The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-30 00:00:00

CLERKEIV WELL.

Patrick Gamon was charged with cutting and
wounding police-constalbe Higgins, 130 of the N
division ; also with violently assaulting police-con-
stable Gooderam, 433 N.

Higgins, whose life was at one time despaired of,
was present. His voice was so faint, that there was
great difficulty in gleaning his testimony.
He deposed, that on the night of the 12th inst. he
heard the noise of fighting in High-street, Islington,
between 11 and 12 o'clock. He went up to them
and told them to go away. They used very bad lan-
guage, but at length dispersed. About an hour after
the same party, amongst whom was the prisoner, as-
sembled in High-street. He again told them to go
away. They went down Pansley's•court swearing
and using the most violent language. When a few
yards down the court, one of them said "If you
come down here, we'll soon do for you." He did not
follow them immediately; but, in a short time after,
hearing cries in the court, he went down, and had not
advanced mote than a few yards when a brick was
thrown at him. He saw the man who flung it and
arrested him. He was turning round to take him to
the station-house, when several of them attacked him.
His hat was knocked off, and the prisoner, with a
brick firmly clenched in his hand, struck him twice
with all his force on the head and knocked him down.
One of the party seized his hand, and the prisoner
jobbed the sharp edge of the brick into his head
twice, and he became insensible ; when he recovered
consciousness, he found his collar-bone broken and
four deep wounds on his head. He positively identi-
fied the prisoner as the person who jobbed the brick
into his head.

Police-constables Gooderam and March confirmed
Higgins's testimony.
Mr. R. Sample, surgeon to the Islington police
force, has examined Higgins, and found four deep
wounds on his head, and his clevicle was fractured.
Higgins's life had been in great danger. Had known
persons to die from much less severe wounds.

The prisoner denied his guilt, and was fully corn,
mitted to the Old Bailey for trial.

DEATH IN GREAT DESTITUTION

Yesterday, Mr. Wakley, M.P., resumed and con-
cluded the inquiry, at the Clarendon Wine Stores,
162, Oxford-street, touching the death of William
Hall, aged 43, formerly a metropolitan policeman,
but latterly a general postman at Sevenoaks, vlho died
on Wednesday last at No. 6, Stratford- place, an un-
tenanted mansion, of VI hich he had the care.

The Hon. Colonel Stratford, the proprietor of
Stratford-place, Mr. Porter, one of the guardians of
the poor, and several other guardians, were present.
A surgeon of the University College, and Mr.
Clarke, surgeon of Marylebone-lane, had opened the
body, and the following is their joint evidence :—The
body of deceased was much emaciated, and showed
no marks of violence. There was a large tumour,
about the size of an orange, in the belly, communicat-
ing with the abdomenal aorta. The tumour had rup-
tured, and hemorrhage from it into the abdomen was
the cause of death. Above a pint of blood had es-
caped. The aneurism had existed a couple of years.
In the course of the examination of the widow of
deceased, she said—All I have had from the parish
was half-a-crown a month since, Mr. Faulkner, the
relieving officer, gave me an order for medicine on
Tuesday, not for food. I received an order :for the
doctor to see my husband the day he died. I did
not take the order to the workhouse ; my husband
did not wish I should, as he said he would have better
advice.

A Juror—how came it that after you received the
first relief a month ago, you did not apply again ?
Witness—Because I thought we should be passed to
our parish if I did.
The CORON En—Who told you that? Witness--I
cannot say—some one at the workhouse. I should
not know him again.

The CoßoNiii—You would have called again at
the workhouse if something had not been said to
you ? Witness—l should, sir. The fear of being
sent home prevented me.
The CORONER—Have you had any relief since the
sitting of the inquest—have any of the officers called
on you since ? Witness, No, Sir.
The CORONER—Where is your parish? Witness—
I was born at Sevenoaks, but I must follow my hus-
band's settlement, the parish of Sawtry, Huntingdon-
shire, where I know nobody, not even his mother,
who, I believe, is living there.
The CORONER—This is what is continually taking
place. Men go away front their place of settlement,
get married, die, and their wives, natives of other
places, are required to go back to their husband's
parishes, where they do not know a human being. If
they were sent to their own parishes they would have
a chance of receiving consolation and relief from their
relatives and early friends. To the witness—After
you got back from Mr. Faulkner with nothing but
an order for medical relief, what did you do for food?
Witness—l tried to pawn an old shirt, but the pawn-
broker would not take it in. I then got a loaf from
Mr. Malconabe, baker, of Southinolton-street, who
has trusted me with a loaf a day for a month past,
though I never dealt with him, paying ready money
but once.

The CORONER—The baker's name ought to be
publicly mentioned. I am afraid (to the jury) you
cannot claim him as a parishioner. Have the parish
buried the body of deceased ? Ridding, be beadle—
The parish would have done so, but the family were
going to bury deceased themselves. His sister had
bought a coffin, and a subscription would defray the
other expenses.
The CORONER—PeopIe who have such feelings as
these ought to receive the most attention and respect
from the parish officers. The feeling of self-respect
ought to be encouraged in the poor by every possible
means. Nothing sustains them so much.
After a long inquiry the jury returned a verdict cf
" Natural death from aneurismal disease."
In consequence of the publicity given to this case,
the following subscriptions have been sent to the
Coroner for the benefit of the widow and four orphans
—Mr. Hudson, Chichester, ss. ; Rev. J. Bassnatt,
; Mr. Felix, Brighton, ss. ; Mr. Jones, Duke-
street, Oxford-street, 63„' Mr. G. I. Mills, ss. ; Hon.
Colonel Stratford, 11.; Mr. Pennington, Portman-
square, 1/. ; Mr. Wakley subscribed 21., and all the
jury and Mr. Clarke, surgeon, subscribed. One of
the jury, Mr. Butcher, butcher, of 10, Orchard-street,
Portman-square, subscribed 11., and was appointed,
treasurer to receive further subscriptions, and to
manage them, Mr. Hyde, landlord of the Clarendon
Stores, subscribed ss.

Tim NATIONAL GALLERY.—This exhibition was
yesterday re-opened to the public, having been closed
during the last few weeks for the purpose of examining
the various works of art contained therein, and making
the necessary repairs, &c. During the recess, all the
pictures have been either cleaned or varnished. The
late purchases, the Guido and Rubens, from the Pen-
rice collection, now appear in all their splendour. The
Francias are now seen in perfection, and no picture has
undergone a more thorough change than the "Brazen
serpent," by Rubens, which had probably never before
been cleaned from its smoke and varnish since its arrival
in England. It is now, in a manner, resuscitated, and
presents a noble specimen of the master. The Hogarths
have been varnished. and are in the most perfect state, I
the cracks in the Wilkies have been carefully mended,
and the pictures brought out in all their beautiful effect.
The rooms have been thoroughly cleaned and repaired,
ancl ventilators put in order. It is to be
stimmer dust and the
and the blinds
0 the hril"4,ness of
feared, however, that the return of
an probably era
breath of crowds will again obscure
these fine paintings, long this result
may eonvinee the public that - •
fir the accomm-4-
. larger place is necessary
..,“ation of both pictures and spectators
is afforded in the present building. The cleansing
of the pictures has been entrusted to Mr. Seguier and
Mr. Brown. The rooms were yesterday very much
crowded, and the improved character of the exhibition
appeared to give the greatest satisfaction to the visitors.

A WATERSPOUT.
The French papers contain the following acenu!t
.
of the ravages committed by a waterspout, the debt?
of m hich are contained in a letter from Cette, of tni
22d instant :—A frightful misfortune has, this o°s
noon, plunged our whole population into a state
consternation and despair. About four o'clock 0.,.
electric waterspout fell upon our town, and cornoll4
ted such ravages, that at the present moment it might
be supposed that the town had been submitted to
the horrors of a siege. This terrible phenomel
which arrived in the direction of the Fortress of
Pierre, skirted the mole in its whole length, and whey
i l
it came opposite the engineers' establishment, attracted
probably by the conductor and the zinc roof of t.'ith
house, it turned round the edifice, and at last fell cl,l
violence upon it. At the same moment a violent WI
sion was beard, and the whole population.thougt:t thile
its last hour was come. During two minutes 61)6,f
of time a terrific crash resounded in the air. The rolls
the houses were smashed to pieces and the fragniwell•
were carried to the tnost distant part of the town. If
building belonging to the engineers has been entirely
sacked, its zinc roof was carried off in the twinki,"„'
of an eye, and the whole facade demolished and
to the ground, so that nothing now remains of it P.:
the back and side walls. Another house, four storo
high, new and solidly butt, belonging to M. Laballit!
was literally crushed to the earth. In every 91:4!
ment the separation walls were destroyed, the Will
dows torn out; everywhere destructive traces bsoo
been left. Never in the memory of man bas
frightful a catastrophe been witnessed in our toil'
Alas ! however, we have still further misfortune° •
narrate. A fearful inundation joined at the ssiljt,
time its ravages to those of the electric watersiVilled
In an instant the waters of the canal rose and flood
the quays. It was a pitiable spectacle to see all tu.
lighters loaded with wines torn into the curre°4
driven one against the other, and then swallowed
by the element. At least a dozen boats were 3013
in the canal itself, and what was the most terribl,
is, that most of them had their crews on boor!
Some few were able to save themselves, the otInIP
have perished. It is supposed that nearly thin;
have been carried down with their boats. Five or%
large vessels have been completely wrecked,andreolo
with their keels uppermost. As to the lesser injuries
done among the masts, rigging, &c., they are inpull)", ‘
rable. In the streets and on the quays are ellei
where to be seen wounded wretches,sorne with fractu
heads, others with mutilated limbs. A body hasillto
been dug out of the ruins of the house belonging ,
the engineers. In front of the Cafe de la Bourse's,
merchant of this town, M. Francois Lavatre,
crushed beneath the ruins of a huge structure 's
longing to a party of strolling players, stationed 11;
the extremity of the old bridge. Persons are oleo
in their families, and it is to be feared that they ba
perished in this awful storm. It is impossible to glio
any description of the feelings of terror produce
the minds of the whole population. Persons aredr
be met with in every street running to and fro,
manding news of different members of their faini0
11
and it is with fear and trembling that each ask')4,B
other, "Is there no one destroyed in your honse.o
We are unable, from the lateness of the hour, to iill4
any further details, but those already given are el,Oll
although a feeble picture of the horrors that surroin;
us. At this moment a violent south-east ifiridls
blowing. Grant, Heaven, that we have not to
more wretched details to-morrow.