The Press. — London, England, 1855-01-13 00:00:00

JANUARY 13, 1835 his wife, as well as Mrs. Williamson, a friendly farewell. A very few days later, Buranelli, writing from a lodging in Newman-street, addressed Jane Williamson in terms of affection and implored her to receive him again. Mrs . Williamson, perplexed, and not knowing what to do, showed the letter to Mr. Lambert, who strongly advised her to have no thing more to say to him, and to burn his letter— advice which she seems to have followed. Nothing more is known to have been heard of Buranelli until Saturday last, on the evening of which day he met Harriet Miller, a domestic servant in the employ of the Lamberts, in Foley.place, and told her to present his compliments to Mr. and Mrs. Lambert, and to say that he was going to Paris on the following morning. At ten minutes after nine o'clock on Sunday morn ing Buranelli presented himself at the door of No. 5, Foley-place, and rang the area bell. He was ad mitted by a charwoman, named Sophia de Veaux, who had herself been let into the house by Mrs. Lambert only an hour previously. De Veaux knew that he had lodged in the house, and, therefore, was not surprised on being requested to take down stairs a great-coat, of which the assassin divested himself as he entered the house, and to receive for Mrs. Williamson two small parcels, which he placed in her hands at the same time. She was, however, sur prised, as she descended the kitchen stairs, to hear the door of the back parlour, where the Lamberts were in bed, opened by Buranelli; and while in the act of ascending to satisfy herself what could be meant by this intrusion, she was horror-struck at hearing the report of a pistol, and the next moment a loud shriek from her mistress. She instantly ran to the front door, and seeing a policeman on the opposite side of the road, obtained his assistance as above described. From Mrs. Williamson it was ascertained that she was in bed in one of the attics, together with Harriet Miller, thewervant-maid, when she was aroused from a so sleep by a loud knocking at, and trying the handle of, her door. At the same time she heard the voice of Buranelli calling out to her to admit him. She was in the act of jumping out of bed to do so, when Harriet Miller implored her not to let him in, as she feared some thing might happen. Mrs. Williamson checked her self for a moment, and called out., " Where is Lambert?" Buranelli immediately replied in broken English, "Lambert is dead, and I am his assassin!" Mrs. Williamson was, of course, greatly terrified, but the sound of approaching footsteps up the stairs re lieved her, and at the same instant Buranelli retired from her door, and shut himself in an adjoining attic, where the next moment the discharge of a pistol and a heavy fall were heard. This was all that could be personally ascertained of the assassin's visit to the house on Sunday morning. But upon opening the parcels addressed to Mrs. Williamson, and placed in the charwoman's hands by Buranelli, some extraordinary facts were disclosed. One of those parcels contained a small daguerreotype like ness of Buranelli, in a mcrocco case, within which were enclosed two papers, upon one of which was written as follows : To Mrs. J. Williamson. Remember this miserable win An unintelligible ward follows here, apparently signifying, [The victim] of Lore! From Lula! BURANELLI. 5.1.55. _ Adieu, my dear! Adieu, my love! Adieu, for ever ! The other paper inclosed was a note written in a patois, something between Italian and Spanish, but which the efforts of the reporter failed to decipher completely. It commenced, " Amico Carissimo," and concluded, "Il tuo infelice amico." The following is the translation of the letter as far as it was possible to decipher it : The night of the eth of January, PM. My dearest Love--I have been to the residence of Lambert, and have had words with him. lie called me a thief and an assassin. He did so several times. I did nothing to offend him. I leave you my portrait, my dearest wife! I am sorry to lose your friendship, and more sorry to give you so mush trouble. — Adieu, for ever, your unfortunate friend, I.UIOI BURANELI.I. After the proper surgical attention had been paid to his case, Buranelli, who still retained complete sen sibility, was asked if he desired to say anything in reference to his condition, upon which he dictated the following statement, which was taken down in writing by Sergeant Hayes : My name is Luigi Buranelli. lam a valet, and lately lived with Mr. Thomas Stewart Drummond, of Perth, in Scotland. I was in this hospital some time ago as a patient for fistula, and being known to Mr. Lambert, he and his wife wished me to live with them, as they said I should be more comfortable .than if I resided alone. I consented to live with them in Nee man•street, and while there I became intimate with Jane Williamson. In consequence of a difference I hail with her, Mr. and Mrs. Lam bert wished me to leave their house, winds I did. Mrs. William son was with child by me, and during an interview I had with Mr. Lambert, on Thursday week last, he threatened to strike me. In consequence of this I became desperate, and this morning I went to the house, No. e, Foley-place, and when the door was `fliened by the servant, I forced rev way into Lambert's bedroom, sod placing a pistol at the bark of his head, sbot him, and then I shot Mrs. Lambert. I then ran up stairs, and reloading uue of THE PRESS. my pistols, shot myself, and I hope I shall soon die. I repeat that Mrs. Williamson is in the family-way by me, and 1 had written her several letters to which no answers had been re turned. I bought the pistols is Tottenham-court-road and the balls and caps iu Oxford-street. • Three cartridges and some percussion-caps were found upon the assassin. He positively refuses to receive spiritual consolation from a Roman Catholic priest, though professing that faith, but to the Protestant chaplain of the hospital, as well as to Mr. Vigurs, he has expressed his great sorrow for the deed he has committed. Buranelli is a widower, and has one daughter, a child of three )ears old, living in Kent. He is him self only thirty-one years old. It has been ascertained by inquiry at his lodgings in Newman-street, that he bad been engaged in writing until a very late hour on Saturday night. He had suffered much from illness of late ; but is a good-looking man with a pensive cast of countenance, and wears a handsome moustache. Buranelli is ex pected to recover, and Mrs. Lambert is considered to be out of danger. A CIRCUMSTANCE of a most painful nature took place at the Lyceum Theatre, Sunderland, on Satur day evening last, during the performance of a Christ mas pantomime called Paddy Carny and Ifolshee Baum. The clown and pantaloon had been amusing the audience by their antics, and were playing some strange freaks in the kitchen scene, to the great amusement of the spectators, when, placing them selves back to back, they commenced whirling round together in that position ; suddenly the clown (Mr. W. H. Grimani) was seized by an attack of illness and fell ; he was immediately removed from the stage and conveyed to his lodgings, where he shortly afterwards expired. The deceased, who was fifty-five years of age, was much respected by the company. LORD STANLEY AT BLACKBURN. AN inaugural meeting of the Blackburn Mechanics Institution took place on the 4th. Lord Stanley was unanimously called upon to preside, and his address was received witL much applause. In the course of his speech he said : With regard to their means of supporting such an insti tution, the question admitted of a simple reply. They had a populatiou of nearly 50,000 persons—a population which, within the last twenty years, had nearly doubled in number. He was told that the rateable annual value of pro2erty there was, two years ago, about 100,0001., and that it had since risen to 112,0001.; thus showing, not only the posses sion of a large amount of wealth, but also that that wealth was steadily on the increase. And, as regarded the posi tion of the labouring population, he was informed ou the best authority that the wages of high-skilled labourers varied from 15s. to 18s. per week, which was about the average price of that district, but half as much more than wits paid in the agricultural districts of England. There was no question, therefore, that the members of the institution had the means of existing as an institution if they thought proper. In the next place, what was the necessity for the existence of such an institution? He found, however, by evidence not absolutely conclusive, but upon which he was inclined to rely, thet the amount con sumed in drink in Blackburn was about 4001. a day, or rather more than 140,0001. per year. In that respect, their condition was higher and better than that of many neigh bouring communities. (Cheers.) At the same time it was evident that such a consumption--a consumption suf ficient to maintain four hundred public-houses and beer shops—was still a great anonialy. Amongst those present who took an interest, and had shown a pecuniary interest in the institution, were masters employing some 12,000 or 13,000 hands. He thought that was a proof that the insti tion was intended for the 9perative classes, and that it would be supported both by the employer and the employed. He would state in a few words the circumstances under which they met. If it were possible, he would recommend the establishment of a free lib - ray ; but if that were notpossible, and he thought it was not—for it implied not only the pos session offends sufficient to establish, but also to maintain it—if it were not possible to maintain such a library, as the next best alternative be would recommend the library of the institution to be thrown open to all parties who were not members, on payment of a small charge. Look at Man chester; the free library in that town cost something like 12,0001.—it is free to all classes, and at all hours. He would venture to say that no private individual in Manchester hail in his library a collection of books half so valuable as that which was brought together in the free library of that town. We. in England were very much behindhand in this matter. There was no large town in France that had not also its collection of books, generally large, and pretty well chosen. If they considered what was a well-attested fact, that 50,000,000/. were spent annually in this country on intoxicating drinks, and in Blackburn alone something like 1 tO,OOO/., he would say that the sum required to estab lish a public free library, which would be open to all, and a source of pleasure, into est, and instruction for years, was not much more than the receipts at the public-bonses and beer shops of Blackburn for one single week. (Cheers.) Ho was convinced that what had been done in Preston, Bolton, and other towns, Blackburn would also be able to do. lie looked back upon their past, and he found that even amongst other industrial communities Blackburn had still held a place. It was there, ninety years ago, the ingenuity of Hargreaves added millions of wealth to the nation, and shed a lustre on the place of his birth and his labours. ( Ureat cheering.) He was confident that they would not let it be said that they were now resting upon their past triiunphs and success. I am still more confident (his loidslup continued) that you will not let it be said that, amidst the bustle of business, and the excitement of com mercial competition, you have forgotten the higher and more ennobling claims of human intelligence, and of moral and mental progress. The noble chairman resumed his seat amidst loud applause. £o tin Art, Xittrature, tEI. THE PARIS PALAIS D'INDUSTRIE is to be handed over by the contractors at the close of tee present week to the imperial commissioners, who will at once proceed to organise the various departments of the forthcoming Industrial Exhibition with the utmost activity. The prospect of the anticipated influx of strangers has already excited strange hopes in the minds of the Parisian lodginghouse-keepers and and restaurateurs, and the rumours that the capital will betexcessively crowded, and everything excessively dear in May , next, are becoming every day more sub stantial. There is some fear expressed, indeed, that the matter will be overdone as in London in 1851, and between a surplusage of preparations sad an exorbitant elevation of prices the visitors will get alarmed and the providers lose the greater part of their expected harvest. Meanwhile an ingenious suggestion has been thrown out, that while the exhibi tion continues open the Imperial Commission should appoint an English sub-commissioner to deliver daily lectures to his countrymen on the art of living cheaply in Paris. THE COPYRIGHT CONVENTION, signed by the Go vernments of France and Spain, came into vigour on the Ist of January, 1855. PROFESSOR KISS, the sculptor of the " Amazon," has been appointed president of the Society for the Advance of Art. Tan FRENCH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES held its annual sitting on Monday, and awarded prizes for astronomy to Mr. March, attached to Bishop's observatory at London; Mr. Hind, belonging to the same observa tory ; Mr. Ferguson, attached to the observatory of Washington ; Hermann Goldschmidt, historical painter; and M. Chacornac, attached to the obser vatory of Paris ; each of these persons having dis covered a small planet in 1854. VIFUXTEMPS, the famous violinist, is appointed director of the opera at Vienna, at a salary of 2,000 florins. THE ALLEGED POSTHUMOUS WORK OY WALTER SCOTT Still causes some talk in Paris. As a contemporary suggests, the one indispensable step towards the establishment of the authenticity of " Moredun," is the subjecting of the MSS. to the inspection of persons familiar with the handwriting of Sir Walter Scott. There are many such in Edinburgh ; some of the official colleagues, and more of the official sub ordinates of Sir Walter are alive. There is also Mr. Cadell, the publisher of his collected works. Until the MM. are allowed to undergo this ordeal, it is in vain for M. Cabany to talk about the internal evidence of the tale. A LETTER FROM CONSTANTINOPLE, in the midst of its warlike news, says,—" There is a very fair opera here, to which everybody seems rushing nightly, either to drown his cares in the Favorite and Barbieri di Sieiglia, or to get through the evening, which hangs very heavily on your hands after the indigestible dinner you have eaten at I he hotel—whose gastro nomic artist is invariably a Greek, with a patriotic and strong predilection for grease in everything. After such a repast you listen with pleasure to the notes of Miss Alba in the rdle of Rosissa, who really has a very good contralto, and pronounces the Italian so well that you can hardly discover her Anglican origin, which becomes as metamorphosed as her name, which is " White." A FESTIVAL AND PROCESSION in honour of the Ma donna has taken place in Naples. The procession made the round of old Naples, returning, after four hours' walking, to the spot from whence they had started. Her Majesty and a large assemblage of the Court were at the windows of the palace . . All Naples was out to witness this distinguished act of royal devotion. His Majesty was so mach overcome by his feelings, that he was frequently seen to wipe away the tears which rolled down his pions cheeks. Au event has taken place which has put all the foreigners in Naples on the qui wive. A third orifice has been formed in Vesuvius. It is near the top of the cone, and the opening is so clean that the strata of the mountain may be seen to a considerable depth. The receipts of the theatres, balls, singing cafes, and curiosities of Paris, in the month of December last, were 1,225 750 f., which were 114,987 f. more than in November. The total receipts of the year were 19,409,061 f.