The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-23 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

FACTORY INFORMATIONS.—At Manchester, on
Tuesday, the government inspector, Mr. Graham, appeared
at the police-court to lodge an information against Means.
Falkner and Co., cotton spinners, for having employed a
child, named Elizabeth Gough, in their mill, without send-
ing her to school or producing the schoolmaster's certificate
oilier attendance there. A second information also charged
the defendants with having employed two boys, named
Mess and Mellism, without having entered their names in
the registers required by the act.—The defendants pleaded
guilty to all three information', but stated that it was the
fault of the schoolmaster.—Mr. Graham mid he had found
Messrs. Falkner extremely irregular, and must, therefore,
pray for penalties in each case.—Mr. Maude said ithe plea of
forgetfulness by the defendants was inadmissible, the law
must be obeyed. He inflicted a penalty of 50s. in each case.
IMPROVEMENTS 7N ASFITON.—For a length of time
the very centre of Ashton has remelted in a moat discredit-
able condition, being occupied with old dirty buildings, ear.
rounded with filth, and most of them empty for years past.
Recently, however, the mayor, J. Fletcher, EN., purchased
lime old premises, and this state of things will soon be
slanged. In fact, one part of the nuisance hen been taken
dawn, and in its place is erected a portion of what is named
the " Market Avenue." The avenue, when completed, will
extend from the main street to the market-place, and thus
open through a passage which will prove advantageous to
the public, both as a road to the market-place and in a uni-
tary_ point of view.
NAVIGATORS TURNED HIGHWATMEN.—A most
daring outrage was committed on Monday evening, on the
highway near Liverpool, at the early hour of half-past six
o'clock in the evening. Mr. Jackson, car proprietor, is
London road, called in pursuance of previous orders at the
house of J. Houghton, Esq., Mill-lane, West Derby, with a
one-horse car, where he took up Mr. Houghton and his sis-
ters. When the vehicle was proceeding rather slowly up
the hill, near to Newsham-house, Jackson, the driver, was
astonished to perceive three powerful-looking men suddenly
cram immediately in front of the horse's head , and call upon
him to atop. One of them, without a moment's delay, seized
the enrb rein, and 'napped the horse ; and drawing from
underneath his jacket what appeared to be part of an old
word, or a large carving knife, he threatened to stab
the driver if be attempted to proceed an inch. The two''
other men immediately opened the car door on the near side,
and presenting two formidable-looking horse pistols at the
head of Mr. Houghton, demanded that the party should give
up what they had, Mr. Houghton, seeing the helplessness
of his situation, at once said, " For God's sake save our
lives, and I will give you what I have," at the same time
putting his hand into his waistcoat pocket and pulling out
some silver which he had placed there to pay the fare with.
The ruffian said, " Well, be quick and give it." Mr.
Honehton immediately replied, 'lt is only six ;"
and as the fellow laid hold of it, with a degree of anxiety,
just as the ladies in their terror were about to take their
gold watches and chains from their necks, the sound of the
horn of an approaching omnibus was heard, and the robbers
immediately made their escape; one running down Lower
Breck-road, and the others leaping over the wall into
the fields. The car then proceeded about thirty yards,
when it was met by the West Derby omnibus, which left
Liverpool at sin ; and the party having been too seriously
alarmed to think of prosecuting their proposed visit to the
concert, got into the omnibus and returned home. Had it
not been for the coming up of the omnibus just at the time
it did, there can be no doubt that Mr. Houghton and the
ladies would have been obliged to surrender the whole of the
property, in watches end jewellery, which they had about
them. The driver says there were only three men, sad he
only noticed the dress of the one who wore a barmen
jacket and tremors. By their voices, he believes they were
all Irishmen ; and it is much to be feared, says the Liver-
pool Courier, now that there are so many out of work, who
were lately employed on the Liverpool and Bury railway,
and other partially suspended works at the north end of the
town, that unless the police at the outskirts are reinforced,
and more than usually active, outrages of a similar descrip-
tion will be of frequent occurrence during the wintermonths.

FRAUD UPON A RAILWAY BY A MAOISTRATL—
A correspondent says : " A young fox-hunting squire, re-
sident near Mottram, and in the commission of the peace for
this county, was brought before the directors of the Man-
chester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway a short time
since for defrauding the company of his fare to Manchester,
almost daily, for a period of eight mouths. It appears that
he had taken an annual ticket over the line for twelve
months, and becoming known to the ticket taker as the
' holder of suck, was allowed to pan without exhibiting his
ticket, until eight months after it had run out of date, and
he had made no application for the renewal of his ticket.
The directors let him off on payment of the fares, and a do-
nation to the Manchester Ininary and another to the
Sheffield Infirmary."
11,11iiirfRIZTJTII1

an. TV eaana
RORKE/HES AT RUGBY SCHOOL.-011 Monde] it
was discovered that an extensive system of robbery had been
carried en by one of the servants in the employ of Mr. B. Price,
one of the marten of the school, and proprietor of a board-
ing-house for the pupils. Many of the boys hare lost clothes
and other property. Several persons are in custody.
LINCOLNSHIRE.
SHOCKING MITEDER.-011 Sunday morning, two
labouring men were proceeding from Blyborough to Kirton-
in-Lindsey, to attend the chapel there, when they perceived
the body of a man in a lane, about a mile distant from Kirton.
A dog was lying upon the body. Oa approaching nearer, it
was manifest that a murder had taken plea, the throat of
the man being cat, and his face being very much mangled.
The dog was severely wounded also, but, faithful to his trust,
would not permit the men to approach. It was soon ascer-
tained to be the body of Mr. Charles Copeman, a farmer, of
Blyborough, an athletic young man about 26 years of age,
who had been to Kirton fair on Saturday, and had continued
there drinking until past 1 o'clock in the morning, when he
left to go home. It it supposed that he must have been either
waylaid or followed by several persona, as the ground about
where he lay was much trampled, and bore numerous marks
of spiked boots, rush as are worn by navvies." Mr.
Copeman was a very powerful man, and a person who would
make a most desperate resistance, and his deg, which was of
the bull terrier epeeist, would also be a formidable antago-
, nist, so that it is probable three persons at least most have
been concerned in this horrible affair. It is not known what
money he had on leaving Kitten, but his pockets were com-
pletely empty, and turned inside ant, when the body was
found, and the amount of 7s. 6d. was scattered about on the
ground nest where he lay. After the alarm was given, Mr.
Woodhouse, who was well acquainted with the deceased,
was early on the spot, but all endeavours to induce the dog
to quit the body, or allow it to be removed, were un-
avallang, and it was found necessary to throw a rope over
the Deck and nearly strangle the faithful animal before
he would desist from his mistaken guard over the
dead body of his master. It may be worthy of
mama that the clof is still alive. The deceased was well
tam at the principal towns in this county, and the news
el his mina*/ death ceased the greatest regret. Three pa-
lms rre is weitedy at Litton House of Correction on =Bpi-
eke al bdas the airdereis.
ON SUNDAY A DISGRACEFUL EXHIBITION took
place at Bracebridue, just without the limits of the city
of Lincoln. Several persons of respectable exterior assem-
bled to witness a prize-fight. The prinuipals were a baker
named Blighton and a man named Long. After fighting
for an hour and twenty minutes the former was declared the
victor—Lincoln Times.

THE LABOUR Tsar.—At the meeting of Leicester