The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-10 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING. JANUARY 10,, 1853.

OF AN ENGINE BOILER.

ROBBERY OF JEWELLERY AT

WALWORTR.

An accident of a very alarming description, ~.._
which produced the utmost consternation in the neighbour-
hood in which it occurred, took place on Friday night on
the Bristol and Birmingham branch of the Midland Rail-
way, at about two and a half miles from the terminus in
the first-named city. The accident was of an unusual de-
scription, and happily of rare occurrence, being the ex-
plosion of a locomotive boiler ; and the first information of
Its having taken place reached Bristol through gems set-
lien from Kingwood, in a valley adjacent to whisk 111 OF
mined. They described it as having been of • eery Mr
=endow kind, accompanied by a noise like %bond= and
shaking the cottages to such a degree, that, until some in-
vestigation had been made, the impression Almost univer-
sally prevailed Among the cottager' that they had ex-
penenced the shuck of =earthquake. The following correct
particulars of the accident are derived from information given
by persons io the neighbonrhood,as well as by Mr. Dyke, the
intelligent superintendent of the company, owing to whole
exertions any impediment to the traffic, beyond a few
minutes' detention of the down express (to ascertain by
personal inspection that the line had been thoroughly
cleared), was prevented. The accident occurred to a
powerful engine, No. 363, which was employed in driving
the up goods train. This train, which starts from the ter-
minus in Temple Meads at 8 o'clock, happened on the
evening in question to be unusually light, carrying but
little meree lama 70 tons of goods and • few pickle trucks,
which Inn empty. There was no delay in the starting,
and tate engine in question was preceded by another loco-
made% Iha 310. Soon after leaving the city, and upon
the ascent of an incline, the rails were found
to be an I greasy a state that the wheels did
not bite sufficiently to make progress. After • little whie
it came to a stand still, upon which the engine driver sig-
=Bed the guard to put on the brakes, so as to prevent the
11th ity of the train running back into the station. This
11eilearcely been done, when the boiler of the second
emplae No. 363 exploded with terrific violence, shattering
everything connected with it to attoms, and falling in frog
menu in the fields lying en the right and left of the rail-
way. The force of the explosion must have been very great,
as large pieces of inn and brass were picked up a long
way off from the scene of the occurrence. The escape of
the engineer, Henry Barnes, without injury, was quite
marvellous, nor must the fact of the stoker, Henry Evans,
having only received a few severe contusions, be deemed
less extraordinary. Both men ewe their !MUMS with their
lives ti their carefulness, and their strict attention to the
duties prescribed for them. It would appear that the
I drivers of goods-train engines are required to take with
them upon their tenders some pieces of elm timber called
" spnge," with which, when the rails are in a greasy state,
and impediments to onward progress arise—as was the case
on Friday night—they assist the breaks by forcing the
sprigs between the tender wheels, and checking any ten-
dency to backward revolution. Upon finding the train at
a standstill, the engineer and stoker each seized • sprig,
red jumped off the engine for this purpose, and they
bill just got alongside of the tender when the explo-
sim of the boiler took place. Had they remained on the
asks, they must both of them have been inevitably blown ,
pima. The superintendent, Mr. Dyke, states that he is
elegreaser at a loss to account fur the cceident. He thinks
IS Imprible that it was occasioned by any deficiency of
mow Is the boiler, as, there having been no delay in des-
patidng the train, which sometimes occurs, there had been
we wasteful expenditure of steam; and, as regards any dc-
let of the boiler itself, he is puzzled by the fact, that the
engine had very recently undergone a thorough examine-
tion and complete repair. It is a singular circumstance
that the first engine, No. 369, did not receive the slightest
injury; nor was the tender of the exploded engine at all
hurt.
The Stoker, Henry Evans, was, as a prudential measure,
at once conveyed to the Bristol Royal Infirmary, but
the surgeons of that institution do not consider that
any serious consequences will result from his hurts.

On Saturday the neighbourhood of Walworth was
thrown into the greatest excitement is consequence of a re-
port that a most daring and extensive robbery had been
committed on the premises of Mr.ThomasPrince,propriethr
of the fancy,
_Wrepository, 38, Beckford-row, near the Camber-
well-gate, alworth-road. Upon inquiry it was ascertained
that the report was unfortunately too well founded, and
that Mr. Prince had been plundered of jewellery, various
meld and silver article', as also many of a fancy description
wanted in gold and silver, to the amount of about 1,0001.
The mode in which this burglary was effected shows that
bt ingenuity of design, carefully matured and systematic
plans, and the skill with which it was executed, it fairly
rivals those recently committed at Mr. Jones's, the watch-
maker
of the Strand, and Messrs. Deane and Co.'s, King
William-street.
About three o'clock on Saturday morning, a point, about
five doors off, occapied by Mr. Thomas Peacock, builder,
was selected by the burglars. To this house a fore-court is
attached, and the houses on either side have shops erected
thereon, thus forming a deep recess, only separated from
the highway by a dwarf gate. Against the wall, towards
Mr. Prince's premises, is a pile of planks, boards, &c.,
which, from the footmarks thereon, appears to have been
the mode by which the thieves reached the fiat roof of the
adjoining shop, thence passing over four others of a similar
description, and immediately contiguous to the windows of
several occupied sleeping-rooms, including that of Mr.
Prince. Over the shop of the latter is a ridge skylight,
from the gable end of which two squares of glass were
dexterously abstracted, and a bar removed. A very large
gimlet was then screwed into part of the skylight frame,
trom which a rope was thrown into the shop beneath, into
which by such means, it would seem, the depredators
descended. They next proceeded to the shop window, and
havinglbroken open several glass show cases, stripped them of
their contents, consisting dal) dosen of silver pencil-cases
(chiefly Mordan's patent) ; a quantity of Albert, and other
gold chains, silver and other card cases, silver butter and fruit
knives; as also numerous gold and jewelled brooches, dia-
mond, pearl, and other rings, pins, dtc., to an amount which
is at present only known to exceed 1,0001. With this valu-
able booty, by the aid of Mr. Prince's shop-steps, the her-
glare repassed through the aperture they had made iu the
skylight, though, from the trepidation in which they appear
to have fled, it appears they had been disturbed, as they not
only left behind them several valuableartieles strewed about
the shop, boa outpost to abstract the contents of a drawer
close to the caws, in which were a number of gold watches,
and a considerable sum in gold and silver, and also left
behind them their dark lantern, matches, rope, gimlet, a
chisel, and clasp-knife, as well as on the roof an old quaint
looking umbrella, the handle mounted with gold. As a
further proof of the haste in which the retreat was effected,
one of the thieves, from the noise which was heard and the
displacement of some of the boards, must have fallen down
the pile of timber at Mr. Peacock's before reaching the
street. Information of this depredation having been for-
warded to the police, three detective officers of the 1) divi-
sion repaired to the spot, and are actively engaged in pursuit
of the delinquents.

EXECUTION OF HENRY HORLER FOR THE
MURDER OF HIS WlFE.—(Tuts DAT.)

This morning the extreme penalty of the law was
carried into effect on the person of Henry Holier' aged 2.1
year, who was convicted at the Central Criminal Court at
the last December sessions, for the wilful murder of his
wife.
Precisely at eight o'clock the mournful procession as-
cended the gallows. The convict did nut appear the least dis-
composed beyond a slight paleness. His step fault. red for a
moment at the foot of the ladder, but he looked round, and,
seaming to summon resolution, be ascended with a firm step,
and stood upon the drop. After standing for a moment
before the rope was adjusted be looked up at the beam with
apparent curiosity, and then upon the people assembled.
He submitted to the operatioas of the executioner without
emotion, and after a few words with the rev. ordinary the
signal was given, and the drop fell. The unfortunate man
struggled violently for a few moments, but these movements
soon ceased, and gave way to the relaxation of death.
After banging for nearly an hoar the body was cut down,
and removed to the interior of the prison, where it was
a terwanls interred in the space allotted for those who have
suffered by the hands of the public executioner.
We have been informed by the Sheriffs that as soon as
the convict became aware that all hope of life was gone, he
assumed a greater degree of firmness than he has before ex-
hibited. He listened with serious attention to the consola-
tion of the reverend ordiaary, and repeatedly expressed his
sincere penitence for the enormous crime he has c committed.
The crowd assembled upon the occasion was not nearly
so great as is usual, and it was gratifying to observe that
there were fewer females than is usual upon such occasions.
As soon as the body was removed, the workmen in
waiting proceeded to take down the scafford, and in a
very short time all traces of the morning's tragedy had