The Press. — London, England, 1858-10-23 00:00:00

broken up by extensive drainage works, and it is thought that a gas pipe must have been broken lose to the unfortunate man's house, or else that a n opening must have been made into one of the sewers, and the noxious gases have entered his dwelling. On the evening of Thursday the ill-fated tamely retired to rest. Next morning, long after the usual hour, the house remained closed, and on forcing an entrance the neighbours were horrified to find that the father, eldest daughter, and one of the children, were dead ; but the mother and the other child manifested some slight signs of animation. The still surving sufferers were immediately removed, and the medical gentlemen persevered with their exertions to restore animation, and with some success. The patients, however, remained in a state of insensibility, and the hope entertained of their ultimate recovery is very faint. A HORRIBLE AND FATAL ACCIDENT occurred to two poachers, a few days since, on the London and North Western Railway, near Winsford. A gang of fifteen poachers were out with nets and snares, and on their way some of them attempted to cross the railway while a train from Liverpool to London was passing. A married man named Foster was knocked down, one leg cut off, and one arm put out of the socket. He has since died. Another, whose name we have not learned, a widower with a family, was run over, apparently by the whole train, only the nose being lett unmangled on the upper part of his body. One of the dogs accompanying the poachers was also killed. A CowlslON occurred on Saturday morning between two luggage trains at the Twyford station of the Great Western Railway. It appears that about five o'clock a down luggage train was standing at the Twyford station, and another, closely following it, approached. Owing to a thick fog prevailing at the time, the second train was not seen by the officials at the station, nor was the danger signal observed by the engine-driver in sufficient time for him to shut off the steam ere, coming at a slow pace, the train ran into the break-van, and threw several trucks off the metals. The trucks were much damaged, and by the force of the collision the guard was thrown with great violence against the side of the van, and his head was driven through the glass door, whereby his face was severely lacerated. A considerable time elapsed before the line could be cleared of the debris. A FRIGHTFUL ATTEMPT TO MURDER occurred in Sheffield on Tuesday. A foreman, named Thomas Champion, who was disliked by the workmen under him, and was discharged by his employer, Mr. Fewsdale, an extensive joiner and builder, went into the workshop and shot a workman named Henry Grayson, with a six-barrelled pistol. He also attempted to shoot a man named Kenyon. The pistol missed fire. Champion was seized. Five barrels were found loaded. A MILITIA MUTINY occurred on Sunday at the Strood station, Chatham. A party of the North Cork Rifles, who were left behind to guard the baggage of the corps, mutinied in the morning, and resolutely refused to load the baggage. Their conduct beiug very violent, the officers in charge accordingly sent off to Chatham Barracks for the assistance of the military, a strong party of whom arrived, under the command of Major Gordon. Five of the ringleaders were marched off to the guard-room, and order being restored, the Rifles departed for Aldershott. A DREADFUL OCCURRENCE has taken place at Preston, near Lavenham. Mr. William Green, who had for six months been an inmate of Melton Asylum, was considered to he so far recovered that he might be removed, and accordingly on the Is.; inst. he was taken to his brother's, the family consisting of two brothers, respectable farmers and millers, living on their own property, and a sister. Last week, being left for a short time with his sister and his aunt, Mrs. Lewis, who was there on a visit, be attacked them with a poker in so violent a manner that Mrs. Lewis's skull was fractured in two or three places, and the sister also received very dangerous injuries. On Mr. Henry Green returning borne shortly after nine o'clock, he found his aunt, who is seventy years of age, lying on the floor against the door, in an insensible state ; his sister in a chair, washing the blood off her face, and his brother pacing the room, brandishing the poker, which was bent round by the blows he had inflicted. Mr. Green exclaimed, " Good God, William, do you intend to murder us ?" to which the manaic replied, " No, brother, no ! " and his brother saying, " What shall I do with you till I have attended to those poor creatures ; I must chain you up." The noor creature replied, "Yes, chain me up," and fetched a halter from the passage. His brother took him to a constable, and a surgeon was quickly procured, who paid every attention to the sufferers. The lunatip was conveyed to Hadleigh police•station on the following morning. About nine o'clock on Sunday night Mrs. Lewis died. On Monday the wretched man was committed to Bury Gaol for trial on the capital °harp. Miaa 9Fer lies in a very precarious state, THE PRESS, OCTOBER 23,1858. A RAILWAY Comstori, by which twenty persons were more or less injured, occurred on the Birken head, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction Railway on Friday afternoon. It appears that the express train which left Birkenhead at 3.30, and which ought to have arrived in Chester at 4.10 p.m., ran into a light engine which had broken down, on its way to Chester, near the Mollington station. The drivers and stokers of both engines were hurt slightly, and one was taken to the Chester Infirmary, though he has not been seriously injured. The passengers were thrown from side to side in the compartments of the carriages, and several had their faces cut. None of the carriages were smashed, but the divisions in several, which are very slight, were completely destroyed. After about half an hour's delay the train was taken on to Chester, when the sufferers promptly received medical assistance. An inquiry into the cause of the accident was commenced on Saturday by the board of directors, and was adjourned to this day. Enwann SURTEES, bottlemaker, aged twenty-one, working with Laing and Co., Sunderland, breakfasted in the works at five o'clock on Wednesday morning, it being then dark, and walked out on to the narrow way. " Mind !" exclaimed a fellow•workman ; " don't go over the quay." The next moment a splash was heard. Surtees had fallen into the flood-tide, and was drowned. A COLLISION, by which the lives of a large number of passengers were endangered, and seven received contusions, occurred at the Exeter station of the Bristol and Exeter Railway on Tuesday. The engine-driver and the fireman were at once taken into custody as the culpable parties. They have been fined W., or one month's imprisonment. MAJOR LUMLEY, of the 23rd Fusiliers, who had greatly distinguished himself at the siege of Sebas topol, committed suicide on Sunday last, at Brecon Barracks, by discharging a pistol close under his right ear, the bullet lodging in his head. The gal lant officer had been severely wounded during the attack on the ltedan, a musket-ball having passed through the roof of his mouth, and this circumstance, together with arduous exertions in drilling recruits, had severely affected his health. At an inquest a verdict of " Temporary Insanity " was returned. LORD LEIGH met with an accident while driving over bis estate on Thursday week in a dogcart. The horse took fright, and his lordship was thrown from the valet° with such force that his collar-bone was dislocated. Medical aid was promptly obtained, and the bone was set, so that no permanent injury will supervene. Obituarg. THE COUNTESS OF ABINGDON expired on Saturday evening at Wytham Abbey, Beaks. Her ladyship was the only child of George Harcourt, Esq., M.P., and the late Lady Elizabeth Harcourt- She was married to the present earl, then Lord Norreys, in 1835. She was the mother of five children' six sons and three daughters, all of whom survive to deplore her loss. SIR HENRY JOHN CALDWELL, BART., died recently. He was born in 1801, and married, in 1839, the eldest daughter of 1). R. Paynter, Esq., of Dale, in the county of Pembroke. He succeeded his father in 1842. The deceased baronet was a disioguished officer in the Austrian service. COLONEL C. A. FITZHARDINOE BERKELEY, C. 8., of H.M.'s 32nd Reigment, died on board the Simla, on her homeward passage to Suez, on Sept. 25th. Colonel Berkeley was the eldest son of General Sir George Berkeley, who died a few months ago. He served in the Scots Fusilier Guards up to the middle of last year, having been at different times on his father's staff at the Cape and at Madras. In the former colony he was distinguished in the Kaffir war of 18.16-7. He also shared in the glories and dangers of the Crimea. On the outbreak of the Indian mutiny, beign desirous of seeing further active service, he exchanged with Colonel Brooke, and proceeded to join the 32nd, then beleagured in Lucknow. Since then Colonel Berkeley has had several detached commands, in which he highly dis tinguished himself, obtaining the warm approval of Lord Clyde, and receiving the Companionship of the Bath for his services. He was in his fortieth year, and obtained the rank of Colonel in the Army in 1856. LADY LOUISA OsiveLn expired at an early hour on Wednesday morning at the family seat in Scotland. Lady Louisa was daughter of the late Earl Craven, and married, first, in 1840, Sir George Frederick Johnstone, Bart., by whom she bad twin boys. Her ladyship married, secondly, in 1844, Alexander Oswald, Esq. The lamented deceased bad only attained her forty.tbird year, GXORGE GAMiI Pa, whose loam 13 30 familiar to agrioulturists, died at his residenoe, Gloucester- 1027 gardens, Hyde. park, on Tuesday. Mr. Day, who was a solicitor by pr of ession, was one of the most active leaders of the P rotectionist party while the question of the repeal of the Corn•laws was under the con• sideration of the country. A CONTRIBUTION TO LITERARY HISTORY has been brought to light in the shape of Pope's corre spondence with Broome. These MSS., now in the hands of Messrs. Puttick and Simpson, of Piccadilly, for sale by auction, consist of near one hundred letters, many of them in the hand of Pope, and nearly all relate to the translation of the Odyssey. They are said to throw new light on the relative shares in that work of Pope, the Rev. Mr. Broome, and Mr. Fenton. THE GREAT DEVELOPMENT OF LADIES' DRESSES, says Galignani, has necessitated the const ruction of trunks of extra size to convey them on railways ; and as such trunks not only take up great room, but cost much trouble, the railway companies contemplate henceforth charging for them by size instead of weight. EMBALMING THE DEAD is the subject of a process patented by M. Falcony, a French chemist, who on Tuesday exhibited the results to a number of gentle men in the Lecture-ball of the School of Medicine, Grosvenor-place. M. Falcony uses a powder, com posed chiefly of a neutral salt, mixed with sawdust, which absorbs moisture, and so combines with the most deadly exhalations that no injury can be sus tained by persons being brought into the closest contact with the deceased, and, by preventing putre faction for more than a fortnight, will enable families to be brought together from distant places in time for the interment. In large cities the possibility of contagion when people have died of fevers or cholera will be avoided, as, by the use of the powder, the body is dried up, and after a time falls into dust. The 'process for embalming is by means of a liquid which appears to answer its purpose ; but in this the public will feel less interest than in the temporary pre servation of bodies to prevent injury to the health of the living. THE NATIONAL GALLERY AND THE VERNON COLLEC TION at Marlborough-house, Pall-mall, will be reopened to the public on Monday next. The days for public admission are changed to Mondays, Tuesdays, Wed nesdays, and Saturdays ; Thursdays and Fridays being set apart for the admission of students only. THE SAD FATE OF MR. COULTHARD, the Australian explorer, is disclosed in a letter discovered by Mr. Babbage, who was still prosecuting his exploration. The body of the unfortunate man lay under a scrub bush, and at a short distance from him his canteen and other bush accoutrements. Upon one side of that canteen, offering a convex surface of tin about twelve inches long and ten inches deep, is scratched with a nail or some other rough-pointed instrument the following inscription : I never reached water I do not know how long it is since it is that I left Scott and Brooks but I think it Monday bleeding pomp to leive of his blood I took his black horse to look for water and the last thing I can rem bey is puling the saddle off him and letting him go until now is not good lam not th shure how long it may be wether 2 or 3 days I do not know My Tung is atkig to my mouth and I see what I have rote I know it is this is the last time I may have of expressing feeling alive & the feeling exit is lost for want of water My ey Dasels My tong burn I can see no More God Help. THE VISITORS AT BRIGHTON at the present time exceed 40,000. THE RANEY SYSTEM has been applied with the greatest success to a vicious bull, the property of the Duke of Portland. The operator was a groom whom his grace had placed under the instruction of the great horse-tamer. THE ATLANTIC CARLE, according to a letter from Mr. Saward, the secretary, has transmitted an intel ligib;e message, which, as is observed by the writer, though encouraging, must not be regarded as a per manent state of things, as it is clear there is a serious fault in the cable, while, at the same time, it is not at present absolutely clear that any, except the most extraordinary and, to the cable, dangerous, efforts can be made, more especially on this side, to over• come the existing obstacles in the way of perfect working. The following is the message in ques tion : Bartholomew, Valentin, to Saward, London. I have just received the following words from Newfound• land :—" Daniell's now in circuit." The signals are very distinct. Give me discretion to use our " Daniell's battery reply." The necessary authority to use Daniell's battery wag immediately forwarded to Valenua,