The Press. — London, England, 1856-11-01 00:00:00

NOVEMBER 1, 1856. gen gas caught fire and exploded, literally blowing the vessel to pieces. Her stem, stern, and sides were blown out, and her deck and masts blown high into the air. One of the crew was killed on spot,the three others died a few hours afterwards, six others were severely burnt and injured, the first mate was blown into the dock and saved, and the second mate was blown bad and all out of his bunk through the ship's side, and landed on the quay with a broken pelvis. The concussion was tremendous, and some notion of its force can b' formed from the fact that the barque's 35-cwt. bower anchor was blown over the forestay some fifteen feet into the air, and fell into and sunk a barge alongside. A falling spar killed the chief mate of a vessel lying close by. Great apprehension was excited at first that the flames would spread over the crowded dock, but happily they were got under in a short time, and the vessel sunk in about twelve feet water. An inquest was opened on Tuesday and adjourned for a week. FOUR BODIES have been recovered from Bryn- Malty Mines at Wrexham. Three out of the four had not been drowned by the inundat►on, but killed by choke-damp. An influential meeting was held at the Town-hall on the 24th, and a collection for the sufferers resolved on. Upwards of 8001. have been contributed. THE DANGER OF OVERLOADING A WAREHOUSE FLOOR was shown on Monday at Tewkesbury. Mr. Rice, of that town, had stored about 1,000 bushels of corn upon the first floor of a rickotty old warehouse on the quay. About two p.m. his son, Mr. Henry Rice, entered the lower storey of the building. A foreman labourer, Wm. Newman, was in the same room, with another labourer named Scott. White, a boy, was in the room above, on the top of the wheat. Scott was sent out by Mr. Rice on an errand, and he was just leaving the building when the first floor fell in with a tremendous crash. He was struck violently on the arm, and driven clear out of the door by the falling wheat. Mr. Rice and Newman were com pletely buried in the wheat, and the boy White came sliding down on the top of the grain towards the door. Scott extricated him in an instant, and made such an alarm that a considerable number of labourers, boat men, and others were immediately collected, and they set about digging out the two unfortunate persons who were buried beneath the wheat and the ruins of the floor. In about ten minutes they extricated them, both dead. Blood was flowing from the ears of Mr. Rice, and Newman had as evidently died from suffocation. The floor had about twenty-seven tons of grain upon it, and this was heaped the highest about the centre of the room. The beams, though apparently strong and sound, were in a bad condi tion. At the inquest a verdict of " Accidental death " was returned. LORD GIRLIES, the son and heir of the Earl and Countess of Galloway, attained his majority on the 21st ult., when on that and the three following days a succession of dinners, halls, and general rejoicings among the tenantry took place at the family seat in Galloway. The noble earl end countess also gavo a grand ball specially to their tenantry on the 23rd ult. A CURIOUS AND CLEVER ROBBERY was effected near Cambridge last week. The foundation stone of a county lunatic asylum was laid on the 30th of September last, and the works are now in rapid pro• gress. Some rogues, tempted by the reputed value of the usual deposit cf coins, &c., in the foundation• stone, in the course of last Saturday night pulled down the brickwork, lifted the stone by means of the shores and gear left standing, and then coolly ab stracted the deposit of coins, vellum scroll, &c. The value of the coins was only 21. ls. Bd., but the injury done to the brickwork is between 201. and 301. THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, M.P., is at present engaged at Liverpool in investigating into a matter in dispute between the London and North- Western and the Great Northern Railway Companies. Mr. Gladstone has undertaken this duty at the request of both parties interested, and who have agreed to abide by his adjudication. DEER STALKING AND DEPOPULATION IN BRAEMAR is the heading of a letter signed John S. Blackie, in Monday's Times. He writes :—The whole Braemar district, if not systematically cleared in any part, according to the Sutherland model, has been, from some cause or other, very extensively depopulated. The statistical account of 1845, written by the parish minister, shows that the population of the united parishes of Crathie and Blamer was—in the year 1755, 2,671 souls ; 1794, 2,251 souls; 1831, 1,808 souls; 1841, 1,712 souls—a diminution of nearly 1,000 souls in a single century, at a period when the country generally was rapidly increasing in pro sperity and in population. The only set off against this appalling amount of local decline is the fact that, according to the last population returns in 1851, a small increase is reported, the then population being given as 1,788 souls. What strikes a stranger most in the Braemar district, atter he has recovered from his first stupendous admiration of mountains and pine forests, is the great number of ruined houses that is everywhere prominent in the glens ; that, in IMIIMII THE- PRESS. fact, many glens whh had lately contained a st considerable populatirn of industrious peasants present nothing now but a solitude arid a game keeper's house. THE PRESTON CHIMNEY 3 are still swept by poor and wretched children. The Chimney Sweepers Act has hitherto been a dead letter in North Lancashire, but the question, we art glad to see, is about to be taken up. A meeting washeld in Preston on Monday, and a committee appointed to take the necessary steps to enforce the act and put a stop to the cruel ties which are welt known to be yet daily inflicted upon these poor children. THE UTTER CARELESSSESS some persons exhibit when using or handling gunpowder is incredible. Last week a maker of fileworks at ltashclitfe, near Huddersfield, one Shay., was sitting in a back room with his wife. son, grandniece, and daughter, all engaged .n making up squibs awl crackers, &c. A heap )f some twenty pounds of loose powder was on the table, and two tallow candles were placed dose by with a basin of water at Shaw's hand lo drop in the snuffs ! Of course an explosion occurred ; it would have been a miracle if one had not. The whole of the persons were severely burnt, and the poor little grandniece died from her injuries the same night. At the ordi• nary inquiry a verdict of "Accidental death" was returned. LORD STANLEY, M.P., lately declined to attend the approaching inauguration of the Norwich Free Library. The committee forwarded an invitation to the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., to give the institution the advantage of his presence. The right hon. gentleman has, however, declined the overtures made to him. THE BLENHEIM-HOUSE ADMISSION CHARGES have been the subject of a diseassion in the papers. "One who has been fleeced at Blenheim" wrote to the Times on Monday, complaining of the extortions of the Duke of Marlborough's servants who show the place to strangers. Lurd Alfred Churchill, on the other hand, complains of the inconvenience caused by the number of visitor:, and says that the charges made are merely sufficient to defray the extra expense caused by the sight-seers, and deter those from coming in who go merely to pass the time. "A Con sumer of Taxes," however, asserts that it is the head gardener who pays the additional sums thus required, and contracted with the duke to pay the extra gar deners out of the receipts from the visitors. Jn reply to these statements the Duke of Marlborough addressed a letter to the Times of Wednesday, stating that he bad just framed fresh regulations for admis sion to the Blenheim galleries, at a charge of one shilling, and twopence each for those who visit the gardens. THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTS OW THE LIVERPOOL CORPO RATION TREASURER, which have just been printed, state that the total amount received during the year for town dues at Liverpool was 133,4981. 7s. Id. (I. ss returns, 2,2901. Ils. I Id.), of which 2,4961. 6s. 3i. was expended in salaries and other costs of collection : received for town dues and anchorage at Runcorn, 3,619/. 10s. 5d., the expenses of collection being 2,9081. 4s. 6d. Yalu au THE PARLIAMENT-STREET ASSAULT CASE was pre lirninarily examined into by Mr. Jardine, on Tuesday' at Bow-street. 'l".te injured man, Cope, is still living, but was, of course, unfit to undergo an examination. Other witnesses of the cowardly assault gave evidence. James 'Pickling said : On Monday evening, last week, I was passing up Puha. ment•street, at about halt•past nine, and my attention was drawn to Mr. Berry's shop. There were several persons there, and I stayed awhile myself. I could see a man in• side, and I saw him strike a blow, but I could not see the person he struck. Presently a man came out with a cigar in his mouth and a parcel in his hand—either a black leather bag or a parcel done up in black leather. He pulled the door to after hint, and hat hardly let•t when the door went open, and I saw a man lying on the Boor bleeding. . _ Henry Croft said :—I live at Wrokingham, and was formerly in the police : On Monday night, the 21:h inst., at about twenty minutes past nine, I was passing through Parliament street with a young woman, when I heard a faint cry of murder from the shop of Mr. Berry. It sounded to me like a woman's voice. I saw the prisoner inside, and saw him strike a blow, but could not see the person who was struck. He repeated the blow four or five times. He struck over the counter. Some man who was there said, " It is only a man beating his wile," and walked quickly away. The prisoner, when he left off striking, took up a parcel, and came out smoking. I watched him for about ten yards. I then looked into the shop, and tom the man behind the counter push the fiap of the counter up with both hands, and tall back covered with blood. Some people went in, and carried him out. Afterwards the prisoner was brought back. lam quite sure he is the Same wall. 1041 Mary Walsh said that on Monday night, a little after ten, she was passing with her husband from Millbank-street to Parliament-street, when she picked up the life-preserver now produced. On Wednesday her husband read the report of this case in the paper, and supposing it might affect the case, she took the life-preserver to the police. station. It was when she found it in the same state as now. The life-preserver, which is of unusual sizo and weight, is slightly cut in two or three parts of tho knob. The prisoner wns remanded till Wednesday next. About nine o'clock the same evening the prisoner was taken to Westminster Hospital in order to be identified by Cope. Mr. Jardine and Mr. Burnaby were present at Cope's bedside. The prisoner having been placed at the foot of the bed, Cope at once identified him, and in reply to the few ques tions permitted by the house-surgeon, said that Marley had struck him with a life-preserver. lie had never seen Marley before. Cope's articulation now benniing imperfect, he was assisted to attest the deposition, and the prisoner was removed to prison. Fron► what has been gleaned of Marley's career, it would appear that he was the son of a colonel of marines ; that he received a good educa tion, but, being the scamp of the family, was dis- carded, and eventually, in 1839, enlisted into a re giment of dragoons, and went out to the Cape; he obtained a high character, but suddenly failing into his old scampish habits, deserted twice ; was ulti mately caught, tried, branded, and dismissed the service. He then beesme a confirmed rogue ; was sentenced to transportation for burglary a short time since; obtained a ticket of leave, and made that ass of it which brings him into his present position. AN Imsn Row more frequently ends in broken heads than stabbing, but a gross case of the latter result was brought before Mr. Seeker at Southwark on Monday. The quarrel, which appeared to be of some standing among those engaged, broke out li.st Saturday evening at a public-house in Bermondsey. 'Ulm three prisoners, Ryan and the two Burchells, were charged with cutting and wounding one Griffin, who was in hospital in too dangerous a state to ap pear, but the . following deposition was read On Saturday evening I came to see my brother at Willow grove, Bermondsey. I had a pot of beer or better with him, two brothers named Leary, and the wife of one of them. My brother was fighting with Richard Burchell. He went to fight him at his own house, and I followed him and put him back, and wanted him to leave Burchell's place ; and as I went a second time to get my brother back I was struck on my eye with a part of a poker or part of a brick. I do not know who did it. I was outside the house and was knocked down, and when down I caught a man by the feet to save my face from three or four who were over me. My brother was there and saw what happened. 1 held my arms up to save my face, and held his legs at the same time It was then I was stabbed in my side. Two strange men pulled me up. When I was on the ground I felt a knife enter my side, and the man whose legs I had hold of stabbed me. I thought it was a bit of a stick he had when I first saw it in the man's hand. I was not drunk, but I had been drinking. The prisoner Richard Burchell was near me, beating and kicking me all the time I was on the ground. I afterwards saw that it was a black handled knife, and I heard the spring when it was opened. I know nothing of Abraham Burchell and Ryan. The prisoners were remanded for a week. THE RECORDER OF LONDON opened on Monday the October sessions of the Central Criminal Court. In his charge to the grand jury the learned recorder remarked the heaviness of the calendar in roint of the number of the cases. The character of the crimes was comparatively light. THE LEEDS WIZARD, HARRISON, charged with a rape upon one of his women dupes, has been re manded again this week for further evidence. ALDERMAN FAREBROTHER, at the Guildhall on Monday, made a few general remarks upon betting. One Charles Adams, a well-dressed man, was charged with conspiring with another man not in custody to defraud Richard Mott, 8, Princess street, Barbican. The prosecu:or said he was a carpenter, and that on Tuesday week last he saw the defendant at 7, Fleet lane, and there made a bet with him upon a horse race. He had won the bet., and could not get the money. Alderman FARPIROTHER : It is disgraceful from begin ning to end. You had no business to bet. You will ruin yourself and faintly. We heard the other day of a noble man running away because he could not pay his debts, caused by betting. I would have them all whipped round the coarse. The defendant said he had nothing to do with the room where the betting was going on, though he let it out to other people. Alderman FAREBROTDIFII : I cannot deal with the case You had better go home and attend to your family. Yon are a fool, and he is a rogue. You are a fool to take his word. You meant to cheat him, but he, having rather more cunning, cheated you. In my opinion all bettors are rogues, and ought to be sent to the treadmill. I cannot in terfere in the case. "~