A frightful consequence of the practice of allowing poison to lie about in private dwellings occurred at Kensall Green.
Thomas Hickman, thirty-four years of age, occupied a small cottage in Penton Villas, with his wife and six children. On Sunday morning, Caroline Bonamy, Mrs. Hickman's sister, arrived to spend the day; having occasion for a piece of paper to light a fire, she took up a bag which she supposed to contain flour, and which had long stood untouched in a cupboard, and, having turned the contents into the flour tub, burnt the bag - the contents were, in fact, arsenic, and with the fatal mixture thus formed a pudding was made for dinner.
The whole nine persons ate heartily of it. Soon afterwards they were seized with sickness, accompanied by a burning sensation in the throat and stomach. Mr. Abercrombie, a surgeon, was called in, and was soon convinced by the symptoms that the family had swallowed arsenic.
Mrs. Hickman's sister said it must have been the powder she found in the bag; on which Hickman exclaimed that must have been the white arsenic which he had had in the house so many years. The poison, it appeared, had been originally kept in a bottle; but the bottle having been broken, the powder was placed in a flour-bag, and put in the cupboard!
Notwithstanding the efforts of several medical men, the poison soon exhibited its mortal effects. At six o'clock, a boy of nine years old died; then a child three years old; and by eleven three more children had perished. The father lingered till noon the following day, and then became the sixth victim. The others recovered.
Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Tuesday, 17 April 2018
Fatal explosion near Dover
A great loss of life occurred on the line of the South-Eastern Railway, near Dover, by the headstrong wilfulness of the sufferers.
About two miles from Dover, where the railway is cut through the cliffs, a small cave, five feet in height by six in length, had been excavated in the chalk to be used as a magazine for the gunpowder used in blasting: it was secured by a door, which was locked. A gang of labourers employed in repairing the line endeavoured, on Saturday, to force open the door, that they might obtain shelter from the rain: they were then warned that powder was stored in the place, and the danger and impropriety of their conduct were pointed out.
Between 12 and 1 o'clock this day, however, for the sake of shelter from a shower, thirteen men, having broken open the door, got into the cave.
Directly afterwards, two barrels of powder exploded, and the men were blown from the excavation as from a mortar. Eleven were killed on the spot, one died in a few hours, the survivor in a few days.
It is reported that one of the men, after lighting his pipe, had thrown down the match, which falling upon some loose powder, ignited it, and the contents of the barrels instantly exploded. The bodies of the unfortunate men were projected from the cave with great violence, and thrown over the railway works, some falling on to the beach, and some into the sea, a distance of 150 yards.
The cave itself was little damaged, and no interruption occurred in the traffic on the railway.
About two miles from Dover, where the railway is cut through the cliffs, a small cave, five feet in height by six in length, had been excavated in the chalk to be used as a magazine for the gunpowder used in blasting: it was secured by a door, which was locked. A gang of labourers employed in repairing the line endeavoured, on Saturday, to force open the door, that they might obtain shelter from the rain: they were then warned that powder was stored in the place, and the danger and impropriety of their conduct were pointed out.
Between 12 and 1 o'clock this day, however, for the sake of shelter from a shower, thirteen men, having broken open the door, got into the cave.
Directly afterwards, two barrels of powder exploded, and the men were blown from the excavation as from a mortar. Eleven were killed on the spot, one died in a few hours, the survivor in a few days.
It is reported that one of the men, after lighting his pipe, had thrown down the match, which falling upon some loose powder, ignited it, and the contents of the barrels instantly exploded. The bodies of the unfortunate men were projected from the cave with great violence, and thrown over the railway works, some falling on to the beach, and some into the sea, a distance of 150 yards.
The cave itself was little damaged, and no interruption occurred in the traffic on the railway.
Fate of a pseudo King
Monsieur Thiery, who attempted to establish himself as an independent sovereign in New Zealand, having disappointed or given umbrage to his barbarous subjects, was recently killed, cooked, and eaten by them at a solemn public banquet.
Thursday, 15 March 2018
Fatal accidents from firearms
Mr. Crump who occupies a farm near Evesham, called Mount Pleasant, fetched his gun which was loaded, down stairs for the purpose of shooting rooks, &c., on his farm. In the kitchen he encountered his eldest child, a girl about five years of age; and while attending to her infantine talk, lodged the gun against the wall, to which another child unable to walk, crawled and threw it down; the concussion caused it to explode, and the contents were unhappily lodged in the shoulder of the little girl, who died from the injury about a quarter of an hour after the accident.
Also today, at a road-side public-house, at Llwynderw, near Welchpool, a boy had been permitted to have a gun to shoot sparrows, and the juvenile sportsman being unsuccessful in his efforts to kill birds, was good-humouredly taunted by a little girl (daughter of Mr. John Farmer, of the Golſa) about his want of skill, saying that she doubted whether he could even shoot her at the distance at which he then stood. The taunt, unfortunately, could not be brooked; thoughtless of consequences, the boy directed the gun towards the child, drew the trigger, and in an instant the poor child's head was shattered to atoms. An inquest was subsequently held, when a verdict of “Accidental death" was recorded.
Also today, at a road-side public-house, at Llwynderw, near Welchpool, a boy had been permitted to have a gun to shoot sparrows, and the juvenile sportsman being unsuccessful in his efforts to kill birds, was good-humouredly taunted by a little girl (daughter of Mr. John Farmer, of the Golſa) about his want of skill, saying that she doubted whether he could even shoot her at the distance at which he then stood. The taunt, unfortunately, could not be brooked; thoughtless of consequences, the boy directed the gun towards the child, drew the trigger, and in an instant the poor child's head was shattered to atoms. An inquest was subsequently held, when a verdict of “Accidental death" was recorded.
Wednesday, 14 March 2018
Frightful accident in a paper mill
A shocking fatality occurred at the paper manufactory of Mrs. Mary Crompton, at Collyhurst, Manchester. The sufferers were Eliza Jenkinson, twenty-eight years of age, house-servant to Mrs. Crompton, who was killed on the spot, her body being literally torn in pieces, and Mrs. Crompton herself, who lost her left arm.
It appears, that Mrs. Crompton was at the time engaged in “putting in " to one of the calendars, for Ann Horrocks, a female in her employ, who had just gone to dinner; the deceased servant came into the room to deliver a message. The room is nearly filled with the machinery.
On the left of the entrance was a large water-wheel, and on the right was the calendar at which Mrs. Crompton was employed, a narrow avenue, only sufficient for a person to pass, being left between them. Up to this avenue came two cog-wheels, and in passing the cog-wheels the deceased's clothes were caught by the teeth of the lower wheel. The wheels going at the rate of twelve to fifteen revolutions in a minute, the poor creature was instantly drawn into the hole under the wheel.
Mrs. Crompton perceiving her danger, ran to render what assistance she could, but she also became entangled. The assistance of some of the men being procured, the wheels were reversed, and Mrs. Crompton, who was found laid upon the deceased, was extricated.
She was severely injured, and her left arm was torn from her body, She was conveyed home, and efforts were then made to release the poor girl. The body presented a most frightful spectacle; she was lying under the hole of the wheel; all her clothes were torn off; her body was literally cut in two, from the lower part to the head; her entrails were torn out, and lay upon the floor; part of her face was torn away, and almost every bone in her body was broken. One of her legs was found on the opposite side of the wheel. The body, thus shockingly mangled, was conveyed to the Andrew's Arms, where an inquest was held on the same day before the borough coroner.
Evidence of the occurrence was given, but there was no proof of blameable neglect, except that the cog-wheels might have been partitioned off. The jury found that the deceased “died from lacerations and fractures accidentally received from a cog-wheel,” stating that had it not been for the injuries received by Mrs. Crompton in trying to extricate the deceased, they should have imposed a very heavy deodand on the machinery.
It appears, that Mrs. Crompton was at the time engaged in “putting in " to one of the calendars, for Ann Horrocks, a female in her employ, who had just gone to dinner; the deceased servant came into the room to deliver a message. The room is nearly filled with the machinery.
On the left of the entrance was a large water-wheel, and on the right was the calendar at which Mrs. Crompton was employed, a narrow avenue, only sufficient for a person to pass, being left between them. Up to this avenue came two cog-wheels, and in passing the cog-wheels the deceased's clothes were caught by the teeth of the lower wheel. The wheels going at the rate of twelve to fifteen revolutions in a minute, the poor creature was instantly drawn into the hole under the wheel.
Mrs. Crompton perceiving her danger, ran to render what assistance she could, but she also became entangled. The assistance of some of the men being procured, the wheels were reversed, and Mrs. Crompton, who was found laid upon the deceased, was extricated.
She was severely injured, and her left arm was torn from her body, She was conveyed home, and efforts were then made to release the poor girl. The body presented a most frightful spectacle; she was lying under the hole of the wheel; all her clothes were torn off; her body was literally cut in two, from the lower part to the head; her entrails were torn out, and lay upon the floor; part of her face was torn away, and almost every bone in her body was broken. One of her legs was found on the opposite side of the wheel. The body, thus shockingly mangled, was conveyed to the Andrew's Arms, where an inquest was held on the same day before the borough coroner.
Evidence of the occurrence was given, but there was no proof of blameable neglect, except that the cog-wheels might have been partitioned off. The jury found that the deceased “died from lacerations and fractures accidentally received from a cog-wheel,” stating that had it not been for the injuries received by Mrs. Crompton in trying to extricate the deceased, they should have imposed a very heavy deodand on the machinery.
Tuesday, 13 March 2018
Frightful accident at Wombwell's menagerie
Mr. John Martin and a party of friends visited the menagerie a few days since at the Midlent Fair, Staffordshire. During the inspection they were accompanied by the keeper, who cautioned them against approaching too close to the wild beasts. Curiosity, however, induced Mr. Martin to put his hand into the tiger's den, to pat the outstretched foot of the animal, who was then lying at full length. He had scarcely done so, when the tigress, flying at him with all her fury, caught his arm in her teeth, and commenced crushing it. The wretched sufferer, amidst the most piteous moans and cries, endeavoured, but in vain, to draw back his lacerated limb. The keepers were obliged to apply heated irons to the furious animal's mouth and nostrils before it could be forced to let go its grasp. Besides being awfully torn by the brute's tusks, the arm was forced from the shoulder-socket.
Surgical aid was immediately called in, when it was found necessary to amputate the mangled limb. The occurrence is solely attributed to his own rashness, and the keepers were quite blameless.
Surgical aid was immediately called in, when it was found necessary to amputate the mangled limb. The occurrence is solely attributed to his own rashness, and the keepers were quite blameless.
Friday, 9 March 2018
Outrage on a young lady
Frequent representations had of late been made to the Lord Mayor, of the alarm excited by a miscreant. who haunted the lanes and lonely places in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, for the purpose of terrifying women and children. For some time these statements were supposed to be greatly exaggerated. However, the matter was put beyond a doubt by the following circumstance.
A Mr. Alsop, who residing in Bearbind-lane, a lonely spot between the villages of Bow and Oldford, attended at Lambeth-street office, with his three daughters to state the particulars of an outrageous assault upon one of his daughters, by a fellow who goes by the name of the Suburban ghost, or “spring-heeled Jack." Miss Jane Alsop, one of the young ladies, gave the following evidence.
About a quarter to nine o'clock on the preceding night, she heard a violent ringing at the gate in front of the house; and on going to the door to see what was the matter, she saw a man standing outside; of whom she inquired what was the matter. The person instantly replied, that he was a policeman; and said, “For God's sake bring me a light, for we have caught spring-heeled Jack here in the lane.” She returned into the house, and brought a candle, and handed it to the person; who appeared enveloped in a large cloak. The instant she had done so, however, he threw off his outer garment, and applying the lighted candle to his breast, presented a most hideous and frightful appearance, and vomited forth a quantity of blue and white flame from his mouth, and his eyes resembled red balls of fire. From the hasty glance which her fright enabled her to get at his person, she observed that he wore a large helmet; and his dress, which appeared to fit him very tight, seemed to her, to resemble white oilskin.
Without uttering a sentence he darted at her, and catching her partly by her dress and the back part of her neck, placed her head under one of his arms, and commenced tearing her gown with his claws, which she was certain were of some metallic substance. She screamed out as loud as she could for assistance; and by considerable exertion got away from him, and ran towards the house to get in. Her assailant, however, followed her, and caught her on the steps leading to the hall-door; when he again used considerable violence, tore her neck and arms with his claws, as well as a quantity of hair from her head: but she was at length rescued from his grasp by one of her sisters. Miss Alsop added, that she had suffered considerably all night from the shock she had sustained; and was then in extreme pain, both from the injury done to her arm, and the wounds and scratches inflicted by the miscreant on her shoulders and neck, with his claws or hands.
This story was fully confirmed by Mr. Alsop and his other daughters. One of the daughters said, that the fellow kept knocking and ringing at the gate after she had dragged her sister away from him, but scampered off when she shouted from an upper window for a policeman. He left his cloak behind him; which some one else picked up, and ran off with.
The Ghost, alias “Spring-heeled Jack" again.
At Lambeth-street office, Mr. Scales, a respectable butcher, residing in Narrow-street, Limehouse, accompained by his sister, a young woman, eighteen years of age, made the following statement relative to the further gambols of “Spring-heeled Jack”:-
Miss Scales stated that on the evening of Wednesday last, at about half-past eight o'clock, as she and her sister were returning from the house of their brother, and while passing along Green Dragon-alley, they observed some person standing in an angle in the passage. She was in advance of her sister at the time, and just as she came up to the person, who was enveloped in a large cloak, he spurted a quantity of blue flame right in her face, which deprived her of her sight, and so alarmed her, that she instantly dropped to the ground, and was seized with violent fits, which continued for several hours.
Mr. Scales said that on the evening in question, in a few minutes after his sisters had left the house, he heard the loud screams of one of them, and on running up Green Dragon-alley he found his sister Lucy, who had just given her statement, on the ground in a fit, and his other sister endeavouring to hold and support her. She was removed home, and he then learned from his other sister what had happened. She described the person to be of tall, thin, and gentlemanly appearance, enveloped in a large cloak, and carried in front of his person a small lamp, or bull's eye, similar to those in the possession of the police. The individual did not utter a word, nor did he attempt to lay hands on them, but walked away in an instant.
Every effort was subsequently made by the police to discover the author of these and similar outrages, and several persons were taken up and underwent lengthened examinations, but were finally set at liberty,nothing being elicited to fix the offence upon them.
After this time, however, the attacks appear to have been discontinued.
A Mr. Alsop, who residing in Bearbind-lane, a lonely spot between the villages of Bow and Oldford, attended at Lambeth-street office, with his three daughters to state the particulars of an outrageous assault upon one of his daughters, by a fellow who goes by the name of the Suburban ghost, or “spring-heeled Jack." Miss Jane Alsop, one of the young ladies, gave the following evidence.
About a quarter to nine o'clock on the preceding night, she heard a violent ringing at the gate in front of the house; and on going to the door to see what was the matter, she saw a man standing outside; of whom she inquired what was the matter. The person instantly replied, that he was a policeman; and said, “For God's sake bring me a light, for we have caught spring-heeled Jack here in the lane.” She returned into the house, and brought a candle, and handed it to the person; who appeared enveloped in a large cloak. The instant she had done so, however, he threw off his outer garment, and applying the lighted candle to his breast, presented a most hideous and frightful appearance, and vomited forth a quantity of blue and white flame from his mouth, and his eyes resembled red balls of fire. From the hasty glance which her fright enabled her to get at his person, she observed that he wore a large helmet; and his dress, which appeared to fit him very tight, seemed to her, to resemble white oilskin.
Without uttering a sentence he darted at her, and catching her partly by her dress and the back part of her neck, placed her head under one of his arms, and commenced tearing her gown with his claws, which she was certain were of some metallic substance. She screamed out as loud as she could for assistance; and by considerable exertion got away from him, and ran towards the house to get in. Her assailant, however, followed her, and caught her on the steps leading to the hall-door; when he again used considerable violence, tore her neck and arms with his claws, as well as a quantity of hair from her head: but she was at length rescued from his grasp by one of her sisters. Miss Alsop added, that she had suffered considerably all night from the shock she had sustained; and was then in extreme pain, both from the injury done to her arm, and the wounds and scratches inflicted by the miscreant on her shoulders and neck, with his claws or hands.
This story was fully confirmed by Mr. Alsop and his other daughters. One of the daughters said, that the fellow kept knocking and ringing at the gate after she had dragged her sister away from him, but scampered off when she shouted from an upper window for a policeman. He left his cloak behind him; which some one else picked up, and ran off with.
The Ghost, alias “Spring-heeled Jack" again.
At Lambeth-street office, Mr. Scales, a respectable butcher, residing in Narrow-street, Limehouse, accompained by his sister, a young woman, eighteen years of age, made the following statement relative to the further gambols of “Spring-heeled Jack”:-
Miss Scales stated that on the evening of Wednesday last, at about half-past eight o'clock, as she and her sister were returning from the house of their brother, and while passing along Green Dragon-alley, they observed some person standing in an angle in the passage. She was in advance of her sister at the time, and just as she came up to the person, who was enveloped in a large cloak, he spurted a quantity of blue flame right in her face, which deprived her of her sight, and so alarmed her, that she instantly dropped to the ground, and was seized with violent fits, which continued for several hours.
Mr. Scales said that on the evening in question, in a few minutes after his sisters had left the house, he heard the loud screams of one of them, and on running up Green Dragon-alley he found his sister Lucy, who had just given her statement, on the ground in a fit, and his other sister endeavouring to hold and support her. She was removed home, and he then learned from his other sister what had happened. She described the person to be of tall, thin, and gentlemanly appearance, enveloped in a large cloak, and carried in front of his person a small lamp, or bull's eye, similar to those in the possession of the police. The individual did not utter a word, nor did he attempt to lay hands on them, but walked away in an instant.
Every effort was subsequently made by the police to discover the author of these and similar outrages, and several persons were taken up and underwent lengthened examinations, but were finally set at liberty,nothing being elicited to fix the offence upon them.
After this time, however, the attacks appear to have been discontinued.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)