we give you up the cloaks will you let us go 9"
This was also refused, and Jones dropped a mantle
from beneath her dress directly the constable
arrived. On the way to the station-house
another mantle made its :appearanee from beneath
the garments of Jones, she manifestly being unable
to walk further with it in so inconvenient a deposi-
tory. The value of the two articles, which were
very bulky, was £2 13s. 61.
Bedo Boys, the apprentice, proved having watched
the prisoners in the mantle-room, and seen Jones
conceal the property while her accomplice held a
cloak before her apparently examining it.
Jones said she was guilty, but denied that Bun-
: ker, who had also pleaded guilty the instant before,
knew anything of the robbery.
Both ►omen were committed for trial, but re-
, manded for former convictions to be proved.

LAMBETH.—James Turner and Edmund Keefe,
who have been in custody since the beginning of
this month on the charge of attempting to poison
Honora Turner, the wife of the former prisoner,
were brought before Mr. Elliott for final exami-

nation.
From the evidence before taken it appeared that
the prisoner Turner had been in the employment of
Messrs. Maudslay and Co., but owing to his irregu-
larities and his neglecting to support his wife and
family, was dismissed. The belief that kis wife had
been to the factory to complain of him, and that
this was the cause of his discharge, led no doubt to
the commission of the offence. In addition to the
evidence already given, Mrs. Mary Tame, who had
just recovered from her confinement, was called and
deposed, that she resided in the same house with
Mrs. Turner, that on the evening of the 29th of last
month she went into that person's room, and Mrs.
'Turner asked her to take some beer from a glass
then about three parts full, and on the table. She
drank about half the liquid, and almost immediately
afterwards was seized with a violent sickness and
retching. She continued very ill all night, and
next day was prematurely delivered of the baby
she then held in her arms.
Mrs. Turner was recalled, and said that in con-
sequence of the last witness complaining of illness
she (witness) drank a little of what remained in
the glass, and instantly felt as if something was
pricking her about her heart. She instantly smoked
a pipe of tobacco to make herself ill, and retched a
good deal. In reply to the questions of the magis-
trate, the witness said her husband had not been at
home all night on Sunday, and that when he and
Keefe called on the Monday morning he sent her
for a pot of beer, from which they each drank, but
it produced no ill effects, and when. they left a por-
tion of the beer remained in the glass. She had to
go to a cupboard to get a candle, and therefore
turned her back on her husband and Keefe, and she
had no doubt that this time it was that they had
put the stuff into the glass, as just after she saw
something like salt on the floor.
Mr. Elliott—What part of the room was it you
observed this ?

Witness—Close to the table, and under the chair
where Keefe had been sitting.
Patrick Stack, 170 L, produced the tumbler glass,
with a portion of the sediment left, and also a paper
containing a portion of the powder which he had
picked off the floor.
Mr. Blades, a surgeon, in Walcot-place, Ken-
nington, said that on the evening in question the
two female witnesses were brought to him by the
last witness ; and from their appearance it appeared
they had been ill, and they told him they had
retched a good deal. The constable produced to
him at the time the white powder which he had
pieked off the floor, and which, on analysation, he
found to be sugar of lead. The officer also produced
a tumbler-glass in which there was a deposit of ap-
parently the same mineral mixed up with beer.
The women having said they had vomited a good
deal, he did not think it necessary to do anything
for them. Sugar or acetate of lead is a poison, and,
if taken in a large dose, would kill the person
taking it.
The prisoner Keefe, after being cautioned in the
usual way, said he had purchased the sugar of lead
at a shop in the Blackfriars-road on the 29th ult.
for his leg, and it had been taken from him by
Turner, but what he had done with it he could
not say.
Turner declined saying anything.
Both wero fully committed for trial.