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 llotel, 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 tLe 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 Nortb-
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
had 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 had 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
med -• .1 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 th(.7!emains of 33 persons,
though previously it had been supp,ilsed that there
9
were only 23. He had made up his mind t 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 be 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 bad 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.

When 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-Inorrow.
This 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 relit-
t:ves 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.

Triurt
&Tam

HER MAJESTY.

PENSION WALLIS, LUCERNE, August 22.
The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise,
and attended by the Marchioness of Ely, Sir Win.
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.