The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-24 00:00:00

THIS DAYS NEWS

THE LATE FATAL OCCURRENCE
AT BLACKFRIARS-BRIDGE.
ADJOURNED INQUEST.
The jury, who had been impannelled to inquire into the
circumstances of the late accident at Blackfriars-bridge, re-
assembled this day at one o'clock, in the St. Ann's Schoolroom,
Church-entry, Blackfriars. Upon the names having been
called over, the proceedings were opened by Mr. Joseph
Payne, the Deputy-Coroner.
Mr. Evans, of the firm of Newbon and Evans, attended to
watch the proceedings on the part of the Watermen's
Company.
The remaining four bodies, the subject of the present in-
quiry, were Maria Pulheston, aged 23, Benjamin Breadcott,
aged 4, Mary Ann Breadcott, aged 10, and Rhoda Bread-
cott, aged 14.
The CORONER said he would take that opportunity of
stating his satisfaction that attention had been drawn to
this circumstance there and in another place. He referred to
the application made by Mr. Under-Sheriff Anderton and re-
sponded to by the Lord Mayor, which he hoped would have
the effect of preventing a recurrence of any similar calamity
at any future time.
The case of Rhoda Broadcott was first taken.
Margaret Canning, 2, Holiday -yard, was the first witness
examined—She was a married female, and was on the wooden
bridge at Blackfriars on the night of Monday, from seven till
nine o'clock. Saw Mr. Breadcott and his boy. The father
was on the bridge next to her, and the little boy was stand-
ing in front of him. Witness also observed one of the girls,
she believed the tallest, on one side of him. She was there
at the time the bridge broke, and she fell into the water, but
saved herself by clinging to the piece of the bridge that was
broken. She did not see anything of the girl or boy after
but saw Mr. Breadcott without his hat, being led along by
the houses. She paid nothing to get on to the bridge. She
did not think that on the broken part the people exceeded
thirty or forty. There were a great many on the pier and
barge, but that was the number on the bridge broken. She
heard a slight crack, and the bridge seemed leaning
on one side like a vessel. Heard several guns
fire immediately before the accident. She made an
observation to Mr. Breadcott at the time she heard the erack,
but he did not hear her. Observed that one of the water-
men was active in turning off the children, but he seemed not
to pay attention to the grown up persons. Did not see any
money offered or taken for admission on to the bridge. She
must have seen such had it taken place. The boys
were collected ready for starting at the time, but they
had not done so. Her opinion, judging from what
she saw was, that the whole was an accident arising from
the number of persons. She did make an observation to Mr.
Breadcott, that she thought there were too many of them at
that particular part of the bridge.
By a juror—There were no passengers passing from
steamboats at the time of the accident. The people
stood in single line, and there was a place
left in the middle. Heard a second crack. which was a
very loud one, and then she made the best of her way
to the pier. When she fell into the water she clung to the
broken pier, still holding her child, and she was afterwards
rescued by some one. A gentleman tried to save her who
was present there. She stepped on to a part of the wood that
was still affixed, and so was pulled ashore.
Mr. John Breadcott was then sworn—He lived at 23, New-
gate-market, and he was a butcher. The deceased children
were his. Rhoda was in her fifteenth year, Mary Anne
was ten years old, and the boy, Benjamin George, was four
years old. All the three were with him upon thebridge, on
the Monday evening. They paid nothing for going on it.
The CORQNER said that the witness might make any state-
ment he pleased, as he did not wish to question him as to the
whole painful paiticulars.
Witness continued—He thought the place he was standing
on was perfectly safe ; and he thought there was great neg-
lect in allowing the people to stand there. He saw no police-
men there, and he was not once informed that there was any
danger. The accident took place in a moment, and he
found himself, with his children, in the water. He was on
the bridge about thirty minutes. Did not hear the last
witness make any observation. Could not describe particu-
larly how it happened, as it was all momentary. Did not
hear any crack before the bridge broke. He thought he
might be about two yards from the stairs. There might be
about thirty persons there.
By the CoRoNER—Did not, while standing there, hear any
person warn people off the bridge, or he would have left at
once. •
[The witness was under examination when our report
left.]

CLERKENWELL.-(THIS DAY.)
George South, a cow-keeper, residing in Portland-place,
Islington, was charged with cruelly maltreating a horse.
Mr. Thomas, secretary to the Society for the Protection of
Animals, Pall-mall, appeared to sustain the complaint.
It appeared from the evidence that the defendant's horse
strayed into the grounds of 'Mr. Peter Gentle, who seized
him, and was taking him to the pound along the public road,
when the defendant came up, and directed Mr. Gentle to let
him go. Mr. Gentle refused, whereupon Mr. South flogged
the horse for a long time in a cruel manner, endeavouring to
oblige the animal to burst from his grasp. He did notsucteed,
however, and was summoned for his cruelty.
Mr. COMBE fined him 21.—The fine was paid at once.

UNION-1-IALL.-(THIS DAY.)
John Edney, a commercial traveller, was charged before
Mr. Traill with furiously driving and endangering the life of
John Williamson, a lad, the son of a policeman.
It appeared that on Thursday last the defendant was ob-
served in a gig, driving at the rate of twenty miles an hour,
down the Kent-road. In the course of his career a boy
named Williamson, happening to be off the pavement, was
knocked down, and the wheel of the vehicle passed over both
his legs, and injured them very seriously, but, extraordinary
to relate, did not break either of them.
The defendant said that he had been struck by a person
in a gig on before him, and that it was to overtake his as-
sailant that he put his horse into a gallop, when the accident
occurred.

The injured boy's father said that the defendant had ex-
hibited great regret at the accident, and had engaged to pay
the surgeon; therefore he did not wish to prosecute.
Mr. TEAILL said that he was bound to inflict some punish-
ment on the defendant, and accordingly fined him 405., and
a further sum of 3/. for damage.

FOOT HURDLE-BACING AT GRAVESEND-011 Mon-
day a foot-race for a silver cup came off at the Clarence-
gardens, at Graysend. The race was open to all England,
and several of the most celebrated runners of London having
entered their name to contest the prize, a very considerable
interest was created. The gardens were comrletely filled with
spectators, there being not less than three thousand persons
present. The parties entered were Smith (the Regent-street
Pet), Patterson, Makpiece, and E. Smith, of London ; Bad-
cock. of Birmingham ; and Clarke, Mitchell, and two others,
of Gravesend. The distance to be contested was 440 yards,
and to leap twelve hurdles. The men appearing at the
starting-mark, the signal was given, and they bounded off
with great rapidity. E. Smith, of London, came in first,
and Badcock, of Birmingham, second.
A melancholy occurrence happened to a young
gentleman named Dewen, the nephew of a merchant in
Broad-street, City. He had been in very low spirits for some
time, owing to differences with his family, and on Tuesday
night he eluded the vigilant watch kept by his family, and
swallowed a large dose of opium, which induced stupefaction,
and although medical aid was speedily obtained, he continues
in a dangerous state.
The Earl and Countess of Lichfield and their
youthful family, who are still at Graffenburg, in Silesia, are
not expected to return home until early in the ensuing
spring. Lady Louisa Tennyson has been staying on a visit
to her noble parents during Mr. Tennyson's visit to his es-
tates in Ireland.