The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-18 00:00:00

more than an inch in length. I did not see what
was in it. The liquid in it was as dark as porter
almost. After Kibblewhite was put to bed they
remained in the house about half an hour. 'They
had a drop of beer and a bit of 'bacca. When they
were gone I went up to Kibblewhite's room, and sat
up with him until one o'clock, as I did not think
him fit to be left. He was ill and sick. I went in
and out of the room four times before seven o'clock
the next morning. This was in consequence of his
being sick and his appearance. He seemed fairish
the next morning, rather better than I expected.
He came down stairs, and did not know where
he was until I told him. I put on his gaiters and
laced up his boots. My mistress asked him to have
a cup of tea, but he said " I will have nothing to
drink in the house." He jumped up, and off he
went. On the next day (Sunday) Colburn came to
my house on horseback, and asked me how I came
to let the man go? I said I never intended keeping
him. Colburn then said, " What must I give you
for your trouble ?" I said, " What you like." He
gave me 15s. Kibblewhite had paid for his bed 6d.
Colburn asked me whether I would give him the
bottle, and I said " Yes." I did not want such a
thing in my house; I never had such a thing in my
house before. I gave him the bottle. I did
not see what was in the bottle. He said his
master, or Mr. Pole, I forget which, would be very
glad tc see the bottle. On the- Monday evening
following I saw Mr. Cooke, and wrote a note to
Colburn. In reply I received a letter, in which he
asked me to meet him on Thorncete-common at one
o'clock. I went there, and met him, and went with
him to Somerford and had some beer. He asked
me if I said anything about it, and I,said "I had
not yet." I told him that if ever I was had up I
should speak the truth. I thought I might be had
up. While we were talking Mr. Chubb came up,
and Colburn got into the carriage with him and
went off together. It was Mr. Pole's carriage, to
the best of my belief.
Cross•exammed—l will not swear it was Mr.
Pole's. I believe it was the same that the man
was brought in. Ido not know Mr. Chubb's car-
riage. I was not aware Mr. Chubb had one. I
knew Colburn when he lived at Colonel Shirley's,
at Ashton. I knew him very well. He slept at
my house a week. I and Mr. Pole pro not a.C.-
painted. I don't- Win by sight
of then I
him. On the daypoll
v went away from my house about 8
should like to
o'clock in the morning. I persuaded him to go,
and he set off on the run.

By Mr. Hartland—Kibblewhite was sick. I
have seen people as sick as he was from drinking.
By Mr. Maurice—All that was due to me when
Colburn paid me the 15s. was seventeenpence.
Re-examined--My reason for going into the
man's room in the night was because of the bottle
that was left.
Mrs. Cove—l am the wife of the last witness. I
remember Kibblewhite being brought to our house
on the Friday night. Mrs. Colburn gave me a
bottle, and said I was to give him 20 drops in some
rum on the following morning. I showed the bot-
tle to a man named Williamson. It had a bit of
pink paper over the cork, and " Laudanum_ u0i,2,--as-
was printed on it. I finr.tev,a filen w
w ue liept till morning, or to the middle of the day.
I did not hear any reason stated for keeping him.
I was not in the room. I will tell the truth as far
as I know. I was in the parlour when it was said
what the man was to be kept for. Mrs. Colburn
said nothing to me about Kibblewhite being.a
voter. She told me I was to get a drop of rum in
the morning, and put 20 drops of laudanum into it.
She said nothing more.
Mr. Cripps then addressed the jury at some
length and with much ability. He admitted that
the evidence against the three servants was of such
a nature that the magistrates would probably feel
it their duty to commit them for trial, but he im-
plored them to consider upon what slight grounds
they were called upon to commit Mr. Pole also.
The evidence did not touch Mr, Pole in the least,
and if they committed him for trial at the assizes
he would have a serious charge banging over his
head for months, and no grand jury would find a
true bill on such evidence. To commit him, consi-
dering his position in life, would therefore, Under
such circumstances, do him a grievous injury• With
reference to his horse and carr;.ag~ being used, he
was not responses Jo I:br them acts of bis servants when
they aches illegally. His name had been used by
hig.ervants without his sanction. It was possible
that his servants might have fancied that what they
were going to do would please him, knowing the
interest he took in politics, and it was possible even
that some other person in the house—for there was
a mistress as well as a master—had given them the
orders, but there was nothing whatever against Mr.
Pole that would justify the Bench in committing
him for trial.

The Bench then retired for consultation, and
were absent about half an hour. On their return
the Chairman said they had decided to commit the
three servants for trial—namely, German Colburn,
Mary Colburn, and Walter Mullis. There was no
case against Mr. Polu, and the charge was there-
fore dismissed. _ _ .

The accused were then fully committed for trial
at the ensuing Glocester assizes. They were ad-
mitted to bail, the men in a £lOO bond and the
woman in £2O, Mr. Pole, their master, being
accepted as surety.

THE EXPLOSION AT THE 110UNSLOW
POWDER MILLS.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. AVakley, and the jury
empanelled to investigate the circumstances at-
tending the late explosion at the Hounslow Powder-
mills, which occasioned such a deplorable loss of
life as well as the destruction of property, re-
assembled for the fourth time at the Prince Blucher
Tavern, Twickenham-green.
...Li the
Ma. Sergeant Ballantine attended,,
previous occasions, to watch the r.ee ings on
vev the behalf of Messrs. Curtis '
pro-
prietors of the mills,
_all ing the proceedings
the room was denser • •
After a -examination of the witnesses,
Robf-
ThH. Atlee, the jury heard the
repot_ •lt
~4.
omas cif r.
Hospital on, lecturer on chemistry at
,
0.. s.
The foreman then, after a short consultation,
handed in the following special verdict :-
44 We find that the deceased Thomas Albone was
killed by injuries inflicted in and upon his body by
the explosion of a certain large quantity of gun-
powder at the mills belonging to Messrs. Curtis
and Harvey, but by what means the explosion took
place there was n& sufficient evidence to prove. In
returning this verdict the jury felt it to be an im-
perative duty to express their opinion that the works
of Messrs. Curtis and Harvey, where the explosion
took place, have been conducted in an exceedingly
loose and dangerous manner, and that the safety of
the workmen engaged in such establishments, and
of the public generally, requires the immediate
enactment of a law for subjecting all gunpowder
manufacturers to the stringent supervision of Go-
vernment inspection and control, with a view to
the invariable adoption of the precautions and
recommendations similar to those contained in Dr.
Thompson's report. The jury think it right to
notice that of late years the works in question
have been greatly, and as they believe unlawfully,
increased, and that gunpowder has been kept in
such vast quantities as to be attended with danger
to workpeople employed therein, as well as to the
inhabitants of the surrounding neighbourhood."
The proceedings then terminated.