The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-09 00:00:00

►ttiDcnxs AA Offtncts.

A DARING BURGLARY, accompanied by an attempt
to murder, was committed last week near Bristol. at
the house of an aged gentleman named Williams,
Four men, finding a ladder on the premises, entered
the house by an upper window, and found their way
to the old man's bedroom. One of them, who had
his face covered with a mask, jumped on the bed,
seised Mr. Williams, gagged his mouth, and
threatened to murder him if he did not at once dis-
close where his property was, or made the slight-
est disturbance. The others began rifling the house,
searching every spot where they thought it likely
property of any kind might be concealed, and suc-
ceeded in possessing themselves of a gold watch
worth twenty guineas and some money. Meanwhile
the man with the mask stood over Mr. Williams and
beat him several times with his fist on the face and
head. Upon his struggling, all four villains com-
menced ill-treating him, until he became insensible
from their blows and violence, when they quitted the
house, no doubt supposing that he was dead. As
the bandage was kept over his eyes, Mr. Williams
could not give a full description of the men, but he
recognised four different voices, and believed that
the man with the mask was a rough fellow, but the
others had the appearance of gentlemen. The
burglars must have gone cautiously to work, for
they had removed all the bells from the fastenings
to lessen the chances of alarm, and opened all the
doors so as to admit of easy flight.

A FRIGHTFUL. SUICIDE was perpetrated by Mr. Fre-
derick Cope, jun., the only son of Mr. Frederick Cope,
of Chorlton, near Manchester, yesterday week. On
the previous Wednesday his eldest sister was married,
and amongst the guests invited was a young lady to
whom the unfortunate gentleman was engaged.
Since that day he had been observed to be very
melancholy, and on the Friday went up into his bed-
room, and shortly afterwards shot himself through
the heart with a gun.
A Coi.r.mtv F.xetosrox, followed by the loss of
eighteen lives, occurred at Oldham on the Ist inst.
There would appear to have been no neglect on the
part of the men, or disorder in the ventilating system
adopted in the pit, which was always considered sate
and admirably worked. At three in the afternoon,
however, a sudden explosion of firedamp took place,
while nearly eighty persons were at work in the va-
rious shafts, and eighteen were either found dead in
the workings, or have died since froni the injuries
they received.
A SUICIDE, with some affecting circumstances, was
committed by Jane l'apson, who at the same tune
destroyed the life of her illegitimate infant. The
bodies of mother and child were found in the River
Thames. On the police inquiring at the address
written on a paper found in the woman's pocket,
they learnt that she had suffered long and severely
from distress. For some weeks she had lived on

el uty 9, 1853.

bread and water, and had complained bitterly of
being deserted by the father of her child, a man
named Metcalfe. She had pledged all her clothes
for rent, after endeavouring in vain to earn a support
by shirtmaking. Three letters, written in anticipa-
tion of the act afterwards committed, were found in
her room. One was to the man Metealfe—in these
terms :

" the time you receive this I hope to be no more. It is you
that has brought me to this—you bad, wicked man. 1 know that
I was greatly in fault In giving way to you, and bitterly I have
had reason to repent it, which 1 do from the bottom of my heart.
But had you never have promised things which you did, it would
never have happened ; end then, as soon as you saw how things
turned, because I would not leave my dear baby at some work-
house, nor to the mercy of the world, you thought proper to
leave us to starve and die. Oh! you bad, bad, winked man,
hanging is too good 14 you. Ih repent, before it is too
late. I will say no more for to-night. I hope, please the Lord,
to be in heaven and my baby as well, and may our blood rest
upon your head, for it is you that is the reuse of it; but my kind
love, for as I look for forgiveness, so do I forgive you. Farewell,
farewell! -JANE PALPSON."

Two other letters were also found, written in the
same incoherent 'meaner, the one to deceased's father
and mother at Folkestone, and the other to a cousin
at Finchley, praying that should the baby be found
alive it might be taken care of; and suiting the
wretched state of her mind. At the inquest the jury
returned a verdict that the child was wilfully mur-
dered by Emma Jane Papson, and that the said
Emma Jane Papson did commit self destruction
whilst in a state of mental derangement, brought on
by destitution and want.