The Express.
London, England, 1848-08-07 00:00:00

WALES.

TnE DOUBLE :NlUkt LTER NEAR SWANSEA.—The
high • herd!' has received a communication twin the i. cretary
of State to the effect that the ileum)f the two min, M rtin and
Leary, who were sentenced to death at the late assizes by
Mr. Justice V. Williams, will be spared. 1/ley are to be
transported for life.

PROVINCIAL.

LANCASHIRE.

ma, named
Caab;tt
a aiMuitiStaTtialitg
ago, an YManSaccouPnAtT.rauTTlL-givel4:l—ettliaeme.E.n
who had fre-a: to America in the Niagara, steamer. having
taken with him a considerable sum of money, which he :tad
not accounted for to the overseers of Self rd, in whose em-
ployment he had been as collector of poor rater. It now ap.
pears, from New York papers, that on his arrival there he
I was duped out of a considerable sum, if no: all .he monsz.
by a follow-traveller, who had wormed himself re.to his
friendship. Curtis had represented himself to be an emi-
grant English farmer, and parties not ac,naiuted with his
previous charade r had expressed great sympathy for him
and his family. The most singular part of tne ststement
that the captain of the Niagara had generously offered Lim
a free passage hack to England, and thnt he, under the lin
! eutostance f, had accepted it. Mat lihely this last part el**
story will prove incorrect.
A SEIZV RE or Plias was made at Mancheste.: on
Saturday, by the police, eta place where the manutacturen
' had taken them to be ground. It is believed that they were
not intended for a local marker, but we-e dfttined fur Ire-
land. The two men in whose powesaion they were found
were net at liberty till this day on their own ri cognisance r.
OPENING/ OF THE NEW NORTH DOCRS, LIVER.
soot..—On Friday, five of the splendid line of new docks in
I course of construction at the north end of the town wore for-
mally opened for traffic by Mr. J. Bramley Mess, chair-
man of the dock trustees. The foundation stone of these
immense works, it may be remembered, was privately .aid,
and it had been resolved that their opening should also take
place without the least pomp or cere mono. Upwards of a
week ago water was admitted into the five docks whichit was
intended to open ; and on Friday, all ni cranny arraes,einents
having been previously made, the Redwing, government
steamer, with Mr Moore, the dock committee, audit party of
gentlemen ou hoard, made its entrance into the first, namett.the
Salisbury Dick. Having sailed round, the vessel sueseseively
entered the Nelson, the Bramley Moore, the Collingw.Ms
and the Stanley Dock., and thus completed the opening.
The aggregate of the five docks opined ylelda a water arane of
between thirty and forty acres available for the accommoda-
tion of et ippiog. Th.,- other works in progress at the rink
end will not he completed for a year or two. They are the
Wellington Dock, the Wellington Half-tide Basin, ar.t tas
Sandon Dock and Basin.
CTIF.SHIRE. _

COMM/SUOMI BY LTET-76NANT.—R.
Erooke, E-q., to be deputy lieut.—T. Leon, jun., Esq
to be capt. in the Kialt::ltitiHnt of Yeomanry earthy.

-L
prof. iL NeuzaL

CONFEiVION OP baa been already
stated in tide paper, that J. Travis , who was trite! and acquitted
on the charge of murdering C. Copeman, of Kiruna, has,
since his conviction for robbery, confessed the (de: that he did
murder Cop man. On Friday his detailed confession was
laid before the county magistrate. We pis, the material
portions of the document. Travis states that he was accom-
panying Copeman to his house at Blyborough on the night
in question, and they were am Acing cigars on the
road; he then stater : "My cigar would not burn;
I to.ik out my knife to cut and prick it to risk., it
num. I kept the knife in my hand playing with it
opening and shutting it backwards and forwards, and had not
the lei.ist intention to harm Copeman. I felt in my pocket
for my handkerchief ;it was not there. I said to Copeman,
" Have you got my hankerchief out of my pocket ?" He
said, with an nate, "Do you think lam a thief ?" I said,
" I don't accuse you of being a thi, f. I thought you might
have taken it in yoke." He said, " I don't like your jokes.
I did not like what you said to me in HALadsn's;"—(io
I allusion to a challenge to tight any man, given by Copeman
and aceepted by Travis, as he states, in joke)—" and had
Ned Woodhouse been there, I would have fought you in
spite of George Furth. But I will now," said he, and
attuek me in the pit of my stomach, and took my wind I
fell, and when I g:t up (for I could not speak for some time)
I said, " Copeman, I did not think you would strike me in
that cowardly manner." " Yea," he said, with an oath, and
',ruck use again with the stick and his hand ov, r the collar-
bone, and with his left hand struck me again at the back of
the ear. I got up directly, having the knife in my right
hano,antl we began to light We had a severe scuffle, in
which 1 cut him, but not intentionally, and my: elf on the
back of cot halal. We both f.:11 down. We strugg:ed on
the grounil I or 5 minutes; we then got up, and he struck
inn over the crown of the Ivied with his stick. I said,
"You mean that, do you ?" and in my pAssion struck him
the Ltd blow to the neck. (li, this put of the accounc,
Bays the gaol chaplain, Travis cried.) He then fell, and
said, " Oh, Travis, you have killed me." I " What
with," not knowing that I had struck him with the knife;
but he made no reply. He began to kick with hie feet.
Being in liquor, I was not conscious of what I hal done, but
bein4 moonlight I raw the blood run as I thought from his
ear, I then fell on my knees by his side and said, " Cope-
man, I hope I have not mortally wounded you." He got
hold of my left hand and pulled my shirt wrist, and said,
" Travis, go and fetch the doctor. ' I was not able to stir
from the spot, hut presently recovering myself I said, "For
God's sake, Copeman, tell me what I have done "—(Here,
the chaplain says, Travis cried much)—but be never eras
more. I then tried to raise him up, but life ass gone, and
he was no more able to stir, poor ti flow. I burst into tears,
and called out, "murder," and for help, but no one came.
The dog then came up as I was on my knees, and licked both
'my and his master's face. I did not know what to do ; the
dug's licking his master's and my face quite overcame me. I
lay on my bode, perhaps half an hour, crying, know-
ing that I had sent him unprepared to meet
his God, as I thought at the time. I then thonght of de-
stroying myself, but again thought I wan only adding to the
sin. I then Cu' his face with my penknife, to make it appear
that some cue else had murdered aad robbed him. I tore
his tr users and waistcoat for that purpose, end toak from
his pocket three sovereigns, 2 half-crowns, three sixpences,
anil 13 or 15 pence in copper. We keys and knife I threw
away in some field, on my way home. It was about three
o'cloek whin I got home. I knocked at the door, and my
mother let me in. She had no light. I said, You bad
better go away ; I have a young mon with me,"--not wish-
ing her to we the state I was in. She then went up-stairs,
and there being some little fire in the kitchen, I lighted a
candle, and pulled off my things, and burnt the shirt in the
tire. I then began to clean my trouser.; and, cost, —My..
mother came down and peeped through the kitehek-dock,

. •
ri
1,1
LI.; 3 • 1 rie
•

and said, " Why don't you come to bed 2" I said, " I've been
lighting, and am cleaning my things a lit." I telt on grieve"
stwhat had happened, Ow I told lor everything, and how
U fighting ended. I said " I shall go and give myself into
custody to-rivirrow." She " dear Joe, you inns,
not ; you will break my heart and kill me." She said, "If
nobody saw you they will never suspect you." She said
"They will pirliaps hang you if you tell yourself ; they
will nut believe what you say. I said They cannot hang
me, because I have not done it wilfully." I said " They
will convict me of manslaughter, and I Atoll be keit in gra
nen for life." I promised her I would say nothing at all
about it, and being in the town before she was up did noI
t
we her any more till the trial was over, in March, when
was liberated. I have no more to say on the subject, and
declare before God and man that I have not withheld any-
thing, bu have said the truth and the whole truth. The
confession is signed by J. Travis, and is attested by the Ito.
Itichter, chaplain of Lincoln Castle, in whose presence

. _
it was made.
WARWICKSHIRE.
TENANTS OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER.—Sir Gray
Skipwith, B ,rt. pays yearly for the manor and
the
litany of
Brinklasr, in this county, U. .1. Hankins, E,q pays for
office of bailiff' and collector M the parts of the honour of
Leicester, within that county, 11.
STAFFORDSHIRE.
COMMISSION BY TILE LORD LIEUTENANT.—W.
F. M. Gun land, Gent., to be lieut. in the Qua en's Own
Royal Regiment of Statfordshire Yeomanly Cavalry.
A SERI Ea OF FATAL ACCIDENTS NEAR KINOSWIN-
FORD.— Another ezplodon of fire-damp to ,k place on Friday,
at a pit known as the Stand-hill Colliery, a short distance
from K egewinf ,rd, the result of which was that two youths
lost their and six thers were dreadfully injured. The
works belts. g to WPMo Oakes and Jones, and it weans
that at the time the accident occurred the men were pro-
ceeding with others along the gait--way of the pit towards
the statious at which they usually followed their occupations,
and whilst Simpkins, the do, gv, was in the act of trying the
mine with a safety-lamp the t xplosion took place. The gas
seems to have generated during the night. There were two
air heads to the pit, and (rem the evidence adduced at the
inquest it would teem to have been carefully worked.
The two youths killed were nineteen and twelve years of age,
and the verdict w:La accidental death. oae or t Birmingham
not expected to survive. Our correseondeut at
who supplies the shove, remarks on the number of fatal
accidents which occur weekly in this part of the country
from one cause or other, the total less of life being most
urinal. In addition to the foregoing, it seems that on Mon-
day a earned Edwards was killed in consequence of a
quantity of earth falling upon him at the time he was at
work at the Haden-hill Co very, near Oldbury. He has left
a wife and tin children. On the someday a young man met
his death from a precisely similar cause in a pit near to
Dudley Port. Oa Saturday, inconsequence of an accident
of the same kind, a man named Oennard lost his life at
Messrs. Iron,' Colliery, near to Dudley. He has left
• wife and seven children. On WedneseLy two
men were killed in consequence of • slip of sand
at some pits bear to Norton, a short distance tiom
Stourbridce. They were literally entombed alive be-
neath the sand. One of the men has less a wife and eight
children 0 t Monday a man named Corns was killed in
censequenee of descending into a pit at Orect's-green, near
West Brom% ich in which it was known that there was aqu m-
tity of foul air. The deceased perished iu descending the shaft,
although previously warned of the danger. Twice his candle
was extinstuished in the progress of the descent ; he then de-
termined to go down in the dark, and died, it ILA supposed,
from suffocation. C +salsifies et this kind (says our cone-
spondent) are of daily occurrerce in this district, the majority
of them :.rising from carelatue as or recklessness. The num-
ber cf children left orphans by such means is most lamentable.
KENT.
FIRE AT FAVERSHAM.—A fire broke out in Faver-
sham, en Thursday which in • short space of time de-
stroyed a considerable amount of property, most of which,
nnfortunate:y for the owners, was uninsured. The fire,
which is supposed to have been the act of an incendiary, ori-
ginated in a barn which stood in t e main street, and near to
the Farenham Assembly Rooms, in the rear of which stood
a neatly imilt house, which the owner, Mr. Dawson,
carpenter, had but lately erected, and had occupied only
one month. Near the house were Mr. Dawsona workshops
and timber-yard, a stable, stack-yards, and next adjoining
the malting premises of Mrs. (Members, an elderly lady,
whose decking-house and large extent of outbuildings was
for a time in imminent danger of dsstructican Happily the
fire woe got under, and only one malt-hove end store was
destroyed; but the barn, where the fire first broke out, the As-
sembly Rooms, which were used as the Literary and Scientific
Institution's place of meeting, Mr. Dawsen's house, shop,
sad out premises, • stable, in which wer:. tour valuable
draught horses, a lodge, together with several cars and other
implements used in husbandry, a thrashing machine, eight
pigs, two calves, • large stock of straw, and about 120 quar-
ters of wheat, were entirely consumed. Tt e farming stock
is the property of Mr. Kingsnorth, who is said to have been
Matured is the Phcenix office ; but the same line iution, it is
said, had nut been taken by the other owntn of the property
destroyed. A man who is employed in the neighbourhood
as a lobbing gardener was apprehended on suspicion, but,
after examination before the magistrates, he was liberated on
his promise to appear again if called upon.

SUSSEX.
A " WHIRLWIND" IN SussEL—The lirtyhtoie
Herald of Saturday says: One of the west tremendous
hurricanes that ever took place in this country occurred here
on Thursday morning. We have made many inquiries of
eye-witnesses, and have received the following information :
--Mr. Smith, tailor, in the Bing's-road, states that about 10
o'clock on that day the sea had been comparatively tranquil,
and some heavy rain had fallen, when he suddenly observed
the cloud. ia a most extraordinary state of agitation, and the
sea lathed into such commotion as he had never witnessed
before. ' The water-spout, or, as he called it, pipe,'
appeared of a whitish shade or colour, and seemed to
grow @mailer as it rushed up the side of the Race-
hill. The water from the sea was blown up into
the air, and it looked like dust, whilst the sea itself,
within the tinge of the tornado, was in the most violent
state of agitation.—kliebael Searle, who keeps the telescope
on the chain jeer, said be saw, about a mile to the south-
west of the pier, what appeared to him to be a very black
cloud of a conical shape, and like a large cistern suspended
in the air with water pouring from it, or drawn up wit!. it.
It approathed the pier head, where it seemed to divide and
join again on the other side of the pier. It kept twisting
like asi ake. It then got among the bathing machines,
causing them to run about the beach, and then nulled up
the sea-wall and took a dire tion towards the
prace-course.
The length of it was about 50
yaApparently
a moment afterwards, a mass of canvas appeared
to rise from the race course from the tents of
the booth keepers. Other • occupiers of the chain-pier
gave a similar account of the phenomenon. The following
is an account of the damage done upon the racecourse:
Mr. Ak, burgs, of Brighton, one of the sufferers, kept a
booth on the Race-hill. He says that about ten o'clock he
was standing outside in trout of his booth. A short tine
befor • the re had been a heavy fall of rain. Ou looking
towards the sea he saw the tornado approaching. It had a
spiral firm, when, just as it reached his booth, it seemed to
split, am: came rushing on with a noise louder than thunder.
Both bo,.the on each side (south and north, or nearly so)
were in an invent torn away, and the poles, canvas, straw,
&c, scattered like flakes of snow in all directions. He never
saw anythina more awful.in his life. The tail end of his owls
booth wee partly destroyed, and he had damage done to
glees, &e. ,to the value of at least 101. The next booth to
tee south of Mr. Akehurst's was " Careless'e." The canvas
of this very extensive booth was torn off in an instant, u de-
scribed by Mr. Akehunt. One of the waiters, named Per-
kins, was present at the time, and says the tornado made e
noise like thunder. The damage done to the canvas, glass,
and other property is estimated by the person who keeps it
at from 501. to 1001. There wai a marquee behind the
booth, wallet was torn up and varied a long way off down
the valley, and was rent into a thousand fragments. A booth
kept by a person named Smith, the first north of Akehuret's,
was entirely uprooted. One of the young women in the
bar, named Atkins, says that she was taken up in an in-
stant, ard carried over the road by the storm as far
as the judge's stand. The damage done to this booth,
which was not a large one, is estimated at 101., and the
broken glass to at least 101. mare. An inhabitant named
Dine stated that he was knocked down and severely injured
in the head and shoulder by the poles or rafters. A booth,
kept by Messrs. Pointer und Nye, was entirely uprooted. It
took the canvas of the booth right away in a moment. The
fright and alarm were shaking. There was nothirg to be
heard for some time but the cries and screaming of women
and tke shouts of men. The next booth was kept by a per.
son named Freeman, of 73, Jubilee-street. Brighton. The
poor woman is mill ill from al. run and the severe injuries
she received whilst under the canvas. This had been a
dancing tioeth, and was decorated with chandeliers and
great number of variegated lamps. All had been crushed,
and utterly destroyed, with an immense quantity of
bottles, &c. She estimates the damage she has
sustained at from 501. to 601. The next booth was kept
by a men named Burton. This was also damaged eon
aiderably, es was the next booth, kept by Rhodes. A booth
keeper named B al. who keeps a beer-house in Air street,
and is a tenant of Mr. Mallet's, is a great sufferer. The
whole of his booth was swept away, and the fragments of
glass still lay is a great heap on the turf. There was at
least a bushel. Other booths were destroyed. Mr. Morling
was a !sufferer to the amount of 301. One of his waiters,
named Tro.n, says that he heard a violent noise like the
rushing of numberless wheels. There was a van standing
near the booth. Re saw that lifted up, and in an instant
afterwards he foundhimself buried among canvas and the
wrecks of the booth. Behind the booths were fragments of
strong poets, which had been snapped asunder. A cart,
drawn by • pony, standing near one of the new stands, was
blown over several times. Several persons who had been
much injured were taken to the hospitaL
lIIINTINGDONsEURE.
THE CONDEMNED CONVICT.— On Thursday the
high sheriff received a communication from Sir George Grey
to the effect that the crown had ordered a respite of the con-
vict Charles Burton till the 10th of April, 1949 (Spring
Assizes), when he will, in all probability, be tried upon
another indictment for the murder of his child, and all the
evidence relating to his alleged insanity will no doubt be gone
into. It will be remembered that his present condemnation
isf or the murder otitis wife.

ETON SWIMMING TEST.—A law has for some
time past been enforced at Eton College, which requites that
every boy shall pass the " swimming test" before he is
allowed to enter a boat on the Thames. He is required to
jump from the bank into deep water, to swim well fifty yards,
and then to swim back to the place from whence he started.
To encourage the practice of diving, as the meet ready way
of saving life in eau of sudden accidents upon the water,
NI well is to give confidence to swimmers, prism have re-
cently been instituted under the superintendence of a tom-
Initial of Masters of the school. Binoe the establishment of

the swimming rchnol in 183 S, -lateen hundrtd and:forty-four
boys have pawed the swimming test.
BERKAHRE.
EARLY RISING CLUita.—The early risers in the
north have found their example followed in this county.
The members of the Farringdon Early Rising Club have,
during the summer, regularly met for cricket three morn-
ings in the week, and on Monday mornitg last they were on
the ground by about four o'clock in the morning, and after
playing till between six and given, ae. down to a substantial
breakfast, provided for them on the ground. Music was pro-
vided, and all appeared to enjoy to the utmost the entertain-
ment.
HAMPSHIRE.
TIMBER STEALING IN THE NEw FOREST. The
superintendents of the Hants rural police have been actively
employed for several days, endeavouring to trace the persons
guilty of stealing timber, and have apprehended Juba
Andrews, William Jassor, and Charles Pe..rce, upon the
charge of flaying severelly stolen timto,r from the New
Forest, the property of her Majesty. The pris-nen were
examined on Friday, and remanded until Wednesday next.
when they will be brought up fur further examination at the
Qween's House at Lyndhurst.

WILT97IH E.
COMMISSION BY TEM LORD LIEUTENANT.—Cornet
W. T. R. T. Keens to be lieut. in the Royal Wiltshire
Yeomanry Cavalry.

someacac.anan...
BRITISII AsooctvrioN.—Friday a public meeting
was hel i at the Guildhall, Bath, in order to decide whether
or not the Beiti.l Associati,n for the Advance ment
of
Science I.lvuld be invited to hold its meeting for the year
1850 in that city. A resolution in favour of the invitation
was unanimously adopted.

11l n MAJF.STY'S TIIFATRE.-011 Saturday (the
last night of the subscription) the '• Puritani " was again
performed to an overflowing house, and received wi'h im-
mense applause, of which, of course, Jenny Lind was the
principal object. After the opera, " God save the Queen "
was sung. The solos were given by Mdlle Cruvelli and
Mdlle. Vera ; and Mille. Lind, with Lablache, Rte., joined
in the chorus, Every versa was received with loud acela•
matrons. The ballet wu "Le Jugemeat de Paris," in
which the three rival goddesses were charmingly personated
by Crri'o, Mario Teglioni, and Rosati. Thouila the regular
season is thus terminated, yet two extra nights aro an
n unced next week, Thursday and Saturday, when Jenny
Lind will appear in " La Sonnambula" and in "La Figlia
d,l Reggimento."
ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA" rill Ugonotti,"
. was
performed, for the sixth time, on Saturday evening. It had
been also performer' on the preceding Thursday, for the be-
nefit of Madame Viardot Garcia, when, in consequence of the
" indisposition " of Mario• the part of Raoul was taken, on
brief notice, by linger, who performed it in French, as he
bad never studied it for the Italian stage. In the great
scene between Raoul and Valentine, is the third act,
Madame Viardot also performed her part in French.
Roger's performance was so excellent, that Mario's aleence
was scarcely fah, and the admiration felt for Madame
Viardot was, if possible, enhanced by the singular ability
she displayed in a very embarrassing position. On Saturday,
Signor Marie's indisposition had entirely disappeared. This
mar/nide, rat opera has bee me more and more attractive,
and has produced a greater and greater (fleet, every time it
has been performed. Its production has been the most sur-
e, Wel Aroke of management since the establishment of the
Ro)al Dollen Opera ; and it ought to give the directors a
valuable hint for their future proceedings.
'I'JIE NORWICH FESTIVAL.—The arrangements for
thin great music meeting hero been completed, and a pro.
spectus of them has been issued. It is to be bed on Tues-
day, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, Pea 12th, 13th,
14th, and Lath of Septembers, and to cousist of three per-
formances of sacred music on the mornings of Wednesday,
Thursday, awl Friday; three concerts on the evenings et
Tuesday, W' nesdsy, and Thursday; and a led' on Friday
evening. All the performances will be as usual iu St. An-
drew's The oratorios to be /yearned are, "The
Creation" of Haydn, the "Elijah" of Mt ndebaohn, the
" Davidde Penitente" of Mozart (a work almost unknown
in England), and the "Israel in Egypt" of Handel.
The programme of the morning performances also
includes Spohr's ce:eiwated cantata, " The Chris-
tian's Prayer," and a number of miscellaneous sacred
pieces. In the evening concerts there will be operatic
selections fr -m the " Matrimonin Segreto," the "Norse di
Figaro," the " Clemenza di Tito," and " Fidelio ;" and a
great variety of the most favourite vocal and instrumental
music of the day. The principal singers engaged are Madame
Viardot Garcia, Madame caetoLat, Millie. Alboni, the
Mrs's Williams, Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. H. Phillips, Mr.
Lockey, Mr. Whitworth, and Signer Lablache. The choral
and instrumental hand will consist of four hundred per-
formers, under the direction of Mr. Benedict.