The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-06 00:00:00

produced a betting-book. Russell made a movement,
which induced Inspector Webb to call out not to
throw anything away. After Russell was removed I
saw Webb pick up two books of cards, relating to
horse racing, on the spot where he had been sitting.
They are the printed cards with pencil marks now
to be produced, and refer to the City and Suburban.
Handicap. A desk in the corner of the room con-
tained the Racing Calendar and .Ruff's Guide to the
Turf for the present year. In a drawer in the bar
I saw Webb take cards of this week's Shrewsbury
race. The defendants seemed at a perfect standstill
when they saw us come in.
Mr. Sleigh—No doubt everything was at a
standstill on your entry.
Inspector Charles Webb, after confirming the
superintendent's evidence, said—Butt was seated
facing the door, so as to command a view of the
room and persons entering. There were above 30
present, smoking, and drinking grog. The cards
produced I found under where Russell had been
sitting, and they are marked with the odds against
various horses. On the chimneypiece I found the
Racing Times, and Ruff: s Guide to the Turf on the
table together with the Racing Calendar. On a
particular part of the floor, clear when I entered, I
picked up these handicap books. Several pieces of
paper were torn up and thrown into the spittoons
by those present.
Mr. Sleigh objected that this was not evidence.
Witness continued—The racing cards produced I
found in the bar downstairs ; also several books and
papers and memoranda referring to racing. On
Charles Heddingham I found three betting-books
and cards, with odds marked against various horses;
and on Thomas Heddingham four betting-books,
handicap-book, and memoranda of horse racing.
On Manning I found two betting-books and two
books of handicaps, and sums of money on the dif-
ferent defendants, varying from £2 to £BOO. Butt
had £6OO in notes, and Russell £2OO.
Cross-examined—I observed the place where
Russell sat, and that was the exact spot where I
found the cards marked with the odds ; also papers
of " Winnings and Losings," and figures which I
believe to refer to horse races. There were similar
books and cards found on those who had just been
discharged.
Mr. Lewis objected to this remark as not being
evidence.
Alfred Mitchell, 298 A, deposed as follows :—I
went to the house at half-past 9on the evening of the
28th ult., in plain clothes, and in a large room on the
first floor I found 40 to 45 men, three of whom are
known to me as betting men.
By Mr. Sleigh—All the defendants, except Rus•
sell, were there when I entered ; heard Charles
Heddingham bet with another, which he reduced
to writing.
Mr. Lewis objected that this was not evidence,
the writing not being produced.
Mr. Beadon ruled that it was. What was heard
was as good evidence as that which was -written.
Witness continued—The bet was 100 to 1 in
crowns on a horse named " Earl" for the Northamp-
ton Stakes. Another was made with the same man,
25 crowns to 1, that " Earl" didn't get a place.
Mr. Lewis—That was very fair. Any number of
crowns might be bet that other earls also wouldn't
get places at the present time. (A laugh.)
Witness—Somethinglwas written down in a book
when the bets were made. Manning made a bet
with a man of 17 half-sovereigns to 1 that Black-
thorne did not win the Northampton Stakes. There
was much more betting going on, and money was
passed and repassed, Butt being there all the
time. I went again last Friday at the same
hour, when Butt made a bet with a man of £lOO to
£1 that Touchwood would not win the Derby, and
offered £2OO to £3 at another time, when something
was entered in the books. Did not see any money
pass that evening. The waiter went round with
handicap-books for sale, and several were bought.
I went again the following night, when all the de-
fendants were present as before, and bets were made
against Whitehart for the Metropolitan Stakes.
Russell, on this bet, took the money (10s.) in silver
and entered something in a book. I said " No,"
and he added it was a bet I had made with him-
-20 to 1 crowns against Indifference. I said, " Per-
haps it was with my friend." He then, looking in
his book, said " All right," and then went to Butt
and said, " He's all right."
Cross-examined by Mr. Sleigh—Went there to
see what was going on. Don't know what is meant
by a spy exactly. I went in obedience to my orders
and lam not a member of Tattersall's. (A laugh.)
Mr. Sleigh said Mr. Butt, for whom he appeared,
was the keeper of a highly respectable hotel, and
was himself a highly respectable man and a mem-
ber of Tattersall's. He did not seek to avoid the
penalty for the mere sake of doing so, but to vin-
dicate a class. Why should not one respectable
class of the community have the same privilege
with another P Why should he be excluded from
bets which he honourably paid when he lost whil e
members of the Cabinet could with impunity make
their bets at all times and in all places ?
Mr. Beadon observed, that was a question to put
to the Legislature, and not to him.
Mr. Sleigh submitted that in bets on horse racing
there was no greater immorality than in bets on
the Stock Exchange, or on hops, cotton, and such
Like commodities • that the statute under which
this charge was brought was never intended by the
Legislature against a case of this sort, but against
those who kept rooms and offices specially for this
sort of thing on which profits were taken; the
words of the Act being that "no office or room
shall be kept open," &c. It was to prevent persons
in little shops or offices, in alleys and by-ways, into
which low persons were enticed and swindled that
that Act was framed ; places where boys and ser-
vants were brought together, who too frequently
robbed ther masters for the means of doing so, and
not surely against such men as the defendants, who
like numbers of the aristocracy, could afford to
meet their liabilities when they lost their bets.
The hotel of his client was not specially devoted
to betting purposes, and it had, he contended, not
been proved so, and it was such a place only which
the Act provided against—a place set apart for
betting purposes. The hotel of Mr. Butt was the
good old English place where men could have and
enjoy their beer or their grog, the same as noble.
men in other houses at this end of town their
Champagne and Moselle. It was not, he would
submit, because betting-books had been found, that
his client was to be condemned; for, if so, no man
would be safe, and the nobleman who had such
things in his library or study ran the chance of
being charged. The magistrate would please to
notice that he had not been shown to bet at all.
Mr. Beadon—lt is on my notes shown he had
100 to 1 and 200 to 3. •
Mr. Sleigh—Well, no money was seen to pass
from his hand—and if no money was advanced he
would not come within the meaning of the statute,
and therefore is entitled to a discharge.
Mr. Lewis contended that there was no evidence
to show that the rest of the defendants, his clients,
had in any way assisted in the carrying on of the
house as one of betting, and that the Act never
intended to exclude members of Tattersall's from

betting, but persons of quite another. stamp, from
' spending their hard-earned wages m offices set
apart solely for betting purposes.
Mr. Beadon said he had at once yielded to the
expressed wish of the superintendent, and dis-
charged the others who were brought up, and this
was as he had been accustomed to do, because he
considered that persons might be there with no
view to betting, or entrapped into it unawares ;
but at the same time he was anxious that it should
go publicly forth that all who were found in the
house where betting was going on were liable to
40s. fine each. The question for him now to decide
was, was this a house within the meaning of the
statute. He would agree with Mr. Sleigh that it
must be where money, or some valuable thing in
lieu, shall be received in a house where betting
takes plane, but must totally differ from him in that
the place has no reference to a public-house ; if so,
the Act might at once be put upon the shelf as
altogether useless. As regards the mode in which
by entering, and observation previously the police
had brought this case home, he had only to say
that it was very properly permissible. Some of
the cases could not be brought clearly against
persons but from doing this in the plain clothes
detective system ; and the judges have laid it down
as the only way of getting a proof. He (Mr.
Beadon) was convinced that betting in public-
houses, of all places, was the most injurious to the
morals of society, because servants going in for
their glass of ale were entrapped into betting,
when perhaps most of them would be ashamed to
enter a place set apart as a betting-office. He should
discharge Thomas Heddingham ; Butt he should
fine .E5O, or three months ; and the other three
defendants £2O each, or one month.

THE EXPLOSION AT THE FAVERSHAM POWDER
MILLS.—Wo have been requested by Messrs. Hall and Son
to state that the paragraph which appeared in our columns
yesterday in reference to this explosion was somewhat in-
accurate. The explosion was of a trivial nature only, the
building in which it took place not being a store, but used
in the first process of the manufacture, called a green charge
mill. No one was injured, and the damage to property
was very slight.

c3ADVERTISEMENT.j—HoIIoway's Ointment.—Hydro-
cep alus, or Water in the Head.—Teething.—lnfancy is
always a time of anxiety to parents; the little indications
of departing health require such constant vigilance to detect
and correct them before the feeble frame falls into disease.
The grand source of serious infantile sufferings is the ner-
vous system, which teething sadly irritates, laying the
foundation for fits, wasting, and water on the brain. To
allay this nervous irritability has been the endeavour of the
noblest physicians, who have devoted all their skill to
accomplish this end ; but with no certainty, till Professor
Holloway discovered this ointment, 'Much, being well
rubbed upon the swine and head, passes through the skin,
peActraen awry otzuctwel and puriaeis to blood.

THE F. 'ATAL EXPLOSION AT
_ROUX-
k?LOTV POWDER MILLS.

Yesterda) afternoon Thomas Wakley, Esq.,
'
coroner for West Middlesex, resumed the inquiry
;ire
ldi evaetshbs
yo ft
ht
eh ee
xs ervl eons
ounfortunatewmdeenr
relative to ti
who lost the.
mills situated at Hounslow belonging to Messrs.
Curtis and Hai 'veY• The jury re-assembled at the
Prince Blucher's tavern, Twickenham-common, and
during the proo cedings the inquest room was
densely crowded
Plow present being chiefly in-
fluential gentleme.' residing in the neighbourhood.
Mr. Sergeant Balilantine attended to watch the
ease on behalf of Met isrs. Curtis and Co.
The Coroner said,. ;as it had been stated that the
men would be afraid t o speak if any of their supe-
riors were in court, Ito supposed Mr. Curtis and
other gentlemen would have no objection to quit
the room.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantine said that it was Mr.
Curtis's most anxious •wish that the men would state
all they knew fully and fairly, and he would at once
retire.
The following evidence was then adduced :
William Tomkins stated that he was in the em-
ploy of Messrs. Curtis and Harvey as a labourer in
the press and corning houses. He had been in their
employment upwards of seven years. At the time
of the explosion he was at work in one of the corn-
ing houses. Had worked at' the lower press house
at the press which blew up. It had been erected
since the 18th of September last. The greatest
quantity of powder pressed there at one time was
about 16 hundredweight. There was a guage to
go by to ascertain what amount of pressure was to
be used. There were no figures to indicate the
pressure, but there were marks made with chalk.
Those marks were made by the workmen them-
selves. The witness here produced a sketch of the
plan used for the guidance of the men.
The Coroner said he could not understand on
what grounds the marks were made.
Mr. Sergeantpallantine said that the men, he
conceived, used a certain pressure, and if that was
not sufficient they applied a little more, until the
right amount was reached, and then they made a
mark, and worked by that afterwards.
Witness continued—There was a leaden weight
attached to a wire, and when it came to a mark
they knew the pressure was sufficient.
By the Coroner—When the powder was placed
in the press it was dry enough to make into grains,
although it was possibly dried a little more before
it was made into grains.
The learned counsel said that Mr. Wentworth
could explain the working of the press.
By the Coroner—There would be greater safety
if the press was not se' large, or if so large a quan-
tity was not pressed at once. He did not think,
however, that the explosion was caused by the pres-
sure. The whole of the powder was moved out of
the press at one time by a screw. He had not
formed an opinion as to the cause of the explosion,
unless the men went beyond the pressure ; but of
course he was unable to speak as to that. He could
not say whether he should continue to work at the
mills. There was no doubt that all the tackle was
very good, but he still thought it would be better
to press a less quantity, at a time. Had never made
any complaint of any danger, and if anything was
required by the men for their safety it was at once
attended to by the manager of the mills.
By a Juror—The pump of the press was worked
by the hand principally, by three or four men.
The men always referred to the leaden weights as
to the pressure used, and not the resistance of the
pump only:
By another Juror—When the press was emptied,
they had enough frequently to fill it again in the
house. There were sometimes as much as 50 barrels.
By the Coroner—Never saw one of the presses
broken. He had nothing to recommend that he
thought would prevent a recurrence of such a
calamity as the explosion. He certainly considered
that the whole of the tackle and press was in excel-
lent order, and he was totally ignorant of the cause
of the " blow." The foreman always urged upon
them to be most careful while at work.
By a Juror —The men at the press received 2s. 9d.
per day, but they made overtime. Taking the
earnings generally, they made about L 1 per week.
Robert Goddard, another labourer, stated that he
was on the premises when the explosion took place,
but he was not hurt. He was about 300 or 400
yards distant. He worked at the new press the
first day it was set in motion, and they had then
from 14 cwt. to 15 cwt. of power in it. There was
not so large a press on the premises before. He
knew when there was pressure enough, from having
worked at the business some years, and from how
hard the handle of the pump worked. They had a
string with a piece of lead at the end, and judged
the pressure from how far the lead fell. They had
sometimes pressed the powder too much. The piece
of "hard stuff" produced had not been too much
pressed.
By the Coroner—Never had any apprehension of
the press not being safe. He had not formed any
opinion as to how the accident took place. He was
not very anxious to go back to the work.
By a Juror—He considered a smaller press would
be as good as a large one.
By the Coroner—Although he had worked at the
mills for year he could not think of any cause of
the explosion. He could not suggest anything to
prevent a similar occurrence. He had not the
slightest fear of speaking out. There was always
danger in working in all powder houses. Every-
thing was done by the foreman, and others who had
the direction of the mills, for the safety of the men.
A piece of wood was put in the press to try it
before it was worked.
Mr. D. May deposed that he was an engineer and
millwright, and resided at Hounslow. He put up
the press which exploded in the lower press house.
It was finished some time in September last. The
hydraulic press came originally from Messrs. Moore
and Son, of Glasgow, but had been on the premises
for 12 months. The quantity of powder to be
pressed in it at one time was from 15 to 16 cwt.
There were valves attached to the press. The ma-
chine and valves attached were sent from Glasgow,
and he merely erected it. It was tried with a
knotted piece of deal timber, and stood the test, the
valves being lifted. He had no doubt that the
machine had been properly tested by the firm from
which it was sent. There was a chalk mark on the
board, and as the press rose the leaden weight fell,
and the men thus knew when the powder was suffi-
ciently pressed. That was ascertained by several
experiments. There were no figures to ascertain
the weight—merely the chalk mark.
By the Coroner—Too much pressure could not
cause an explosion. It was impossible to make
powder explode without fire. No pressure could
do so. The unfortunate calamity had caused him
to consider how it was occasioned, but he could not
come to any conclusion. A piece of small grit on
a man's slipper would be likely to cause an explo-
sion. Everything was done to prevent accident.
Before the press was worked, the six men
were called in, and they were asked if they ap-
proved of it, and the whole of them did so. A few
trifling. alterations, suggested by the men for their
convenience, were at once attended to.
By Mr. Sergeant Ballantine—The powder was
discharged from the press with a screw worked by
hand. It was a most unsafe plan. The screw was
made of iron working in a brass nut. The new
mode of discharging the powder from the press by
means of the screw was more safe than the old
plan of opening a door. There would be no more
danger, in his opinion, in having a large quantity
of powder than a small one. The remains of the
press had not been in any way altered since the
explosion.
By the Coroner—The head of the screw being
broken, he was of opinion that it was under pres-
sure at the time of the explosion, but it was utterly
impossible to say positively.
By a Juror—Thorough examinations were made
of the machine from time to time to see if all was
right. One turn by the machine might raise 158
tons. He had seen the plate of the upper portion
of the press, and believed that it was broken by
ex plosion and not by over pressure.
By the Coroner—The metal inside the box was
gun metal.
By a Juror—He had tried to set fire to the
powder with a sun glass, but could not do
was confident pressure would not make gunpowder
explode.
Mr. Thomas Taylor deposed that he resided at
Hampton, and was an engineer. He was formerly
engineer in Messrs. Curtis's employ, and was there
for two years and seven months. He left there
about two years ago. There were then two
hydraulic presses on the premises, one in what was
called the lower house and another in the upper
house. There were no accidents while he was
there. He could not form any opinion of the cause
of the explosion. The
new press had been put up
since he had left.
By a Juror—He never saw the press while it
was up, but only after the explosion.
John Burton said he had worked at Messrs.
Curtis's mills for four years. He worked at the
press which exploded ; but he never anticipated
any danger, or complained of anything being
wrong. At the time of the explosion the men
seemed to be working easily, and not using any
undue force. Witness Was about 20 yards away
from the press-house, but not in the way of the
wind. He never saw any difficulty in working the
machine. He was in a boat on the river and was
knocked down by the shock.
By the Coroner—There wee Nome powder in the