The Press.
London, England, 1854-01-14 00:00:00

gittibtnts aA effnites.

AT A SERIOTTS FIRE which broke out in a German
lodging-house in Whitechapel, ten persons had a
narrow escape, after undergoing a terrible fright.
The flames spread so rapidly that four of the lodgers
were forced to get out of an upper window and hang
on to the side by their hands. In another room
were four children, with their parents, left without

retreat, and the fire approaching nearer every mo-
ment. Happily a fire-escape was brought to the
spot, and the whole number successively extricated
from peril, although their safe deliverance seemed a
matter of miracle, so near had the flames reached.
The house was nearly gutted before the conflagration
could be got under.
THE MYSTERY ATTENDING THE MURDER IN ACTON
is still under investigation. A man named Wildbore
has been taken into custody on suspicion, and re-
manded, after examination. He is said to resemble
the man who drove the cart in which the murdered
lad was carried off. The police have since traced out
anotherboy who witnessed that transaction, and whose
evidence will be ready on future occasions for the
purposes of identification.
A FARMER'S LABOURER at Stapleton, near Bristol,
lost his way on Wednesday night while taking home
a horse which his master had borrowed, and in the
morning was found frozen to death. The Wiltshire
Independent speaks of a carter being lost in some
snowdrift, his cart and horses having been with diffi
culty recovered. Several cases are mentioned in the
papers (two occurred at Glasgow) of persons in a
state of intoxication, who laid down on the ground,
being frozen to death. So great was the weight of
snow which bad collected on the tops of some build-
ings that they were forced in, and in one case, at
Belfast, three lives were lost from this cause. A lady
residing in Liverpool was to have been married in
the sth inst. to a gentleman from town, who was ex-
pected to join the guests assembled at the marriage
feast. Instead of his arrival, however, the bride re-
ceived a telegraphic message conveying the intelli-
gence that her intended was "snowed up" at Staf-
ford. After the frost came the thaw, and the floods
contributed a fresh series of disasters to those occa-
sioned by the cold or the snow.
WILLIAM CUMMING, capitally convicted before the
fligh Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh, and whose
execution had been fixed for last Monday, has been
respited for fourteen days. This reprieve has been
requested by the law authorities at Edinburgh in
order to give time for some important inquiries.
SAM DAY, the well-known jockey, who had only
recently recovered from breaking his thigh at Good-
wood races, experienced a similar accident on Satur-
day last, whilst on a visit to Mr. B. Way, at Denham-
house, near Uxbridge. Every attention, and the
best surgical aid, have been 'rendered to him, and it
is hoped that the consequences will not be serious.
In turf circles much commiseration is expressed
for him.
A MELANCHOLY AND MYSTERIOUS EVENT has oc-
curred near Leeds. At Hunslet a recently-married
couple were residing in a house where some outside
steps led from a platform on a level with their bed •
room window into the road. On Saturday last both
husband and wife were in Leeds amusing them-
selves, and apparently happy and loving. They
returned home at night, but were missed in the
morning. Footsteps in the snow led to a search!
in the river, when the body of the man was found
clothed only with a shirt. His wife was discovered
lying bruised and insensible in the road. It was
surmised that he had wandered forth in a stirs of
somnambulism and been drowned, and that the effe
followed to call him back and fell down the steps.
She has never recovered her senses sufficiently to
afford any explanation respecting the affair.
INTELLIGENCE has reached I ondon that on Christ-
mas morning it very destructive fire occurred in one
of the finest blocks of buildings in Montreal, entirely
destroying it. The block was principally occupied
by J. and I). Lewis, as a dry goods store. The losses
are as follows :—London offices : Globe, 10,0001.;
Royal, 5,0001.; Phoenix, 3,0001.; Equitable, 2,1004;
Liven 00l and London, 2,04 01. Local office`'
Hartford, 2,000!.; Home, 2,0001.; Etna, 2,0001.; PM!
tection, 1,2001. Total, 29,9001.

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JANUARY 14, 1854.

A PRIAONER IN DERBY GAOL HUNG HIMSELF in
his cell on Sunday evening. His term. of imprison-
ment was only a month, for seeepstealing.
DIE EASTERN COPNTIES RAILWAY was the Scene
cf a distressing accident on Thursday evening last
week. Heavy snow had so blocked up the line that
only one set of rails could be used at all, and that
was continually becoming covered with fresh drifts.
A clearance train was accordingly despatched down
the line, drawn by two powerful engines from the
Harling-snition, which encountered another clearance
train, also doubly-engined, about halfway from
Thetford. There was a dense fog at the time, and the
drivers of both trains seems to have been wholly un-
aware of the risk they ran. The collision was fright-
ful: the four engines mounted into the air to the height
of many feet, and, passing under these, the carriages
came into collision, one second-class carriage being
jammed into another, like the slides of a telescope.
A mail train which closely followed the clearing
engine from Thetford was with much difficulty saved
from running into the debris, and thus increasing
the fearful damage caused by the catastrophe. As
it was, live persona have perished. Two labourers,
who were proceeding to clear away the snow at
various points, and two stokers, were killed almost
instantaneously ; and the Rev. Mr. Bell, vicar of
Framlingham, who had incautiously taken his seat
in the clearance train in his haste to get on, was so
much injured that he died two days afterwards.
Two of the men who perished have left fifteen chid
dren, but the company are stated to promise to make
provision for them. At an inquest subsequently held,
a verdict of " Manslaughter" was returned against
Ashcroft, a superintendent of the line, whose neglect
was supposed by the jury to have caused the acci
dent. He was himself in one of the clearing trains,
and in his defence it is alleged that the frost had
interfered with the performance of the electric wires.

Obituarg.

LORD LEREBFoRD, whose name ranks next to that
of Wellington on the roll of the great leaders of the
Peninsular war, died on Sunday evening last, at his
seat of Bedgebury park, in Kent. The deceased
general, who was a natural son of the first Marquis
of Waterford, commenced his distinguished military
career in 1785, when he was appointed an ensign of
the 6th Foot. His first active service was in 1793,
when, as captain of the 09th, he disembarked with
the troops that took possession of Toulon, and was
generally engaged in the attacks that took place until
the final evacuation of that place, when he went to
Corsica, and was present at the attack and siege of
St. Fiorenza, Bastia, and Calvi. In 1790, when
lieutenant-colonel of the 88th, he sailed for the
East Indies, and from thence by the Red Sea to
Egypt, across the Desert, in command of a brigade of
Sir David Baird's army. He remained in Egypt till
its evacuation, as commandant of Alexandria. After
some energetic services against the Irish rebels,
Colonel Beresford, in 1805, proceeded to the Cape,
and shared in the conquest of that colony. From
thence he was sent, in command of a small force, to
seize Buenos Ayres. This was accomplished ; but al-
though successful in theopen field against the enemyhe
was eventually obliged to surrender, after three days'
desperate and destructive resistance in the town.
The force under Colonel Beresford amounted to
1,200, that of the enemy to between 10,000 and
12,000. After being prisoner for six months lie es-
caped to England, where lie had but a short time
arrived (this was in 1807) when he was appointed
colonel of the 88th, or Connaught Rangers, and was
shortly afterwards sent in command of au expedition
against Madeira. From Madeira lie went to the
Peninsula, where he arrived a few days after the battle
of \milers., and returned after Corunna. In 1809 he
again proceeded to Portugal, to take the chief com-
mand of the Portuguese troops, with the rank of
marshal. From that time Marshal Beresford's
achievements are part of the history of the period,
the greatest of them being his victory over Soult at
Albuere, one of the most bloody and most glorious of
the names inscribed on the list of Peninsular suc-
cesses. For these services Marshal Beresford subse-
quently received the dignities of Duke of Elvas,
Marquis of Campo Mojor, and Count Trances° in
Portugal, that of Viscount Beresford in his own
country, and several decorations. By the demise of
this venerable and gallant soldier the colonelcy of
the 16th Regiment and the colonelcy in-chief of the
60th Rifles are rendered vacant. A pension of 2,000!.
per annum also lapses to the Crown. This income
had been granted to Lord Beresford for his own life
and that of two successors ; but the deceased leaves
no issue, and the pension as well as all his titles be-
comes extinct. At the period of his decease Lord
Bere. sford was the senior officer in the armies of
Spain and of Portugal, and the oldest marshal of
Europe. In the promotion consequent upon the
death of the Duke off Wellington he succeeded the

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THE PRESS.

Prince Consort as colonel-in-chief of the 60th Royal
Rifles. For many years he held the honourable post
of Governor of Jersey, was Master-General of
Ordnance in 1828, 9, and 30, and a Privy Councillor.
Lord Beresford married in November, 1832, his
cousin Louisa, daughter of the first Baron Deckle,
and widow of Thomas Hope, of Depedene, the
author of " Anastasias " and many other works. She
died in July, 1851, since which time the deceased
peer had lived in almost perfect retirement.
Wnsism MALTBY, librarian of the London Institu-
tion, in which orrice he succeeded the eminent
I'rofessor Porson, expired on the sth instant, having
reached his 90th year. He was .one and not the
least interesting of that class of gentlemen scholars
which serves as a link of connection between the last
and the present century in the field of polite letters.
Although bred to the law, and practising for many
years as a solicitor in cnpartnership with his elder
brother, his love of classical literature absorbed his
leisure hours, and, along with the cherished intimacy
of a few friends of a similar taste, formed the object
as well as the delight of his life. Possessing a quick
observation, a deep and genuine feeling for the
sublimities of thought conveyed in language of corre-
sponding force and elegance, an acquaintance of un
usual compass with the best authors, ancient and
modern, and an extraordinarily retentive memory,
his conversation abounded with references and cita-
tions as instructive as apposite, and, having asso-
ciated with some among the most distinguished men
of all professions, it was enlivened by choice and
racy anecdote. To the Elmslejs, Sothebys, and
Paynes, of bygone days, Mr. Maltby was especially
well known, and a very valuable library attests the
industry and judgment as well as the taste of the
collector. His oldest and one of his most valued
friends through life was the venerable poet Rogers,
with whom he first became acquainted, at the age of
nine years, at the school of the Rev. Mr. Pickbourne,
of Newington-green. Mr. Maltby was a cousin of the
present Bishop of Durham.

Jolla MOORE, ESQ., Speaker of the House of Keys
in the Isle of Man, died at Douglas, on the sth inst.,
aged 74. The deceased gentleman was born at Peel,
in the Isle of Man, on the 12th December, 1779.
He took his seat as a member of the House of Keys
(the popular branch of the insular Legislature) on
the 23rd September, IMO 7, and was at his death the
senior member of the house. He was by the unani-
mous vote of the house, in 1851, elected Speaker, an
office which he tilled with great ability and much
urbanity. In 1800 he had been elected a member of
the Harbour Commission, and sometime afterwards
was appointed Surveyor• General of Highways and
Bridges. Both of these offices were honorary, and
so long as he had health Mr. Moore discharged the
duties appertaining to them with unremitting atten
tion. He was universally respected throughout the
island.

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