Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-23 00:00:00

THE LATEST TELEGRAMS. THE WAR. COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES. tIREAT BATTLE BETWEEN THE AUSTRIANS AND THE FRENCH. UPWARDS OF ONE THOUSAND KILLED AND WOUNDED. Two HUNDRED AUSTRIAN PRISONERS, INCLUDING A COLONEL, IN THE HANDS OF THE FRENCH. The following telegrams have reached us : PARIS, Saturday Evening.—The following de spatch from the Emperor has been posted on the Bourse : ALESSANDRIA, May 21st.—A body of Austrians, 411 011 t 15,000 strong, attacked the advanced posts of tie corps under Marshal Baraguay d'Hilliers, but Were repulsed by General Forego's division, which ;behaved admirably, and cleared the village of Mon tebello of the enemy, after an obstinate fight of four lours " The Piedmontese cavalry, commanded by General onnaz, fought with extraordinary energy. " Two hundred prisoners were taken, including one PROGRAS O 1 THE WAR. (FROM THE "TIME?' COATLESPONDENT.) AUSTRIAN HEAD-QUARTEAS, MORTARA, May 15. —No movement of any importance has taken place since my last, except that one corps d'arm4 (Count Stadion's) has been moved from here about 12 miles further south. I noted carefully the march of this corps, wishing to know exactly what space it occupied on a road, and what time was necessary to put it in motion, so as to be able to explain why an' army cannot possibly march from Pavia to Turin in four Or- five days. The advanced guard passed my point of observation at 8.5 a.m., and from that time till 12.55 the stream of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and military train flowed past without intermission. Five hours all but ten minutes ! ffo you see my estimate of 10 or 12 miles of road for such a corps must be within the truth ; off the road, as I before told you, they cannot move. Of course, for a sudden dash, infantry, cavalry, and even a few guns, could be sent 30 or 35 miles a day, and to rush on Novi with two or three such light columns was the original intention of the Austrians. This intention they abandoned, when Lord Malmesbury asked them to delay their en trance into Piedmont, and no proof can be stronger of the non-offensive character of that movement, when ultimately made, than the fact of each corps taking its entire 'baggage with it. The train of the Austrians is larger than that of other armies, principally on account of the number of ambulance waggons it takes into the field. In care for the wounded they certainly are further advanced than ourselves or the French. When moving on the Sesia, for instance, a week ago, they took with them everything necessary to establish a hospital for 800 men at Vercelli. The story told by the Sardinians of Garibaldi entering that town, and making 300 prisoners is totally Without foundation. Garibaldi may have been present last Tuesday when Vercelli was recon noitred, but the reconnoitering party did not ap proach within a, mile of the town, and retired when they pereeived that it was held by o. large force. No prisoners were taken. The ex cuse of the King of Sardinia for seizing the Austrian vessels in Genoa, viz., that the step was taken to retaliate for the contributions levied by the Austrians, accounts for the circulation of the exaggerated accounts of these. Curiously enough, the vessels were seized before the contributions were levied. Voghera is the only town that has suffered much in this manner from _the Austrians. Novara, Vercelli, Mortara, and Garlasco were cleared out by the Sardinians themselves, and so was every village in those districts. Prince Nicholas of Nassau joined the army, yesterday, as a volunteer. He has, of course, been well received, particularly as his talents and energy will make him very powerful in influencing and directing the German movement now commencing. You are aware that the Austrian army contains members of nearly every noble family, not only in Austria, but from other parts of Germany. There are at present here as generals, a Prince of Hesse and Prince Liechtenstein, and the Staff of every General contains names well known in history. These staff officers are very numerous, for each corps d'armee is a complete army in itself. General Benedek's, for instance, consists of 43,000 men (of whom about 4,000 are cavalry) and 128 guns. The other divisions have only 96 guns each, but the whole artillery is under a " Director," General Stwrtnik (I will tell you how to pronounce this when I write next), so that its distribution varies. Of course the business of each corps requires a complete staff, and then there is the staff of the Commander in-Chief. General Staukovics is Adjutant-General, 1 and Colonel Baron Kuhn Quartermaster -General. On the last-named officer, next to Count Gyulai, depends the success of the campaign, it being his duty to arrange the details of every movement, and, of course, to advise upon it. He is looked upon as a man of wonderful military talents by his brother . officers. Time will show. I have just come into possession of an important document, a circular distributed in Milan and the neighbourhood to the Hungarian troops in March. They are said to have been traced to Turin, but I have no proof of this. send you the original, but will, with the assistance of a gallant hussar, translate for you one or two passages : Hungarians, Brothers, Soldiers !---These lines are sent to you in the name of the Hungarian fatherland, and of your . former leaders, that you may know how to act at the commencement f the next war. We inform you that not only the Piedmontese, but also the French are about to attack Austria, and drive her out of Italy. When Austria is beaten there the united army Will hasten on to Hungary. . . . When the war begins, where and when. you can, come over to us. So, in March, France and Sardinia had determined on war, and were merely fooling England with acceptance of mediations and congress. Several hundreds of these circulars were distributed. Many were brought to their officers by the men. At the present moment others are constantly left in their way, in Croatian, Hungarian, and Bohemian. Surely the French army will not make war in this manner. It is here expected in a few days to commence hos tilities in a more chivalrous manner. It must be ready to move soon now, and it has plenty of work cut out for it. P.S. The reconnoitring party I mentioned in my last as being pushed forward on the south of the Po, has been gradually increased. The Austrians yesterday occupied Voghera with a large force. They are constructing a second bridge over the Po —I must not mention at what point. The high road and railway from Genoa and Turin to Piacenza passed very close to the southern bank of the Po, at Stradella. Here the Appenines approach the river, so as to form quite a defile.. This must be remembered by all who follow the move ments on a map. The mountains are not traversed by any roads passable for artillery, and, if the neutrality of Parma is respected, they form a barrier to the advance of the invading army in that direction. It has rained all yesterday and to-day. the Austrians have no tents, but are very ingenious in building huts with boughs of trees, gass, long corn, &c. rcolonel " The loss on the French side amounts to 500 killed and wounded. " The Austrians have been retreating since yesterday evening." BER;E. Saturday, May 21.—1 t is reported from essin that all the Austrian detachments in the Lago Maggiore have withdrawn, and that the 'tnperor of Austria and General Hess have arrived at Paira. BERNE, May 22.—1 n consequence of the news received from the seat of war, the Federal Council, 4.1 1 an extraordinary sitting, has decreed the sending 'of one battalion and two corps of carbineers from :Geneva to the canton Tessin, under the command of the Staff-major of the 7th division. TURIN, Saturday; 9.45 a.m. —" The Austrians 44 ttacked yesterday Montebello and Casteggio. "Repulsed everywhere, with great losses. "Division (French) of General Forey, behaved admirably " Our cavalry (Sardinian) has shown the greatest energy, " The Austrians, since yesterday, are retreating." TURIN,: May 22.—Official bulletin published to- " General Craldini, wishing to take possession of ' the end of the bridge of Vercelli, which adjoined the left bank of the river, in order, by that means, to protect the construction of another bridge over the Sesia, moved forward two columns which, after laving passed the river, joined at the same point• The column which crossed near Sesia, on the side next Albino, was attacked by the Austrians in great force, and Sustained a fierce conflict at a place called Villata ; the enemy was, however, routed, and our :troops established themselves in Borgo Verlerh, the tither column crossed the Sesia near Cappucini Vecchi, 'kid after having surprised two companies of the .•enemy, remained at that place. Our loss is insigni ficant, but that of the Austrians is considerable. ' , The Moclenese, after having spiked their cannon, , - , evacuated Pulla last night and returned to "Uwizzino." PARIS, May 22.—The Moniteur, this morning, Publishes the following• telegram,. as a complete account of the affair .at Montebello:— " ALESSANDRIA, May 21. From 500 to 600 Z i rench were killed and wounded. Among the killed are General Beauret ; the Commandant Duchet ; Colonels M. Delespart, de Belfond, and Dumenie. the Commandants M. Lecretelle and Ferusse are 'Wounded. "The loss of the enemy exceeds 2,000 men " The Emperor has gone to Bogatra to visit the hospitals, whither the Austrians and French have been brought. The former receive the same care as the latter." THE FRENCH FUNDS. PARIS, Saturday. May 21.-11.50 a.m. : Rentes commenced flat, at 60.90, and are now at 60.92. 12.17 p.m.: The Bourse opened firm, in conse quence of large discounting. Rentes, 61.25. 3.25 p.m.: Rentes closed with a further rise of per cent since yesterday, being 61.35 for money, and 61.30 for account. THE BLOCKADE. TRIESTE, May 21.—According to a communication made by the French commander to some Papal craft, which had been prevented from entering the Port of Venice, only the Venetian coast is blockaded 'bY the French. TRIESTE, May 21st.—News from the head-quarters 'contradict the statement, that demands for contribu tions have been imposed upon Vercelli, and allege that, on the contrary, not the smallest requisition has been made. AUSTRIA. VIENNA, May 22nd.—Official Bulletin : " On the 20th inst., General Stadion pushed forward a reconnaisance by a forced march towards Teglio and . Montebello, but after a hot fight with a French force of superior strength, retreated behind the Po. The fleet at Portland is expected to receive considerable augmentation during the next few days. The flag-ship of :the Channel fleet, the Royal Albert, 131, and other vessels, ;are expected there daily. The Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the giresent sr item of Recruiting m the Army commenced the examination of witnesses on Tuesday last, under the presidency of Lord Hotham, when Lieutenant-General Dir G. A. 'Wetherell and Colonel Russell, a member of the Commission, were examined. The Commission met again on Friday, when they adjourned till the ensuing week. REMARKABLE COLLIERY ACCIDENT. —A very remarkable accident has occurred at the pit of the new British Iron Company, at Ruabon, North Wales. Early on Monday Morning, while a great number of men were at work, some of the machinery broke, and thus cut off all means of com lunuication between the mouth of the pit and the poor fellows below, who had to remain in that situation until Tuesday evening, while the machiner y was repaired. It Was a curious sight to see the half-bewildered friends of the men feeding them from above b y throwing various kinds of food down the pit. They wer e al l brou g ht up uninjured 04 Tuesday evening. FRANCE. PARIS, Friday Evening.—Father Lacordaire has written a letter to the Catholics of France, on the war. With the independence of thought and judg ment which might be expected from such a man, he does not hesitate to declare to the world that the main cause of all the evils which war is destined to inflict on mankind is the policy of Austria towards the Papal States. " If the Papal Govern ment," he says, " has become unpopular ai.d odious to its own subjects, and a mark for blame in foreign nations, it is owing to the pressure exercised on the Head of the Church by Austria, and to the degrading servitude in which he has been kept, particularly since 1845." Father Lacordaire expresses no admiration for the military revolution which confiscated the institutions formerly enjoyed by France ; nor does he excuse the acts which led to and established the Imperial system, but he distinctly declares his approval of the policy of the Emperor, in so far as it is directed to the destruction of Austrian domi nation in Italy—a domination which he considers as fatal to the welfare of the Papacy, the Pon tifical States. and the best interests of the Church. I have not seen the letter ; I only give you the substance as it has been repeated to me. The strength of the French army now in Algeria is 28,000 infantry, and 11,000 cavalry. Admiral Hamelin remains Minister of Marine, and M. de Chas seloup Laubat, Minister of Algeria and the Colonies. A letter from Constantinople, of the 11th inst., received in Paris, states that the Montenegrins had made an incursion on the Turkish territory, and had been repulsed by the Turkish troops at 2upsi with some loss. This took place at the moment when the mixed commission, appointed to fix the boundaries of the Principality, were on the spat, and were de-, fining the new frontier. This attempt at pillage was committed in a district whieh Prince. Daniel last summer solemnly engaged to, !e pest at the cgiA, Terence held Constantinople. - This attack of the Montenem; `fortunately found no echo in Bosnia, or t Herzegovina, apparently because the occasion was not -considered favourable by the population of these provinces to raise the standard of revolt. The writer of the letter, however, asserts positively that a general insurrectionary movement is being organised throughout all the slave pro vinces in the Turkish Empire. He adds that the Turkish Government, which is not unaware of the danger, is doing all in its power to prevent it, but unfortunately its means are insufficient to repress an attempt at insurrection on so large a scale, and which is supposed to be favoured by foreign influ ence. The Emperor of Russia is said to have written an autograph letter to' the Sultan filled with professions of friendship, and assuring him that the plans of aggression attributed to the Czar towards the Ottoman Empire are illusory, and that, on the contrary, he will take care that the events passing in Europe shall in no measure affect the interests of his neighbour and friend the Sultan.- This friendly letter caused the. Sultan great pleasure, and it was remarked that the' day on which he- received it his manner, generally sad, completely changed, and he became unusually gay. MARSEILLES, May D.—The siege flE•et is fitting out with hot haste,- at Toulon. Independently of screw liners and frigates, it is to consist of ten screw gunboats, drawing very little water, and intended to operate in the shallowe of the Adriatic. Each is to be armed with a heavy gun, working on a pivot, on the fore part of the deck, and behind a semicircular shield of rolled iron plates, stout enough to resist the heaviest shots, and so to protect the men working the gun. The vessels themselves are said to be constructed of iron plates, possessing the same force of resistance, so that they are, in fact, shot-proof floating steam batteries. It is diffi cult to ascertain the exact calibre of the pivot guns, but they are believed- to be 50-pounders similar to what have been of late years introduced into the French navy. It is also said, with what truth, I know not, that they are rifled ; if so, they will be , very formidable instruments of war, rendering the land batteries and forts of Venice and the coast open to attack with comparative impunity • for it will be almost impossible to hit them from the shore, as they will fight the gun steam on, and present a 'small surface, which will be kept constantly in motion. It appears pretty certain that both the French army and navy are provided with rifled guns of much larger calibre than the four-pounders mentioned in my letter of yesterday week. Five of the gun-boats are made so as to admit of their being - taken to pieces, and conveyed overland, with a view, ' it is asserted, of their being ultimately employed on the Lac de Garda, which forms a portion of the Austrians' great line of defence, extending from the famous rectangle of Mantua and Verona to the Tyrol. The equipment of the fleet is proceeding with such rapidity that merchant vessels are left without crews, except the superior officers, or so short-handed as to be unable to put to sea. The cap tains are entering seamen of all nations, and in some cases Eng ishmen. Haw far British seamen, who enter French vessels employed in the conveyance of munitions of war, will offend the Queen's declaration of neutrality it will be for the authorities to determine. But the men do not enter willingly. Jack does not relish sailing on a French bottom, nor obeying orders in a " foreign lingo ; " with many of them, poor fellows, it is little better than Hobson's choice. CASE Smethurst that he coinCided with him. Witness : Certainly not Mr. Ballantine before they were sent to London Witness : Y them with a Turkish impression from the ring Mr. Julius, jun., took diem to London several THE NonTIMIS MIES, MONDAY, MAY 23 IMO RICHMOND POISONING witnessed; that she died from the effects off irritant poison Fiom the:dieeases from which she was suffering, neither but he had formed no opinion on the. subject. He told Dr but at this time be suspected the lady' was suffering from , poison. • Mr. Caudle; the assistant to Dr. Julius, said : I hare held that situation . for nearly two years. I made up the prescriptions ordered for Mrs. Smethurst (Miss Banks). From after the 29th of April Dr. JirTins superintended the making of the• medicines himself. Either he or Mr. Bird were always present when they were made up. The medicines were correctly entered in the daily entry. I never mixed any arsenic with Mrs. Smethurst's medicine. I knew where it was kept. It was in a cupboard apart from the ordinary medicines. We kept Fowler's and Donovan's solution. of arsenic—no other. I never mixed of Dr. Julius In Saturday's NORTnERN TIMES we gave a report of the proceedings;in this case up to the time of the despatch of our parcel on Friday. The additional evidence was as follows : Dr. Bird was then cal/4 and his depositions, previously given,, having been read over, said he had been twenty-five years W practice, and had considerable experience in bowel complaints. He was at a foss to' wean& for the symptoms she exhibited. It was not dysentery. In cases of dysentery he would e x pect to find fever, though there might possibly be a case without it. She was , suffering from gastoiro enteritis. The symptoms were such aewould be caused by taking irritatini , poisons. Arsenicor antimony would cause them. He did not discover any traces of disease in the womb. In describing the complaint the prisoner never alluded to such a disease. The deceased niade a complaint about her throat in the prisoner's preserxe. She complained of an uneasy sensation in her throat. She'said that it was like a ball in her throat. Dr. SmethuNt suggested that this might be caused by hysteria, and he coincided with - him. He thought that possibly that might be calved by what was going on. He should think that would not be such a description as he would expect from a person under such circumstance*. He had formed the opinion frim all he had arsenic nor antimony could with propriety be givitt in any form whatever. It might be done on the honui-opathic principle ;- but, in Ms opinion, it ought not to be given. To the best oflis belief, Dr. Smethurst said the deceased had been very much; ereited on seeing her sister, and said, " Very well, then she had better not see her." He never .„ afterwards told' him the sister mast not see her. Cross-examined bq Mr. Giffard He" might from time to time have told' him to keep her quiet. He coincided with Dr. .Smethurst that the bait in the throat would be accounted for from: hysteria. He told Dr. Smethurst so, antimony with the medicine I know we have chlorate of potash.. It is kept in crystals in an eight-ounce phial. I never mixed chlorate o 1 potash in any medicines supplied to Mrs. Smethurst. The bottle produced is like those we used. I sent out a mixture on the 14th of April. The mixture was not 'ot the same colour as that now in the bottle. _ _ _ . vv Mr. Ballantine r Supposing this bottle contains chlorate of potash and arsenic, did it come from your surgery ? You had charge of the evacuations By Mr. Gifford: The bottle of antimony in our surgery was " Cartwrighes antimony." We have none in solution except antimony wine. Mr. Julius, jun., was called, and merely proved the convey ing the bottles containing the evacuations to Mr. Buzzard's, and there delivering them to a female servant, Mr. Buzzard being from hOme at the time. Catherine Murray proved receiving the bottles, and deliver ing them to her master, Mr. Buzzard. Mr. Buzzard, a medical gentleman residing at Great Marlborough-street, London, said : I took the bottles to Dr. Taylor for examination. He refused to do so without authority. He, however, said he would try Reinseh's test. It was done, and the bright copper wire, which was immersed in the mixture, became coated with a grey sub stance, which proved the presence of some mineral poison. Thomas Macintyre said : I arrested the prisoner. I took away all the bottles containing medicine, and handed them to Dr. Taylor. They were never out of my possession until I gave them to Dr. Taylor. I found the small case of homccopathic medicines (produced) in a box, the key of which was found on Dr. Smethurst. The witness then produced twenty-seven bottles of dif ferent sizes, containing liquic packets, found at Dr. Smethurst's Dr. Julius was here called, and selected one numbered 27, which was similar to that sent from his surgery to Mrs. Smethurst. Mr. Ballantine ordered this cork to be withdrawn, and then asked Dr. Julius to ascertain whether it was similar to the - medicine ordered to be prepared for Mrs. Smethurst. Dr. Julius tasted the liquid, and said it was. It con tained both quinine and gentian. Mr. William Easter, clerk of St. Mark's Church, Ken sington, produced the hook of marriages celebrated in that parish. There is an entry of a marriage between Thomas Smethurst and Mary Durham, on the 10th of March, 1828.. Mr. Ballantine said he wished the evidence to be taken down, as he would deal with the handwriting by-and-by. A considerale delay here occurred owing to the absence of Dr. Todd. After waiting until nearly half-past two, and that gentleman not arriving, Mr. Ballantine said he would proceed with the examination of Dr. Taylor, but that gentleman would prefer hearing Dr. Todd before he (Dr. Taylor) completed his evidence. Professor Taylor then took his place, and his former deposition was read. In answer to quesions put to him by Mr. Ballantine he said: On the sth, 7th, and 9th of May, I received about forty bottles to analyse. I have examined the whole of the bottles, and I do not find arsenic in any of them excepting one. The whole. with the exception I have mentioned, merely contained medicine nothing of a noxious nature. The phial marked. No. 5 was unlabelled. It contained 355 grains of chlorate of potash. It is a salt used for making lucifer matches, percussion caps, and detonating powder. It is used occasionally in dysentry, diarrhoea, cholera, and scarlet fever. It is an innocent salt, there -being nothing poisonous in it. Its nature is diuretic. It passes rapidly through the kidneys into the urine. It tends to purify the system from all noxious matter. If poison was given in a small quantity of the mixture, the surplus quantity would be carried off with the urine. I have never in all my experience heard of it being mixed with poison. It is soluble in cold and warm water. Bottle No. 21 was half full when I received it. It looked like water. I tasted it. It is like cooling saline mixture ; no smell; it is pleasantly saline. I detected nothing . wrong in tasting. I evaporated some on glass, and examined some by the microscope. I found it was not tartar emetic. I applied every test for arsenic that I considered proper. All the tests failed to show the presence of arsenic. The tests informed me there was something in the liquid I had never met with before. There is a test called Reinsch's. It is generally successful in detecting arsenic in. liquid, the arsenic being deposited during the boiling on copper wire. The wire I inserted in the liquor disappeared altogether. I, then, find ing that it disappeared so fast, plunged in a piece of copper, and did not let it remain in• so long as the former piece. I dried and heated the copper gauze. and I obtained arsenic. The gauze is partly destroyed by the test. Having ascer tained this much, I thought it important that Dr. Odling should be present at further experiments. We then sought to destroy the noxious agent that was baffling us. 'We put in piece after piece of copper until we removed all the chlorine, and on the last piece of gauze the arsenic was deposited. I . have no doubt chloride of potash was pre sent. I extracted it in crystals. I calculated there was about a grain of arsenic in an ounce of the mixture. That is of a grain to a teaspoonful. The bottle would contain, supposing it to be full, fi oz.—that would be forty eight teaspoonsful. I was struck by the fact elicited,, and I then referred to a memorandum of the medicines prescribed, and I found that the bottle had contained quinine, sulphuric acid, prussic acid, chloric ether, and an infusion of gentian. I found out that not one of those substances were in it. The taste was such that no one would suspect its deadly nature. The quantity of arsenic was so small that it might he mixed with any liquid, and swallowed without the slightest knowledge. 'the bottle was half full when I receivedit. It is my opinion that if the mixture was administered continuously, the effect ' would be to produce nausea, vomiting, pain in the bowels, with purging ; and if doses were repeated, it would ultimately produce, chronic inflammation and ulceration of the bowels, and the discharges would contain blood and mucus. If it was con tinued, such a source of injury would succumb to no treat ment at all, and it would lead to death by exhaustion. The arsenic I produced was what is called white arsenic. It is not a medicinal preparation. With respect to bottles Nos. 1 and 2, containing the evacuations—l took No. 2 first to search for copper. There appeared to be a slight trace of copper mixed with the blood. The other, No. 1, only con tained biliary matter. Dr. Todd having arrived, the examination of Professor Taylor was interrupted, and his examination' commenced. He said : When I first saw the deceased she was in much pain and had a terrified look, and was much emaciated. She looked younger than she really was. I examined a t e abdomen, and diso:4: TQAARrkatatt contraction Of t 01e. AUSTRIA. VIENNA, May 18.—The departure of the Emperor of Austria for the seat of war has been postponed, and he is not likely to quit this city before Monday or Tuesday next. Military arrangements of extreme importance have been made sauce Lieutenant- General von Willisen has been here, and it is not improbable that powerful armies will very soon be placed on the Rhine. Prussia will do what is requisite on the Lower Rhine, and the second-rate German States will take charge of the upper part of the river. Austria is about to send some 20 regiments of cavalry to Germany, but the infantry regiments which were to have marched to the Rhine have received another destination. The boasting of Louis Napoleon amuses the Austrians, who firmly believe that their troops are equal to the French. As has already been remarked, the French are more impetuous and agile than their adversaries, but the Austrian troops are both brave and steady, and the use of the bayonet will assuredly prove disagreeable to their foes. If the Emperor Napo leon intends to win laurels in Italy he has no time to lose, for there will be between 300,000 and 400,000 German soldiers standing on the upper part of the western frontier of France before the world is many weeks older. The reserves in Prussian Silesia have already joined their respective regi ments, but the Landwehr will not be called in until the very last moment. At Coblentz, the outworks of the fortress are being furnished with pallisades, and the necessary supplies for six months are already laid in. The horses which were required for the artillery and train of the army have been purchased. The garrison of Luxemburg is also on a war footing, and supplies for six months have been sent into the fortress. The fortress of Mayence has received its full complement of 27,000 men, and Rastatt literally teems with troops. Bavaria has very nearly 100,000 men a-foot. The Swiss Federal Council has expressed its determination not to permit any French troops to cross the Simplon, and it is likely to remain firm. Louis Napoleon has disturbed a nest of hornets, and he will be a fortunate man if he is not stung to death. Among the passengers by the India and Australian packet Pera, was Captain Burton, the famous Arabian and African traveller, who has made some wonderful discoveries in the interior of Africa, and who is the only European who ever visited Mecca, the sacred city of the Mahomedans, without disguising his religious faith, and escaped with his life. All other European travellers have lost their lives for their presumption, or have saved themselves by pro fessing Mahomedanism. THE FORTIFICATIONS OF MALTA.—We find the following in the Malta Times of the 10th instant :—" We learn from England that 100 heavy guns , and 100,000 shot and shell, are coming out for the further armament of this island. Great changes in the works are expected to be made by the Commissioners, Colonel Owen, Royal Engineers, and Colonel Lefroy, Royal Artillery, who are at present here examining the fortifications. We understand that whatever improve ments they. suggest are to be carried out immediately, with out reference to home. Floriana is already being armed with heavy guns, with the exception of the Crown and Horn works, which are both considered as entirely useless, being commanded by the surrounding heiqlits. The report,which has found circulation and publication here, regarding the projected arming of Civita Vecchia with ordnance, is unfounded. But we believe there is some truth in the rumour that it is in contemplation to send a regiment there, owing to the want of accommodation in Valetta and its - neighbourhood for the four regiments on their way here. It is said that a regiment is likely to be sent to Gozo." --- o . PARLIAMENTARY EXPENSES OF RAILWAY COMPANIES.— On Friday was issued a return of all the Parliamentary expenses incurred by railway companies from the period of their incorporation to the end of the session of 1857. The return embraces 193 companies. Seventy companies had not forwarded any information at the time the return was ordered to be issued. We give the figures returned by the principal companies. Caledonian, £315,618 is Bd, or £3 13s 7d per cent. of the total loan and share capital, £8,574,420 8s 3d; East Lancashire, £154,161 5s 11d, equal to £3 12s 9d per cent. of the capital of £4,237,831; Eastern Counties, £268,201 2s 3d, or 2.3 per cent. upon £11,611,085, the capital; Great Northern, £334,219, or 2.92 per cent. upon £11,444,404 ; Great Western, £760,270 6s id. or 2.77 upon £27,430,716 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, £461,722 19s 3d, or 3.40 upon £13,593,608; London and North- Western, £869,771 Os 9d, or 2.55up0n £34,041,013; London and South-Western,. £313,702, or £3 6s upon £9,506,225 4s 2d. ; London, Brighton, and South Coastt £ 43 , 690 9s sd, 04 .59 up0n£7,7 99 , 25 7 12 s 7 d; Midlands , £397,733 lOs 10d, ro i l l l th r ta n s t e a rl' , to 4l c s a , p 7 i o ta 7 l ii S s 3 2 d 0 : 7 0 1 r 2 :1 9 .6 8 6 1 9 3 41 0 1:,, L1 n 1 0t i 4v 5 e 9 n 2 ; 1 The return contains similar information as to gas and 1 water companies, and turnpike trusts, for the last ton years.' abdluiltial Muscles, which appeared to me to indicate 61E. treme irritation ill the intestines. If I made the slightest pressure 1 found she resisted immediately with force, and that it increased the rigidity of the muscles. She had a small, quick pulse, and evident indications of great exhaus tion. She complained of a disagreeable sensation in her throat as if she had a btill there. I had received ample information about her case from Dr. Julius. Dr. Julius and Dr. Smethurst told reie she had long been suffering from diarrhoea and from vonliting. A number of remedies had been tried. I heard alley had tried bismuth and nitrate of silver.. Nitrate of copper had been talked about, bit not tried. Opium had been tried. I understood, and it made a deep impression on me, that the accused was impatient of the continuance of remedies ; he suggested frequent changes. After every change the symptoms Were Worse, particularly after the nitrate of silver. I retired from the room to consult with Dr. Julius„ and I said to hint at once that I had a strong - opinior; that it was a case of arsenical poisoning. It was my stung suspicion that such was the case. I had not materials on which to form an opinion ; but I had, as I said before, a strong sus picion. It Was my belief that some irritant was being introduced into the system, which prevented tha diarrhoea yielding to, the proper remedies. Mr. 13allaritine You have not examined the viscera ? Witness : Mr. Vallantine : From the symptoms, would you !tank that a pos3 niOP6m examination would (rive arsenic as the result if the poison had been given ?- 2 Witness : I must decline answering that question as , it will involve me in another part of the ease with which I do not Wish to inter fere. Mr. Ballantine If a , teaspoonful of a mixture contain ing-chlorate of pOtasli and the eighth part of a grain of arsenic were adminiStered; what effect would be produced ? —Witness : It would keep up continual irritation, and if kept up continuously deathrwoitid.ensue through exhaustion. I decline inirolving . mygelrany - further in this investigation, but I hate no objection to. hear the report of the post martens examination and then: g Mr. Richard Barwell, assist cross Hospital, deposed, he . conducted a ve an opinion surgeon at Ohating- ost tnorteta ei- aminatio'n of the bOdl:4 the_ deceased on 4th of May twenty-two hours after deatht The witness then minutely described the• appearances presented,. The arms were flexible, the legs rigid, anti' the feet bent inwards The body was emaciated, the face- diseolour4 the tongue rough, and the mouth and throat'. white. The stomach was inflated, as also the' small intestines. Tice right lung,: was engorged, and the brain was healthy. The witness then described the .appear - ince of the. intestinesi. and oder . internal parts, as being hr . a diseased- condition, and stated. that the deceased was about: six :weeks- advanced in a- state, of pregnancy.. as to- taking part ofes;or Taylor was then re-exanunec with the last itness in to vst mortain; examination. as being entirely destroyed b described the rre intestl nd, on further examination ulceration and garig,rene found, clearly and distincti locked up in the small intestine a small portion of arseni dnevs an tion, andfound the presence of antimony - in the k in the bloody fluid taken from the heart. He found no.ars nic in any of the viscera, or antimony or arsenic either• it the stoma - eh, large intestines, In reply to Serjeant Ballantinc suspicions lie had formed durir confirmed by the a that the ;airtly be life would: cert, lescribed. Mr. Palmer, surgeon, of MortlaKe, then gave corroborative evidence 03 to the appearance presented at the post triortem examination. _ _ ,ppea,rances -now c Professor Taylor was then recalled, and, in reply to ques tions from Serjeant liallantine, stated : The effects of the repeated doses of such ta, mixture, and of the. introduction of antimony and arsenic into the system, would be to cause such appearances as those presented, and to produce death by inflammation and ulceration of the bowls, and consequent exhaustion. I have formed an opinion as to the cause of the death of deceased. Ttikinm . into. account what I have heard as to the symptoms before death—the nausea, vomiting, purging—the blood and mucus found yin. the evacutions - the arsenic found in the evacation ,passed• during the night, with the appearances after death—the ulceration of the intestines, and the inflammation apparent from• the beginning of the - - - r al.— gullet to the end of the bowels ; and when I consider tue antimony found in the kidneys'and the.blood taken from the heart, I can only account for death by supposing it to be the result of the administration of antimony and arsenic in small doses, and at frequent intervals. I can,itrace. the effects of antimony from the very first- symptoms ; but where poison is constantly given in small doses, it is difficult :to find it •in the - system. One fact is certian,. antimony or arsenic is never found in the human, body.unless- it is placed there ; and .I must say t_ which presented such symptoms as were presented in this case. • Dr. William Belling, professor of practical chemistry at Guy's Hospital, gave corroborative evidence as to the presence of antimony in the body of deceased, and arsenic in the mixture of chlorate of potash found in the bottle. Serjeant Thallantine then stated that the deceased had a sum of £1,700, which she had lent out, . and respecting which legal proceedings had been pending in the Rolls ' Court. _ _ _ . _ new or VW., • • This being_ the whole of the evidence, the chairman. said the time had now arrived when it was his duty to ask the prisoner if he wished to say anything in defence. Mr. Gifford : We shall; reserve any defence until the trial. • . , • The Chairman . Myself and brother magistrates are unanimous in opinion that the evidence warrants us in send ing the prisoner for trial, and the witnesses will attend on Wednesday next to complete the depositions. The prisoner was then removed in custody, and at the rail way station a large crowd had assembled for the purpose of seeing him as he entered the train. The Times speaks of an _augmentation. of the corps of Royal Engineers to 10,000 men, or.- double the present number. In some military circles it is reported that troops are to be distributed all round the coasts this summer, and to be placed under canvas. The Advertiser has another rumour. It has heard that a division of the English Mediterranean fleet has been ordered to proceed to Genoa. Mr. Eyles, " one of the best and most experienced gardeners in the country," has- been appointed to the superintendence of every department of horticulture at the Crystal Palace. A national Rifle Club Association is stated to be in course of formation, with apvoposed capital of £50,000, to facili tate the arrangements of the various local clubs with regard to the purchase of arms, &e. The Admiralty have ordered that all the ships to be sent - L quantities of powder, shot, shell, &c., all of which is to bE magazined at, the respective ports to which they go unti they are ready for active service. _ _ . understand that the Royal Mail Steam Packet Com pany's new iron paddle-wheat steamer Seine, of 3,092 tons (bui tier's measurement), and 800-horse power, built by the Thames Iron Works Company, will be launched on the 2nd of June. She will be employed in the service between Southampton and the West Indies.. PUBLIC INVESTMENTS IN. RAILWAYS. Some idea may be formed of the extent to which the public have invested in railway stocks during the past account, tempted no doubt by the low prices, from the fact that Mr. Milul Slaughter, secretary of the railway department of the Stock Exchange, certified in .one day over•7ooseparate transfers, representing in the aggregate more than A34a,000 stock.—lferapath. The Lard Mayor presided, an Friday, at a meeting held to declare in favour otstrict British neutrality. Kossuth was on the platform, anaspkeagainst Austria. Betook a favourable view of the conduct of Louis Napoleon in the Italian crisis, and,thought it afforded an opportunity by which freedom might profit. An amendment was prop'sed on the necessity of Italian independence, but the sole object of the meeting being to enforce• the principle of neutrality, it was with drawn. Inow Suus of Wmt.—After so much discussion upon the construction of iron war vessels, it appears that goveni meat has contracted for one of great size and great intended speed, to be used perhaps, whenever an occasion may present itself, as a steam battering rain. With 6,000 tons burden, the new iron vessel is to run at fourteen knots. Until, however, a chance is had to run down an enemy's ship, which, in the meantime, will be doing its best to keep, out of the way and to disable its assailant, this great era must be formidable ch iefl y for its armament. It is simply an iron man-of-war much larger than anything now built of wood.—The Engineer. A CHILI) FOUND IN A.l3ax.---OnThursday Mr. Ilerford, city coroner, held an inquest on the body of a new-born female child, which was found dead under suspicions circumstances, o n Tuesday aftemoon. A boy, named Thomas Murphy, stated that about half-past four o'clock he was playing in a half-built house in Exchange-street,. York-street, Ohcetham, when he saw a box, resembling a scented soap box, under a window. Be shook the box, and then opened it, when he found it contained a dead child. Re g ave info r mati on to his mother, and aftewards to a p oliceman. Mr . John Elliott, birth surgeon, stated that he h a d made a p ost mor tom examination of the body, and w as of o p inion that the child was A. was born alive, but thought it had died naturally in its verdict to that effeot was returned by the *jury Nothing hag b ee n dticoyereci with respect to it 4 mother, THE HORniBLE MURDER AT LEDDURY. It t;rotticl be difficult to conjure up anything more fear fully atcociotis than the details of the murder discovered On Wednesday *turning to have bein: committed at this place, as briefly n'Oticed by us on Ffiday. The name of the victim was 11 - erica Baker, about forty-two years of age. respectable, honest, and of a kindly &Position. Her husband died about two' mouths ago, leaving her the sole regular occupant of an old house - in Horse-late, Ledbury, where Mr. Masefield, solilitor, had hie epees, a path. from the back door leading to his residence, about 150 yards distant. On Tuesdrow night a friend named Miss Jackson visited Mrs ilahr, and left her a few minutes before ten o'clock, wheit she was preparihg to go to bed. She had taken the usual means of securing the &am, both back and front, with"the ordinary lock and bar on each, and hung a bell, as usuaf t • on each door, to create au alarm if any one should gain entrance to tae house.. Miss Jackson remarked that tle widow seemed less absocbed in grief that night than she had been since the death of her husband. Chi Wednesday morning threierk (John Jones), who arridid at the usual hoar of btriness, found the_ and windows chised. Suspicion was naturally excited, an entrance was effected, when' a most horrible scene presented itself. In one of the rooms, evoneetahseed'ff e ; tc ;me plagty placed,wasfoa thetntdere ft half-corAim Q d body after slid been murdered, as way shown by the fearfully battered state of ofth ethskull. The - horror-stricken spectators immediately sum moned the pace, who took charge of the premiiisc and a further se - fifth warinstitutcd. It was then found 'that the place had been thorotighly'ransacked, and a large aranint ig cash, notes, and' cheques . , had been stolen froth Mr. Masefield's private dovio:. An inquest on ths' body was commenced on Thursdt7 afternoon. John Jones, the first witness;` was exammed at great length,, aad deposed as to haying found the body, as detailed above, after findiitt the . OW tfke path, four or five yards from the back icier:" it was , a few minutes after nine When the discovery WAS' roads. Elizabeth Paine, the little girl who slept with Mrs: Baker in the house, Was questioned by the &Toner, and' said'Mrs. Baker put herto bed about eight o'cld3it on Tuesdayniight, but did not come to bed herself that niOlt:' She- heard nothing, and saw no man in the house. - ChaigOtte .fltellsva proved that she parted with deceased `few mitiut6s Eiefore ten on Tuesday night, when she fasteited up thg - doorm. and said she was going to bed. The vvithaes Jones,- recalll by the foreman : I did not open any chest with • drawers= in Mrs. Baker's parlour on Wednesday 'morning. Bye the coroner : I do not know if anybody saw me . go- to.berVon Tuesday night. I have a Tatchkey 'on the back -door; and' t bolt it when I go in after ten o'clock. • The COroner: I should - like to subject Jones's landlord int& the 'otherrlod4er to a strict examination as to what firer saw° and beard of Jones that night Jones continued : I did not go , out' on Wednesday morning before I had my breakfast; unless-it was into the shoeroom. The back yard common. tt) both houses. By the foreman : I often tcek g in home- at night in a bottle. I had a glass of gin at' Ms.• Bakeei lipase about a fortnight ago. She gave it to me.. I think Il went into the office that night for change. That was the only time I had any gin there. Thomas Bowkett; shoemaker; at whose house Jones lodges, and whose premisesadji?in- those of Mr. Masefield, gave' a similar account of the 7 diseovery of the murder. He went to bed shortly after ten o'doek, end heard no noise, though there is only a partition between his bed room and Mr. Masefield's office. He did not hear Jones get to bed that night, but heard him getting up between seven and eight next Morning. The medical gentlemen:who made the post mortem examination, Mr. Griffin and Mr. Wood, gave their evidence at considerablelength. TUT found the features much swollen and congested thetongue swollen and protruding between the teeth. There wapecchvmosis under the skull wound and under a bruise at tho,back: of the head. The stomach was healthy, and contained a small quantity of food, without any peculiar smell. The cerebral mem branes and muscles were greatly ecchymosed. The lungs were much congested, and the', heart contained a small quantity of fluid blood. Strangulation-4.ms the cause of death. The blow on the forehoad-tnight have pro duced insensibility, but not death. The food had4irobably _ been in t- he stomach three or four hours. ..Both blaws were probably received before death, butznight have been de livered afterwards. There were nct marks of the body having been violated. The rope found had a slip-knot, and. unless there was more than one person engaged in the com— mission of the crime, the rope could , probably:not have been put over the woman's head until she had. become partially insensible. It was difficult to say whether a wound was inflicted immediately before or immediately after 'death. The inquiry was .adjourned for a week. In.the meantime a large staff of police are making diligent inquiry. • There is a general hope that the murderer will be brought to iustice, as the crime is one of almost unparalleled atrocity. MUSICAL, DR XM AT IC, LITERARY, ARTISTIC NEWS AND GOSSIP Mr. Bentley will shortly publish " The Life and The atrical Times of Charles Kean," embracing a suracnary of the English stage for the last half century. A new paper has just appeared—the Austmlion h6ail. It is wholly devoted to the Australian colonies, dealing with all questions of politics, agriculture, mining, and general commerce. In consequence of the unsettled state of Europe, the jury of English artists (Messrs. David P. Frith, Thomas Creswick, A. Elmore, and ,J. P. Roberts , orsley, acting with M. E. Gambart as director) have resolved not, to send. pictures to Paris this year. A contemporary announces that .Miss Arabella Goddard, the celebrated pianist, and James Davison Esq.,,the musical critic of the Times have been for some time. past united by the bonds of holy matrimony, and calls upon all true lovers of art to hail this union of musical talent with critical acumen The usual Saturday performance at the. Crystal Palace enjoyed the attraction of Madame Lemmens Sherrington and an extraordinary family of infant violinists, Juliette Delepierre, eight years old, Jules, six, and Julia , four, whose performances throughout the Continent. have been the theme of general admiration. A hiatus valde defienduc in the world of amusement was felt on one evening last week. The throngs of visitors who pressed forward to Willis's Rooms to hear Mr. Mason Jones orate (why have we not the word?) - on ;Sheridan were met by provoking placards which told of his sudden The oration was postponed. May the clever orator soon be himself again. regent ball given by the Wizard Anderson in Sydney at failure: There ware scarcely.PO persons present, and the most of them were of equivocal character. The ball wound up.with a fight between Anderson and Collins. who fOrmerlT had the Victoria Theaae. Anderson ollins whose height is about four feet nothing, jumped at Anderson, and seining him by the throat nearly stranded him, anditfterwards rent. indisposition Droved a w foree his coat from the skirt to the Riflemen.form, painters disperse! says the Athencetem. consequence of tlbe unsettled state of Europe, the jury of English artists (Messrs. alvid Roberts, W. P. Frith, Thos. Creswick, A. Elmore, and J. C. Horsley, acting with M. E. Gambert, as director), have resolved not., to send pictures to Paris this year. This resolution,. sanctioned at a meeting of artists, over which Sir Charles Eastlake presided, has been forwardedi within these few days to the. Minister of State, M. Achille Foul)/ A reply has not been received. Meantime, artists in the country are requested not to send up any more works. Mr. Fitzpatrick seal the .Athenoaem a curious cutting from an old paper :—‘ 6 Kilmacud Manor, Dublin.—l find. the fol6wing curious. paragraph among a number of news paper cuttings which r made a year or two ago: A letter, written by Humboldt, was lately•read in one ofthe Prussian. law courts. It excited some sensation from its containing the declaration that 'My deatk.will take place in 1859 ,' and that it would be. better to postpone a certain publication of his. work till then.' The manner in which llumboldt's presentiment has been verilled is, to say the least, a very remarkable coincidence. -Wira4A3l JOHN FITZ , PATRICR: Gossipin.,, on the literary event of tl#e week the Town Talker of the Illustratsd• News says : 'The result is, what? --that Hvusehold Words merged from that very moment into Aa the Year Sound; conducted by Mr. Dickens. And at that very moment a new periodical was announce d . by Messrs. Bradbury and Evans, with the somewhat rival title of Once: a, Week. Mr. Dickens is understood to carry his whole Household" brigade into his new periodical; and Messrs. Bradbury and Evans will be mainly supported by the staff of Punch, Mr. Leech conducting' the artists, I \ir. T.....ucas, of the It controlling the authors. Thus—thanks to private differences, ns rich Master of the Rolls—what was Household. TVords will be rolled into two publications, and the public will gain largely by a private. I feud and a private sorrow.. A. NEvi WAY OF ENFORCING CIIURCH ItATEs.--We are informed that at Lord Pomfret's rent audit, at Toweester,_ last week, hi s lordship's agent brought with him a list of all those tenants who had obleeted to pay their church rates, on the ground of its illegality, and demanded pay ment of the amount of their rates in addition to the rent ! He also told them that he was ordered to say that a refusal would be worse for them, as their rents would he raised to an amouutcovering the rate. M the greater pArt of the town belongs to Lord Pomfret; the tenants had no alterna tive hit §Altb.Mii*At a,ts ls : o isfeT ti it.t of . i;e' . _ • 6 ` , be t i ' Outs, degt 1 5° 1 3e -3f es- ; i f . teass - tl} 3f ";p l ear' 'Of ' iog P i r oal illor' Ole ht icA c li il t _ 1 „ 1 ttd Du",os ill e 6 o l I 0 ~ir ,eV o r itt' " r tio,l ,eO°.D6, 1. ( 0, 11 0111 to IP 0,20