The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-05 00:00:00

gral u. y.
WANDSWORTH.

EXCISE PAOSECUTIONS.-Yesterday Mr. Henry Rundle,
the supervisor of Excise for the Brentford district, attended this
Court to prefer informations against several licensed victuallers,
for selling spirits, heer, and tobacco at a fair recently held at
Barnes, the said fair not being a statute or chartered fair or
place recognised by Act of Parliament, at which innkeepers
can vend their commodities. .

The supervisor stated that, in consequence of instructions
received from the Commissioners of her Majesty's Excise, he
went, on the 14th of July last, with several of his offi,lers, to a
fair then holding on a piece of waste ground abutting upon the
Hammersmith New-road, in the parish of Barnes. Ho found
several drinking-booths erected, at which exciseable articles
were being sold, the said booths being kept by publicans.
They had no license empowering them to sell at this place, and
he directed such purchases to be made as would ensure evi-
dence of a sale having been effected.
The defendants were fined in sums from 121. 10s. to 251.

DESPERATE SUICIDE OF A
YOUNG GENTLEMAN.
Yesterday afternoon, at three o'clock, a long inquiry was
opened before Mr. G. I. Mills, Deputy-Coroner for Middlesex,
and a jury, at the Marquis of Hastings, Ossulston•street,
Somers-town, on the body of a gentleman at present un-
known, who committed self-destruction under the very sin-
gular and unaccountable circumstances subjoined.
Harriet Mayne said she lodged at 26, Aldeaham-street,
which house was kept by a female named Bryan. Shortly
after twelve o'clock on the night of Tuesday last, she met de-
ceased, whom she had never seen before, at a concert at the '
Garrick's Head, in Bow-street, where she partook of a part of
a pint of sherry with him and a tall young gentleman, his
friend. The deceased told her he had previously been to
Evans's Grand Hotel, and had partaken of two bottles of wine
and some rum punch. Shortly before three o'clock on Wed.
nesday morning the deceased bid his friend good-
bye, left the Garrick's Head, and accompanied wit-
ne.s in a isah to her residence. At two o'clock on
Wednesday afternoon she invited him to partake of
breakfast, but he refused, and said he would rather have a
glass of wine. He gave witness half-a-crown to send for a
pint of sherry, and on her calling Margaret Bryan, the land-
lady's daughter, to go for it, deceased added, " Stay, I will
send for something else that will do me good." Deceased then
asked for a pen and ink, and wrote a prescription in Latin,
telling her to send it to some chemist, giving her 2s. to pro-
cure it. Margaret Bryan went to the shop of Mr. Wakefield,
and on her return with the wine, said that Mr. Wakefield said
he had not got any, and that it was poison. Witness told de-
ceased, who said, Nonsense, it is no such thing ; it is only to
enliven up low spirits ; send to another doctor." Margaret
Bryan then went to the shop of Mr. Rentmore, in Clarendon-'
square, and brought back a phial about three-parts fill of stuff
smelling like almonds. Deceased was then lying on the sofa in
the parlour, and appeared very cheerful. Witness left him to
get her breakfast, leaving the phial and the wine on the table.
She returned in about five minutes, and on entering the room
asked the deceased how he was ? He replied he felt better,
but his stomach began to pain him. At that moment he turned
over on the sofa and appeared fainting, and made a gurgling
noise in the throat. She called for water, and sent for a doctor.
Mr. Wakefield came and said he was dead, and had taken
poison.
By the CORONER—I had never seen deceased before. I
had not the slightest idea that he had sent for poison ' • and I
intended to have taken a portion of what he sent for had ho
left any, as he said it was for low spirits. I should say he
was not more than 20 years of age. When alive he appeared
of rather sallow complexion, and has dark brown hair. His
dress consists of a black frock coat, black satin waistcoat, la-
vender-coloured striped trousers with straps, the whole quite
new; a blue striped silk neck handkerchief, white stockings,
yellow kid gloves, and short boots; a new hat, maker's name
Townsend, Cheapside and Regent.street." He had with
him a small yellow stick with the handle much bitten, and his
'
linen was marked "G. Oldfield, junior." On his person were
found two handkerchiefs, one white muslin, with the name
" G. Oldfield" on it, the other silk; a cigar case, a green
purse studded with steel beads and tassels, with 2s. in it ; and
on his finger a gold ring with a green stone. Deceased did
not give witness any other money than for the wine and the
stuff.
Margaret Bryan proved having gone with the prescription
first to the shop of Mr. Wakefield and then to that of Mr.
Rentmore, where she procured the stuff for deceased, and paid
Is. 9d. for it, and that she was served by a young man, Mr.
Rentmore's brother.
The witness having identified the prescription,
'1 he DEPUTY CORONER said it was in Latin, and was " half
an ounce hydrocyanic acid," and at the bottom was written
" For flavouring soups," and was signed " G. 0."
Mr. Wakefield proved that when he was called to see de-
cea•ed he was quite dead.
The DEPUTY ColtoN ER animadverted on any chemist selling
so large a quantity of I.oison to a stranger, and called upon Mr.
Rentmore for an explanation.
Mr. llentmore, jun., who served it, said he understood that
the girl who fetched the poison came from the pastrycook's in
Seymour-street, and knowing oil of almonds was used in the
trade, he served it.
The DEPUTY CORONER said the circumstances of the case
were so strange. although there was no reason to believe that
the witness Mayne had connived at the deceased poisoning him-
self, that he felt it necessary to adjourn the inquiry for further
evidence, and to have the body opened.
The inquiry was ultimately adjourned till Monday next, and
after the post morlent examination the body will be removed to
St. Pancras Workhouse for identity.

FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR RINCLET.—COURAGFOES
Connect. of A CRIPPLE.—On Wednesday afternoon last, as
two little girls were playing on the bank of the river Irwell,
near Ringley, one of them, named Alice Cumberbirch, aged
tw, years, fell into the stream, which was then running very
strong. A poor cripple, named John Tonge, about 18 years
old, was with a cart on the opposite side of the river, and saw
the child fall in. Two men were with him, and he urged
them to go into the water to the child's assistance ; but they
said that they were strangers to: the river and dared not.
'lenge then released the chain-horse from the cart, mounted
the animal, galloped into the water, and had got within
twenty yards of the child, as it was floating along with the
current, when the horse's feet became entangled in the chains
and the animal was thrown down, and Tonge with it. Ile
was under the water, but recovered and immediately groped
for the horse's head, and on finding it raised it above the
water ; but was compelled to remain with it to prevent it
being drowned, the water being deep there, covering the
animal's legs. The cry that Tonge and the horse were
drowning brought many persons to the place, and some went
into the water to his assistance; but, without considering his
own position, Tonge cried out, " Follow the child ; follow
the child." On this, several persons ran down the river
side, and about 200 yards from where the child had fallen
in, a man named Ellis Hollows jumped in and brought
it out, but life was extinct, between ten minutes and a
quarter of an hour having elapsed before the child was got
out. An inquest was held on the following day before Mr.
Rutter, when a verdict of accidental death was returned.
The jury expressed in the highest terms their sense of the
great intrepidity and praiseworthy courage of Tonge, and
requested the coroner to recommend him to the considera-
tion of the rslanchester and Salford Humane Society ; as,
but for the horse becoming entangled in the chains, the In ave
fellow would in all probability have saved the child. We
believe the Humane Society have awarded a guinea to Hol-
lows who recovered theand have ordered a reward to
be presented to Tonge.Mad
nelsester Guardian.
TILE LATE W lIIRLWIND AT ROUEN.—M. Arago
has communicated to the Pa is Academy of Science the ob-
servations of some of its correspondents upon the extraordinary
meteor which caused such dire effects at Rouen. The disas-
trious visitation commenced in the valley of Malauney and the
valley of Monville, about half-past twelve o'clock in the day,
by the tepid shock' of winds and clouds striking in opposite
directions, preceded by gusts of an extraordinarily hot wind
equally
remarked at Paris, and so burning that the mis-
tress ot an inn, although standing before a kitchen fire, felt it,
as well as many other persons, on all of whom it produced a
most oppressive effect. Similar electrical phenomena soon
followed. It was remarked that the whirlwind presented the
shape of an inverted cone, of which the point looked red. It
did not proceed in a right line, but z'g-zag, and particularly,
in the direction were there were ma sea of iron or steel,
such as factories, leaving untouched the intermediate
spaces. What is more extraordinary, it only struck parts
of the same house, those parts having. quantities of ironwork,
leaving untouched the parts which had" little or none. Trees
of a century were in some places twisted, in others torn up,
and in other places broken. But the most remarkable feature
of the whole was this, that a quantity of substances, some of
great weight, such as planks cf wood, five feet in length, were
sucked up into the air, and carried to a distance of nine leagues
after a journey of seven hours. While the tempest was at its I
height, the barometer fell 17 millemetres, a fact proved by
Protessor Preisser. The philosopher does not doubt that the
phenomenon was essentialiy electric. During the passage of
the whirlwind, from which flashes of lightning played, some
persons smelled a sulphurous odour, and heard a rolling xmise—
workmen felt themselves moved to and fro, while flames-flashed
before their eyes. Bits of burned cotton and other materials
were found, although there had been no cociltgration. Several
cooking spits were magnetised. Of the killed, some allowed no
mark of external injury; many showed rapid signs of decom- I
position ; and altogether there can be no doubt that the pause
was of an electric nature.