The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-08 00:00:00

ing spectacle, the bowels of Chapman protruding, and
the features and person of Wright and Grimes being

much disfigured. -
From the interest excited in the neighbourhood, and
the number of respectable inhabitants assembled to wit
ness the proceedings, the prosecution of the inquiry was
adjourned to the Town Hall.
Mr. Joseph Samuda, Mr. Braithwaite, and several
other scientific engineers, were present.
The first witness called was James Cole, foreman of
the labourers. He identified the bodies of the deceased
persons as being labourers in the employ of Messrs.
Samuda and Co. On Wednesday morning last, about
half- past nine o'clock, witness saw all the deceased in-
dividuals at work on the premises. In a short time
afterwards witness heard a load report, and then dis-
covered that the boiler attached to the steam-engine had
exploded. Witness, with several other men, im-
mediately ran to the spot, and assisted in removing
the rubbish. Just in front of the spot where the
boiler stood witness discovered the body of Wright,
who was found lying on his face, covered with
bricks and rubbish; he was quite dead. The b,idy of
Chapman was discovered close to Wright's; he was also
quite dead ; his bowels were protruding. The deceased
Richard Grimes, was standing on the top of the boiler
immediately before it exploded. His body was picked
up on the opposite side of Bow-creek, on the Essex side
of the river Lea, a distance of upwards of 100 yards
from the factory. He was alive. He was placed in a
boat and conveyed back, but he died in the boat on his
way across. His body had the appearance of being
scalded by boiling water. Witness knew nothing of the
boiler, nor the cause of the explosion.
At the conclusion of this witness's testimony, the Co-
RONER inquired of the constable (Mr. Thompson) who
was to be called to speak to the facts of the case ? when
Mr. Joseph Samuda stated that Mr. Lowe, the manager
of the works, and who was superintending the working
of the boiler on the morning of the explosion, was him-
self so much injured that he was at present unable to at-
tend to give evidence, but he (Mr. Samuda) was most
anxious that every facility should be afforded for a full
investigation of the unfortunate occurrence; and as. soon
as Mr. Lowe was sufficiently recovered he would appear
before the court.
The CORONER said it was very desirable that the best
evidence should be adduced which could throw light
upon the transaction, and he thought that it would be
better to adjourn the court for a day or two to admit of
Mr. Lowe'a attendance. When (addressing himself to
Mr. Sarauda) do you think that Mr. Lowe will be able
to attend ?
Thompson (the constable) said, Mr. Bain, the surgeon,
who attends Mr. Lowe, is present, and can speak to that.
Mr. Bain—Mr. Lowe, I think, will be able to attend
the court in three or four days.
The CORONER—Then I think we had better adjourn
until Monday next.
Mr. Joseph Samuda here addressed the Coroner,
and said that, with respect to the boiler in question,
Mr. Lowe, who was his manager, had about six weeks
ago expressed a wish to him (Mr. Samuda) that he
might be authorised to purchase another boiler in the
room of the one they then had in use. That he (Lowe)
said he knew of a boiler at Mr. Fairburn's, which had
been manufactured for one of the Watermen's steam-
boats. It had only been worked in the steam-boat
about ten or twelve times; but although it was too small
for the engine on board, it would answer very well for
his (Mr. Samuda's) engine, He (Mr. Samuda), in conse-
quence, gave him authority to purchase it. This boiler
was quite equal to new. It was set up, and Mr. Lowe
said he had tested it to 30 pounds to the square inch, pre-
vious to its being attached to the engine, and set to work.
Mr. Stanley, foreman of the jury, said it would be ne-
cessary that practical men should be examined as to
whether the boiler in question was sufficiently strong,
and capable of sustaining a pressure of 30 pounds to the
square inch.
A juror—l think that the jury should visit the locus
in quo, and inspect the boiler and the premises.
CORONER—I have no objection to do so this afternoon,
previously to our adjournment.
Mr. Joseph Samuda said that a great deal more in-
formation would be derived by the Coroner and jury
by a personal inspection, and in anticipation of their
doing so he had left everything in the same state as it
was found immediately after the explosion took place.
He (Mr. Samuda) begged to add, that Mr. Braithwaite,
the engineer, was present, from whose drawings the
boiler had been built, and he wished those drawings
should be inspected by the Court, previously to the
premises being visited. Mr. Braithwaite had them
with him.
Frederick Braithwaite deposed as follows :—I am an
engineer, residing in the New-road, Fitzroy-square. I
produce the working drawings, from which the boiler
iu question was made. It was manufactured by Messrs.
Fairburn and Co., of Mill-wall. The boiler is what is
termed a tubular one. It was intended to drive a pair
of 25-horse low-pressure engines on board the Water-
man steamer No. 11. It was made for that purpose, and
had been used about ten or twelve times; but from the
very great insufficiency of steam, it was taken out, being
much too small for that engine, and not again used for
engines of that power. I last saw the boiler in Messrs.
Fairburn's premises, close to the water side. This was
many months ago. I did not see it again until yesterday
morning on Messrs. Samuda's premises, after it had ex-
ploded. Ido not know when Messrs. Samuda purchased
it of Messrs. Fairburn.
By a juror—l think the boiler had been made about
eighteen months, certainly within two years. There are
stays in the boiler.
By the CORONER—The 'boiler.was built entirely on
the part of my partner, Mr. John Milner, and his bro-
ther, Mr. Alfred Milner, and on their responsibility. I
saw it worked on board the steam-boat, when the valve
was loaded fifteen pounds to the square inch.
By a juror—Was the lever exposed ? Mr. Braith-
waite—lt was ; and consequently it was in the power of
the engineer or stoker to put what pressure he pleased
upon it.
At the conclusion of Mr. Braithwaite's examination,
the Coroner and jury proceeded to Messrs. Samuda's
premises, to inspect the exploded boiler and the premises
which had been destroyed, and were evidently much as-
tonished at the devastation which had ensued.
The Court was subsequently formally adjourned until
Monday next.

MEETING OF MIDDLESEX
MAGISTRATES.

A meeting of justices of Middlesex took place on Thursday,
at the Sessions-house, Clerkenwell-green, for the transaction
of county business. There was a numerous attendance,
nearly 100 magistrates being present ; Mr. Pownall, in the
chair. The minutes of the last court were read and confirmed.
HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
The report of the visiting justices of the House of Correc-
tion was brought up ; it stated that the number of prisoners
who were in confinement at present was 881, of whom 638
were males, and 243 females, with eight children. The re-
port was received.
The report of the visiting justices of the Westminster
Bridewell stated that the gaol was in proper order, and out
of 500 prisoners of both sexes, there was not. one in the infir-
mary.—( Hear. )

THE MURDER AT HAMPSTEAD.
A special report from the keeper of the New Prison, con
taining a mass of correspondence which had passed between
thelteeper, Sir James Graham, the coroner, and several ma-
gistrates, relative to Mr. Wakley'e reiterated request to have
the prisoner Hocker brought before the inquest at Hamp-
stead, was read. It appeared that the authority which ena-
bled the keeper ultimately to permit the prisoner's appear-
ance before the coroner's inquest emanated from Mr. Pownall,
who acted as a visiting justice. This act, which was in op-
position to a recorded resolution of the visiting justices onthe
subject, gave rise to a warm and animated discussion.
Mr. BOTCH said it was impossible that the court could
pass over this report in silence. The question as to the
power of magistrates to enlarge a prisoner committed in due
course of law could not remain in the state in which it was.
The highest authority in the State had been applied to
for directions upon the subject, and his reply was
a letter which no one could act upon, and which left
them just as wise as they were before—(A laugh.) He
would ask, was that creditable to the Home-office ?—(Hear,
hear.) They certainly had a, very active and very clever
coroner; but that gentleman's object clearly was to make
his court of more importance than the common law intended
it should be, and this had led to what he (Mr. Rotch) con-
sidered a great invasion of the liberty of the subject; for, by
the coroner's repeated adjournments of the inquest, an inno-
cent man had been incarcerated for several days, from Thurs-
day to Monday, in the lock-up house, a miserable hole, the
cage at Hampstead, with a broken window, in this most in-
clement weather, and then set at liberty, without any notice
being made of the accusation against him in the verdict of
the jury, while all that time the really guilty man was en
joying in the New Prison, according to his own acknowledg-
ment, greater comfort and kindness than he had ever expe-
rienced in his life. The Learned Magistrate proceeded at
some length to denounce the conduct of the coroner as an
invasion of the liberty of the subject, a violation of consti-
tutional law, and wholly uncalled for by the duty which the
coroner had to perform. He was simply to inquire into the
cause of death, which was totally distinct from the duties of
a judicial tribunal. He concluded by moving, in the event of
a difference in the court, " That a committee be appointed to
obtain the opinion of some competent authority on the sub-
ject."—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. SWABEY followed Mr. Botch, and hoped that the indi-
vidual who had been placed in custody by Mr. Wakley would
bring an action against that gentleman, and so settle the
question better than could be done by the authority of the
Secretary of State, who certainly had not done what his high
office demanded.—(Hear, hear.)
Colonel WOOD, M.P., thought it not their duty to corn-
went upon the conduct of Mr. Wakley, and was doubtful of
the propriety of expressing an opinion.
Mr. Sergeant ADAMS said he knew no power exclat habeas
corpus, or the pardon of the Crown, to move any prisoner.
No magistrate had that power after the order of committal
by the police justice. The Secretary of State, according to
the ancient and constitutional law, had no such power. He
took it that the functions of coroners' juries were something
like those of grand juries, before whom the accused parties
were never produced.
Mr. TULK said that the committing magistrate alone had
the power to remove the prisoner, and he had refused to ex-
ercise his power.
The Hon. Mr. BYNG was certain that the keeper would not
in future enlarge a prisoner out of custody without an order
from the committing magistrate.
The CHAIRMAN said that he was not disposed to enter into
the legal question. The keeper deserved great thanks, for
he had been the only person who had been firm, and if no
other benefit resulted from what had taken place, they would
now complete the resolution of the visiting justices, which
certainly was nugatory on the face of it. That resolution
gave the keeper no power, even in case of habeas, to remove
the prisoner. If to the existing resolution, forbidding the
removal of a prisoner, they added the words " unless he have
a competent authority for so doing," it would then have a
definite meaning. With respect to the removal of Hocker,
he could only say, that finding the responsibility shifted from
one to another, and the Coroner insisting that he could not
administer justice without him, he was induced to take the
responsibility, as a visiting justice, upon the letter from the
Home-office being brought to him.
The resolution of the visiting justices, with the addition of
the words suggested, was then confirmed, and the report
approved.

FIRE AT ILFORD, Esszx.—On Wednesday night,
about half-past ten o'clock, a fire broke out in the workshops
of Mr. Withers, builder, Lay-street, Ilford, which was not
ive lo
subdued until an extensss of timber and worlimen'o
tvviss had taken place. Mr. Withers is insured.