The Press.
London, England, 1853-08-13 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

out a glare of sherry, and, having sipped it, he opened a
carpet•lag and took out a phial bottle, which he appeared
to swell. Witness's friend said to deceased, •• Doctor, is
that sat rolatil,. as you are so depressed?" Deceased said
it was. They had no apprehension that the bottle cue•
tinned poison, and deceased drank off the contents. lm•
mediately after his head fell backwards, and he want,
apparently, into a deep sleep. They became alarmed, and
a surgeon was called in, but deceased was quite dead on
his arrival.

Evidence being given as to his pecuniary embarrass-
ments, a verdict of "Temporary insanity" was re-
turned by the jury.
CHEAPSIDE was visited by a serious tire on Monday
evening, which broke out suddenly in the extensive
pile of premises belonging to Messrs. I'. Wilhott anti
Son, wholesale stationers, immediately facing Bow
Church. For some time the destruction of the en-
tire building appeared inevitable ; anti, as it was, the
flames were not extinguished until considerable da-
mage was done. The tire is supposed to have been
caused from a gaslight coming in contact with a pile
of paper.
ANOTHER FIRE, of far more destructive character,
broke out on Wednesday morning, about one o'clock,
at the pianoforte manufactory belonging to Messrs.
Kirkman, in Dufaur's-place, Broad-street, St. Jamss's.
The edifice was very extensive, with a highly inflam-
mable and valuable stock of timber, and closely
surrounded by a number of houses belonging to
Dufaur's-place, Broad-street, and Poland.street. As-
sistance, engines, and water were speedily on the
spot in abundance, but for many hours the conflagra-
tion baffled all attempts at subjugation. In the end
it was found that Messrs. Kirkman had sutfored a
most serious loss in timber burnt anti buildings de-
stroyed, leading, we regret, to say, to the loss of
employment by nearly eighty hands. The adjacent
house of Mr. Sibley, a silversmith, was also destroyed,
with its contents ; and nine other buildings in the
neighbourhood, including the Baptist Chapel in Po-
land-street, were severely injured. Three of the
brigade men were much hurt, by the falling of a
wall, while labouring to arrest the progress of the
fire.

A FATAL. ACCIDENT occurred on Monday last on
the North Devon line, now in course of construction.
William Brown, a labourer, was engaged in driving
trucks to an embankment, when he stumbled and
fell across the line, and, although he made a des-
perate effort to throw himself off, the trucks went
over him, and crushed his body in a shocking man•
ner. He was taken up insensible, and died in three
quarters of an hour.
SUDDEN DEATH occurred near the Waterloo-bridge
station, on Thursday morning, to an elderly gentle-
man while hurrying to catch the train for the Spit-
head review. He was seen to sit down on a door-
step, but, when a policeman came to offer assistance,
was already speechless. Money to the amount of
251, 10s. was found on his person, a gold watch, a
ring, and an order to go on board some ship of the
fleet, but nothing that, could disclose his identity.

A VERY SERIOUS EXPLOSION occurred on Thursday
at the Zoological Gardens, Clifton, Bristol, though
appily unattended with loss of life. Prepte a-
tions were making for a grand gala for the benefit
of Mr. Gyngell, the pyrotechnist, and some meu in
his employment were engaged in ramming com
position into the rocket-cases, when tho materials
ignited, and a terrific explosion ensued, by which the
whole of the shed was blown into the air, and the
fireworks that had been already made were destroyed.
Two of the workmen were injured, one so severely
that he had to be conveyed to the Bristol Infirmary.
Hopes are, however, entertained of his recovery.
ExectrrtoNs took place on Wednesday. At
Glasgow the two convicts, Hans Smith Macfarlane
and Helen Blackwood, were hung for the murder of
Al xander Boyd, a ship-carpenter. More than
40,000 spectators were present. In Caernarvon sen-
tence was carried into effect on John Roberts, also
convicted for murder. The execution in this case
was effected within the prison walls, the public being
allowed to witness it through an aperture. At the
last moment the prisoner confessed his guilt, and ac-
knowledged the falsehood of his accusation against a
man named Evans, whom he had charged with
tempting him to the crime for which he suffered.