The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-23 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 23, 1863:

GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PARK PRODUCE.

SERIOUS FIRE.-(2711.9 DAY.)
-+-

LEWISHAM, WIDNIODAY Mounita.
For several hour,' this morning the town of
Lewisham wen the mete of • fearful Are. at she farm-
house sad barns belonging to Mr. W. Edgisatem,
al Smith End. in this towa. Whet the elegises arrived
from town, three wheat-ricke, each contains( over 100
quarters, two heaa-ricks the same aim, and two others orm-
arkdag forty waggon loads, two oa•ricks of eighty loads,
and a straw stack of eighteen loads were is Beams.
The parish who bad previously arrived,
went to work from • pond, and the steamer
did wooderful but had tot succeeded by soot in
getting the fire entirely aminginehed. The whole of the
s'srtntz that time were all but destroyed, end tbe bents
scorched. No further extension of mischief wadi
apprehended, although the wind wee blowing in strong
gusts and driving the fire in sundry directions. The kr
will fall upon the Liverpool and Loudon Firs-office.

POACHING AFFRAY NEAR MACCLESFIELD.

At about four o'clock on Monday morning •
desperate encounter took place on the Siddingten
four or five miles from Miosleitheld, between 12 es
four
gamineepen and nearly twice their number of poachers.
On the previous night the keepers of Mr. J. B. Glem
Withington Hall, having received information of a body of
having been seen in the neighbourhood, mostendia
ore and started off in pursuit. They traced the poaching
peg to the estate of Mr. A. H. Davenport, Othertherth
Hall, where they fell in with the keepers on that estate,
Wawith those of the adjoining landowner, Mr.
xes, Astle Hall The k amalgamthed their
strength. and being suitably armed, continued their search.
At about four o'clock they came twos two formidable
setting nets in a field in the occupation of Mr.Jalin Wright,
Siddingion. It wee pitch dark, and the keepers, unaware
of the strength of their oppooesta, pounced
upon them, but the two pap closed and com-
pelled the watchers to stand aloof. The latter sum-
moned their antagoaista to surrender, but the poachers
responded with a volley of large stoma. A
ne/ie then ensiled. In the darkness of the night and
confusion the keepers were chary in striking through
fear of bitting thew fellow-watchers ; but the pmehirs
were leis cautious, and set upon each other, exchanging
many bard blows before discovering their mistake.
Though superior in number and weapons, they aside
a general retreat, leaving four of their number
wounded on the ground. These she keepers took into
custody. A hare, a rabbit. and a quantity of netting
and sticks were found upon them. The keepers escaped
manellonely, many of the blows intended for them
falling on the heeds of the unlucky poithers. The four
captured men Joseph Wilson, Joseph Clayton, Thomas
Fitton, sad Robert Moss, were brought up at Macclesfield
yesterday. They made no defame, but Moss and Wilson
athe brutal ill urge they received at the
hrnitrathe of
keepers, 18 or 19 of whom (thez.tvanonernt
armed with spears several feet los& and don
guns, cut and slashed right sad left. Wilson showed
some ugly wounds on his head and face, and Mass had the
back of hie hand severely cut, he said. with a spear. The
jmtiCen sentenced the prisoners to three months' bard la-
bour each, and expressed an opinion that if the borough
police officio' did their duty under the powers which the
recent Poaching Act gave to them, the pm* prennes ie
the neighbourhood of Macclesfield would be ley infested
with midnight marauders.