The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-24 00:00:00

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THE TIPPO.RARY BANK—GINGER Vi., k ii..l .- 7,-.,,,d,
Mr. H. Hill, Q C., and Mr Milward alaiSiatoo444tO
plaintiff ; Mr. Edwin James-, Q.C., and 31e..‘titi ,t,
e
the defendant. This was an action ItiVt,iit--bria4et,_
plaintiff, a ferrate near Hemel L ilompstead;s,petaiiivitllteiail
defendant, one of the Directors of the Lrniein aiiT—
County Bank, to recover damages for havingll "
duced by the deendaet's representa.tiou to purchase
forty shares in the Tipperaty Bank at 12/. 100
of
fer
plaintiffth eeh
wil learnedre:. applied
I teo
utaonpsipe,yr:t,di..,
aut.frii,(n: from
May,
1855,state statement
of the hankie and County Bank at Hethmeyiel'H"elmmpasntaegadr,
to become the purchaser of these shares, he representing
by the prospectus that the capital of the bank, consist-
lug of 10,000 shares, amounting to 500,000/., were paid
wp, and showing also that the dividend paid was 6 per
cent., and that if the plaintiff purchased the shares be-
tween the months of April and June be would be en-
titled to the accruing 6 month edi vidend. The plaintiff then
declined te become the purchaser, but he was su bsequ en tly
applied to to become a pm chaser by Mr. Fabian, also a
local manager of the London and County Bank, at
Leighton Buzzeril, upon the additional representation
that Mr. Law, one of the directors, and also the late
Mr. Sadleir, both directors of the London and County
Bank, represented that the Tipperary Bank was a most
flourishing and lucrative concern. Ultimately the
plaintiff purchased 20 shares, 10 from each of the above
local maragers, at a premium of 21. per share, they
having been represented to him as paid up shares, that
the plaintiff would be entitled to the dividend on them,
and also to a bonus of 31. per share in the follow,ng
year. The plaintiff afterwards received what was re-
presented to be a transfer of the shares, signed by Mr.
J. Austin Ferrall, of Meuntjoy place, Dublin ; and
also certificates signed by John and James Sadleir, and
a Mr. Keating, certifying that Mr. Ferrell was the
owner of the paid-up shares. The plaintiff never heard
anything more of the matter till the death of
John Sadleir, when the frauds in connection with this
, bank were discovered, and the plaintiff then agar-
tained that the snares he bad purchased were fictitious,
as well as the transfers, and that Mr. Ferrall was a
clerk in a wine merchant's office in London. The
plaintiff had since been involved in litigation in Ire-
land, but he had so far succeeded that he had been
declared not to be a shareholder of the bank. The
prospectus produced to the plaintiff by the Local tee-
nager, dated Cornwall, it had been discovered, was drawn
up by Mr. Law and the Late Mr. Sadleir, and printed in
London, and that it appeared that Mr. Law was in the
habit of conductieg the business with Mr, Sadkir. The
whole of the money for the shares and the stamps, it
was stated, passed through Mr. Law's hands, who re-
tained the amount of the stamps and 11. per share, Mr.
Ferrall being paid 15e. per share for signing the transfer.
Evidence was then taken to substantiate the statement
of the learned counsel, and to show the nature of the
frauds connected with the bank, which was of a similar
character to that which has already been published.
The defence was that Mr. Law had been made the tool
of John Sadleir.
At the close of the p'aintifl's evidence,
Mr. Edwin James contended there was no case to go
the jury.
The Chief Baron thought otherwise.
A discussion then ensued between the counsel and
partics on both sides, when terms of arrangement ne re
agreed to, and a verdict by consent entered for the
defendant.

DREADFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION
NEAR BARNSLEY.

Yesterday Mr. T. Badger, coroner, opened an inquest on
the body of Abraham Turner, who was one of the men got
out of the pit alive shortly after the accident on Thursday,
and died on Saturday morning. The inquiry was opened
at the house of the deceased, at Wath.
The proprietors of the pit were in attendance, as also
Mr. C. Morton, the Government inspector, Mr. W. H.
Peacock, solicitor, Barnsley, appeared on behalf of the
proprietors, who, he stated, would have pleasure in ren-
dering all the assistance in their power in the investigation
of this deplorable accident.
The following evidence was adduced :
Mr. W. H. Peacock, of Barnsley, solicitor to the pro-
prietors of the Lundhill Colliery, said the names of the
proprietors of the pit were W. Taylor, of Redbrook, near
Barnsley, Thomas S. Galland, of Brampton' barrister-at-
law, E. T. Simpson, of Walton, near Wakefield, soap-
maker, and W. Stewart, of Wakefield, gentleman. Joseph
Coe, of Hemingfield, is the underground steward.
Alice Turner, mother of the deceased, identified the body
of the deceased as that of her son, who was 21 years of age,
and was a harrier in the Lundhill pit for his brother, Ste-
phen Turner. lie went to work at the usual time on the
morning of the explosion, and was brought home between
5 and 6 o'clock the same site, noon very much burnt. He
died at half-past 4 o'clock on Saturday morning.
William Colbridge, of Lundhill, fireman at the Lundhill
Colliery, said—l saw the deceased in the pit several times
on Thursday. The explosion occurred about 20 minutes
past 12 at noon. It was of a most serious character. I was
in the pit at the time, and got to the bottom as soon as I
could. Abraham Turner came to the bottom an hour and a
half after me. Ile complained of cold, and of being very
badly burnt. I took off my jacket, and put it upon him.
Ho sat beside myself and the other men until we were
drawn up. There were 15 or 16 of us when he arrived,
and two or three others came afterwards. Nineteen were
got out between 4 and 5 o'clock. Only two were burnt, so
far as I know—the deceased and Aaron Nixon. Five of us
were drawn up in the first draw, and six in the second. I
and deceased were taken out by the second draw. When
the explosion took place I was in the cabin, which is 12 or
14 yards from the bottom of the drawing shaft, and five
others were with me—viz., Thomas Smith, Henry Chip-
chase, and Joseph Tunnercliffe, three hookers-on • Abra-
ham Levitt, a pecker.; sad Wis. Hartley, the horsekeeper.i
Itr3hboew"roer.
ITU34l3o"iane
yralrwdeesrrferhfi:vemurtm,hweenfrishpaintdwai the reason of our being
baobaoym°.ll Cason
adaetnde'esah°auret
Thomas Hammerton arid his son, John Ellis, Edmund Sim-
mom, Thomas Bell, and Hitching, and all of them were
got out alive. George Warrender and John Booth came
from the north levels to the bottom. Aaron Nixon, who is
a hurrier, was sitting on the top side of the pit bottom
when the accident occurred. I went into the pit on Thurs-
day morning at 4 o'clock, and went round all the work.
ings on the south and west sides of the pit, until I met
Wm. Illingworth, the other fireman, in the centre or fur-
nace board. I found all the places I visited in excellent
working order ; they were never better. Wm. Illingworth
had to examine the north levels and workings, and it was
after he had done this that we met. It was nearly half-
past 5 o'clock. Ii was my duty to examine the working
parts of the pit before any of the miners were allowed to
descend. No man was allowed to leave the bottom before
we gave thesignal.
Mr. Morton—The rule is that they shall not descend
until the examination is made.
Witness proceeded—Some of the men have at times de-
scended before we have completed our examination, but
none of them were allowed to leave the bottom until we
said all was ready.
By Mr. Morton—From half-past 5 o'clock until noon I
was employed in going round the workings on the north
side, putting up brattices, and seeing that the men attended
to their duty. I did not see any brattices put up in other
parts that day. The brattices were properly placed, and in
what we called good working order.
The Coroner—Can you form any opinion as to the cause
of the explosion?
Witness—l cannot. It is supposed there are over 160
persons now in the pit. Naked candles were used in some
parts of the pit, and Davy lanap• in other parts, where it
was thought necessary to have them. Candles were in
general use.; we thought it safe to use candles. It was part
of my duty to order Davy lamps whore I thought them
necessary, according to rule 7—namely, wherever there
was fire,—and I attended to it. I did not order Davy
lamps to be used on Thursday last by the miners. The
packers used them regularly. The lamps have locks, but
are not always locked.
Mr. Morton—That is contrary to rule; they are required
to be locked.
Examination continued—l saw the packers using Davy
lamps on Thursday as usual. The lampkeepers are Joseph
Grimshaw and Joseph Hartley.
John Warhurst, another fireman, said—l was at home
when the explosion occurred. I went there immediately
afterwards. I found the chair for the corves was blown up
into the head-gear. Power was applied to remove it, but
without success, and the rope was cut as quickly as pos-
sible. We got into the pit as soon as we could •it was
about half-past four o'clock. I, Joseph Coe, and William
Beevers were the first to descend. Some distance down
we found two sheeting boards loose, and took them to
the top of the pit. I and Beevers then went to the
bottom, Mr. Coe having got out. As we descended
we heard men at the bottom screaming for assistance.
found tah number of
somoenn
ecoengresegiahtti. atlthleeibt oattomman,
W
named Hammerton assisting to get tohe men out and pro-
an de en t
ceeded to look round. On reaching
shaft) I found that it
was on fire about the furnace. I
found a roan lying on a heap of
ginhirng coals,cupola
and
dupctooask
him off. I could only get a few further up the
t
the
the fire-damp fired in my lamp. I returned
into the level and there met with another dead body. Did
board gate, as yardsnot recognise either of them. Further on the south level
I found a third and fourth body, after which I returned to
the abaft, not thinking it prudent to go further by myself.
I bad gone 70 or SO yards. I returned, went out and res
ported what I bad seen to Mr. Coe, Mr. Webster, Mr.
an wenta onthi
third
e board-gate,
aurtdhisaitdee.
baleotiwigeewniththme es.ecoWntei
Maddison, Mr. Utley, Mr. Ellison, and Mr. Coe then went
where we found four or five more dead bodies. It was about
downuntil wtheegpotit
250 yards. The lamp showed fire, and we were afraid to
go further lest it should explode again. We returned to
the shaft. I ascended and took some more men down. Mr.
Coe and Mr. Webster told me to take these men to the dead
bodies and then return to them on the north side. After
going to the dead bodies I and Benjamin Hoyland went as
far as the fourth board-gate, which is 400 yards from the
bottom of the pit. On account of the fire-damp we could
not go further. The bodies were taken to the botttm of
the shaft by the men I had fetched down, after whfliveeb
01
went to Mr. Webster on the north side. We' found
found
six more dead bodies near the end of this level.
half
of
15 or 16 bodies in all, but only removed about
did not remove them
them to the bottom of the shaft. We
of d
the fire
would
all to the bottom, because we wereid found the fire burning
fall in. I went to the cupola and
d I went and told the other
about 25 yards each way,
anld fall in. Indeed I saw the
persons that the furnaced
Vine masses of burning coal fall
arches of the furnace anin
leading
to the furnace. I ex-
from the sides of the quedl
we should all be killed, and the
pected that if we the
f the same opinion. I saw the stables on
other men were
° not get to both ends of the stables, for the
fire. We could iarops
about 30 yards up the north board.
Wegas fired in the board, both north and south, as far as
We went u- P eve found inflammable gas up every board.
wild geL
we c i t distance we got up any board was about 40
The grsa-es

jaTrdhie. Coroner—Can you. form any opinion as to the
cause of the accident?
Witness—I cannot form any opinion, unless it be that
some trapper had left a door open in one of the boards.
This is a mere supposition.
A conversation succeeded, during which Mr. Morton
stated that he was afraid many of the bodies left in the
pit would be very much burnt, and that he could not give
an opinion as to when the pit would be reopened, as if it
were reopened prematurely the fire would be again fanned
into a flame, and a further explosion might result.
The inquest was then adjourned until Monday next s
b
the Bun Head Inn DrAMIAOI2

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