The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-10-15 00:00:00

KINGSTON QUARTER SESSIONS.
Yesterday. these Seseints commenced before
Barnard, Esq. the Chairman, and a full Beoch of Ma-
gistrate'.• The Calendar presents but a few cases, and
those °lnn interest.

THE TREAD MILL.
The Ar t of last Session respecting the regulation of pri-
sons, dirt-ding that the Governors, Chaplains, and Surgeons
who attended the several County Prisons and Honses of
Correction, should give in quarterly Reports to the Bench
of Magistrates, on the subject of the health, morals,
Ike. of the prisoners, the greater part of the day
was occupied in the consideration of those Reports, and of
some other matters of mere local interest. Amongst the
Reports handed in was one presented by the visiting Magis-
trates of Brixton Gael, where the celebrated. Mill was first
erected. It stated that the prisoners enjoyed a good state
of health generally : that they were kept regularly at work.
hit by no tricots in such a manner as to cause any injury to
lie ilth. The prison was not intended, when it was built.
to receive so many inmates as were constantly sent to it, and
the excess had rendered an increase of the classes from six
to ten necessary. Much had been said in opposition to the
labour of the Tread Mill, but not one of the objections eno•
'iterated, hail any application to the Brixton Mill, and
doubtless the defects of other Mills, built upon the same
principle, were also much exaggerated. In fact. health,
cleanliaess, and good order prevailed in the highest de.
;nee.' arul were attributable to the excellent disciplioe,
superintended by the Goveroor, Surgeon, and Chaplain.
The duties of the Surgeon were represented as extremely
severe, and his salary as ereatly disproportioned to his
labour, perseverance, and skill. One of the difficulties
under which he was said to labour was that of distinguishing
between those prisonersnrho were really and inevitably ill
and those who endeavoured to be so, in order to avoid the
penalty of labour.—The persons who came under the pro-
fessional care of this gentleman amounted to no less than
five hundred in one year.—The visitors represented the
necessity of incressieg his salary, as his labour is double
what it used to be, or what it was intended to be. They
represented, that notwithstanding the great benefits de-
r Table from the Brixton Gaol Discipline, it would still be
an evidence of enthusiasm to suppose, hat the majority
of those who underwent the punishment prescribed Would
abandon their evil habits. A desultory conversations, which
it was evreruely difficult to catch. took place among the
Magistrates, who seemed to consider the subject one of
the utn ost importance. After some observation upon the
necessity of ascertsiniog whether a person who leas
some ground dose to the gaol, is not encroaching upon
the Act Of Parliament by building tenements, a proceeding
which may. in the opinion of the Bench, militateagainstthe
health of the inmates, tho subject of the Tread Mill was al-
luded to. It was generally admitted that the health of
the prisoners was a paramount object. A complaint had
reached the Bench that the wheel of Brixton was so con-
strutted, or rather so defective in its construction. as to
occasion a painful jerk, and that the prisoners found this
defect a considerable obstruction to their efforts, and a
most rigorous addition to their punishment. Several of
—the Magistrates inquired whether this defect actually ex-
isted, and why, if it did, the person who made the wheel
bad not been informed of the fact? It was replied, we
understood (the conversation was rapid and in low tone),
that the constructor had been written to upon the subject,
notwithstmling which no remedy had been applied.
Mr. Tnorren, who occasionally takes the Chair at the
Sessions House, Newington, said it was particularly ne-
cessary to guard against any complaint of this kind, as,
should any accident happen, exaggeration must be ex-
pected.
Another MAGISTRATR observed, that the complaint
about the wheel had been made by a person who afterwards
contradicted it. The general opinion of the Bench, how-
ever, appeared to be. that the Brixton wheel was liable to
the objection of inflicting an unnecessary and rigorous
degree of pulishment.
Mr. DIN tsos, the Member, expressed his surprise that
the maker of the wheel, who was under obligations .to pre.
v,ent it from becoming oppressive to the prisoners, had not
remedied the defect. It was, he added, necessary to give
the constructor of the wheel notice, and if he continued to
pay no attention to the direction, to sue him for the penal-
ties. to this opinion the Bench acquiesced ; And Mr.
Lawson, the Clerk of the Peace, was directed to write to the
bland acturer to the above effect.
In the Report concerning the County Prison, it was re-
presented that the plan of patting the prisonerr in Irons
being dispensed with, the facilities of escape were increased,
and it therefore became necessary to have gratings thrown
over the airing yards, out of which even prisoners in
irons contrived to escape ; of course prisoners with free
limbs would find less difficulty in becoming their own
masters.
Nothing of any interest is expected during the sitting.

CORONER'S I HIVES-T.—Yesterday evening an Inquistion
was taken at the Brown Bear, Garlick-hill, Upper '1 baffles-
street, bef,:re 'l'. SHELTON. Esq. Coroner fur London, upon
the body of Ann Johnson, who was reported, to have
died from the effect of drinking ardent liquors to excess.
Airs. Elizabeth Alcock deposed, that she lodges at No. 5,
Worcevter-olace, Garlick-hill, in the same hquse in which
the deceased bad lodged; she bad been ailing, On
Sunday, at ten o'clock, she ran into witness's room,
exclaiming "My husband kills me by inches, in conse-
quence of your asking to borrow that tract which we had
only bortowed ourselves." iVitness expostelated with
lie replied " you are all gin-drinkers, and my.wite is
drunk among you." He pushed her out, and the de-
ceased requested that she might he led into her own room,
—she was dying. .Witness led her in and set her down by
the table. He bid witness begone, and then shut the door
vio`eritly after her. In ten minutes afterwards their child
screamed out, " Ob, daddy, daddy. don't hurt my mam-
my!' Whoa the baby ceased, he opened the door, began
to cry, and called out, "Oh, she is dead! she is dead!"
Witness went into their room, and found her lying upon
the floor tear the door, gasping. fur breath, and bleeuing
front the nose. She assisted hint in lifting her upon the
bed. Mr. Edwards, the apothecary, was seat fur, but she
expired before he arrived..
Mr. Daniel Edwards, surgeon and apothecary,
Trinity•lane. deposed, 'that the rleclmsed called
upon him about ten o'clock on Friday morning..
She complained of violent pains in her right side.
Me examined her, and found she had an inflamma-
tion on her right lung ; he bled her and gave her medicines.—'
Site called on Saturday morning about the same time, end
said sho was somewhat better, but the pain had not left her
side. He gave her a blister to apply to the part. lit half past
eleven on ,-undny morning he was tient for, and told she had
fallen in a fit ; but when be arrived she was dead.
The Coroner and Jiffy ordered him to examine the body of
the deceased minutely, in ortier to ascertain whether there were
any et,terual marks•of violence upon It.
After some discussion the Doctor returned after his exami-
nation of the body.
The Coroner asked him—What state be found the body in ?
lie answered. that there were no external marts of violence
upon the body; the hp!niins• he had formed was, that the in-
flammation prenebly lied caused an internal effusion of blood
upon the chest and liver, which no doubt would produce death.
• The Coroner thought; as she was reported to have beemac-
• eustomed to drinking spirits to excess, it might have the effect
. alluded to, and Use Jury agreed to adjourn the inquest till
. this evening, in order to have the burly opened in tue 010&11
time. •
Saturday, Jas. Wilson alias Quigley. a sturdy vagrant,
was apprehended, being in. Walcot.. On . his person sere
found two petitions, one. purporting to be drawn up: by
Mr. Wright, jeweller, of the Abbey Churchyard; and the
other by Mr. Walsh, linen-draper, of New Mind Street,
Barb ; both of whose names were forged. He was fully
. summated for three months to hard labour in Shepton gaol

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