The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-10 00:00:00

DESPERATE ArramPr TO ESCAPE FROM GAOL.

James Nugent, who, on 2nd July last, escaped
from Busse gaol by vaulting the keeper and matron, and
thereafter wresting the gaol keys from the latter, last week
made a most determiued but unaioceinful attempt to escape
from Greeekw gaol, where he had been confined since his
recapture. On the evening of Thursday last, William John-
ston, a son of the governor of Greenlaw gaol, had occasion to
visit the oall is which N ugeat was confined, when the latter,
who bad evidently previously planned his escape, rushed
soddenly upon ha. striking him with a stick on the had,
and almost stupefy' ing him. Johnston and he closed, and
both came to Um Boor, the prisoner using all his efforts to
wrest the prison keys from Johnston ; and the persons who
way at the time engaged in the passage, hearing Johnston
ay for assistance, came to his rescue, on which Nugent was
again secured and locked up in his cell. On this being done,
Nugent, apparently from rage sod disappointment, dashed,
his water-pot against the cell-door, breaking the former in
fragments, and then knocked his fist or something
else through the cell window. Additional assist-
ance having been procured, he was removed to the
dark cell of the prison and put a iron. On his
cell being examined it was found that the stick with which
he had armed himself was one of the legs of the all table,
two of which the prisoner had broken off. A rope, about
13 yard, long, was also found in his cell, which he had
anunifectured by cutting down one of his sham, and which
was doubtless intended to be used to facilitate his eicape
over the prison walls. Nnent, although below the ordinary
sae, is a mat determined and desperate character. The
shine on which he was originally committed to Deese
qua, prior to his escape, was the theft of a large soil
heavy wooden trunk containing wearing apparel and
other goods from a stable loft. That must have
been done between the time the hinds left the
stable after returning from work mad the time
they returned to it to supper their horses. Be had unaided
carried it down a steep trap and into a field sear by, when
he broke it open with a stone and carried off the contents,
pert of which he pawned in Berwick next day. A period of
seven months elapsed before he was found, and when he
was so he was committed to Duna primes. Be was only
four days there when he made his escape from it. Again 1
he eluded the viailanoe of the police for about six weeks,
when he was apprehended by the Mid Lothian rounty
police on several charges of theft committed since
his mope from Dunne prrsoe. Oe being trans-
mitted to Berwickshire be was seat to °resales
gaol, as being safer than Duna ; ad wean informed that
on his way to it be was offering to lay bete with the officers
in whose custody he was that he would also make his escape
from that prison, and that be would kill the governor, if
ateralary, for that purpose ; and there is some reason to
believe that but foe the timely aid of the other prisoners,
he would have carried hie threats, to a considerable extent
at least, into execution. Johnston, the governor's son, has
not received any serious injury. The meaner has received
a cut on the head by a blow Johnston gave bim with the
pr son wttella he was
also a:ries:eta take
vial themzit.obf.vhi;:
Cbarear.

EXTENSIVE JEWELLERY ROBBERY AT BRIGHTON.
—A very impudent robbery haa been committed at 11,
Begeou-square, the residua, of Mr. Orme. The manner
in which it was effected can only be a matter of conjecture ;
all that is known for certain is that a large quality of er
halide jewellery was mimed from the front bedroom. This
consisted of eighteen diamond, emerald, ruby, and other
rings ; four gold bracelets ; eleven tousle, enamel,
carbuncle, and other brooches ; a lady's small gold Geneva
watch, a gold pewit ease set with turquoise, a pair of gold
eye-glasses, Led a set of three etude—enamel, inlaid with
' pearls. There was a large amount of valuable jewellery
lyin about in the other bedrooms, but this was not
while on the bed ie the same room from which
these articles were taken was a splendid gold croft, pre-
sented to Mr. Orme by the Emperor of Ramis, in which
there was one diamond alone worth 6001. Fortunately this
seems to have escaped the notice of the thief. It la sup-
posed that the robbery must have been effected while Mr.
Orme and his family were at dinner, and that the thief
must have walked in by the front door, which had been left
standing open, livery exertion has been used by the police,
but as yet no clue as to the whereabouta of the thief has
been discovered. —Briyhton Gazette.
A WOMAN CONVICTED UNDER THE NEW POACHING
Acr.—Nary &Way, a decently-dreamed young woman, wee
brought before the bench at Bad/earth on Monday last,
charged with having, on the 6th Mat., been Illegally in the
poinesaion of nine rabbits, contrary to the provisions of the
late Game Act. It appeared from the evidence of Polioa-
constable Justoee that early on the morning of the sth
inst. he observed the defendant walking along the street,
OS her way homewards, with something bulky under her
shawl. Knowing her to be the wife of a notoriou poacher,
be stopped her and asked her what she had hidden under
her shawl. She mid it was cnly a few rabbits which her
husband had got while he was working. The constable then
took pommel= of the rabbits, and subsequently summoned
the defendant. The explanation of the Latter was that she
had bought the rabbits of a man who was passing her door,
whom she bad seen before, and whom she would not
know were she to see again. The bench did not believe this
story, and fined the defendant, including coats, 11. 8s did. ;
in default, twenty-one days. The money sea paid.—Bir-
sting/tam Post.
A POLICEMAN CHARGED WITH MURDER.—A
IPolice-constable at Bury (Lancashire) has been committed
to the New Bail , Manchester, on the charge of murdering
his wife, in Fekrusry last. In that month the body of •
woman was found in the Bolton and Bury Canal, at Pew
dletom about two miles from Manchester. There was a
bruise on one arm, but nothing to excite suspicion of foul
play, and the result of an inquest was the findiag of an open
undid of " Found drowned." Up to the time of interment
the body bad not been identified. It has now transpired
that the prisoner left Bury with his wife the night Wore
the body was found, their supposed intention long to visit
the wife's sister, who resided at Pendleton. The prisoner,
who was in plain clothes, returned to Bury the rams night,
wittiest Lis wife. In answer to inquiries be told ANDO
people that she had gone to Ireland, and to others he men-
tioned other places. The wife's sister, residing in Paull.
toe, became very mussy about her sister, and hearing of
the body found in the canal went to inspect the clothes, and
identified them as belong'', to the prisoner's wife. The
matter was thee communicated to the Bury police, who
apprehended him, took him Were the MAEWArstes on
Taseday, sad was by them sent to the New Bailey on re-
mand till Woodsy next. Meantime the polies are engaged
I in getting up evidence exeunt the prisoner, and it is ea-
' ported application will be made to the Secretary et Bute for
power to exhume the body of the woman loped in the canal.
ATROCIOUS OUTRAGE ON A CHlLD.—Yesterday
a young man named Abraham Arrant was committed for
trial by the borough magistrates at Guildford, fora criminal
and meet brutal assault upon a child of two years old, the
daughter of the Willard of the Boas and ()rows public
bones iu that town. It is feared that the poor little girl is
not likely to eurvive the injuries she has sustained.
OPERA OLAIMEL••-T. HARRIS and Box'sol.ll,llB
MID retain the celebrity leer awarded to theist by the habitues
of the Open; they posses. Nth inagnifyinc power, with a
large and perfectly diatinet held of view, the sous of perish
Ithus. T. Harris and lion sake or alter Opera Glasses so as to ac-
curately suit Deareighted eyes. A variety of the newest tors
and fashion for this lesson. Moderate_ prices. Thus Barris
siobs=riciaas,
Wverfte eppeslts the MU& ilassiesa phis, Lisboa.
17811,—riall

STARVATION OF A SWILD.-COMMITTAL OP
THE MOTHER FUR MAN.SLAUGHTSR.

On Monday and Tuesday the Bristol coroner
held a protracted inquest on the body of Henry Merrifield,
who, it was alleged, had been wilfully starred to death by his
own mother, then in custody. Two women, named Lawler sod
Griffith■, who had lived in the nine hone with the pri-
soner, deposed to her habits of &nonvoting, and her
neglectful conduct towards her children.
Mr. F. C. Board, assistant bouse-surgeon at the Infirmary,
who bad made a .morteni examination, stated his belief
that the bad died from want of nourishment.
The prisoner, having been duly cautioned, said—M► name
Is Elizabeth Merrifield. lam the mother of the deceased,
and the wife of Henry Merrifield, late of Bilged, baker.
Fourteen months ago my husband left me with three &a-
droit, when the baby was a month old. The cause of oar
unhappiness was his improper intimacy with a person (who
an, named).
----• • • " • "

The Coroner said be could not take anything slanderous
of another person who wee not present to defend herself,
but if ■he wished to say that her busload's conduct was
displeasing to her he would put that down, or that the sus-
pected bleu of improper intimacy with another person.
The woman wished the coroner to write that she inspected
her husband of improper intimacy with another woman, sad
added—be left me unprovided for with my two little girls,
but before the boy was born, and I WII3 obliged to go to the
Stapleton union. I had my husband boned over to
keep the pesos. During three months succeeding we lived
very comfortably, but eves before the hood wee up he be-
came troublesome again, and he has never contributed to my
maintenance since. I had an allowence from the perish
of 2a. and three loaves weekly, but my work fell off very
much. I let my landlady have two leaves and ninepemos
every week out of that. I bad occasioeally small preseota of
money, and, with regard to my children, I allowed them
what I could afford. I have had no hot food for three or
(our months. During the time my work has been abort I
have been driven to live on dry bread alone, and my children
have bad put of it. During the child's illness Mr. and
Mrs. Peacock have kindly given a little wine, which I gave
to the child every morning up to the time of its death. A
smooth ago the child was sent to the Infirmary. Mrs. Jour
carried the child, sod I accompanied • her. It was taken
three times ito the Infirmary, and twice to Mr. Poawell, the
parish stoma. It bas not been seen by soy doctor far the
but three weeks.
Tiro Cormier having summed up,
The primmer desired that her other children might be
Bent for. . . . . . .

11:461oroner—I should be glad of an opportunity of seeing
them.
Two little girla,with roily cheeks, clean, and tidily-dressed,
were thou led is.
The Coroner—They look healthy and well-fed children ;
there is nothing io their appearance to lead me to
that they have been neglected. The appearance of thew
children certainly is not discreditable. The jury mat, how-
ever, determine whether the death of the infant was caused
loy the neglect of the mother or not.
The room was cleared, and the jury. aftera brief dobbin-
too, returned • verdict to the effect that the child ure
feloniously slain by Elizabeth Merrifield.
The coroner thereupon made out his warrant for her eon-
natal for trial, on the charge of manslaughter, at the mint
Gloucester anises.—Western Dail, Pres:.

THE PROSPECTS OF THE RING.