The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-07 00:00:00

DARING BURGLARY AND ATTEMPTED
MURDER.

About 7 o'clock on Sunday morning the village of
Rousted Mountfitcbett was thrown into a state of the
rudest slum by cries for help proceeding from the mei-
dem* of Mr. Vi hite, an independent gentleman, residing on
the Cambridge high road. midway between Newport, Essex,
sod Bishop Stor tford. Several of the neighbours hurried
to the spot just in time to assist in surrounding and cap-
turing a tall powerful ruffian, who was about escaping
from the house. It appears that the servant girl came
downstairs about the time above-mentioned, and on
reaching the hall she found a seccetaire had been broken
open, and the oututs strewed about. Seeing other things
in a similar date, she returned upstairs and informed
her master. Mr. White immediately came down, and, upon
looking round the lower part of the house, found the cellar
door open, whist' made him suspect that some one was still
in the besea. The gamut procured a light, and, along with
her muter, began to descend the stain, but had not gotdowa
many steps when amen yelled out at them, and fired • pistol,
fortunately without effect, though upon after examination
it was found that the staircase was splintered, and a num-
ber of shot were picked up. Mr. White then hurried to the
door and repeatedly called out " Murder !" bringing the
neighbours to his assistance, when be returned to the snot
with • inn, sod reinforced by the assietance of several of
the inhabitants. 'Upon proceeding through the house they
found that the burglar, armed with • loaded pistol, had
reached the lawn, where be seemed uncertain which way to
retreat ; added to which his exit was rendered next to rm.
pomible by the presence of a very high wall to the ground..
He appeared to be determined upon resistanoe ; but, being
surrounded, and Mr. White presenting a gun at his
breast, be threw down the pistol and sin:endued at die-
crelics. The ruffian was taken into custody, and upon
being searched there were fond upon him • peculiarly
constructed flask containing powder. shot, and percussion
cape, and a broken knife, which bed been used for effecting
an entrance to the house, the remaining part of the blade
being afterwards found by a constable under the deals/K-
-rum window where an entrance bad been effect< I. The
man gave the name of Clement Fletcher, but obstinately
refund to give any place of abut.. After entering the
hones by the drawing-nom window, be appears to have
taken Mr. White's gun, removed the lock, and
bid it trader a mat ; be had then apparently been
unable to continue his opentroou in the dark, and
laid down upon the sofa to await the earning
light. He had forced apse boxes end drawers, tea-caddiee.
end work-boxes, in the drawing and dining rooms ; and
strewn the contents in all ',inane% In the pantry be had
broken open • box and eaten a portion of a pie. Yester-
day the prisoner was brought up at New port police-statioo,
before W. C. Smith, Esq., the chairman of this divisional
beech, charged with attempting to murder Mary Ann Bar-
nard—the servant girl of Mr. White—mad also with bur-
glary. After the evidence of Mr. White, the servant girl,
and the polies constable, all of whom corroborated the
above faces, he was folly committed for trial at the next
Chelmsfeed wiass.

Tess Poßructrusz Thus Auntor..—The master
of this vessel, who ban just Manned to the port of London,
having been absent from England with her since January,
1862, has called our attention to • paragraph in a letter
from our Lisbon correspondent published on the 24th of
March, 1862, objecting to Nevoid of the statements there
made, as summons. It results from further information
that oar correspondect was misinformed throughout with
regard to this ship, and we regret having given publicity to
hie statement or that we have not bad an opportunity of
It at an earlier period. It appears that the A lipede
left tit. atluirines Docks about the 4th January, 1862, and
smiled to the Downs with a pilot on board, but is cense-
(moos of bad weather she went into Ramsgate Harbour
for shelter. Afterwards, from similar causes, she went
into Plymouth and Falmouth, leaving the latter port on
the 7th of February, 1862, and reaching Lisbon oa the
25th of the same month. There was therefore no grornd
for the statement that she was "some six months"
making the voyage. Neither the vessel nor the cargo see.
tithed damage, as stated ; there wes no average paid, nor
was any claim made upon the insurers, though the vessel was
fogy insured. The Alipede was not ill-found, but was
oomperstively a new ship, having bees launched in Sep-
tember, 1856, and all her riggiog end taskliog were com-
plete. All that was necessary for refit in the port of
Leedom, wee done at the cost of, end paid by the *wows
solely. The foregoing facts fully and entirely set aside
the suggestion that either owners or master had been
liable to the imputation of what is called "oconidellaa."
The Alipede, rioce she left Leaden in January, 1862, bag
been' ding in South America.
THE WOLVERHAMPTON AND DUDLEY MYSTERIES.
—At *salty of Gloucester polies court oo Monday. Thomas
Courebill and Henry Barnes, alias " the Matchman," travel-
lers, were brought up in custody. Superintendent Gritfio,
addressing the magistrates, said it would so doubt be in the
recollection of their worships that • man named Chenerry
was some time ago found dead io • house at Wolverluitup.
ton, his body being far gone in • state of decomposition, and
that a woman named Bosannah Steadman, who had lived
with Chenet.y, was found dead in • house at Dudley, her
body also, like that of her paramour, being much decom-
posed. Os Saturday night ,he (Mr. Griffin) new Churchill
Mildew to a policeman at Gloucester. Churchill end
Barites bad confessed to him that be was concerned in
the Wolverhampton murders, and that he had seen in the
papers that the police were in search of him. Both men
were afterwards apprehended, sod the prisoner Barnes was
found to correspond with the desc.iption gives of " The
Matehman," the man who is stated to have cohabited with
Steadman. He (the ruperintendent) bail written to Wol-
verhampton and Dudley, and asked the magistrates to order
the primates to be detained until maim were received.
Churchill begged that he might belied at liberty. Barnes
wished to make • statement, but, having been cautioned by
the magistrates. said he would defer what he had to say
until he got to Wolverhampton. The prisoners were
ordered to be locked up. Barnes told the superintendent
that be is a native of Birmingham, and that be travels with
riop and " Vesuvians," and hence the nickname of " The
Matchntaa."
Stumm FEVER AT EANTDOI'RNE. —During the
path week or two quite a panic has been caused among the
fashiouable residents at Eastbourne, in consequenoe of the
alarming prevalence of scarlet fever in that town, and they
have been taking their departure from it in groat number.,
much to the dismay of the lodging-house keepers. A num.
ber of deaths have already taken place from this epidemic,
and among those who have fallen victims to it are two sons
of Mr. R. Hatihury, M.P. for Middlesex, whose family re-
side hero. Mrs. Haobury also died on Saturday last,
although not from the prevailing melody, and much sym-
pathy is expressed for Mr. Hanbory under this severe be-
reavement. Eastbourue has hitherto been considered the
mr st healthy of all the waterlog places, in consequence of
the registrar-general's returns showing a lower rate of mar-
tality there than almost anywhere eh, Timm
Tits GOATRUCKER. —The goateucker, a nocturnal
bird, about the sine of a pigeon. has made its appeamace
lively day for the last week or so. io • garden at Woolstooe,
in Hants. As first all the small birds which had made the
garden their abode forsook it ; but, after two or them days.
returned; having, as it would appear, discovered that the
intruder was sot • bird of prey. A couple of blackbirds
were men is close proximity to the gointsucker, • day or
two since. The latter, like the bat, feeds on nocturnal in-
sects. It is believed that it also eat, snails.

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