The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-02-24 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

fears put forth, of the country not being able to
sustain the drain upon its capital for any consider-
able number of new railways, must have pretty
well subsided ; and the extraordinary result of the
half-yearly meetings of the companies in operation
which are now holding, leave no doubt of the profi-
table character of railway investments, or of the
fact that railways create traffic for themselves,
through however unpromising districts they may
be formed. It must, however, strike all reflecting
men, that the present results have been arrived at
without the system having ever been fairly tested.
They have been arrived at in spite of the obstinacy
and the exactions of boards of directors. It has
been proved to the satisfaction of most men—nay,
the success of the system itself thus far proves—
that with cheap fares come increase of locomotion
in an inverse ratio to the reduction, and increased
dividends for the proprietors. Yet where have we
seen any adequate attempt made, to afford to the
public all the benefit and accommodation to which
they are entitled, and to railway companies the cer-
tain results of the full working out of these truly
valuable undertakings ? There are exceptions, we
admit, but they are not as numerous as they should
be.

Such a consideration alone, a care for the public
interests, which is manifest can be served without
the infliction of injury upon individuals or their
property, must influence the decisions of parliamen-
tary committees, and induce them to give full scope
to the enterprise of those who are willing to afford
the necessary amount of accommodation to all classes
at the lowest remunerating rate. By-the-bye, it has
never yet been practically shewn what is the lowest
remunerating rate of travelling on railways. Thus
far we are not aware of an instance in which in-
crease of profit has not followed reduction of charge
for locomotion.

The great increase of juvenile crime in the metro-
polis and the large towns of Great Britain—in the
former especially—has long been a subject of serious
and painful consideration with all thinking and good
men. Many have been the causes assigned for it,
and many the remedies proposed. The pressure of
the evil in London has however at length become so
great, and its existence so obvious, as to call for
more vigorous measures ; and at a meeting of noble-
men and gentlemen, held at the Mansion House on
the 14th instant, the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor in
the chair, some valuable statistics, accompanied by
suggestions for checking the growth of juvenile
crime, and providing for the mental, moral, religious,
and industrial training of the destitute youth in the
metropolis, and other large cities and towns, were
submitted for consideration by the City Solicitor, a
portion of which, as equally applicable to the cir-
cumstances of this town, we shall take the liberty of
quoting. _ _

Mr.-Pearson deduces, from parliamentary returns
and other authentic documents, that whereas in a
period of 40 years the population of England and
Wales, ten years old, has increased 65 per cent., the
proportionate commitments for crime have increased
494 per cent., and the convictions 625 per cent.
The precise increase in juvenile crime, however, can
be better estimated from the following paragraph of
the Report :

" (Jail within the last ten years the returns do not spe-
cify the ages of the prisoners ; but, as appears by these la-
ter documents, the number of juvenile criminals, annually
convicted in England and Wales, has increased in a
greater degree than even the mass of criminals at large.
Thus the number of criminals, under twenty years of age,
committed to prison in the year 1835, was 6803, or one in
449 of the population, between ten and twenty years of
age ; while in 1844 they amounted to 11,348 or 1 in 304
upon the population of the same age.

The le.arned gentleman does not consider that
such increase is attributable to the absence of edu-
cation, for he reminds us, that " during the whole
of the intervening period most strenuous exertions
have been made to afford to the masses of the
people increased education—intellectual, moral, and
religious—and to supply them with the appetite
for knowledge, which elementary instruction was cal-
culated to inspire." Now, here we may remark,
that it was never contended that education, how-
ever good, could do all, whilst it has ever been the
strongest argument against mere " elementary
instruction," that it gave an appetite for knowledge,
without a standard to direct to the proper food
with which it should be gratified. Mr. Pearson
has, no doubt, discovered by this time how great
an aid to the acquisition of proficiency in the juve-
nile criminal has been the ability to peruse the lives
and ape the achievements of the gaol birds of other
days—the Jack Shepherds, and other worthies of
the same stamp.

Another very important fact the City Solicitor
brings before us, viz., that although it is true, as
we were informed by Sir Robert Peel and Sir James
Graham, that, during the last three years of pros-
perity, as compared with the previous three years,
crime, in the aggregate, had decreased ; yet this was
not the case with juvenile crime, which had increased
in the latter three years upwards of seven per cent.
The only gratifying feature which we can find in
these statistics of the condition of our population is
the fact that, whilst the number of committals and
convictions has increased, the offences generally
have been of a less aggravated character.
The increase of juvenile crime Mr. Pearson attri-
butes to the recent multiplication of petty offences,
punishable by fine, or, failing payment, by impri-
sonment in gaol :
" Upon summary convictions, short imprisonments are
awarded for the smallest offence, and it is no uncommon
thing to read in the newspapers of young urchins found,
in a state of destitution, or in the commission of some
petty delinquency; commiserated by the magistrate, who
expresses his pity for their unfortunate condition, and
laments that he has no other place than a criminal's gaol,
to which be may consign them."
" The mind of the child thus becomes familiarised with
a gaol—a prison is at once disarmed of its terrors and its
shame. In a gaol the novice in crime gets acquainted
.with the hardened in guilt; he finds himself the object of
commiseration ; he finds that he is better clothed, better
fed, better housed, and better cared for, within its walls
than in the habitation of his parents or the workhouse of
his parish ; hence petty delinquencies become the preclude
to the gravest crimes, and the child acclimated to the atmo-
sphere of a gaol grows up to manhood, disabled from gain-
ing an honest living, by having had the brand of crime
stamped upon his forehead, and he so remains, perhaps
for years, a continual burden to the State, until his educa-
tion is finished in the Model Prison, at an expense of some
thirty or forty pounds, preparatory to his transportation
from his native land at a further cost of the like sum."
As the remedy for this state of things, Mr. Pear-
son recommends the committal of juvenile offenders,
for first offences, or, when found destitute, to refor-
matory establishments, in which, by judicious,
moral, religious, and industrial training, they may
be useful members of society, either at home or in
our colonies. These establishments, he insists,
should be national asylums, erected at the national
cost, reserving to them, however the right to pro-
tect the nation against the risk of poor children be-
ing thrown upon its care by the wanton neglect of
parishes to provide for and direct them in honest
courses.

There is much in the suggestions of Mr. Pearson
which is well worthy of attention and which the
claims upon our space will not now allow us either
to quote or to comment upon. We may, however,
take up the subject again.

The subject of this evening's lecture at St. Andrew's
Church, being the last of the series, is " The Ministry of
Angels."
The Railway Standard says that influential persons in
this town are buying up the Liverpool, Bolton, and Wigan
stock, to prevent the amalgamation with the Manchester
and Leeds.

It will be seen, from an appeal from the Committee ap-
pointed by the owners of property required for the new
docks at Wapping, that the " sinews of war" are wanted
for the purpose of being heard before a parliamentary
committee.

ST. DAVID'S DAY.—We beg to draw the attention of
the Welsh inhabitants of this town, and others friendly to
the education of the children of the poor, to an advertise-
ment in this day's paper, announcing the annual examina-
tion of the children taught at those old and excellent
institutions, the Welsh Charity Schools in Russell-street.
We understand that, in consequence of the Town-ball
undergoing some necessary repairs, the Welsh Charity
Ball is postponed until next year.
The second of the course of lectures, on Tuesday even-
ings, in the Concert Hall, Lord Nelson-street, by clergy-
men of the Church of England, on the Errors of the
Church of Rome, will be delivered this evening, by the
Rev. David James, the subject being, " The Bible the
only Rule of Faith,"—a great and important truth, and
one which it is now more than ever necessary to press on
the attention of the public ; and we know of no one better
able to enforce it with the cogency of powerful and conti-
nuous argument than the reverend gentleman appointed.
A. naval officer arrived at Cork, on board a merchant-
vessel from the coast of Africa, reports the safe return of
Mr. Jamieson's steamer Ethiope to Fernando Po, after a
successful expedition up the Niger. Dr. King and the
master were in perfect health, as were all the others on
board as far as can yet be learned. The Spectator, which
has given an intimation of the arrival of the steamer, is
incorrect in one or two particulars. In addition to the
Commander and the doctor, the two officers and the engi-
neer were all white men, and though no details have been
received, it is understood they have all returned in good
health.

MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE.-FIVE PER-
SONS POISONED FROM DRINKING WATER
FROM A WELL IN WEST DERBY.

Yesterday, an inquest was held at the Hare and Hounds,
in the village of West Derby, before Mr. Heyes, county
coroner, on view of the bodies of Jane Gilton, aged 17 ;
her sister, Margaret Gilton, aged 16 ; and their brother,
John Gilton, aged 12 years, who resided at a villa house
in a lane called Town Row, leading from West Derby to
Knotty Ash. Two others of the same family had died
previously to the three deceased, namely, on the 15th of
the present month the youngest son, Edward Gilton,
aged seven years, and on the 17th, Mrs. Gilton, the mo-
ther, widow of the late Mr. Gilton, printing-ink and
colour manufacturer, formerly of this town. The business
had for some years past been carried on on the pre-
mises in West Derby. No suspicion was, however, en-
tertained at first that either of the two had received any
poisonous substance into the stomach, and their death
was attributed to natural causes. On the following day,
however, circumstances arose which led to the suspicion
that the water used for culinary purposes and for drinking,
was of a poisonous nature. The whole of the inmates of
the house had been more or less ill for about three weeks ;
the eldest and yet surviving son (aged about 20) being the
least affected, he not having lbeen so constantly at home as
the other members of the family. The female servant
and a nurse were also taken ill. The eldest son de-
posed to these facts, and stated that about three weeks
ago he was employed in making green verditer, an article
used by paper stainers, and in colouring walls. In this
preparation he employed blue verditer, and had to use
along with it a large quantity of arsenic in order to make
it into green verditer. He put the ingredients into a
boiler in a shed at some distance behind and detached
from the house. Between this shed and the house there
is a long building which appears to have been formerly a
conservatory or greenhouse, but had been converted into
what is now called " the colour-house." In one division
or compartment of the colour-house—that nearest to the
shed—there was a well with a pump on one side of it. The
well is about four yards deep, and contains about two
yards in depth of water. This well has also a pipe com-
municating with a pump in the back kitchen, from which
the water is taken for domestic purposes. It appeared
that after the eldest son had made that part of the pre-
paration containing the arsenic,• it had to be ladled into a
bucket, carried into the colour-house, and there put
into a tub to cool. This was carefully done by a labourer
who was employed on the premises. After being cooled,
and the other ingredients added, the liquid on the top re-
quired to be drawn off, which was done by a syphen-pipe,
letting it into a wooden spout which discharged its con-
tents into, or near to, a sewer which is between the colour-
house and the boiler shed. The deposit from the liquid
was all that was required in the trade. There was no evi-
dence that any of the liquor had been spilt in its transit,
but it is not improbable but some of it has either found
its way into the well by the top, which was only covered
with a wooden lid level with the floor ; or, it may be,
that some of the poisonous liquor had oozed from the
sough into the well, between which there is a distance of
six or eight yards. The eldest son did not see the arsenic
preparation removed. He saw that the colour required
was produced, and did not afterwards observe any defi-
ciency in the respective quantities of the ingredients.
The three deceased (on whom the inquest was held) were
similarly affected during their illness—with nausea and
vomiting, and the mother had also a severe cough. They
were first attended by a professional man from Walton,
and afterwards by Dr. Garton, of Prescot, who treated
them as for malignant fever ; but eventually thinking
thers was something strange in the case, Dr. Bickersteth
was, at his request, called in. On the second visit of
these gentlemen together, both became convinced that
the disease was caused by mineral poison, and they did
not till then find that there were colour works on the
premises. Neither of the three deceased were confined
to their beds on Tuesday last, the day on which their
uncle arrived. John died on Saturday afternoon, at six
o'clock, Jane about three hours afterwards, and Margaret
at half-past eleven on Sunday night.
The Rev. Mr. Gilton, of Sheffield, brother-in-law to
the deceased Mrs. Gilton, stated that on Tuesday last
he came from Sheffield to West Derby, in consequence
of having learned that his nephew (Edward) was dead,
and that his sister-in-law was in the last agonies of death.
After his arrival at the house, he took tea, and previous
to his going to bed he (hank (as was his custom) two or
three tumblers of water. He also, at breakfast, next
morning, drank tea, made from the water used by the
family. On the same morning, shortly afterwards,
he felt a distressing nausea of the stomach, and a giddi-
ness, which he soon after mentioned to Dr. Bickersteth,
who was attending the other afflicted members of the
family. This witness said, as the circumstances were
doubtful as to bow the arsenic had got into the water, that
he hoped the jury would institute the most rigid inquiry
into the circumstances. He added, that he heard of a case in
Wales, in which water had been poisoned in a similar
manner, and no arsenic could be found in the water of
the well ; but a bag, containing that substance, had after-
wards been discovered within the pump.
A post mortem examination of one of the bodies was
made by Mr. Garton. He found all the internal inflam-
mation and appearances such as led him to the decided
opinion that the deceased had died from the effects of
poison. He had analyzed the water from the well, and
found a result nearly similar to that which is stated :in
the following certificate of Dr. Brett, who had also ana-
lyzed the water, and which was handed in by Mr, Gilton :
Laboratory, Royal Institution, Feb.2l, 1845.
REPORT OF THE CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF TwO SPECIMENS
OF WATER OBTAINED FROM THE PREMISES OF THE LATE
MRSI. GILTON, OF WEST DERBY,
One specimen marked water in the house. The other speci-
men marked water in colour-house.

The first of these specimens was clear, and deposited no sedi.
ment. It was first examined to ascertain whether lead was
present; upon the application of the usual tests for that sub-
stance no evidence of its presence could be obtained. It was
then examined for arsenic, and unequivocal proof of the pres-
ence of arsenic in the arsenious acid obtained.

The second specimen gave also decided proof of the presence
of arsenic in somewhat larger portion than the first. By the
plan of analysis adopted, the arsenic was reduced to the metalic
state, afterwards converted into arsenicous acid or white
arsenic, and the liquid tests applied to the latter. Specimens
of the metal and of the acid were preserved. Equal quantities
of the two specimens were mixed and analysed to ascertain the
proportion of arsenic, it amounted to about 4-10ths of a grain
to the Imperial pint.
(Signed,) R. H. BRETT,
Lecturer on Chemistry and Medical Jurisprudenco
of the Liverpool School of Medicine.

The CORONER suggested that the inquiry should be
adjourned until Wednesday, in order that the well, the
sewer, and the pipe should be taken up, and every means
used to discover in what manner the poison had got into
the water.

The Rev. Mr. Gilton said that nothing short of such an
investigation would satisfy him, and, he believed, the
public, as it would probably reach the facts, and remove
suspicion where it might be unjustly attached.
A plumber was appointed to superintend the taking up
and examination of the well, &c., so that he might give
evidence as to the result.

The CORONER then adjourned the inquest until to-
morrow, (Wednesday.) He afterwards, accompanied by
the Rev. Mr. Gilton and his nephew, (the surviving son,)
drove, with the appointed superintendent, to the premises,
and gave him instructions how to proceed.
The unfortunate family, who had long resided in West
Derby, were much respected, and the younger branches
were highly promising. It seldom falls to the lot of a
journalist to record a more heart-rending instance of do-
mestic desolation.