The Press. — London, England, 1857-09-19 00:00:00

M11MM. , ... 11 -- Yee an Volta. A HORRIBLE MURDER was committed near Clifton last week. 't'he details of the case are as follows : On Friday evening a gamekeeper in the employ of Mr. W. Miles, M.P., passing along the north side of Nightingale-valley, Leigh Woods, near the rabbit warren, discovered the body of a woman lying on the ground, with her arms extended, and her face covered with blood, quite dead. The keeper raised an alarm, and on examining the body it was discovered that her throat was cut from ear to ear, and the head nearly severed from the trunk. There was also a wound in the right side of the head, apparently caused by a bullet. There were no other marks of violence on the body, and no instrument of death was found near it. The deceased female appears to be about thirty years of age; she is of diminutive stature, rather handsome, and is dressed in a grey alpaca gown, frilled round the neck and down the front, with kid boots and two skirts, one gry and the other white. She had no bonnet. The body was removed to the New Inn, at Rownham Ferry, and information forwarded to the county coroner, Mr. B. Fry. In the course of Sunday it transpired that a respectable woman named Bowden, who keeps a beerhouse in Dowry place, Hotwells, had stated that between twelve and one o'clock on Friday a young woman of slight make, and precisely resembling in dress the deceased, accompanied by a sailor, came to her house for some beer, and then left to visit Leigh Woods. Upon further inquiry, these parties were found to have no relation to the murdered woman. The inquest on the body was held on Monday. G. Wort, the game keeper, described finding a bloody handkerchief in Leigh Woods, and afterwards the body between five and six o'clock on Friday evening. The throat had been cut; there was the mark of a pistol bullet at the right side of the head, and the blood upon the arms and sleeves of the deceased's dress was still wet. Near the spot were footmarks, apparently those of a man. There was no bonnet, shawl, mantle, or cap nesr the deceased. The pocket of the dress bad been cut out, but this had since been discovered in Ashton-park by one of Mr. Smyth's keepers. Edward Jones, superintendent of the Ashton police, produced the portion of the pocket, and then deposed : The initials on the handkerchief, " C.P.," were the same as those on the stockings, flannel jacket, and chemise of the deceased. Thomas Fry, gamekeeper to Mr. Smyth, of Ashton-park, proved finding a portion of a woman's dress, on Sunday morning, on the top of Rownham-hill. It appeared to have been thrown over the park wall froth the roadside. Mr. Rudd Lucas, surgeon, of Long Ashton, described the appearances he observed from an external examination of the head of the deceased. There was an incised wound across the throat about six inches long and from two to three inches deep. The upper part of the windpipe was completely severed. The external carotid artery on the right side was divided, as well as the internal carotid artery ; and the gullet was also wounded on the right. He noticed a wound on the right temple, apparently produced by a bullet. The cut in the throat must have been made by a sharp instrument —such as a knife or razor. He thought the deceased had been dead about two days when he first saw her on Sunday morning. The coroner then directed a post-mortem examination to be made, and the in-. quiry was adjourned for that purpose till this Saturday. On Tuesday the body was viewed by a Mrs. Green, landlady of the White Lion Tavern, Temple-street, who speaks to it with considerable confidence as that of a female who slept at her house on the Thursday night. She states that the female came to her house at twelve o'clock on Thursday night, with a man whom she stated to be her husband. The hus band was dressed as a seaman. The woman had a dark grey alpaca dress, with frill round the neck and (town the front, kid or leather boots with high heels (just the dress of the murdered woman), and a straw bonnet with coloured ribbons, and black cloth mantle with figured velvet trimmings. They slept there, and breakfasted and left at ten o'clock, the husband stating that he was going to receive his money from his ship. The woman told the landlady that she had been married since April, but had been living in respectable service at Clevedon till that day, when her husband came down and fetched her away without giving any notice to her mistress. What is regarded as a suspicious circumstance is that the man induced the woman to turn her clothes out of a box which she brought to the house with her and tie them up in a bundle, and that before leaving he gave the box to a servant girl. Con stables have been despatched to Clevedon by Super intendent Jones, of the county constabulary, to investigate the matter. Mr. Superintendent Hand cock, of the Bristol force, has also sent a detach • ment of twenty-five men to make a thorough search of the wood. They are to examine every crevice, and draw all the rabbits' burrows with hooks, in the hope of finding the cloak and bonnet. Up to the THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 19, 1857. atest date no clue has been discovered of tha identity of the woman or of her murderer. The detective police of the metropolis are on the ground, and a reward it is probable will be offered by Go vernment for the apprehension of the murderer. MR. TOWNSHEND, M.P. for Greenwich, appeared before the Bankruptcy Court on Monday. The debts are 5,0001., assets 1,0001. The contest for the choice of assignees was very warm, and resulted in the appointment of Messrs. Wallis and Shepherd. THE INQUEST on the bodies of the seven men killed by the explosion at the Gawn Colliery, on Thursday, was opened at Dudley on Saturday last. The proceedings were chiefly of a formal nature, and the inquest was adjourned for a more complete investigation. Prior to the adjourned inquest, the Government inspeator will make a more complete examination of the pit. THE THREE PRISONERS, PERRY, WHIFFEN, AND GRIFFITHS, employed ou the North-Kent Railway, were tried on Wednesday at the Central Criminal Court upon several indictments charging them with manslaughter, arising from the fatal accident of the evening of the 28th of June. After a lengthened trial verdicts of " Not guilty " were returned by the jury, who at the same time expressed their greatest disapprobation of the c'efective state of the signals and the bad time kept on the North Kent line. MR. HENLEY ON THE INDIAN MUTINIES. ON Thursday last the annual ploughing matches of the Thame Agricultural Association took place at Theme, when abc.ut forty teams competed for the prizes offered by the society. In the evening about 130 members of the association sat down to dinner at the Spread Eagle Hotel, under the presidency of Mr. W. H. Wykeham, of Tythorp-park. The cloth having been drawn, and the usual loyal toasts disposed of, The CHAIRMAN proposed " The Health of the Members for the County of Oxford, Mr. Henley, Mr. Harcourt, and Colonel North," which was drunk in a rapturous manner. Mr. HENLEY, on rising, was loudly cheered, and, after apologising for the absence of Mr. Harcourt from indisposition, he proceeded to remark that questions of a social nature, which in ordinary times and under ordinary circumstances they were desirous of promoting, were now, he would not say altogether passed away, but they were entirely overshadowed by matters of more stirring interest which had recently occurred, for there was scarcely any class of society, however high or low their position in life, who had not got some friends or acquaintances in India, or who had not, at all events, some interest in the dreadful struggle which was going on at a distance of 14,000 miles from this country. With respect to the complaints against our rule, he ;believed that our rule had been productive of a great amount of security for life and property—that there had been much less wrong of any sort or kind during the period of British rule in India than the history of any preceding times could show in that country The nations of India were accustomed to be governed by the sword, and he ( Mr. Henley) believed that it was quite impossible that they could be altogether governed upon the same principle and in the same way as we governed ourselves in this country, although the people of this country were apt to complain that tee hand was too heavy. But the events which had occurred in India had taken the wisest and best men by surprise. They found the native army of from 80,000 to 100,000 men, well paid, well cared for, and well pensioned, drifting away without any known reason—for he believed it was now acknowledged on all hands that the plea of the cartridge was only a pretence. This large body of soldiers, without he might say rhyme or reason, had now turned against those whose salt they had eaten and whose pay they had received, and in the most treacherous manner had foully murdered the officers whom it was their duty to protect, and, not content with murdering the officers of the different regiments, they had all heard of the cruelties and barbarities which had been committed upon defenceless women and children, and that, too, with a refinement of cruelty which was quite unparalleled, for they performed them before the very eyes of the men with whom they had been connected, and whose pay they had been receiving, and, having in the first instance butchered the wives and children of their officers, they barbarously despatched them also. He believed that the history of the world did not present within so short a space of time such a woeful example of what wretched creatures human beings were when they were let loose from the restraints which kept them within the bounds of decency and forbearance. But the day of reckoning must come, and it was due to English women and to English children, for it was not in the English nature to allow parties belonging to them to be treated in that barbarous manner without calling those to account who had been the perpetrators of such horrid cruelties. He ventured to say that every one throughout the length and breadth of the land felt it was only due to their fellow-subjects in India that if the 30,000 or 40,000 men who had been sent from this country were found insufficient to set matters straight, even larger numbers should be sent, and, if necessary, 100,000 inure should follow in their steps to redress the grievous wrong that had been inflicted upon them. A matter of that importance must throw all social ques tions into the shade. The question whether 101. or 81. howleholklera or other persona shotthl have votes must 919 sink into insignificance when compared to the revolt in India, anti be hoped that question would pot be consi dered until they could see their way clearly through the difficulties whieli beset them. They had a mighty wrong which must be redressed. It was not a question whether India was governed in the wisest and best way that human ingenuity could suggest. But no man, in his opinion, could pretend to say that they had any wrong or grievance at all to complain of. It was possible that some of the native princes might feel aggrieved, but for the men who bad taken our pay, who had sworn allegiance year after year to our Sovereign, to turn round and slaughter in the most cruel manner our helpless women and children, it was a thing which every• man with English blood in his veins would say must be effectually put down. He (Mr. Henley) was not one of those who was impatient to put down the vagabonds who had joined iu this revolt; vaga bonds they were, for the first thing a vagabond did when he wanted to do anything wrong was to let loose all the thieves and cutthroats to help him, and in all revolutions the first thing was to get the aid and assistance of those who were as great rascals as themselves. Toe first thing these mutineers did was to liberate 3,000 or 4,0()0 rascals from our gaols. As he had always remarked, he was not impatient in this matter, but he hoped the mutineers would remain in Delhi until the month of October or Nov., when the reinforcements had arrived, and they could be all punished together, instead of their being allowed to walk out of one of the three sides (for he believed it was a three•sided city), while we walked in at the other. Ile had no doubt, if they remained there, that when the troops arrived they would soon be able to give a short account of them. It would be a great misfortune if the rebels were allowed to obtain a temporary success, and when our troops got into Delhi for the mutineers to walk out, because they would then be in a position to give us more trouble. He thought it was a fortunate thing that the rebels all docket to Delhi, instead of spreading themselves over India, because the experience of all of them taught them that if they wanted to kill vermin the best and most effectual plan was to get theta into a corner. He was therefore not at all disappointed that Delhi had not been taken, and regarded is as a guarantee of a more permanent success. With regard to the resources of this country, he thought they were equal to tea times the pressure which the pre sent state of India would make upon them. They had had greater difficulties than that to contend with in times past, for such was the spirit of our countrymen, that it was not until difficulties arose that they found out what an Englishman was made of. During times of prosperity no one would think that Englishmen were so capable of " buckling to," and overcoming all hindrances ; but it was the spirit of Englishmen at all times when they were put upon their trial to throw all difficulties and troubles aside, and when they saw the thing was to be done to hang toge ther and do it. That was the spirit which had carried them through ten times greater difficulties than that which existed in India. Just one hundred years had elapsed since our countrymen won India. - England was at tie present time three times stronger and more powerful than site was then ; she possessed vastly increased means of communication, and he had therefore no doubt that we should win back that which we had lost, and keep it with still greater security. THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER AT AN ARCHERY FETE. IT is refreshing'in these anxious times to see that Ministers in the midst of their serious responsi bility can find time for a little relaxation ; that they can put on their Balmorals, or their overalls, and enjoy a week or two's shooting or fishing at pleasure, or perchance, if, like the Chancellor of the Exchequer, their tastes lead them to prefer milder pursuits, to attend archery fetes, distribute the prizes, make speeches, and even return thanks for the ladies. It was upon such a brilliant occasion that Sir George Lewis recently spoke in public. Ths archers of Herefordshire held a fete, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, amidst the cheers of the guests, made the wittiest and most original speech at the banquet Among other topics handled by the right hon. gentleman was one not only novel in its nature, but, under the circumstances, important in its application, We allude to " the weather ": Before he resumed his seat he begged to be permitted to express a feeling which be was sure' must be shared in by every one present—his great admiration of the beauty of the scenery by which they were surrounded, and the pleasure which he could not fail to experience in their being so fortunate as to have a day so much more agree able and propitious than those which had preceded it, but he hoped not better than those by which it would be fol lowed. The weather truly had cleared up in a very auspicious manner for their enjoyment, and perhaps a better spot could hardly have been found in the kingdom for the prosecution of the elegant pastime of archery. He should only be uttering truth if he said, it almost seemed that nature had selected that particularly lovely spot as the scene for a bow meeting. The weather was particularly lovely, the ground most conveniently situated for shooting, and they were surrounded by all varieties of scenery, diversified by nature and embellishei by art. These feelings he could not help expressing—feelings which he knew to be participated in by the great assembly he had the honour of addressing. THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE hai consented to lay the foundation-stone of a Crimean monument in Sheffield early in October, Tile day will be observed as a general holiday.