The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-13 00:00:00

passage. He had been in the company's employ 20
years. Had been 10 years with Capt. Babot. Never
went through it with him. Went through once
with Captain Harvey Ind once or twice with Cap-
tain Alabb. When the vessel first struck it seemed
to be on her port bow.

Thomas ltOse, chief steward, had been 18 years
in the service of the company, and made a great
many voyages to and from the Channel Islands.
Had been through that channel several times—he
might say 50 times—and on such occasions had
generally been about half a ship's length from the
Fronquis. Saw one boat lowered by one of the pas-
sengers, who was drowned; he was in the stern
sheets of the boat, letting go the fall. Witness had
already given evidence respecting this matter be-
fore a court of inquiry at Jersey.
George Sangster, chief engineer of the Express,
stated that the steamer was going at full speed,
from 12 to 13 knots. The first shock was like a
rumbling noise, and the second, about two or three
minutes after, somewhat heavier. He received orders
to stop the engines, which was done; and three or
four minutes afterwards he was ordered to go on
again at full speed. After being at full speed five
or ten minueA he was ordered again to stop, and
then on .again. Was then under steam 20 or 25
minutes. The water was making very fast in the
engine room, by which the fires of the four boilers
were put out. The engines were then eased and
timately stopped. Everything was in perfect order.
Both pumps were at work and both the bilge in-
jections, but they did not keep her free.
The inquiry was then adjourned till Thursday.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING 2HE

MEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's Report.)
October is a healthy month in London. In the
week that ended last Saturday the deaths were 996,
having been above 1,000 weekly, in some instances
much above that point during the previous three
months. After reducing the mortality in corres-
ponding weeks of the last 10 year, 1849-58, to the
extent of the deaths from epidemic cholera in two
outbreaks, it will be found that the deaths returned
for last week are less by nearly 100 than the num-
ber that would arise under the average rate of mor-
tality. _ _

Tile deaths from diarrhoea continue to decline ;
they were last week 34. But scarlatina is still fatal ;
95 cases being referred to this complaint, and 11 to
diphtheria. Twenty-two children, and six persons
beyond childhood died of small-pox. Five deaths
from scarlatina cccurred in St. John, Westminster,
six in Islington West, five in St. Mary, St. George-
in-the-East, and four in St. Paul, part of the same
district. A boy, aged 14 months, died after a week's
illness of inflammation of the lungs and bronchitis,
from a piece of nut getting inside the windpipe ; a
woman, aged 22 years, died at 5 St. Patrick's-ter-
race, Newington, of " English cholera (48 hours) ;"
a girl, 12 years old, died from the " bite of a dog
(six weeks), cerebellitis (three weeks) ;" and a plane
maker is stated to have died on the Ist inst., in the
workhouse, Whitechapel, at the great age of 103
years.

- Last week the births of 917 boys and 840 girls,
in all 1,757 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years
1848-49 the average number was 1,407.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.836 in.
The readings fell from 30.07 in. on Sunday,
being the highest, to 2967 in. on Friday, the lowest
in the week. The mean temperature of the air
was 62.1 deg., which is as much as 9.4 deg. above
the average. On Tuesday the thermometer in
the shade rose to 81 deg., and the mean temperature
of that day exceeded the average of the sane day
by nearly 14 deg. The mean temperature was
considerably above the average on every day.
The humidity of the air was 95 on Saturday.
which approximates to the point of saturation. The
wind blew from the south-east chiefly.
In the thirteen weeks that ended Oct. Ist the
mortality in London was high ; it was at the an-
nual rate of 23 out of 1,000 persons living. The
total number of deaths was 16,010, of which so
large a proportion as 9,056 occurred to persons in
the first 20 years of life. In the corresponding quar-
ters of four years, 1855-58—the deaths ranged from
13,042 to 14,345. The mean temperature of the
quarter was high, 62 9 deg., though not so high as
that of 1857 ; and in part of July the heat was ex-
cessive, on two days having reached 93 deg. in the
shade (the mean more than 12 den% above the ave-
rage), and 115 deg. in the sun. The consequence was
an unusual amount of diarrhcea, which however
gradually fell during the last two months, being
checked by the fall of temperature, and also by the
rain, seven inches of which, or about the average
quantity, were measured during the quarter. The
number of deaths from diarrhoea registered during
the whole period was 2,743, whilst only about half
that number occurred in the same season of last
year ' • and in the warm season of 1857 the number
was 2,343. The disease committed its ravages
almost entirely amongst young children. It is im-
portant to observe that it was fatal in 768 eases in
the east districts, considerably more than in those
on the south side of the river, which contain a
larger population. In Haggerstone West sub-district
48 cases were returned, in Bethnal Green Town 50,
in Poplar 57. In Greenwich East there were 44.
Scarlatina was also very fatal, though in a less de-
gree than it was in the summer of last year ; and
like diarrhcea it appears to have prevailed much
in the eastern division. In all parts scarlatina
carriedlof 778 persons, diphtheria 100, small-pox
287. The largest contribution of deaths from
smallpox (91) is also made by the eastern portion
of the metropolis, although the hospital appro-
priated to this disease is not situated within its
bounds. Six persons died in the quarter from want
of food, 172 infants from want of breast-milk and
inanition, 18 persons from purpura and scurvy, 50
from intemperance and delirium tremens, 20 by
murder or manslaughter, 54 by suicide.

THE MURDER IN STAFFORDSHIRE.

The inquest on the body of the unfortunate man
John Reynolds, who was murdered by a companion
named Wilkes, on Sunday morning, at Coseley, a
mining village in South Staffordshire, particulars of
which have already appeared in our columns, was
opened on Monday, before Mr. Phillips, district
coroner.

The police have found a knife in the prisoner's
house, with which it is supposed he committed the
fatal act. The prisoner stoutly denies, however,
that he used a knife; but the wound is such a one
as could only have been inflicted by a stab from
some sharp instrument. The prisoner was not pre-
sent during the inquiry ; he- will, however, be
brought up at Bilston Police-court to' -day. Several
witnesses were examined, who exhibited an amount
of stupidity and ignorance not often seen in South
Staffordshire. The following witnesses gave pretty
clear statements of the facts :
Thomas Harper (alias Cann), a miner, said—On
Saturday night last, about 9 o'clock, I was at this
house, in the tap room, drinking with the deceased
and about seven others. Deceased was then sober.
I afterwards went with the deceased to another
publichouse, and had some more ale there. We all
left at 12 o'clock, and went into the road. They
then subscribed sixpence each towards some beer.
The deceased and Wilkes, however, quarrelled about
paying the sixpence; and after a good deal of
" chaffing," Wilkes raised his hand and struck him
a violent blow upon the left side of his chest. The
deceased exclaimed, " What have you struck me
with ?" and Wilkes, in reply, said, " Nothing." The
deceased then said, " Thee beest a liar ;" and whilst
attempting to go towards him, he rolled sideways,
and fell across two gas pipes that lay in the road.
Wilkes then raised his right arm, as I believe, to
strike again, just at the time that deceased fell. I
assisted to carry him home, but he was quite dead
when he got there.
The next witness was John Smart, a miner,
li7ing at Coseley, who deposed to having been
drinking in the publichouse kept by Rudge, iu
which deceased and Wilkes were also drinking. He
stayed there drinking until they were all turned out,
and they then went into the road, with several
others, and it was proposed to pay 6d. each towards
a quantity of ale. They all paid except the de-
ceased and Wilkes. 1 ,did not hear any quarrel-
ling, beyond Wilkes asking Reynolds (the deceased)
for his 6d towards the ale. Deceased refused to pay
and made use of some obscene language to Wilkes,
upon which Wilkes struck him and he fell. He
(witness) did not see any knife in Wilkes' hand,
nor hear any threat used to stab him. Deceased
was dead directly after the blow was struck. When
Reynolds fell, Wilkes ran away down the lane.
James Naylor, a miner, deposed to seeing deceased
fall after Wilkes struck him. Just as he fell he
said " W hat have you struck me with ? " and
Wilkes said " Nothing but my fist." Deceased then
said " You are a liar, you did." He then fell, and
when we carried him into the house he was dead.
He (witness) did not think that the wound in the
chest could be caused by a fall.
Thomas Hindley and Henry Young gave similar
evidence to the above witnesses.
The clothes worn by deceased were produced by
police-constable Mack. • The waistcoat (a thick
moltskin)-was cut straight through in the direction
of the wound.

James Fellows, a parish constable, deposed to
taking the prisoner into custody. He said "What
could you be thinking of to stab a man like that ?"
and prisoner answered "If Ihad had an axe I would
have cut his - head off."

The inquest was here adjourned for the purpose
of a post mortem examination being made,
The inquiry was resumed on Tuesday, when
John Wick deposed—l am a policeman, stationed
at Cosely. About a quarter past three on Sunday
morning constable James Fellows brought the pri-
soner, Thomas Wilkes, to the station, and charged
him with stabbing John Reynolds. He denied
stabbing him, and said, " If I did do it, A was with
a cinder I threw at him." I then came up to where
the deceased lay, and stayed while the clothes were
taken off him. I observed the wound on the left
chest. I found a cut in his linen shirt, flannel
shirt, and waistcoast, about the part where the
wound was. The flannel and linen shirts were
stained with blood. I then left the deceased's
house for the purpose of finding the knife. I
searched in Mrs. Hobdy's garden, but before that
went to the place where the deceased had been
stabbed. I did not find it, nor see any cinders
about the spot. I went back to the station, and
told him that a wound of that kind oould never
have been inflicted by a cinder, I told him that
deceased was dead. He did not tell me anything
about the knife. In the course of ten minutes after
he told me he had had a knife, but had " swoped"
it away to a person he called Peg Leg, on the pre-
vious night. He said the knife he had exchanged
was a little two-bladed one, and said that he had
thrown the one he received on the top of the
cupboard in his mother's house. I then went
to Peg Leg, and he got up to the room win-
dow, and he said he knew Wilkes, and had
been in company with him on the Saturday night,
about ten o'clock, and had (‘ Swopped" a knife with him. He threw the kn fel now produce
through the window. He said thathe had given a