The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-25 00:00:00

THE INQUEST.

To-day, at 12 o'clock, the inquest was opened by
Dr. Evan Pierce, the coroner of this division of
Denbighshire. The proceedings were commenced
in a large room of the Bell Hotel, but it having
been found too small for the accommodation of all
the parties in attendance, there was an adjourn-
ment to the Town-hall.
For the London and North-Western Company
there were present Mr. Roberts, of the solicitor's
office, Euston Station ; Mr. Mason, the assistant
manager of the company ; Mr. Binger, manager of
the Chester and Holyhead portion of the line ; Mr.
Lee, and other officials.
Colonel Rich, one of the Government Inspectors
of Rail ways, was also present.
Mr. Edwards Ward, solicitor, of Birmingham,
appeared for the relatives of William Smith, the
guard, and Joseph Holmes, the stoker.
Mr. R. D. Kane, solicitor, of Dublin, appeared
for the relatives of Mr. Whitmore Scovell and Miss
Scovell.
Lord Farnham, the Hon. Richard Somerset Max-
well, and the Hon. William Maxwell, brothers of
the late lord, watched the proceedings. Numerous
other relatives and friends, whose names did not
transpire, were also present.
A jury of 18 having been called, the coroner
asked each of them singly whether he had any
shares or otherwise in the London and North-
Western Railway Company. All replied in the

negative. He then proceeded to swear them as a
jury on each one of the 33 cases in respect of
which the surgeons have reported. The cases were
called by number, and in each the description was
" the body of a person unknown." Mr. A. F.
Watts, chairman of the town commissioners of
Pensarn, was sworn as foreman.

The Coroner, when he had duly formed his jury,
addressed them in respect of the very solemn nature
of the inquiry on which they were about to enter.
He did not believe that any jury had ever had
to enter on a more melancholy inquiry. In the
interest of the public it was an extremely important
one, and the public expected that the jury would do
their duty. He might observe that his duty was
one which they owed to their Maker as well as to
their country. He need not say that they would
have to inquire into circumstances the details of
which could not be otherwise than most agonising
to the relatives of the 33 human beings whose
bodies were lying in the church. On Friday he
bad been strongly urged to proceed at once with
the inquest ; but he had made up his mind not to
do so. There had been then not only no identifi-
cation, but there was no evidence to show the sex
or age of any person whose remains were among
the dead. He was at that time told that he might
proceed on the assumption that the body near which
Lord Farnham's watch was found was that of Lord
Farnham ; but facts bad since transpired which
showed that such an assumption would not have
been at all warranted in a legal proceeding such as
an inquest was. In fact, for all the evidence to the
contrary, the jury might have been holding an in-
quest on the remains of some lower animal instead
of those of a human being. He had determined that
there should be a surgical examination of the re-
mains, and on Friday afternoon he entrusted to three
medical gentlemen the duty of making that exami-
nation. They had done so to his satisfaction, and he
now held that report; in their investigation it was
discovered that these were the remains of 33 persons,
though previously it had been supposed that there
were only 23. He had made up his mind to go to
the root of the whole matter, and in doing so he
should avail himself of the inquiries which the Go-
vernment Inspector would feel it his duty to make,
and of the observations of that gentleman. He
would therefore adjourn after taking some formal
evidence. As to the mode of conducting the in-
quiry, he proposed that in the first instance he
should ask all the questions he should think neces-
sary. The professional gentlemen might then fol-
low in their examinations of the witnesses; and,
finally, the jury might put any questions they
thought proper, or ask explanations on points
which they did not think sufficiently clear.
The Coroner and jury then proceeded in a body
to the church of St. Michael, in which the bodies
were lying. The coffins were all removed from the
church and spread in a double line on the grass and
among the tombs. The peasantry surrounded the
cemetery, and stared with amazement and horror
as coffin after coffin was brought out and laid
on the grass. In a few minutes the full number
had been ranged in a double line, all, with two or
three exceptions, covered in black cloth. The ex-
ceptions were, I presume, caused by the fact that
all the coffin cloth in the Chester district had run
out owing to the unlooked-for demand for it. All
the coffins were uncovered when all had been placed.
The remains were found to be decently imbedded
in white wool, and covered with it also. The con-
trast between the snowy appearance of the wool
and the charcoal appearance of the remains seemed
to have a startling effect on all beholders ; and the
inspection proved to be so painful that almost every
one but the members of the jury gave it up before
all the remains had been viewed.

The coroner and jury subsequently reassembled
in the Town-hall.

Whcn the jury had reassembled the proceedings
were extraordinary even for a coroner's inquest in
Wales. They so annoyed the relatives of the killed
that these gentlemen assembled in the, hotel, and,
with Lord Farnham in the chair, protested against
a delay of interment till after Thursday, which had
been suggested by the coroner, and Lord Farnham
and other relatives returned to the Town-hall and
reported to the coroner the unanimous desire that

the interment should be at ten o'clock to-morrow.
'Phis was agreed to.

The relatives of Cripps, the footman, swore to
his remains from a peculiarity in his chin. Lord
Farnham, Sir Henry Edwardes, and all other rela-
tives present expressed their opinion that identi-
fication was impossible. After much vacillation
and' irregularity the inquest was adjourned until
Wednesday. The funerals will be to-morrow.

The scene of the accident is to be inspected to-
morrow by the jury. The coroner first proposed
adjournment for a month, next for a fortnight, then
to Thursday, then to Wednesday week, and ulti-
mately to Wednesday next. Lord Farnham and all
the other relatives protested against a distant
adjournment. Much dissatisfaction is felt at the
coroner's proceedings.

Caroline Sternee is among the dead.
The names of 32 of the dead are now known.

f,"-• //vb
TUntt

HER MAJESTY.

PENSION WALLIS, LUCERNE, August 22.
The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise,
and attended by the Marchioness of Ely, Sir Wm.
Jenner, and Major-General Sir Thomas Biddulph,
has left Lucerne for the Furka, near the St. Gothard
Pass, where her Majesty will remain for two or
three days.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS—(This Day).

(Before Mr. Sergeant (;OX).
COUNTRY THIEVES ON A VISIT TO LONDON.

Henry Benson, Mary Benson, John Henry Wat-
son, and Margaret Watson, were indicted for
stealing two walking-sticks, the property of Ed-
ward Bax, two bottles of scent, the property of
Eugene Rimmell, four boxes of cigars, the pro-
perty of Alexander Archer, and three oil paintings,
the property of Robert Dodson.

The prisoners, who were all very fashionably
attired, pleaded guilty to the whole of the four
charges.
The learned Judge asked how the robberies were
committed, as he had not read the depositions.
Mr. Besley said the art displayed on the occasion
was very great, and altogether the system pursued
entirely exceeded that of the usual London thieves.
One of the Inspectors of the F division of police
was present, and he would give an account of the
prisoners.

Inspector Brannan said, from inquiries he had
made, he found that the prisoners left Manchester
about a month ago, it having become too hot for
them. It appeared that they then commenced their
system of plundering the shopkeepers of London,
which they had succeeded in doing with more than
ordinary success. Their system was most perfect,
and he had never known the art of secreting so
cleverly applied. The women each wore a
large white linen bag, made to fit around
her as a petticoat into which property of all de-
scriptions was readily concealed. The tradesmen
visited on the day the prisoners were apprehenled
were those mentioned in the indictment, all of
whom carried on business in the Strand. Having
stolen the umbrelles from Mr. Bax, they then ap-
pearel desirous of a little perfume, and visited
Mr. Rimmell's establishment, and whilst the two
men succeeded in fixing the attention of those in
the shop the " ladies" helped themselves to what
they wanted off the counter, which was quickly
slipped into their capacious pockets. After this
they felt desirous of patronising the fine arts, and
accordingly visited the shop of Mr. Dodson, and
there inspected a variety of prints and oil paint-
ings, but nothing appeared to hit their fancy, and
they accordingly left the place. The next shop
visited was Mr. Archer's, all four of the prisoners
entering at one time. Whilst the male pri-
soners were praising the quality of the small
articles they had purchased, the ladies, it appeared.
helped themselves to a quantity of the goods dis-
played on the counter. When they were taken
into custody three large oil paintings, one measur-
ing 24in. by 18in., and three 11b. boxes of cigars
were found in the pocket-petticoat of the
woman Benson, and in that worn by Watson
a quantity of perfumery which had been stolen
from Mr. Rimtnell. The petticoats in each in'
stance were so admirably constructed that not-
' withstanding their capacity and miscellaneous con-
tents they appeared to be nothing but ordinary
crinolines, formerly so fashionable. All these
robberies were effected in one day. On ano-
ther occasion the prisoner Benson took 3
fancy to a bonnet in Regent-street. They all
went into the shop of Mr. Clements to pur-
chase the fascinating article, which having been
done they quitted the place, Watson having con-
trived to " pocket," or rather " sack," a roll of
silk value £3O. (Laughter.)
The learned Judge said it appeared to him that
the whole of the party were systematic thieves and
plunderers by profession. He was informed that
none of them had been known to have been
before convicted, but he thought the result of light
punishments for first offences, such as that to which
they had all pleaded guilty, only resulted in the
thieves leaving prison more hardened than ever.
He thought the best thing to do was to pass a severe
sentence at once which would remove them for
some time from their companions. Acting there-
fore on that he should sentence each of the male
prisoners to five years penal servitude, and th°
women to two years imprisonment with bard
labour.

The Haws Agency communicates the text of the
final protocol for the distribution of the Pontifical
Public Debt, in execution of the Convention of the
7th December, 1866. The document is conformable
in every point to the summary of it already give°
by the Italian journals. Italy and France treat the
question directly between themselves, and the Papal
Government remains completely apart from the
arrangement which has been concluded; it will con'
tiuue to pay the interest of its debt, and by the
instrumentality of France will receive for that pur-
pose the portion of the obligation assumed by the
Florence Government.
A Vienna letter in the Augsburg Gazette, aPea.k.
ing of the rumour lately in circulation of a closet
union between Austria and Prussia, says ;—" Wye
have no desire to revive by force a connecti°
which has subsisted a thousand years. 11%1°4
our constitutional liberty now becoming ue-
veloped with more or less force and vitalitici
our parliamentary life, the intellectual position an
activity of our German elements, under the 0311.-
duct of Ministers of tried liberalism, We re:
main in contact with Germany, in spite of PIP;
mark and of the national advanced party ;
tranquilly await the day when we shall be called
spontaneously,• when we shall be offered alaxibe
rights with Prussia, and when there Will
conferred on us with respect to Southern Germanti-';
to which division we are more closely allied by °
inclinations, with the full assent of her Princes 313 r,
her populations, the prerogative which Prussia Oc.i.
cises in the northern half of the common cotint,l?
' Patience passe Science,' is not the motto of .0
Norfolk family alone.'" jute
There is no foundation for the rumour of co
industriously circulated in Florence that Frau
intends to withdraw her troops from the 11°131la
territory. All the endeavours of the Italian Ge-

vernment have remained fruitless.
THE ADDISON CLUB.—At the usual weekly din:
ter of the Addison Club, on Saturday last, at their roeo
in Museum-street, the President
ci
a paper on the "Phenomena ' Mr. llenrY Mayhew, r
of Force," in which
uses and beauty of cohesion were admirably illustratca •
This club of literary and scientific gentlemen is lila)" tj
become of mark in the metropolis.
A testimonial will shortly b 3 presented to lair,
C. J. Monk, M.P., by the Revenue Departments a
ill
th.o
Civil Service, for his untiring and successful exertions
b_
restoring to its members the elective franchise. "
scriptious to the testimonial are to 13,3 limited to on
ci,e
shilling, a sum not exceeding 100 guineas to be expeade
and it will be in the form of an illuminated address, Pret..
pared by Mr. Scudamore, assistant secretary to the Po'
office.—Pale Mall Gazette.