The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-17 00:00:00

to 6501. of jewels and precious stones in the posses-
sion of Mr. Devereux, of Cowes.

The insolvent was pi, ioned on the subject. He
said he gave up that property for his creditors.
Mr. Commissioner Phillips said the same evi-
dence as in an ordinary case must be given.
Mr. Sargood alleged that the insolvent had not a
shilling, and could not bring Mr. Devereux from
the country.

Mr. DoN-vse objected to the balance sheets.
Mr. Commissioner Phillips said they certainly
did contain extraordinary items. The insolvent
had been a long time in prison.
The case, after some further discussion, ended by
being. adjourned to Saturday ; the opposing parties
promising to procure the attendance of Mr. Deve-
reux.

that the result of the proseutor's injuries might be
more accurately ascertained.

LAMBETH.—Jain s Reynoldp a ladl6 years of
age, was finally examined before Mr. Elliott on a
charge of throwing Geo. Brookington, a little fellow
seven years of age, into the Surrey Canal, by which
he had very narrowly escaped drowning.
Mrs. Emma Croft deposed that one evening,
about a fortnight ago, she saw the prisoner take up
the child on his shoulders and fling him into the
Surrey Canal. Witness begged of the prisoner,
whom she knew to be a good swimmer, to take the
child out, but he would not do so. Her cries
however, brought a young man named Brown to
the spot, and that person took the child from the
water in a perfectlyexhausted and insensible state.
This witness was subjezted to a severe cress-ex-
amination by Mr. Solomon, who attended on behalf
of the prisoner, but was not shaken in any part of
her statement.
Richard Brown said the cries of the last witness
attracted his attention, a...id on going to the place he
was told that there was a child in the water. He
rushed into the canal, and soon found the little fel-
, low under the water, and on taking him out he was
in a state of insensibility.
Mrs. Crutchley said that the child Brookington
was in her charge, and on the evening in question
the prisoner came running to her door, and on see-
ing her said--" Mrs. Crutchley, your little boy is
drowned."

The little fellow, Brookington himself, was ex-
amined, and said that, without the slightest provo-
cation, the prisoner hoistel him on his phoul-
der, and carrying , him to the bank, flung him
right into the canal.

Mr. Solomon acknowledged that the case was one
of the most extraordinary that during many years'
practice had been brought under his observation.
The account given to him of the occurrence by his
youthful clientwas, that the child commenced call-
ing him improper names while standing close tothe
canal, and on his (the prisoner's) going towards
him he slipped over the bank into the water. This
he (Mr. Solomon) believed to be the true version
of the affair, and did not think it possible that the
prisoner could be guilty of so wicked and wanton
an act as that described by the witnesses.
Mr. Elliott could not see what object the wit-
nesses could have in misrepresenting the case. Be-
sides, their testimony was wholly confirmed by the
artless statement of the child himself and the con-
duct of the prisoner, who, while the child was in
the water, and without making the slightest effort
to get him out, ran to the old woman who had
charge of him and told her that her little boy was
drowned. Thoegh so young, the conduct of the
prisoner was most scandalous and wicked, and he
(Mr. Elliott) doubted whether he did his duty
strictly in not sending him for trial. He then con-
victed the prisoner in a penalty of 51., (r, in de-
fault of payment, to two months' hard labour in
the House of Correction.

turned a -verdict of " Wilful murder against Je-
remiah Carcenter," and the Coroner at once issuel
his warrant for his committal to take his trial for
that offence at the ensuing spring assize 3.

THE StTN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEiIif3ER 17, 1857.

THE STAVELET CO GLIERY
TWELVE PERSONS feFOCA.7".

STAVELEY, MONDAY ArYMNOON'

To the brief details of this disaster which appeared
in our impression yesterday, we have now to add
that the colliery is known as the Hollingwood pit
and is the largest at these extensive works, employ-
ing about 300 men. The men left the pit on Satur-
day afternoon at four o'clock, when everything ap-
peared to be safe, the furnace man being the only
person left in the colliery. The duties of the furnace
man conimaneed at 6 o'clock and termina' ed at 6 on
Sunday morning. Whilst he was in the pithe thought
tie smelt a strong smellofpowder smoke,buttook no
notice until another man came to relieve him. At
seven o'clock the furnace man was called away by
a workman connected with the collery. At four
o'clock the same morning a son of Fowkes, a horse
keeper, was down the pit, and he noticed some
smoke issuing from the lamp room or cabin in the
pit bottom. He communicated what he had seen
to some other persons, who conveyed the informa-
tion
to Mr. Daniel Cooper, the resident principal
underground steward. Mr. Cooper then selected
twelve of the most experienced men at the works to
accompany him into the pit to put out the tire.
They each took a bucket and descended the shaft,
when instructions were given by Mr. Cooper to
Charles Vardy, a deputy, to open some air doors.
Vardy had his doubts about the propriety of doing
so, but he states that the order was a positive one
from Mr. Cooper to do so, which he did, the con-
sequence of which was to stop the ventilation, and
the foul air backed up the fire upon the men for
700 yards up the incline, and it was necessary then
to dam up the air. Before this was done, Mr.
Buxton, the underviewer at the Spriugwell col-
liery, made several attempts to get to the place of
the fire, but he could not get nearer than 700 yards.
Now the serious nature of the accident became evi-
dent, and telegrams were therefore sent to Messrs.
Woodhouse and Jeffcock, of Derby, engineers to
the colliery, and to Mr. John Hedley, the govern-
ment inspector of mines for the district, for assist-
ance. Mr. Woodhouse was in London at the time,
and Mr. Jeffcock received the message when in
church, and he instantly secured some assistants
and proceeded tc Staveley by special train. Mr.
He 'ley also reached Staveley by the first available
train, and immediate measures were taken to arrest
the progress of the fire and to extricate the bodies
of the sufferers. For the safety of the works
the ventilating furnace was allowed to go out, and
in order to maintain a current of air water was
pumped into the pit by means of two fire-engines.
This was accomplished without much difficulty,
owing to the proximity of the canal to the colliery.
Mr. Jeffock and his assistants and Mr. Hedley pro-
ceeded down the pit in the afternoon, when it was
agreed to dam up the indite, and a number of men
were set to work for the purpose. After being in
several hours they came upon the bank, and at 8
o'clock they went down the pit again to see the
progress of the fire and to confine the foul air at
the back of the incline. This was effected at ten
o'clock on Sunday night, and after it had been com-
pleted all the workmen were drawn out of the pit
to await the result of this measure. Between one
and two o'clock this morning Mr. Woodhouse,
mining engineer, arrived at the colliery, when Mr.
Jeffock, Mr. Hedley, and Mr. Buxton went down
the pit and found the air circulating through its
proper course. Another dam was put in about 900
yards down the incline. Mr, Woodhouse and Mr.
Hedley then held an interview, and they went to
the bottom of the incline, close to the seat of the
firs. Finding it dangerous to proceed further
down they retraced their steps, and between the
bottom of the incline and the last dam which had
been put in the following bodies were found, quite
dead :
Daniel Cooper, resident head under-viewer—
married, but no hildren.
Alexander Cooper, colliery viewer, brothel to the
last-named, who was on a visit to his brother.
Alexander Scott, manager of the ventilation of
the pit—married, left a widow and two daughters.
Thomas Scott, son of the last named deceased.
Joel Walters, deputy—widow, 8 grown up per-
sons.
George Wagstaff, collier—widow, but no family.
William Chapman, collier—wido w and 8 children.
Thomas Truman, lamp-cleaner—married, but no
family.
The following persons are still in the pit, and no
doubt is entertained about their lives having been
lost :
Joseph Corns, collier—married, but no children.
Richard Fowkes—horsekeeper.
Fowkes, son of the last named.
Thomas Scott, collier—unmarried,
Win. Truman, collier—married, widow and 7
children.
The bodies were found in the position of men
escaping from suffocation, and the distance from
the first to the last discovered was 200 yards. The
bodies were placed in a workshop to await the co-
roner's inquest, which was commenced last evening.
It being impossible to recover any more bodies
at present, Mr. Woodhouse and Mr. Hedley held a
consultation, and determined to completely dam
up the fire in one part of the pit.

THE ALLEGED HOCUSSING AND ROB-
BERY Off A CALIFOHNIAN DIGGER.

Yesterday a very lengthened inquiry took place
in the Board-room of St. James's Workhouse, before
Mr. Bedford, the coroner for Westminster, touch-
ing the death of James Wilson, who was found by
the police on Thursday, night last, in Regent-street,
in a dying state.
The case excited more than ordinary interest, as
it was ascertained that the deceased had lately
arrived from the California gold diggings, with a
very large amount of money in his possession, and
that, having been inveigled into bad company in
London, be had been hocussed, and robbed of all
he possessed.
The following evidence was adduced :
John M'Donald, 135 C division, deposed that
on Friday night last he found the deceaspd. lying
upon the pavement in Regent-street, in an insen-
sible state. A stretcher was obtained from the
station-house in Vine-street, to which he was con-
veyed, and Mr. Tothill, the divisional surgeon,
promptly attended to him, but he died during the
night.
By the Coroner—The deceased was 35 or 40
years of age. He was dressed as a seafarin.4 man.
There was Bs. 6d. upon his person and some trifling
articles of property. He had a bruise upon the
nose.
By the Jury—The deceased was seen at a public-
house in, the neighbourhood, in the course of the
same afternoon, with some disreputable characters,
but I have not been able to trace any of them.
Mr. Frederick of No. 8, Charles-street,
St. Jaines's-square, said be had opened the body of
the deceased, and from the appea• antes 114-4 was of
opinion death was caused by congestion of the brain,
brought on by excessive drinking.
Inspector Webb, of the C division, said he had
received a letter from the deceased's brother at
Brighton, stating that the deceased had been in the
police at Hong Kong, in China, and that he after-
wards went to California.
The Jury said they had no doubt the unfortunate
man had been hocussed and robbed. '.

Verdict—" Died from disease of the brain brought
on by the administration of ardent spirits.

_HORRIBLE STARVATIoN OF AN INFANT.

Yesterday evening a ieegialeoed investigation took
place at the Prince of Orange Tavern, Victoria-road,
Pimlico, before Mr. Bedford, coroner for WeAminster,
touching the death of Henry Clark Tordoff, an infant
twelve months old, which was occasioned by starvation
and neglect of the mother, Mary Tordoff, under circum-
stances of a most unparalleled nature. The body of the
unfortunate infant was a mere anatomy, and greatly
shocked the jury a:id all who witnessed it. A. great
quantity of evidence was brought forward, but the
history of the case may be condensed into the follow-
ing brief statement :
The mother of the unfortunate child is a woman of
dissolute habit, occupying, at the time of the child's
death, a miserable abode in Old Pyestreet, Westmin-
ster. She was frequently in the practice of leaving the
deceased without any food, clothing, or care being
taken of it. A few weeks back she was apprehended
for the desertion of the child, and sentenced by Mr.
Paynter, at the Westminster Police-court, to three
infant
was imprisonment, at which period the poor
was taken to St. Margaret's workhouse in a most drplor-
able state, being in a frightfully emaciated condition,
and covered with sores and vermin.
Mr. John Lavies, surgeon to St. Margaret's parish,
said he attended the child when brought to the work-
house; in all his experience he never witnessed so lament-
able an object as the poor infant was, it was only
covered with a few rags which were swarming with ver-
min, and the body was not only frightfully emaciated
but literally a mas of corruption. Every possible
nourishment and the greatest attention was paid to the
unfortunate babe, but it never rallied, and died on Fri•
day. On a post mortem examination he found the
stomach inflamed, the ventricles full of fluid, and the
intestines withered and bloodless. Thu whole was the
result of long neglect and starvation.
The jury, after commenting upon the dreadful nature
of the case, returned a verdict of manslaughter against
Mary Tordoff, the mother of the child,

A SHARP RETORT.—A Justice of Peace seeing a
parson o❑ a very stately horse, riding between London
and Hampstead, said to some gentlemen who were with
him, "Do you see what a beautiful horse that proud
parson has got ? I'll banter him a little." Doctor,"
said be, "you don't follow the example of your great
Master, who was humbly content to ride upon an ass."
—" Why, Sir," replied the parson, "The Bing has made
so many asses Justices, that an honest clergyman can
hardly find one to ride if he had a wind to it,"