The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-11 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S PARK.

The Ornamental water of this park, on which the ice
is about 6 inches thick, was, on Wednesday, patronised
by about 6,000 skaters and sliders, while the banks were
lined with quite an equal number of spectators. It was
long after the time of closing the gates that the immense
number of people could be cleared from the park, the
skating and sliding being kept up with great spirit long
beyond the prohibited hour.

THE REGENT'S PARK
Had upwards of 6,000 skaters and sliders, and several
exciting skating matches took place. Several accidents
occurred during the day, chiefly consisting of serious cut
heads.

THE CRYSTAL PALACE
Was visited by upwards of 1,000 skaters and sliders, but
no accident occurred of a serious nature.

DROWNING OF AN ARTILLERYMAN-
HARROWING SCENE.

Particulars of the following distressing case only now
transpire :—On the morning of New Year's Eve, a
small dingy on Thorn Island, at the entrance to Mil-
ford House, and which was used by the men of the coast
brigade for communicating with their large boat anchored
about sixty yards off, was washed away by a heavy sea.
Gunner Burke having volunteered to swim off to the
large boat, which his comrades were anxious to pro-
cure to go after and recover the dingy, fastened a
rope round his waist, and giving the other end to a
comrade, and jumped into the sea; but the rope being to
short by three or four yards, another piece was imme-
diately added. In the meantime Burke was carried by
the strong ebb tide below the boat, and called out to
his comrades to haul him on shore. In attempting to
do so, unfortunately the rope parted at the joining just
made, arid the gallant fellow was left struggling against
a strong and a high sea, and hampered by the rope sound
his waist, was drifted further from the island, calling in
vain for help. His poor wife, who was daily expecting
her confinement, and her three children, were witnesses
of the scene, and mingled their wild and frantic shrieks
with the piteous gurgling cries of the drowning husband
and father.

At this moment Bombardier Kay, a married man,
with a wife and four young children, plunged into the
sea from a high rock, a sharp frost prevailing at the
time, in order if possible to save his comrade ; but
although a good swimmer and a powerfully-built man,
six feet six inches in height, he cou!d not stem the
strong current and terrific sea. and, after struggling for
nearly a quarter of an hour in the water, was himself
nearly drowned, when fortunately a huge sea dashed
him, bruised and senseless, 20 or 30 feet among the
rocks. The moment he recovered his consciousness he
endeavoured to jump in again, but was restrained by his
comrades, who informed him that poor Burke had just
sunk between two seas. The latter rose to the surface
shortly afterwards quite dead, the back of his head and
shoulders being visible over the water. At this moment
a large seagull perched on the body, and commenced
picking at the head. Thus the body of the drowned
soldier, with its lonely freight, remained in sight for
nearly two hours, and was gradually drifted out to sea
and lost to the bewildered gaze of the widow and her
orphans. It has not since been recovered.
Two days afterwards Mrs. Burke gave birth to
another child. Her forlorn condition, bereft of her
husand and only source of support, and left on the
world with four orphans, one of them a cripple, excite
great sympathy and compassion.

BREAD FOR THE COVENTRY SUFFERERS.—The clerks,
porters, &c. connected with the London and North-
Western Railway Company, at the London Road Station,
have forwarded to Coventry 178 loaves of bread, for the
people out of employment there.
EXECUTIONERS' FEES.— Calcraft, the well-known
hangman, has informed the magistrates of Dumbarton
that his fee for coming to Dumbarton on the 18th
current, to execute Lunnay, would be £2l, and travel-
ling and personal expenses paid.—North British Mail.
Lady Crampton, the wife of Sir John Crampton, the
British envoy at St. Petersburg, was presented last
week at the Imperial court, and received by the Empress
with the most flattering marks of grace and favour.
Lady Crampton, it will be remembered, was our charm-
ing young vocalist, Miss Victoire Balfe, who was with-
drawn by her marriage from an artistic career which
promised to be of extraordinary brilliancy.
THE REFORMATORY MOVEMENT.—The efforts made
for the reformation of juvenile offenders in the eastern
district appear to meet with considerable success. In
Suffolk Sir E. C. Kerrison, M.P., and in Essex, Mr. J.
W. Perry Watlington, M.P., take an active personal
interest in the benevolent cause. In the former county
it appears that the commitments of juvenile criminals
were 123 in 1856, 104 in 1857, 79 in 1858, and 78 in
1859, showing that the reformatory which was estab-
lished in die autumn of 1855 has done a very good work ;
in fact, the decrease of juvenile crime is estimated at
about 40 per cent. In the five years ending 1860 66
boys were admitted into the reformatory and 36 dis-
charged, of whom three were re-committed. The
average expenditure per boy for maintenance and
management was £lB 55., being £1 per head below the
general average of the kingdom. The somewhat dis-
couraging notice has been received from the Home-
office that a reduction of ls. per bead per week is to be
made in the allowances made for boys admitted into
reformatories, but the managers are authorised by law
to apply to the quarter sessions to make up any defi-
ciency which may arise. In the Essex reformatory
there are at present 25 boys, and Mr. Watlington,
M.P., stated at the sessions that the managing commit-
tee did not propose at present to apply for increased
pecuniary aid.
A BOY SHOT BY HIS BROTHER.—A sad accident
occurred on Tuesday afternoon, at the village of Shire-
hampton, near Bristol, at the house of Henry Heaven,
a mason, who has also a grocer's shop, conducted by his
wife. During the absence of their parents Wenry Wm.
Heaven, a boy eleven years of age, a little girl, and
Daniel James Heaven, a child three years old, were
playing together. A loaded gun, from which the
percussion cap had been remove from the nipple, was
in the room, which the elder boy took up, and, perceiv-
ing there was no cap on it, he searched his father's desk
and found some which had been left there. Having
possessed himself of one, he placed it on the nipple of
the gun, which he levelled at his little brother and fired.
The muzzle being almost close to the poor child the
entire charge entered his head, and death was in-
stantaneous. The elder brother, in his grief and terror,
shrieked for assistance, .and tried to drag the bleeding
corpse out of the room, hoping. that something might
be done to restore life. The cries of the children and
the report of the gun alarmed the neighbours, who, on
entering the house, discovered the sad scene. Informa-
tion of the occurrence was at once given to the police,
by whom the necessary steps for holding a coroner's
inquest were taken.