The Sun. — 1839-06-08 (London, England)

INQUEST.  SIR,—A paragraph appeared in The Sun of to-day, under the above title, taken from the Farmer's Magazine, evidently written in a style of extravagant eulogium of the wonderful work in the way of making drain tiles, which this tnachine, called the" Marquis of Tweeddale'? (though the invention can be proved not to be his at all), is said to perform—showing forth, moreover, the great advantages it gives in expense, time, and trouble, over the old manual mode of making tiles, &c.  The inquest en the body of Mr. Westwood was resumed yesterday morning, at nine o'clock, in the Chapel of St. James's workhouse. The greatest excitement continues to prevail in the immediate neighbourhood. Mr. De Courcey, who lives next door to'the deceascd, and who is one of the Jury, said that Stevenson called upon him on Thursday, and offered to give up the key. He promised to attend the inquest this morning. Alfred Bannister- said he lived at No. 20. Euston-street, Seymour-street, and is a watchmaker. On the night of the murder be saw deceased. Deceased went out between 5 and 6 o'clock, and returned shortly before 8. Witness soon after left. There was no mischievous looking person called at the shop of Mr. Westwood that evening. When he left, the workshop was secure. He knows nothing of the lead weight which was found. It is a sash weight. Near the staircase there is a trap-door, which leads to a cellar. Le Roche, the foreman, once lodged with the deceased, but he left in consequence of the unhealthiness of the situation. The deceased and Le Reche had had some angry words on account of the latter coming late to his work. Le Reche was not at deceased's all day on Monday. Deceased generally closed his shop about nine o'clock. When witness left on Monday night, deceased wished him good night ; he was then sitting in the parlour with his wife and another lady. Mr. Henry Berestord said he was a police inspector, C division. He was here the other evening and saw the man Robinson. On that evening he went with Robinson into his mother's house, No. 30, Crown street, Soho. Robinson produced the coats which he wore on Monday night. Witness examined them minutely, and there was not the  Now, Mr. Editor, as I happen to come from East Lothian, where practical experience to a greater extent than anywhere else has been had of it in many of the most extensive brick and tile works there, I beg, with your permission, to make the following statements regarding it, from my own personal knowledge of it, which you and your readers may rely upon as unexaggerated and strictly true. The idea of a tile and brickmaking machine is excellent and perfectly practicable— but the said Marquis's is by far too complicated—so much so, that the " wear and tear" of it, and current expenses for endless canvasses, &c. &c., besides the original cost, 701., overcomes mightily its advantages. Were there a tile machine on a simple never-go-wrong, or not-likely.to-go-wrong principle, then would we have cause to flourish away in its praise ; but whenever the silence of practical men reigns on any machine, while the extravagant bombast of theoretical and hearsay men sounds, then, Mr. Editor, that is a bad sign of the machine itself—and in the• Marquis's tile affair we have a case to the point. The new patentee, too, of the above machine charges (instead of a decided sum) 3s. a thousand on what the machine makes. Now, I could mention a gentleman in East Lothian, who has - them made by hand for 3s. 10d.! Only tenpence of difference thus between the machine and the hand as regards cost ! Not to speak of the expenses of steam-engines to drive this machine and the machine itself, most people, it is wellknown, will sacrifice time and trouble (but the trouble of the Marquis's machine is much greater than the hand, and more men and boys required, too, than what is stated in the paragraph alluded to) to the all-important point of current cost and " original cost." These are the facts deduced from experience, let theoretical and hearsay statements be trusted by who may. There is no stronger advocate for the employing of machinery to do what is now done by the hand than I happen to be, but I am not foolish enough to consider any machine " a great advantage" before it can be clearly shown that it saves not only time and trouble, but actual outlay, whether primary, secondary, or current. There are many better tile machines than the one the Marquis of Tweeddale takes the credit of, were they put in practice. I am, Sir, your's, respectfully, A