The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1842.

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE.

Wednesday an inquest was held by Mr. Payne, at the
Commercial Tavern, Sherborne-lane, on view of the body
of an infant only one month old, whose mother had
brought it to the above inn on Sunday hist.
From the evidence of Eleanor Colstock, servant at the
Commercial Tavern, it appeared that the'poor woman
was brought to the inn on Sunday laSt about two o'clock,
by 'a porter, with the intention of staying only one night,
and of proceeding to YOrkShire by, the steam-packet
the following day. She said that she had just arrived,
from.BriStol, and that her child, which Was Well in the,
morning, was then ill. She warmed the: infant by the
fire. It appeared convulsed, and witness advised her to
take it to a doctor, but she bathed it with some warm
water, and did not go for medical assistance until the:

evening.
Mr. Hugh Fuller, surgeon, of 53, King William-street,
was examined, and said that the child was brought to
him by the mother between six and seven o'clock on Sun-
day evening, wlen he thought that the infant was dead;
however, h put it into a warm bath, and reaction took
place. The mother told him she had arrived front Bris-
tol that afternoon ; and exposure to the cold was quite
sufficient to cause the death of a child so young. There
did not appear any thing suspicious about. the death of
the child.

The CORONER, here ordered the summoning officer to
call the mother of the child.

He found her in an adjoining room, apparently faint-
in.., and having communicated the fact to the Coroner,
Mr. Fuller was requested to go to her, which he did, and
in about five minutes returned to the Inquest-room, and
informed the Coroner and Jury that the poor woman had
just expired. The circumstance, _as may be supposed,
produced a great sensation in the room, particularly
when it was stated that only a few minutes before she
had appeared in perfect health.
Mr. Fuller said that when he went to the poOr woman
he found another medical gentleman attending her, and
endeavouring to get her to swallow a little brandy, in
which he assisted ; but she Was unable to do so, and ex-
pired without having spoken since she was first taken.
The CORONER said that this was certainly one of the
most melancholy cases he ever knew, and he thought
that under the circumstances they. had better adjourn
the inquiry, in order that some of the poor woman's ye-
lations might be sent for. They had had no satisfactory
evidence as to the cause of the child's death, and now
that the mother was dead it could not be obtained by any
other means than through her friends.'
Mr. William Handy, landlord of the Commercial Inn,
said that he saw the poor woman a few minutes before
her death, and she appeared then quite well, and walked
up stairs with a brisk step. She had every attention
while there.

The inquiry was then adjourned till Monday next.

THE LATE FATAL OCCURRENCE
ON THE RIVER.

On Wednesday the adjourned inquiry, occupying above
nine hours, took place before Mr. Baker, the Coroner,
and a most respectable Jury at the Royal Mason,
Sephia=street., Poplar, on the body of John Cattin, aged
-42, a butcher in the employ of Mr. Lambert, of the West
India-road, who, together with his son, was drowned,
w114114i in a' skiff with several other persons, in conse-
quence of Wing struck by the Orwell, Ipswich steamer,
on the afternoon of the. 2d ultiino.

It will be remembered that the inquiry was adjourned
from Saturday last, in order to give. the Steam-boat Com-
pany, or some One in their behalf, an opportunity to be
preSent. -

From the evidence of those on hoard the skiff it apt
peared that there were eight persons in it beside the de-
ceased and his child. About five in the afternoon, on
the day in question, they were crossing the river, from
Limehouse to Notherhithe. They were nearly a third
across the river when', although dark at the time, the

Orwell steamer was observed ;teeth* her course towards
the north shore -; they,- however, immediately after
changed their tack to the south shore, at which time she
was within 100 yards of the skiff. ° They called out to
her, but the steamer still carte on, between the skiff and
the south shore. They again' called out, and in a
minute after the skiff was struck by 'the starboard
paddle and upset, and much brOkeh: They were
all precipitated into ' the Water, and, . With the ex-
ception of deceased and his 'Son, eight years of
age, all saved, in which the captain and crew of the
steam-boat assisted. At the time the collision the
river, at this part, was quite free of craft. Six out of the
eight survivors had brought actions against the Company
fur the injury they bad sustained. The witnesses all
underwent severe cross-examination, but their statements
varied but slightly,
On, the part of the "Steam-boat Company, Captain
Wing and several' of the crew of the Orwell were exa-
mined. Their evidence went to show that so far from
the river being clear, they ran to the south shore to avoid
.the numerous craft which covered it at the time. The
Captain was on the paddle-box, and the pilot on the look-
out at the time. The persons rowing the skiff were endea-
vouring to cross the bovi;of the steamer as she was coming
up, instead of doing which they ought to have held on
and dropped_ astern. They called out to those in the
boat to -do so, but they paid no attention. The Captain
ordered the engines to be stopped and the boat to be
turned astern, which: was carried into effect with all
possible speed. • •
The COronei then, at some length, remarked upon the
nature of the case, and eulogised the plan adopted by
Sir John Hall for keeping the pool clear, and which was
manifested by the fact that it was now two years since he
(the Coroner) had held an, inquest in consequence of a,
steam-boat accident.

The Jury, at six o'clock, retired, and after an hour's
absence returned a verdict of—" Accidental death,
with a deodand of 201. on the Orwell steamer, and they
felt th2t the conduct of the captain and the crew was
highly censurable in not keeping a proper look out."

SUICIDE IN THE REGENT'S PARK.---WCd-
nesday an inquisition was taken before Mr. Wakley, at the
Marylebone Infirmary, on the body of Thomas Davis,
aged 28, who committed suicide by hanging himself on
a tree in the Regent's-park, under the following painful
and melancholy circumstances :—Garret Percy, police-
serjeant, D 3, said that on -Monday morning, about
eleven o'clock, he was on duty in the Regent's-park, near
the Zoological-gardens, when a man came running to
him, and stated that there was a -man hanging on a
tree. He went with the man in the direction he had
pointed out, and on arriving near. North-gate he dis-
covered the deceased suspended by a silk handkerchief
from the branch of a tree in the shrubbery. lie could
reach the branch from the ground, and with the assist-
ance of the man alluded to, he untied the handkerchief,
and got the body down. He was quite dead. On
searching his body he 'found a silver watch, two gold
seals, a purse containing 7s. 64d., a bunch of keys,- four
handkerchiefs (two silk and two cotton), a letter, and
a memorandum book. The contents of the letter were
not permitted by the Coroner to transpire, but it is said
to have been addressed to a young
_woman to whom
the deceased was paying his addresses. Mr. Bransden
stated that the deceased was groom to Mr. Dowbiggen,
the upholsterer, of Mount-street, Grosvenor-square. He
saw him last alive on Monday, shortly before ten
o'clock, when he came home with the horse and gig,
having driven his Master into the City. He was a sober,
industrious man. Verdict—" Temporary Insanity."
Yesterday was the anniversary of one of I'4
most important events that occurred during the last
century—the acknowledgment of the independence of
America, in 1783. It was also the anniversary of the
death of Garrick in 1779, and of John Howard, the dis-
tinguished philanthropist, in 1790.
FLEET DITCH.—When the late improvements
on Blackfriars-bridge were commenced, an attempt was
made at the same time to abate the nuisance in Chatham-
place, and indeed in the whole region from Printing-
house-square to the Temple, caused by the effluvia
issuing from that noxious stream the Fleet river. The
bed of the stream, from the termination of this cloaca
maxima of the metropolis towards the riper was deepened
and covered over at great expense for the escape of the water
coming from the filthiest part of London, and in order to
render the neighbourhood more salubrious. The attempt,
however, has completely failed. At low water now the
effluvia is absolutely insufferable, and if something is not
done to correct the bad effects caused by the stagnation,
the place will be unfit for the habitation of human beings.
Property in that quarter cannot fail to be deteriorated to a
great extent, if the nuisance continues. The City autho-
rities, who have the management of the property, would
do well to remove the floodgate, as well as the covered
way, and allow the water free course as formerly.
BIRMINGHAM AND GLOUCESTER RAILWAY
COMPENSATION.—THE GLORIOUS UNCERTAINTY !—A
Court of Compensation was held last week, to assess
the damage done by this Company to the lands of a
gentleman
anamel. Guest,
It should be
coursebyinterferipnrgemwiisthedththeat
of aMr.
Guest .had been offered 115/. by the Company, but,
estimating the damage at 6501., he determined to submit
it to a Jury, and having obtained the services of Mr.
Sergeant Talfourd, with a retaining fee of eighty
guineas, and the assistance of a host of witnesses, the Court
was accordingly held at Northfield, before W. Taunton,
Esq., Under-Sheriff of Worcestershire, and a respectable
Jury, when, after an inquiry of about twelve hours, long
speeches on both sides, and the examination of witnesses
without number, the Jury assessed the damages at lOW.,
or 15/. less than Mr. Guest had been offered by the
Company in the first instance. The Company's ex-
penses in witnesses, counsel, &c., were considerable ;
those of Mr. Guest were upwards of 250/. ; so true it is,
that it is " better to bear the ills we have, than fly to
others that we know not of." •

ATTEMPTED SUlClDE.—Wednesday, between
seven and eight o'clock, a desperate attempt at suicide
was committed by an unfortunate gentleman residing in
Elvin's-place, St. John's-wood, a maniac, who also
attempted to murder his keeper. It appears that
the unfortunate gentleman had by some means se-
cretly procured a razor, and during the day he
appeared to be particularly tranquil, which threw
the keeper off his guard. At seven o'clock, his usual
hour for retiring to his bed, he proceeded to undress, but
suddenly springing from his chaii, proceeded to the place
where he had concealed the razor, and instantly inflicted
a desperate wound on his throat, before the keeper could
possibly reach him. Tie then seized the keeper, and en-
deavoured to cut his throat, but he being a very powerful
man, succeeded, after a desperate struggle, in dispossess-
ing him of the deadly weapon, but not before he was se-
verely wounded on his face, arms, and hands. Assist-
ance having been procured, the unfortunate maniac was
properly secured, and a surgeon having been called in,
the wound in his throat was sewed up, but, though severe,
it is not considered dangerous. The keeper's wounds
were also properly attended to.
We are requested to caution the public against
receiving sovereigns defaced by plugging, great numbers
of which are said to be in circulation. The plugs are
made of copper, and inserted iii atuall holes
.pierced in
the gold, giving to them the appearance of being punch
marked..-Binningham Gazette.

a considerable fixed expenditure ; but the traffic, of this
line, and of the wharf, is increasing ; and, by the con-
templated extension of the wharf, there can 'be no doubt
there will be a material increase of traffic, without a cor-
responding increase of expenditure, particularly when'
the conveyance of merchandise is commenced on the
main line.

By a Minute of 19th Nov., 1840, the Directors de-
clared 4,409. Shares to 'be forfeited on account of the Bth
call remaining unpaid, and, on the 6th May, 1841, the
Directors declared 3,883 shares to be forfeited on account
of the 9th call remaining unpaid, since which periods the
Bth call has been paid on shares, and the 9th call
has been paid on shares, leaving shares on
which the Bth and 9th calls remain unpaid, and shares,
on which the 9th call only remains unpaid, the forfeiture
of which shares the Directors will submit to the meeting
for confirmation. These are exclusive of forty-five
shares against the holder of which the Company have
recovered the amount of the calls by an action, and an
arrangement has been entered into, by which these calls
are to be paid in June next.
At the last General Meeting it was stated that the
total outlay for completing and opening the line through-
out, with a suitable establishment, would be 2,289,081/.
By the accounts made up to the 31st December last,
the cross expenditure was 2,269,359/. Os. I Id. ; the lia-
bilities under the seal of the Company were 184,377/.
-15 s. 2d. ; the outstanding debts 61,4061. 10s. 7d. ; the 10
per cent. retained from the contractors 50,000/. ; the
amount requisite to complete the line 59,068 L 4s. ; the
land for temporary purposes 15,000/..; making together
2,639,211/. 10s. Bd.
To meet this, there was cash on the 31st December
8,2221. 14s. 7d. • due on calls 5,3851. ; shares at par
39,950/. ; re-sale of land 60,000/. ; and loan to Joint
Station 50,254/. 2s. Id. ; amounting in the whole to
163,811/. 16s. Bd. ; thus leaving a balance to be provided
for over the last half-year's estimate of 186,318/.
In addition to the sum of 186,318/. required for the
present purposes of the railway, the engineer reports
that it will ultimately be necessary to erect workshops,
carriage- houses, and wharfs, &c., and which he estimates
at 100,0001., but a considerable portion of this outlay
may be avoided if the Company contract for the repair
of their carriages and engines.
The Directors, however, strongly recommend the
Proprietors to empower them to provide for these to
sums, amounting together to 286,3181.
The next subject to which the Directors beg to draw
the attention of the Shareholders is the station at Lon-
don-bridge, and to which they so fully adverted at the
last general meeting, and the mode of raising the money
for erecting it. By the last Croydon Act this Company
was empowered to become a joint owner thereof, with
the Croydon and South Eastern Railways, and to raise
120,0001. for purchasing the necessary land, and erecting
the station by the issue of new shares, and the mortgage
of the station and of this undertaking.
The Committee of Management have encountered
considerable difficulty in obtaining possession of the
various properties required for the • extension of this
station ; they have, howeVer, at length arranged with
the various owners, and plans for thy erection of the new
station are nearly completed; and as soon as the weather
permits, it will be commenced Upon. The cost, altogether,
to each Company, will not exceed 85,0001.

- -
So that altogether we have to raise for
the Railway 4186,318
For extra Workshops, Wharfs, &c 100,000
- For London-bridge Station

£371,318
To take a safe Margin, say . ...... 28,682

£400,000

The manner in which this amount is to be raised
has had the gravest consideration of your Directors,
and they recommend that Loan Notes be isssued, pay-
able at the end of five years, at 5/. per cent. interest,
with an option to the holders of such notes (at the ex-
piration of three years) to convert them into quarter
Shares of this Company at 101. per Quarter Share, under
the power of an Act to be obtained for that purpose, for
which application will be made to Parliament at the
earliest possible period. The present Shareholders to
have the preference of tendering for such loan notes,
and such tenders to be made on or before tie Ist of Fe-
bruary next, when the allotment will take place ; 51.
upon each Quarter Share, -to be then paid, a further
sum of 2/. 10s. per Quarter Share, on or before the 15th
of April, and the remaining sum of 2/. 10s. per Quarter
Share, on or before the 15th of July next, and interest
to commence from the time of the respective payments.
The Directors of the South Eastern Company have
given notice to this Company of their intention to pur-
chase the moiety of the line, to `ti ich they are entitled
under their Act of Parliament.

From this source your Directors expect to derive a
sum sufficient to cover the amount requisite to be raised;
but, as, there is an uncertainty when this money will
be paid, they consider it necessary to look to other
means to meet their present exigencies.
Five Directors go out of office by rotation ; viz.—
Messrs. Parker, Gould, Gibson, Smith, and Entwisle,
who, being eligible for re-election, offer themselves to
the Proprietors accordingly. Since the last General
Meeting, two vacancies have occurred in the direction
by the death of Henry Moreton Dyer, Esq., and by the
resignation of Sir Isaac L. Goldsmid, Bart., which have
been filled up by the appointment of 'John Cox and Ed-
ward Watson, Esqrs. -
Your Directors cannot conclude this Report, without
again adverting to the many trials with which they have
been surrounded during the last ' half-year.' They bad
no sooner removed the obstructions on their own line,
when a considerable slip of earth at New Cross blocked
up the line on the Croydon Railway, and has: continued
ever since to be a great interruption to the Brighton ,
traffic. It has prevented this Company from carrying
any .goods ormerchandise, and had a great influence
in d t
gthe public from availing themselves of the
Brighton Railway ; but, looking to the great increase
which took place in the traffic upon the opening of the
line throughout, and the many applications that have
been made for various kinds of goods and merchandise
to be conveyed over the line, the Directors still retain
the' same opinion they have always expressed, that the
traffic will ultimately realise their most sanguine
expectations.
The SECRETARY then read a statement of the ac-
counts, from which it appeared that the receipts for the
year 1841 were 2,277,5811. 15s. 6d., and the expendi-
ture 2,269,359/. Os. 41d., showing a balance of cash in
hand of 8,222/. 14s. 7d. The increase of the receipts
during the last half-year, over the previous one, was
upwards of 60,0001.
The CHAIRMAN said, that if they compared the Re-
port then read with that which was submitted to them
in August last, he was willing to confess that it must
give rise to bitter feelings of disappointment. Their
Directors bad had to encounter those feelings day by
day and week by week, and they found themselves
finally in a position they never anticipated, but they
came there that day prepared to show them that they
had done nothing but that which they were compelled
to do. In the Report read to them, they (the Direc-,
tors) stated that the amount required for the•purposes
of the Railway- was 186,5181. The amount which they
had been obliged 'to expend on the works of the line
above what was originally contemplated, in Consequence
of the extremely wet season, had been 97,5651., and it
arose in this way : On the first district of the line there
had been expended during the last half-year 15,9974
158.8 d.: on the second district," 40,807/..15. 4d. ; on
the third, 29,2911. 3s. ; and on their tunnels, 16,121/.
Ib. 6d., making a total of 102,497/. lls. 7d. In

their last . Report, they estimated the expenses ne-
cessary to complete the line at 64,0001.; there-
fore they had shown an increase in the expenses
up to the present time of 38,4971. 1 ls. 7d. As by the
estimates read to them 27,8511. 4s. was required to
complete works then on hand. Now, when they (the
Directors) met them on a former occasion, they felt
fully satisfied they might commence their traffic, and
up to the time of. the bad season setting in, they found
their traffic so increasing that they found, it necessary
to order a greater supply of carriages, engines, &c.
They ordered, twelve extra engines, thirteen addi-
tional first class carriages, six extra horse4iaies, two
carriage trunks, six large vans, and ninety eight wages
gons, which amounted to a very large sum of money ;,
engines to nearly 24,060/., first class carriages/C.5204;
horse-boxes. 160/. Therefore they were enabled to ac-
count op toa very small sum for the amount which they
then asked of the Proprietors the power to raise. He
would ask them what would have been their position
if they had not adopted the course they had taken ?
They (the Directors) had on. alt occasions relied upon
that confidence the Proprietors had ever reposed in the
Directors, and they felt that in making those engage-
meats he had referred to, their confidence was still
extended towards them, and they had' no doubt
but that the Proprietors would ratify those engagements.
In the course of their accounts they would see that on
the 81st of December their liabilities amounted to
184,3771. 15s. 2d. ; of this amount 33,454/: 9s. Bd.
was applied to the contract for works ; 14,3971. 6s. 3d.
to their stations; 5,0001. to the London joint station;
12,4481. ,3s. Bd. to railway chairs and pins ;
13,2171.185.6 d. to engines and tenders ; 15,9641.175. 6d.
to carriages, waggons, trucks, horse-boxes, ; 4,7631. to
sundries; loan 71,0001. • and interest on debentures
14,1321.19340 d. He had thus much into detail be-
cause he was sure there was every disposition on the part of
the Directors to furnish the Proprietors with every
possible information with respect to their undertaking.
On the same day (December 31) the outstanding ac-
count was 61,4061. 10s. 7d. The contracts at the
works amounted to 5 7861. 3s. ; the stations
9,2991. 12s. 2d. ; for engines 12,935/. 19s. 9d. ;
for carriages 10,8411. 13s. 2d. ; for sleepers, chairs, &c.
3,1491. 4s. 7d. ; to law charges 5,6641. 1 is. 4d. ; to
account of land, engineering,:and surveying 5,592/.45.7d.;
advertising, printing, &C. 2,132/. 6s. ; sundries 563/.
The sundries were the toll on the Croydon Railway,
commission to banks and agents, &c. These were ibe
accounts, and this was the way in which they had arisen,
and he should be most happy to give any further infor-
mation that any gent!eman might require. Perhaps he
,
might be permittea to auvert to another portion of the
,expenditure Which the engineer had recommended to be
made, and that recommendation they bad thought
fit to submit to the meeting, viz. that of building extra
workshops and wharfs, which together he estimated
would amount to about 100,0001. He had his
(the engineer's) estimate, and he would read it to
them. ( The- Honourable Gentleman then read a
list of the various buildings to be erected on
the line I* the way proposed.) The Hon. Gentleman
606044—the total made the sum of 95,9601., for
-put down, in 'round numberr, the sum
erlbt,ol/410/. .itiOtiffe* weir never once cow!