The Sun. — 1848-12-27 (London, England)

LATEST PARTICULARS.  TWELTE o'CeocK.—SinCe&al;;;;;;s written, the boy Leonard Tutchin, who is still lying in Mr. Sewell's surgery, has made a statement, which, it true, goes a great way to criminate one or more persons as having caused the catastrophe. He informed the reporter, and also Mr. Fairbrother, that whilst he was on the stairs, near the money-taker's box, the parties standing near him were amusing themselves by elbowing and squeezing the persons in advance of them, so as to prevent their moving either backwards or forwards. Not cectent with so doing, they kept up a continued shower of orange-peel and other things until the shouts of the people became quite deafening. He bee.g,ed of the parties to let him pass, as he felt the heat so oppressive, but they refused, and kept pushing him Er:' in one direction and then in another. At length offered one man, whom he says he should know again, eence if he would let him pass, but the only reply he IT:de was the following, " No, you are here, and we shall ge you up as close as we can." He (the lad) then .reamed out murder, when one of the men laid hold of under the arms, and, having lifted him up, threw over the rails on the heads of the people below. 11- fell upon those on the lower landing, when one of them, a lad, cried out, " Oh, I am killed," and never spoke afterwards. He saw the person lying on the floor, with blood coming from his nose, but he was unable to assist hie] in the least, or to help himself*. Some one came and pulled hint off the boy and removed him to that house (Mr. Sewell's). He cannot tell what object the man could have had in throwing him upon the people below, unless it was to injure either them or him. Up to the present time neither of the two bodies lying in the vaults of the church have been identified, although numerous persons, whose children were known to be in the theatre have been to see them. The state of the parties who have been there was pitiable in the extreme. Some of them have beAeged the church doors, and with cries have lamented the untimely loss of their supposed children, and could not be satisfied that they were mistaken until they had seen the bodies. Upon making inquiries at the residences of the other suffarers, it was ascertained that, as far as Henry Neat was concerned, nothing fatal need be apprehended, his injuries consisting of severe bruises, no bones being broken. George Astell was much injured, but not fatally. Henry Sewell was, however, lying in Mr. Sewelra private parlour, still in a very precarious condition. The other boy, Leonard Tutchin, bad so far rallied as to be able to sit up and relate the circumstances connected with the occurrence.  Mr. Fairbrother, surgeon, of the London•road, who was passing at the moment of the calamity, says, that he has not the least doubt but that the two lads died from suffocation, and not from being precipitated from the upper part of the stairs. The appearance of the mouth, nose, and eyes of each, warrants him in coming to that conclusion.  Too much praise cannot be awarded to Mr. Sewell, who for several hours had his regular business suspended, in order that he might attend upon the sufferers, who found a welcome asylum in his private parlour.  - The following is a copy of the official report of the disasier furnished by Mr. Fairbrother ; " A terrible catastrophe occurred at the Victoria Theatre last evening, by which two lads lost their lives; and many were seriously injured. " There had been during the afternoon a great number of people assembled to obtain an entrance into the gallery of the theatre, and long before the hour of commencement the stairs were crowded in every part. " According to the best information which can be obtained, there is no doubt that great confusion existed, and many felt so inconvenienced as to be anxious to ob. tain fresh air, but were unable to move from their position. Wedged in, the crowd became unruly, and the weaker portion were thrown down and trmpled on. " At the landing on the staircase the crowd was so great as to cause the death of two boys, and four others were carried to the surgery of Mr. Sewell, in the Lower Marsh, who, conjointly with Mr. Fairbrother and Mr. Brookes, rendered every assistance to the living, two of uhom were sent home, although suffering from severe bruises. One of the others remaining is suffering from concussion of the brain, and is in great danger."