The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-03 00:00:00

*antis intb Offnuts.

SOME DEXTROUS THIEF has stolen the coins do
'posited in the foundation-stone of the intended new
church at St.. Mary Magdalene, Colchester. The
first stone of this edifice was laid some days since by
the grand master of the freemasons of Essex, and in
a cavity in its centre were placed a parchment and a
bottle, sealed, containing the various coins of the
present reign and year, from a sovereign downwards
to, a farthing. During the night of Sunday last.
some person unknown succeeded, with very little
difficulty, in grubbing out a few of the flint stones,
embedded in concrete, funning part of the wall over
the cavity in which the treasure was hidden, and
saving made an aperture sufficient to admit the hand,
the depredator came to the cap of lead cemented as
a covering to the bottle and its contents, which he
soon removed, and then had no difficulty in getting
out the bottle itself, and the valuables it contained,
with which he got clear off. No information has yet
been received likely to lead to his detection.
INTENSE EXCITEMENT has been created in the
parish of Clerkenwell and its vicinity, in consequence
of al argediunount of' property chiefly window glass,
having been wantonly destroyed within this fortnight.
The outrages appear to extend far and wide. It is
supposed that the missiles are propelled from an air-
gun, cross-bow, or some other powerful engine.
IN THE THUNDER-sTonM of yesterday week, which
appears to have been dreadful at Greenock, a young
woman, daughter of Mr. Hair, a cow-feeder, was
struck dead by the lightning on the road near Bra-
chelston
Tnn Dominic&nix Selena.: of a gentleman named
George Frank Stanley Smythe was the subject of a
coroner's inquest held this day week. Deceased,
who was only 29 years of age, went into the coffee-
room of the Cathedral Hotel in St. h'aul's Churchyard,
and ordered mane sherry and a biscuit, for which he
paid. Ten minutes afterwards he fell on the floor,
and was taken up dead. The tumbler he had used
smelt of prussic acid, and a phial labelled" Essence
of bitter almonds" was found on the seat. The evi_
deuce of Mr. Tapson, a medical gentleman, and Mr.
William Henry Smythe, a brother of the deceased,
went to show that his mind was affected some months
ago. He went to reside in Paris for a time, from
which place he returned lately, apparently quite re-
covered. lie was very shortly to have been married,
but had a morbid feeling that he was unworthy of
the young lady. A paper found in his poeket-book
had some lines in pencil bewailing his want of merit.
Mr. Keating, the chemist, stated that the deceased
had purchased the essence under the pretence of
requiring it totlavour custard. Verdict, "Temporary
insanity."
THE SPANISH TRAMP, Miguel Yzquierdo, who is
supposed to have murdered a boy named George
Scales, in a field near Hatfield, has been finally ex-
amined before the local bench, and committed on
the capital charge. The prisoner speaks no English,
but through his interpreter declined offering any de-
face. lie will net be tried until the spring ESSiZVS.

THE PRESS.

SUICIDE was committed in a cell of the Vine-street
station by an omnibus conductor named Edward
Beck. The deceased had latterly exhibited much
strangeness of meaner, arising, it is said, from the
effects of a sunstroke received in India, aggravated
by intemperance. He was found wandering about
the streets late on Sunday night last, and, attracting
some suspicion from a policeman, was taken into
custody and lodged in the cell, where he divided the
artery of his arm with the sharp edge of an iron " tip"
taken from one of his boots. The jury found him
"Temporarily insane."
TILE SUICIDE OE A YOUTH, only sixteen years old,
has excited much sympathy in Cardiff: He was the
son of Mr. Wicklow, a respectable corn-merchant in
that town, and the body was found in a cornfield
with a pistol beside it, and shot through the brain.
Some trifling domestic quarrel appears to be the only
discoverable cause of the fatal act.
SEVERAL. EXTENSIVE FIRES occupied the London
brigade during Saturday and Sunday last. One
happened in the extensive premises termed the
" Blue House," in Kent street, Borough, the property
of Mr. J. Evans, lodging-house-keeper. The flames
originated from a spark falling upon the bedding in
the front room first floor, which quickly set the
apartment in a blaze. 'Phis was, however, soon ex-
tinguished.—Another fire broke out in the premises
of Messrs. Ewbank and Co., iron cask manufacturers,
carrying on business at No. 1.53, Long-lane, Ber-
mondsey. When discovered the flames had obtained
a firm hold of the ground floor, and but a few
minutes elapsed ere they penetrated the ceiling, and
rushed into the first floor. The firemen were
unable to get the mastery until the ground and first
floor warehouses were severely burned.—A third fire
broke out in Billingsgate-market. It originated in
the engine-house, from a gas-light coming in contact
with some logs and loose timber. Not much
damage was done.—Another tire occurred at Ivy
Cottage Farm, Woolwich-road, Kent, the property of
Mr. T. Wheatley, grazier. It began in a rick of hay,
containing from s 0 to 100 loads ; but from what
cause is unknown. One-third of the rick was
destroyed, and time remainder severely damaged.—A
conflagration, which was not extinguished for several
hours, broke out. in the premises belonging to Mr.
Joseph Kipping, known as Coptleill Farm, situated
in Totteridge, Hertfordshire. The flames originated
from the spontaneous ignition of a rick of hay, con-
taining about seventy loads, and the flames travelled
so rapidly as to jeopardise everything near. The
fire was not extinguished for several hours, and not
until a number of ricks were seriously burned.
BY A CONFLAORATION which broke out on Tuesday
evening in Canterbury, some extensive and valuable
barns, farm premises, &c., were totally consumed.
The flames were first seen from the thatch of a small
outhouse, standing beneath a smithy, and were sup-
posed to have originated from an accidental spark.
The damage is estimated at nearly '2,001)t., and the
owner had very recently allowed his insurance to
expire.
num Tee EreeTs OF Ford, AIR IN A RAILWAY
Cidnumie a child died on Sunday last. The inquest
was held on Wednesday. It appeared from the evi-
dence of Mrs. Breen, time grandmother of the de-
ceased, that she lent been on a visit to her daughter
in Edinburgh, and on Saturday evening left that city
to return home with the child to London, in a third-
class carriage on the London and North-Western
line. They were all night on the road. Between
eight and nine o'clock on the Sunday morning the
train stopped at Camden-town to collect the tickets,
and, seeing the child look pale and still, she showed
it to a medical man who happened to be in the next
carriage, when he pronounced it in a dying state, and
it expired almost immediately afterwards. The child
was lying on her knees the whole of the time ; one
of tie carriage windows was open, but it was not in-
conveniently crowded ; there were also lamps burning
all the way, and she did not feel any inconvenience
herself. A medical witness, who had made the post-
mortem examination of the body, stated that the
lungs were gorged with venous blood, proving state
cation from foul air. His opinion was that, the de-
ceased being in a delicate state of health, the vitiated
atmosphere of the carriage, produced by the breath
of so many people, in addition to the combustion of
the lamps, would cause death, although probably a
healthier child might have escaped. An official of
the company was in attendance to explain the con-
struction of the carriage. The jury returned a ver-
dict of " Accidental death."
FOUR LIVES WERE LOST last week off the island
of Islay. A party of gentlemen sailed across Lagan
Bay to the shore of (la, to obtain a sight of the
grotto of Slochd mahol-Ifeekle All returned safely
to Port Charlotte, when two of the number deter-
mined to sail across Lochindiml to Bowmen% They
did not return as expected, when a search was made.
The corpse of one of the gentlemen was found float-
ing on the surface, and another body was afterwards
recovered. Two boatmen who had Lwow: wiled the
deceased also perished.

SATITRDAIt,

THE VERDICT "WILFUL MURDER" has been re-
turned at an inquest held on the body of Mr. G.
Stevens, a plumber, of Bermondsey-street. The
deceased was the owner of several houses, and among
his tenants was a young man, named Lawrence, who
had, for some time past, suspected the fidelity of his
wife, and entertained jealous feelings towards his
landlord. By the neighbours these suspicions were
declared to be unfounded. Lawrence, however, ap-
plied some time back to a police magistrate for a
summons against Stevens, whom he charged with
indecently assaulting his wife. The summons was
refused on the ground of insufficiency in the evidence,
and Lawrence then proceeded to the shop of Messrs.
Adams and lid Mead, pawnbrokers, in Ber-
mondsey-street, where he purchased a brace of large
pistols. In the afternoon he met the deceased in
Stephens-street, and, presenting a pistol, deliberately
aimed at him, and fired. The contents lodged in the
deceased's thighs. He staggered into the shop of a
bootmaker, named Smith, who, on running out to
look for Lawrence, found that he had decamped.
Medical assistance was promptly in attendance, and
the deceased was removed home. 1)r. Cocks, from
Guy's Hospital, succeeded in extracting two bullets
from the right thigh, but, although every means
which skill could devise were resorted to, the
unfortunate gentleman expired in great agony on
Monday last. A warrant has been issued for the
apprehension of Lawrence, who has never been seen
since.
A Commis, resulting in serious though not fatal
injury to several first-class passengers, occurred on
Wednesday evening, near Homey. It appears that
shortly before five o'clock, the period for the depar-
ture of the down express from the King's-cross ter-
minus, there was a breakdown of a coal-train at
Hornsey, on the up line, a portion of the train being
left behind, and a pilot-engine, driven by a man
named Pardington, was sent down to bring it on.
About two minutes after the express train had left
King's-cross, a telegraphic message was received that
the line at Hornsey was not clear. The express
meanwhile proceeded at its usual speed, until the
driver, seeing the stopping signal on at Hornsey, shut
oil his steam and reversed his engine ; but, having
ten carriages attached, so great was his impetus that
the express dashed into the pilot engine, which was
at the time shunting across the line, and the carriages
of the express were thrown one upon the other, and
a frightful scene presented itself. Several passengers
were taken out completely stunned, three or four
having broken legs. Maxwell, the guard to the
express, was almost hopelessly injured. The
Bishop of Lincoln, the Lord Mayor of London, Sir
James Duke, and Mr. Roebuck were in the train,
and all received more or less injury. The Lord
Mayor was the most hurt, his face being severely cut
and bruised, insomuch that a telegraphic message
was sent to London for his carriage, and he returned
to the Mansion-house. His lordship was on his way
to Sheffield to attend the annual " Cutlers' Feast" in
that town. Mr. Roebuck, who was bound on a shils.
far errand, though much bruised, determined to pro-
ceed. Sir James Duke was sttuined by the shock,
and continued insensible for some time. He was also
severely bruised. The driver and fireman were
taken into custody, and brought up on Thursday at
the Clerkenwell Police Court, when, after a brief ex-
amination, they were remanded for the production of
further evidence.
ANOTHER FEARFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT occurred
on Tuesday at the Euston-square terminus of the
London and North-Western Railway. Several work-
men were engaged on different portions of the rails
close to the station, and, just as the half-past six
down train was on the point of starting, seven or
eight men were in the act of carrying across the
line, close to the terminus, a long portion of an iron
rail at the very moment that the engine which accom-
panied the train emerged from the engine-shed.
The men imagined that they could effect their
transit before the engine arrived where they were en-
gaged. The result, however, unfortunately proved
that they were wrong in their calculation, for
before they could clear the rails the engine came up,
striking the iron rail that they were carrying, and
knocking the men about right and left. Four :
them succeeded in getting out of the way of the
engine, while two others, named Edmund Woodland
anti Abel Robertson, were struck down and the
engine anti tender passed over them. They were
picked up and conveyed, much injured, to the Univer-
sity College Hospital.

A locomotive village has been established for the accom:
modation of the labourers on the Chichago and Mississippi
Railway. The workmen live in cars fitted up for the pur-
pose of boarding the men, which are pushed along as the
rails arc laid, thus seeming the advantage of having the
men always near their work. This locomotive village
comprises fifteen large covered cars, with all the necessary
conveniences for cooking, eating, and sleeping. They carry
cows, who graze alongside, and are put in the stalls when
the village changes ground.
The coalmasters about Kilmarnock have agreed to
advance the wages of their workmen from fs. to ith Od.
per day.