The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-31 00:00:00

DEATH IN A POLICE CELL.

On Wednesday evening Mr. John Humphreys,
coroner, held an inquest at !lackney, respecting the death
of Mrs. Hannah Saunders, aged 55 years. The deceased
was the wife of a cab proprietor, and her family alleged
that her death had been caused by treatment which she
had received while a prisoner in the Hackney Police-
station. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased
had not been very well for some time, And that she left her
house at six o'clock on Saturday evening, after bidding
her son, a boy aged 12, " good-by "in a way to excite his
suspicion that she meant to commit suicide. Two hours
afterwards John Robson, 67 N, heard a splash in the
Regent's Canal. He procured drags, and in a short time
the deceased was found in the water and taken out alive.
She was taken to the Sir Walter Scott Tavern, where she
was seen by Dr. Thornton, who said she was fit for removal.
All her clothes, with the exception of a wet shift, were taken
off, and with no other clothing she was put on a stretcher.
Mrs. Jones, a fruiterer, however, covered her with a sack.
Clothes were sent for at the station, and, after beingplaced
before the fire for some time, she was removed to the
cell and placed upon the woolen bench, where she again
became dreadfully cold. Mrs. Tuppley, wife of a bootcioser,
who was locked up in the same cell, said it was dreadfully
cold and damp, and the deceased begged the police to give
her an old coat, but they would not do so. During the
night she rolled off the bench to the floor, uttering
a groan. Mrs. Tuppley called the police, when a con-
stable came in and turned on his light and found she was
dead. The husband of the deceased had gone t 3 the
police-station and offered bail, but the inspector refused
to take it, on the ground that the deceased had attempted
to commit suicide, which was not a bailable offence. Mr.
W. H. Wright, police surgeon, said that he saw the
deceased after death. A post mortem examination of
her body had been made. She had died from the shock
caused by the immersion in the water. Great care
ought to have been used to prevent fatal results after
the immersion. The police cell was not a fit place

for her to have been put in. She ought to have been
removed to an hospital. The jury, after a long consulta-
tion, returned a verdict— "That the deceased expired from
the effects of a shock caused by immersion in the water
while she was of unsound mind, and they censure the police
for not calling in the divisional surgeon, and leaving her
in a cell the whole of a night, when she might have been
taken to the German Hospital or to a workhouse infirmary,
and they say that the police should in future call in the
divisional surgeon of the force to see persons who have
been rescued from drowning."

SIR ROBERT CLIFTON AT NOTTINGHAM. —TIIO
Nottingham Guardian says :—" There was a monster
gathering on Tuesday night, at the Exhibition building,
Nottingham, to celebrate the triumphant return of Sir
Robert Clifton at the late election. The scene inside the
building was of the most animated description. After tea
had been partaken of in the galleries a grand ball was held
downstairs. The hearty enjoyment with which everyone
entered into the evening's amusement was remarkable. Sir
Robert and Lady Clifton met with another indication of
their astonishing popularity among the working classes."
THE LIVERPOOL MAGISTRATES AND THE
LICENSING SYSTEM.-At the last quarterly meeting of
the Liverpool magistrates, a communication from the
Salford bench on the subject of the licensing system
was taken into consideration. The Salford bench had
prepared a memorial to the Government, praying for
an inquiry into the system, and asked the Liverpool
bench to support them in the matter. The latter, on
Wednesday, adopted a memorial asking the Government
for an inquiry into the system, which they unani-
mously condemned as altogether unsatisfactory. They
also desired that the Salford bench might be informed
that they (the Liverpool magistrates) would cordially
co-operate with them on the subject of the memorials.
Attention was directed by the head-constable, Major Grei,g,
• C. 8., to the very large number of persons now selling beer
and spirits in the town without a license.
A LEGAL INCIDENT AT A RELIGIOUS CERE-
.roN. —On Wednesday, on the conclusion of the ceremony
of the confirmation of the Archbishop of Canterbury
at St. Mary-le-B:)w Church, a somewhat curious
dent occurred. Mr. Francis Hart Dyke, her Majesty's
proctor, who had been officially in attendance as prin-
cipal registrar of the province of Canterbury, had
,:ome down in his wig and gown, but on leaving at the
close of the proceedings, desiring to go somewhere else
where his official habiliments would not be required, sent
a messenger to a neighbouring shop to purchase a hat for
him. A suitable one having been provided, heir Majesty's
Proctor started off without taking the precaution to
remove the tissue paper in which hatters pin up
their wares. This grotesque appearande excited much
amusement amongst the vast numbers of people who had
assembled to catch a glimpse of the new archbishop,
many of whom mistook the Queen's proctor for a gentle.
man who had taken a leading part in a bridal ceremony,
and expecting the bride to follow. It did not transpire
how far the learn .Icl gentleman proceeded in his novel head
gear.