The Express.
London, England, 1847-11-15 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 15, 1847.

PROVINCIAL•

IMPORTANT TO TUB V7HOLI IS
understood, that on the opening of the Tract Valley Railway
for the post-office service on the let et December, the North
Western railway company and mete other& will introduce
wnforns time at all their stations ; that is, all the clocks will
be set by London time, regulated by Oreenwith °teem
tory, and the trains be despatched accordingly. Unless the
public be fully prepared for such a change, its introduction
will be productive of great inconvenience ; if they are pro-
pared, they need not anticipate any inconvenience whatever.
Should this uniformity of tune become general on the rail-
wap in England, an will doubtless be the caw, it must
quickly be adopted by the nation. Manchester time is nine
minutes behind that at London ; and the inconvenience that
must necessarily result from the railway clocks there being
eight minutes before all the other time-pieces, would be
quite insufferable. We (Maw/tester Courier) think that
railway companies should spare no pains to make the subject
understood, and the proposed change known ; and we would
suggest to the public authorities in every town in the king-
dom the propriety of recommending the adoption of uniform
time. Such a recommendation might very properly emanate
from the railway department of the Board of Trade. In
Manchester the change would be perfect and quite imper-
ceptible, if, on the evening of the 30th instant, every correct
time-piece were put forward nine minutes. The only incon-
venience would be the loss, for one night, of nine minutes'
sleep.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A POACHER.—The following
narrative is given in the Chaplain's Report of the Preston
Rouse of Correction, for the present year. It was written
at the dictation of the poacher himself; and we have Mr.
Clay's unquestionable authority for its authenticity:
%Tien I first began poaching, I lived with my father, and we had a
dog that was much given to catching game; and sometimes when I
was out he killed me a hare. One time a man saw him kill one; this
man kept a beer-shop; he said be would pay me well if I would
let him have it. I was to go to kis house at night; he gave
me a glass of ram and le 64.; and he wanted me to bring
him another 'hare. I stopped drinking ant,' I hail spent the
money. He told me that I ehould get name marts, and he brought
me come to look at, and showed me bow to vet them. I caught •
bare that night, and took it to him ; and I had it all in drink but
• and that I bought some wire with to make snares; and then I got
going to thin home constantly, sod taking bares there, and drinking
ale and spirits of all hinds; and I think that beer.shep was the ruin
of mc ; for there I met with some young men that were following the
same game, and we got to shooting pheasants. That night we ehot
twenty-flee pheasants, and we sold them to a gentleman, and he was
• --, and we got es. a maple for them (before the Aide of game was
lege/hard). I was caught taking up mares, and got sent for three
months to the Preston house of correction. The gentleman that seat
me to prison wanted my father to turn me out of the house when I
Mille home n ; and because he would not, the gentleman
went to the landlord, and the landlord doubled the rent that
year, and he gave him notice to leave; he, however, got it for
another year, but he diet before the year was up. Our geode were
sold off, and we were obliged to leave home, and get work where
we could. I got a job at a farm, and sent hie keeper
to the farmer, and told him that be was to turn me away; so he poul
me my money, and told me he must not employ me. I had not been
po thing then for more than twelve months, for I thought about
giving it up, till thisoentienum sent word to all the farmers not to
employ roe; and then I was so angry that I thought I would have some
of hie game, If he would not let me get my living by working. I
bought n dog and n gun, and got a lot of snares and net and I fol-
lowed poaching all that winter. All the gentlemen were against me,
and would not let their tenant's employ me; and I did net care what
became of me. I got to drinking; and got along with more poachers
in other parts of the country. Once we went to —, In Yorkshire,
and we stopped two days and two nights, and had nothing to at; we
slept in a barn In the day-dose, and at night we went out poaching. •
We got so much game as we could carry away, and we brought it •
into Lomhire, to a man that we bail sold game to before. He paid
to for It, and then we went to a public house, and staid there till we
had pmt all the money. The other man fetched his clothes from
home, and pawned them, and we spent that; then we pawned one of
our guns, and then we asked for trust ; but he pushed us out of the
house, and said, " You drunken blackguards, get off home—what do
you want here without money !" I went part of the way home, and
laid down an the reed and slept tin morning, and was almost starved
to death. The oast sight I borrowed 10.., and the other man fetched
kis clock oat, of the house ; and we got our gun again. We went out
that night and ggit eight pheasants. We got Sea fee them from the
same man; and than we went to this same public honer, end we were
welcome when he saw we had money • and when it wee all
gene, he said we might go to bed ar a few hours; and we
got op at three o'clock in the morning, and wo shot fourteen
pheestote by Ix o'clock, and we sell them for 11. I Se. and
then we wart to the polthothouse sobs, and stopped there till we
spent it ; and my wife came after me, and the landlord put me into a
hack place, and told her I was not there. We Weak all that week,
till all my mosey was gone ; and as I was sitting by the fire, the land.
lord end, "that dont thou do here without any money? Be off
home to thy wife; thou lime had no ale since dinner time." Then I
thought, this is the way that poachers' money goes! no I thought I
would leave it oft, and try to get mine work. do I went to • farmer
that had some dearth* to let, and he said he men not let me have
it, unless I got a note in writing from the steward, for he had
orders not to employ me. I went to the steward, and he told
me to go to the squire; and I went, sad be said I should hare
no work on his ground, and he but. me be gone. I ems very badly
off, and I began poaching again; and in theca a month I wee caught,
and I went away, and woo away from my wife sad family three I
years. Then I cane home, and got work at some waterworks, and I
wee at home nearly two yarn, and did not go poaching at I but
the mune seemed me all the time, and I was a.s innocent of it as • •
child ; and he would not allow any of his farmers to give me work ;
and then I began Poaching again. I should have given it up many a
time, if the srentleman had allowed the farmers to give me work. I
carried on poaching all that season; and when the game was out of
the man would not buy any more dead game, but be said he
had a l rge order come in for lire barer, and he would take as many
ea
we mulct get alive. And this employed the man at the game
shop to get men to go into other people'. preserves. We were in •
preeerve one morning catching live phearante, and one man
said, "There le a deal more pla/anus dd. morning than
ever there was ;" and I looked back, and mid, " There is •
deal more keeper," Three of us got aw,y, and one got took,
and rent to Wakefield house of correction for Mx months. That
season we aught above two hundred live hem besides lire phea-
sants and partridges, and lots of pheasants' eggs. And there was
another that we caught a deal of lire game for, and we took
t ham to Wm marches. and be paid us for them, and made on as
drunk as pip ; and at that time we were getting some harm for some
gentleman near —, that kept a lot of greyhounds. They came to
my home for the bares once a week, and we kept them in a room till
they came for them. We caught them about sixty ; and I think that
money did me more good than any that ever I got for poaching, for
they always paid me at home. I hare caught hundreds of live harm
and pheasant, and sold them to ; and now they hare turned
their backs upon me, and east roe Into prima. But for the time to
come I mean to give It up, and not go poaching any more ; for I
• think this three mouths will do me a deal of good.

A ktILwAT GHOST.—A ludicrous incident hap-
pened near Stockham, on the Lancashire, Cheshire, and
Birkenhead Railway, a few days ago. It is pretty well
known that the operations at this railway have been stopped
for the present. A few men were left for the purpose of
carrying on some minor excavations which were thought
necessary. About a month since a man was unfortunately
killed by the falling in of the tunnel near the place where
the men were set to work ; and the men heard, or thought
they heard, most distinctly, the sound of a pickaxe on the
very spot where he had been killed. The wind had been
rather high for three or four days; but still they
heard the monotonous sound of the dead mane work
in the tunnel. At lest it was agreed that one of them
should descend, and ascertain how matters stood, and if
there should be anything to fear, a signal was to be given, and
the adventurer drawn up again. One of the party imme-
diately consented, boasting that be feared not man nor devil.
Accordingly the rope was fostered round the waist of the
hero, and he was let down the shaft, his companions ready,
on the least notice, to draw him up. The bravado had not
reached the bottom before a cry was heard from below, and
such a twitch was given to the rope as plainly bespoke that
something was the matter. The man was pulled up instantly, I
with a countenance pale as death, on which terror and
consternation were strongly depicted. To the almost
gasping inquiry of" What is it ?" " What bast a seen ?" he
related, that no sooner had he got to the bottom than he
plainly saw the white pale face of the dead man, which
went backwards and forwards as if he were at work,
but which be recognised immediately as the countenance
of his late friend. The news was quickly spread in the
neighbourhood, and the " railway ghost " was the theme of
every tongue; several persons went to hear the sound of
the ghost at work, until a tipsy man, in • pot-valiant fit,
would be so obstinately bold as to go down and fight the
ghost! Willing to see how such a one would fare they let
him down, and in about five minutes drew him up again,
with the innocent cause of all their terror in his hands. It
proved is be • large new tin powder eso, which had been
left there by the men, and which had been placed in rather
a ricketty position, on a projecting stone. It was splashed
with mud in such a manner that it somewhat resembled a
man's face, and the wind through the excavation had caused
it to jolt from and against the side of the tunnel.

RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR ALNWICIL—The express
train on the York and Newcastle line left Edinburgh at 10
minutes past 7on Friday morning, at the usual speed ; but
when it arrived at Nswhambog, near Alnwick, a singular
modem was dissemed by ths elegies driver, caused, it is be-
lieved, by sue Odle siestas pins giving way, which causd
the piteeglisk Iliset Oahe -eagles to tear ap the sleepers, b
whisk mom the tails wan weeded ken emir pieties, and
theestiselsala, in whisk woe smog herbsigisseses, was
* thrown et, line. The pesswens ampeetiag every minute
that the !twit would be dueled to pieces, serail attempted
to gave their lives by jumping out of the carriage,. The
=gime was emir* bwied ia-the beg, only a portion of the
%mg rimailse *ibis. The tier was above it, and
on= wen:,
caused the
the carriages to give way, and the train was
tely etopped. Assistance was immediately
procured, and search made for the engine-driver and fire-
man, when, from the faint cries, it was ascertained that they
were buried in the bog. They were dug out with every
possible expedition, when the fireman was found to be so
dreadfully scalded and bruised, that not the slightest hopes
are entertained of his recovery. The engine-driver was leas
injured. A person who was on the break van was also
Knottily hurt. The passengers were dreadfully injured
about the face and head, one gentleman had his eye cut out,
by being thrown against the glass door of the carriage while
it was oscillating. At the time the accident occurred, the
train was going at the rate of forty miles an hour. The
passengers were forwarded by the mail train to London, and
arrived as half-peat four on Saturday morning, instead of
nine o'clock on Friday night.

WARI

DISCHARGE OF RTIER:AI:LA9OI7RERS.—A further
discharge of navvies, to the number of several hundreds, took
place on Saturday, on the various lines in course of exe-
cution at and in the neighbourhood of Birmingham. The
works In that district, especially the Birmingham and Oxford
Junction, hare for some time proceeded very slowly.

ALLEGED LICENDIARY FIRE.—At Nottingham, on
Saturday night, great excitement pervaded this town in con-
sequence of a destructive fire having broken out an hour be-
fore midnight in one of the densest parte of the town. A
policeman on duty in Bridlesmithgate saw &dense volume
of smoke issuing through the crevices of a shop-door in
iligh-street, occupied by a young man named Spicer, a
hatter, who bad resided but a few months in the place. The
neighbourhood was soon alarmed, a crowd quickly collected,
and the door was forced open. The men were, however,
unable to enter the premises, in consequence of the fury of

the flames. Opening the door had the effect of increasing
the danger, and soon the shop and the whole of its contents
were one mass of fire ; the hats, the shelvings, and counters,
the partitions, paper, and the gas emitted from the melted
kw, created a flame that extended in one compact body
across the street (only about five yards wide) and set fire
to the doors, shutters, and signs of the houses opposite,
including the New Black's Head, Mr. Hindley's, perfumer,
and Mr. Staveley's, bookseller. The company enjoying
themselves in the various rooms at the Black's Heed, quickly
turned out end lent a helping hand to the neighbours, who
poured a copious supply of water on the buildings opposite
the blazing house, and this prevented the danger spreading
materially ere the engine arrived. In ten minutes after the
first alarm the chief constable and the fire brigade arrived on
the spot. A large volume of water was soon poured into
the shop where the fire originated, and upon the surround.
big premises. The effects of this were quickly visi-
ble, and by half-past eleven all danger was over.
People of all classes crowded to the spot, snd some of the
mob were se unscrupulous, that at one time it was feared
the neighbouring premises would be sacked of everything
valuable. The shop of Mr. Brownsworth, jeweller and
watchmaker, at the corner of High-street and Pelham-street,
was forced even, the shutters were taken down, and the
panes smashed in, to enable the mob outside to carry off
much valuable property from the windows, consisting of
rings, chains, watches, seals and clocks, many of which it is
feared will never be recovered. Efforts were also made to
get into Mr. Staveley's shop and ethers, but the proprtetors
wisely kept them secured. The shop in which the fire com-
menced 1.1 part of a large range of building., formerly
used as the Old Blacks Head, now converted into
shops, and divided in the interior principally by wooden
partitions. In one of these shops, facing upon Pelham-street,
a fire broke out on Friday morning, destroyed everything
contained in the upper rooms of a hat-making establishment,
and created the greatest alarm. This was quickly subdued
by the fire-police. Mr. Foster, the proprietor of that esta-
blishment, was uninsured. The singularity of a second fire
occurring in the same range of buildings within two days,
and both in premises occupied by hatters, created much sus-
picion after all danger was over. Mr. Spicer, • very young
msn, had, it appears, closed his shop earlier than usual.
After the shop was shut, the errand boy said he smelt fire,
but the master said all was right, and dosed the place. The
boy has also spoken of certain alleged suspicious preparations.
These and other facts—such as the recent insurance of the
stock for considerable more than its alleged value—induced
the apprehension of Spicer, who jnow in custody.

ATTEMPT TO MURDER A WIFE BY HER lIUSDAND,
AND HIS OWN BODADIL—The inhabitants of Reading were
alarmed on Friday by the report that the wife of a black-
smith, resident in East-street, had been cruelly murdered
by her husband, and that he had himself committed suicide
immediately afterwards. On inquiry, it appeared that the
culprit was James Hersey, for some years past in the employ
of fitr. Rimell, shoeing smith, Friar-street, in that town.
For some time past Hersey bad entertained a suspicion of
his wife's fidelity. His accusations were always emphatically
denied by his wife, and it is ascertained that there never
was the slightest ground of suspicion against her. However,
quarrels have frequently arisen between them, and it is only
a few weeks since that the deceased was brought before the
magistrates, and held to boil to keep the peace towards
his wife. During the past fortnight, the wretched
man has almost entirely neglected his work, stating,
as an excuse, that be was unwell. On Wednesday
the keeper of a beershop next door to his own
house, having heard that he was poorly, inquired how he
was, to which he replied, "There's nothing the matter with
me, Mrs. Nutt ; bat I have seen things that are wrong, and
I have staid at home to find them out." On Friday, about
4 o'clock, the wretched man and his wife were heard quar-
relling by the neighbours ; and, during the altercation, de-
ceased sent out his son Charles, who had just come home
from school, to fetch his brother then playing in the street.
The poor little fellow had just descended the flight of steps
' in front of the house when he heard a great noise behind
him, and, looking hack, he saw his mother rush out of the
front door, followed by his father, who, at the same instant,
felled her to the earth with a poker which he held in his
hand. The woman fell senseless outside, the man retiring
within the house, and closing the door after him. The boy ran
immediately for assistance, and finding a police-constable re-
turned with him to the house. The woman was found lying
on the door-step in a pool of blood, which was flowing
copiously from wounds in her head. A surgeon was imme-
diately sent for, and she was removed to the hospital in an
insensible state. The constable proceeded into the passage,
at the further extremity of which he found Hersey, lying on
his face, covered with blood. After groaniag heavily. twice,
he expired in the officer's presence. A medical examination
discovered that he had inflicted a gash eaves his throat, ex-
tending from ear to ear. The appearances were such as to
leave little doubt that the wretched man, after having
kaocked down his wife, closed the door, and supplying him-
self with a razor, went into a shed or outhouse in the back
yard, and there inflicted the first gash. From this place he
appears to have walked halfway aerate the yard, where,
from the large quantity of blood which has escaped, he is
supposed to have made the final cut. The wretched man
then threw down the razor on the pavement, and attempted
to return into the house, but in so doing be seems to have
stumbled against the door-sill and fallen headlong into the
passage, the position in which he was found.—The wife,
though still alive, has continued in an insensible state, and is
in a very precarious condition. The deceased had four chit.
dren, the eldest of whom is 16 years of age.
AN INQUEST ON SCOTT, TILE TRAINER, has been
held before R. Clarke, Esq., of Reading. Scott was found
dead, lying on the floor of his sitting room, on Tuesday last,
at his residence, close to the heath. Mr. Brown, surgeon,
of Sunning-hill, who was called in as soon as the body was
found, early in the morning, having given an opinion that
apoplexy was the cause of death, the jury immediately re-
turned a verdict to that effect. The deceased had attained
his 63rd year.
KENT.

A WIFE MURDERED Alf lIER HFSEAND. An
inquiry, which has occupied the attention of Mr. ',Linde, one
of the Kent county coroners, and a jury for several days,
was brought to a close late on Saturday evening, at the Falstaff
Inn, Gad's-hill, respecting the supposed murder of Mrs.
Sarah Brown otherwise Errington, aged 27. On Taesday,
the 19th of last mouth, she was delivered of a child, which
is still living.—Mr. Wiblin, a surgeon residing at Strood,
attended her, and deposed to her having gone on favourably.
On Friday the nurse, Anne Cauah, noticed a remarkable
change in her state, and Mr. Wiblin, on seeing hrr
on Saturday, found her in a ststo of collapse.
He ordered her such medicines as he deemed advisable, and
saw her frequently during the day. She died on the follow-
ing Tuesday. It was elicited that the nurse generally gave
the unfortunate woman gruel when she required it ; but thy
husband, in the course of the Sunday night, helped her to
some, which she took. Previously to this Mrs. Fisher, her
mother, had wr tten to Mr. Holmes, uncle of the deceased.
On reaching Mrs. Fisher's residence at Gravesend, Mr. H.
found the husband, to whom he immediately proposed that
they should see the corpse. They accordingly went, and on
the uncle viewing the body he remarked to the husband, in
consequence of its general appearance (having, as an under-
taker, seen many bodies), " Why, she has been poisoned."
The coroner was not communicated with until the Friday,
As

ohs dtrested a Pay to be called for the .at Iserning.
eon as the Diced heard that a jury bad been summoned
be decamped. On the application of chemical tests, at a
poet marten examination, oxalic acid, to the amount of a
drachm and a half, had been discovered, besides what had
been absorbed in the system and what had posed by vomit-
ing.—The coroner summed up.—The jury found • verdict
of " Wilful murder against William Brown."—The coroner
having made out the usual documents the inquiry closed.

THE LATE ME. ROOKE.—A committee of the pro-
fessional brethren and friends of the late Mr. Rooke, taking
into consideration the destitute condition of his widow and
family of seven children, have announced a concert to take
place at the Hanover-square Rooms, on Thursday evening,
Dec. 2, on which occasion • selection of the most admired
pieces from his various operas will be given.