The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-22 00:00:00

SUSPICIOUS CASE AT NORTH-

FLEET.

The inquest upon the body of John Tuckwell, who
died, as was believed by the overseers of the parish, in
consequence of the neglect of the medical and relieving
officers of the Union of North Aylesford, including the
parish of Northfleet, was resumed on Tuesday at half-
past three, the hour to which it was adjourned by the
Coroner, with the concurrence of the jury on Friday..
The Clerk of the Board of Guardians, Mr. John Simp-
son Bullard, attended on the Coroner's summons, and
produced the books of the Board, and the reports made
by the medical officer in the case of the deceased, and
from his evidence, and that of Mr. Whitcombe, the me-
dical officer, and of Mr. Liddell, the relieving officer of
the Union, it appeared that Mr. Wood, the guardian of
Northfleet parish, had interposed to prevent the giving
of medical or other relief to the unfortunate deceased.
Mr. Liddell threw himself upon the mercy of the jury,
admitting that he had not performed his duty as relieving
officer.

Mr. Bullard deposed that neither Mr. Liddell or Mr.
Whitcombe had done their duty, and all of them dis-
proved the evidence of Mr. Wood, who was then culled
upon by the Coroner for re-examination.
It is right to state that, on the opening of the pro-
ceedings on thin day, the Coroner directed that Mr.
Wood should leave the room, and when now called upon
Mr. Wood was not to be found.

The constable of the parish was sent to find him, and
after the lapse of an hour he returned, saying that Mr.
Wood had neither gone home or to any place in the
neighbourhood, but was seen ablut an hour before his
attendance was required in the vicinity of Swanscombe
Wood.

The CORONER then proceeded to charge the jury, first
observing, that the odium which Mr. Wood's strange dis-
appearance must necessarily give rise to against that
gentleman rested with himself, as he alone was re-
sponsible for it by such disappearance, he (the Coron,T)
being willing to give him an opportunity to explain, if
he possibly could, the strange evidence he gave. That
evidence was contradicted by Mr. Whitcombe and all
the other officers of the Union and of Northfleet parish ;
but as Mr. Wood thought proper not to appear, he must
be responsible to himself for the results. The Coroner
then proceeded at great length, and with great ability,
to co:nment upon the evidenco, and animadverted in the
strongest terms of reprobation on the " petty quarrels
and squabbles" of the parish and Union authorities for
the administration of the poor-law, which, in many
instances, coming within his cognizance as Coroner,
had led, in all, human probability, to the death
of unfortunate paupers ; and went on to say, that the
unfortunate deceased man might be now living if he had
been duly attended to, and had medical relief in the
early stage of his disorder. It appears, continued the
Coroner, that he was unattended by the medical officer
from Wednesday, the 6th, until the following Tuesday,
leaving an interval of six. days without any medical or
other parish aid ; and such neglect, from whatever
source it might arise, was greatly to be deplored. Such
cases as this threw odium upon the poor-law, the general
principle of which was gaod, but the administration of
which was too often improperly conducted —(Cries of
"Hear, hear," from all parts of the room.) Although
the medical officer in this case unadvisedly discontinued
his attendance, he (the Coroner) considered the re-
lieving officer most blameable, and Mr. Wood most
blameable of all, for it appeared from what transpired
in evidence, that he had, as local guardian, improperly
interfered with the medical and relieving officers duties,
when it was clear he had no power or right to interfere
with, or exercise any authority at all over any officer of
the Union in his individual capacity as guardian. In this
case it was evident that Mr. Wood did interfere and exer-
cise an improper or illegal authority—(Hear, hear)—
and that such interference in a case terminating fatally,
as this poor man's did, subjected the party so interfering
to a verdict of manslaughter. The Coroner concluded a
long and able address i to the jury, by a recommendation
to them to give such a verdict in the case as would satisfy
the public mind that strict justice should be done, and
expressed a hope that they would never again be called
together upon an occasion so peculiarly painful, or under
such distressing circumstances. He also made some
strong observations upon the necessity and propriety of
printing, for the information of the parochial authorities
of this Union, and for the satisfaction of the payers of
poor-rates, as well as of the poor themselves, the rules
and regulations of the board.
The Jury having deliberated about half an hour, re-
turned the following verdict :—" Our verdict is, that
John Tuckvrell died from natural causes, namely, the
small-pox ; and we much regret that so little attention
had been paid to the patient in the early part of the dis-
ease, apparently in consequence of the undue interfe-
rence of the local guardian with the overseer and reliev-
ing officer."

The room was crowded during the whole of the pro-
ceedings, which terminated by the returning of the
verdict, at near eight o'clock, with the resident gentry
of the parish, the poor-law authorities of the Union,
and several medical practioners of Gravesend, and the
surrounding district ; and the most intense interest was
evinced by all parties present in the proceedings. The
poor rates of Northfleet parish are 1,5701. a year, and
the relief given to the poor, it is said, amounts to the
expenditure of 2001. a year.

'RIGHTFUL DESCENT OF MR.
GREEN, AND LOSS OF THE BALLOON.
It is with extreme pleasure we are enabled to contradict the
rumour that prevailed in town yesterday, relative to the death
of that daring and adventurous aeronaut, Mr. Charles Green,
who, it was reported, had lost his life by the destruction of his
balloon, occasioned, as it was stated, by a spark from the Bre-
works attached to the car igniting with the gas.
It is true that the balloon, with all its apparatus, is
that Mr. Green effected one of the most fearful descents l
eer
recorded in the annals of aerostation ; that he became entangled
with the netting; that he was dragged between four awl five
miles in the direction of the river Medway, but by the inter-
position of Providence his life was
the right hand.
ITtiraculously spared, his
:evere bruises, and a contusion
only injuries being a few but
g Vauxhall Gardens on-Wednesday night
the wind
glowing strong west by south,- and Mr. Green
f the
c"`"•...iently expressed his intention of effecting a descent as
and
Previousabrasi abrasion
to skin_
as possible, in fact, as soon as he cleared the metro-
polis. He was recommended by some friends not to attempt
the ascent, and particularly with fireworks, but he replied that
he was determined—that he did not anticipate any danger, and
that rather than disappoint the public he would comply with
the terms of his engagement with the lessee of the gardens.
The ascent, whieh took place at about a quarter to eleven
o'clock, was a most brilliant spectacle. The fireworks (con-
structed and arranged by Mr. Darby, the celebrated pyro-
technist and artist to the gardens) were splendid, and the
whole affair appeared to give entire satisfaction to the thou-
sands of spectators assembled both in the gardens, outside, on
the bridges, and, in fact, at every point and eminence from
whence a view of the ascent and pyrotechnic display could be
obtained.
A party of gentlemen stopped till four o'clock in the morn-
ing at the gardens, anxiously waiting the arrival of Mr. Green.
as he had pro:nised to return to Vauxhall, in the event of his
descending in the .suburban districts of the metropolis, and
provided that he could obtain a conveyance to town. No in-
telligence of his descent having been received at the gardens
up to four o'clock, several of his friends became somewhat
alarmed for his safety, while others felt no uneasiness, being
convinced that the balloon had travelled a great distance, and
that Mr. Green was unable to arrive in London. At length
the following note was received by post, addressed to Mr. T.
Holt, the treasurer of the gardens, and dated from the ter-
minus of the London and Blackwall Railway, in Fenchurch-
street
Fenchurch-street, Thursday Morning, Nine o'clock.—My
dear Sir,—After a rapid trip of 35 minutes, I effected a landing
about six miles beyond Gravesend. The wind raged with such
fury that the grapnel tore away from everything that oppased
its progress; and the balloon, after rebounding from place to
place, and dragging me over the earth between three and four
miles, got the car into a deep dyke, when being, from the es-
cape of gas, prevented from ascending, I hoped to have suc-
ceeded in packing it, as in the turnip- field at Farningham ;
but the increased fury of the wind again dragged me over the
earth, until, no longer able to hold on, it at length escaped
from my grasp. I am, however, in great hopes of obtaining it
again should it continue inland, as it must be stopped and de-
tained by the netting in the event of its coming in contact with
wood or trees. I have sustained no severe injury, but am
suffering severely from my cold. I am going home to bed,
and should much like to see Mr. Lewis at Highgate, as I wish
him to offer a reward of 5/. to any person res.oring it to-my
possession.—ln haste for post, yours, very respectfully,
' C. GREEN."
Immediately on the receipt of this communication, Mr.
Holt and Mr. D. Liddle (one of the proprietors of the
Gardens) started for Atrial Cottage, Highgate, the residence
of Mr. Green, and were subsequently followed by Mr. T. R.
Lewis (the gentleman alluded to in Mr. Green's note), and
upon their arrival found the veteran aeronaut in bed, affec-
tionately attended by Mrs. Green, who, at the time of his
ascent, expressed her fears for her husband's safety, from the
high wind blowing at the time. Mr. Green had his hand
bandaged, and exhibited some bruises, but appeared, consider-
ing his narrow escape from a dreadful death, to be in good
spirits, although much fatigued with the exertion he had
undergone in liberating himself from the balloon, his endea-
vouring to secure it and his instruments, and the distance he
had to walk before he arrived at Gravesend, where he took
passage in the first steamer for London.
At the request of Mr. Green, Mr. Lewis took a chair by
his bedside and noted down the following particulars of his
perilous and disastrous trip :
" At the time I left the gardens the wind was blowing west
by south, consequently the balloon took a direction of almost
due east. The wind continued in the same quarter during the
whole ef my voyage. I crossed the Surrey Zoological Gar-
dens, and then got away towards Greenwich, Charlton, and
Woolwich. The balloon then bore off across the river to the
opposite shore, in the direction of Purfieet. I could have then
effected a landingseveral times had the wind dropped, and had
I had assistance, but knowing that if I attemped a descent with
such a boisterous gale, and no help at hand, I should have
been carried on to the river. The balloon continued its course
till it arrived at Gravesend Reach. I kept at a very low alti-
tude; in fact, at times I was close to the shore, and near to
the water's edge. On arriving at a place, which I think is
marked in the map as Osterland, I endeavoured to descend, but
the balloon dragged along the land for at least three or four
miles, the wind still blowing with great violence from the west;
the car at length got into a deep dyke, anti I thought that I
should be enabled to empty it of the gas. I opened the valve
and then got out of the car, but no sooner had I set my foot on
the bank of the dyke, than I became entangled in the netting.
A gust of wind suddenly drove the balloon out of the ditch, and I
was dragged along the ground, till at length the car became se-
cured in another and deeper dyke, 1 endeavouring the whole of
the time to disengage myself from the netting. I for the first
time in my life now became alarmed for my safety. I thought
of my knife, and happily found it in my pocket. I then com•
menced cutting away with the greatest vigour, but from the
cordage being of peculiar fabric, I experienced the greatest
difficulty in liberating myself. The oscillation of the balloon
now became frightful, but. I held on it firmly, well knowing,
from the escape of gas,
that its ascending power was gone, and
that it could only drift by the wind. At length, becoming
exhausted, I let go my hotel, and the balloon went away, car,
grapnel, barometer, and my other meterological instruments,
apparently in the direction of Queenborough. It was very
dark at the time, but I could distinctly discern the balloon make
three or four halts before it became invisible. I then made my
way along the banks of the river towards Gravesend without
meeting a soul or finding a house open, a distance from the spot
wl:ere I left the balloon of at least 18 or 20 miles. I arrived
at Gravesend about half-past six o'clock, and, to prevent being
annoyed by the questions of strangers, I preserved a strict
incognito. I shall, however, visit Vauxhall Gardens tomor-
row (Friday) evening, to receive the congratulations of my
friends."