The Press.
London, England, 1855-10-06 00:00:00

Attibtitts ant Oftacts.

STAFFORDSHIRE has been the scene of some ter-
rible murders and suicides. At Bilston, on Monday
morning, the wife of a Mr. Russell (confidential clerk
in the employ of Messrs. Perry and Sons, iron-
founders) rose suddenly from her bed, and going to
the children's room, cut the throat of the youngest
boy, a child four years old, and then attempted to
destroy herself in a similar manner. An alarm was
raised by the family, and medical assistance pro-
cured, but the child died in a short time, and Mrs.
Russell was not expected to survive. It is imagined
that she also intended to kill her two other children.
The only assignable cause f r the act is a depression
of spirits from which the poor woman has been re-
cently suffering. An inquest was held on Wednes-
day, when a verdict of " Wilful murder" was returned
against the unfortunate woman, who remained in the
most precarious state. At Wednesbury, in the same
county, on Thursday, a woman named Budd, the
mother of three children, killed her youngest child,
two years old, and herself, by jumping into the canal.
Her body was found in the canal with the child
locked in her arms. In this case the cause alleged
is that she had spent some money with which her
husband had intrusted her, and that she was afraid
to meet his reproaches. On Friday night a woman
named Mary Davis drowned herself at Lea-brook,
near Bilston, from disapppointed affection.
A COLLIERY ACCIDENT happened on Monday at
Blackburn, which resulted in the death of four men.
The colliery where the casualty took place is called
the Moss Coalpit, and belongs to Mr. Thomas
Simpson. It appears that at the usual hour the
four men got into the tub for the purpose of
descending to their work. Just as the last man got
into the tub, one of the folds of the rope coiled
round the vertical slipped; the tub consequently
descended with rather a sudden jerk, which snapped
the rope close to the fastening, and the unfortunate
men were all thrown to the bottom of the abyss, a
depth of thirty-six yards. They were killed almost
instantaneously, as when taken up shortly afterwards
they were all found to be quite dead.
A FIRE IN SHOE-LANE broke out on Tuesday morn-
ing, between five and six o'clock, on the extensive
premises of Messrs. Devey and Dale, brassfounders,
Nos. 8 and 9, Shoe-lane, Fleet-street. The building
in which the fire was discovered is situate between
Shoe-lane and Poppin's-court, and surrounded by
dwellings chiefly inhabited by poor persons. Informa-
tion was promptly despatched to Farringdon-street
Fire Brigade station, whence, in the course of a few
minutes, two powerful engines arrived, followed by
several others, as well as by the royal tire-escape
from Bridge-street. The engines, with a good
supply of water, got to work, when the flames were
speedily arrested in their progress, but not before
the upper part of the finishing shops (thirty feet
long by twenty feet wide) and the roof were burnt,
and the premises of Messrs. D. Cooper and Co., ink-
makers, Nos. 5,6, and 7, damaged by fire and water.
The cause of the calamity is unknown, as the work-
men left the premises quite safe on the previous
evening. The loss will fall on the Hand-in-Hand
and Sun Fire Insurance-offices.
AN EXPLOSION OF GUNPOWDER occurred last Satur-
day in a fuse factory at Plymouth. Five women
employed in an upper apartment were more or less
seriously injured. The whole factory was burnt to
the ground in a few hours, despite the most vigorous
efforts of the fire brigade. At one time great fears
were entertained that the store magazines of powder
would ignite ; but happily an entrance was forced,
and the powder removed by working parties of the
Marines and Royal Artillery. Great praise is due to
the efforts of the officers and men of both corps.
A MUTINY AMONG THE CONVICTS broke out in
Portland prison on Thursday. Whilst in the quar-
ries several of the convicts refused to work, and in
endeavouring to handcuff them the prisoners threw
their officers down and kicked them most brutally ;
by the help of many other warders who rushed to
their assistance they were soon secured, and placed