The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-27 00:00:00

FRIGHTFUL CARRIAGE ACCIDENT AT

GOLCAR.

A gloom has been thrown over the locality of Gol- I
car, a village near Huddersfield, by an event of a most melan-
choly character which occurrcl on Christmas-day. The'
Rev. J. E. Downing and family had aoceptal an invitation
to dice, on Christmas-day, at Milmbridge House, the
residence of Mr. George Armitage. The party left the
parsonage about half-past 4 in the afternoon, in two
carriages, one of which contained ,Mr. Downing and hie
servant, and the other his wife and son, the Rev. H. Down-
ing, the curate of Golcar, 'and another lady and gentleman.
On arriving at a point in the road, about a quarter of a mile
from the Parsonage, the horse made a dash forward, and
came in contact with a well which fences the road from a
precipitous descent of some 40 feet in depth. The force
of the concussion was so great that a portion of this writ
was knocked down, and Mr. Downing and his servant
were both jerked over the precipice. The set /ant happily
alighted on a alight projection only a few yards from the
road, and escaped with al;ght injury; but Mr. Downing
fell the whole distance, and wag picked tip almost Wire.
Medical assistance was at once sent for, and the reverend
gentleman was conveyed home on a sofa, accompanied by
his grief-stricken relatives and friends. He lingered until
ten o'clock the same evening, when he dir 1 from the eff. ,ts
of the injuries. The deceased gentleman was universely
beloved and esteemed by hie parishioners, amongst whom
be had laboured for upwards of 26 years. His son, the
Rev. H. Downing, assisted his deceased father in the dis-
charge of his ministerial duties, as curate.—Manchester
°attrition.

THE CASE OF THE REV. MR. 1/PLATTOHLET.
The following were the points raised for the Rev. Mr.
!['Laughlin before Lord Heaves, on the strength of which
he was liberated ad interim:—l. The proceedings com-
plained of were irregular and inept, in consequenoe of the
departure of the presiding justice from the recognised form
and substance of oath usually administered in the courts of
Scotland. 2. The qualified oath above-mentioned having
been accepted by the court, more especially after the ex-
planatioos given, the complainer could not be held as guilty
of a contempt bideclining toaaswer tle questions referred to.
3. The complainer was illegally and improperly committed
to prison for contempt, in respect that in his testimony he
complied with all that he undertook in the oath taken by
him, and that he was not required totake any otheror further
oath. 4. It was irregular and incompetent for the justices
to issue the sentence and warrant complained of, in face of
the offered plea of guilty by the accused parry, which
would I-eve rends-ed any procedure against the complainer
as a witness unnecessary. 5. The information possewed by
the complainer in regard to the subject of inquiry before
the justice having been obtained by him as &confession from
• penitent to a clergymen, and having been received on the
footing that it should not be disclosed by the complainer,
be was not bound to answer the question put to him. 6.
Generally, in the circumstances stated, the proceedings com-
plained of being illegal, unjustifiable, and oppressive, the
warrant ought to be suspended, and interim liberation
should be granted as craved.
HYDROPHOBIA.--A farmer at St. Meurice (Saone
et Loire) has just died in horrible suffering from hydro-
phobia, after more than three mouths from the time of being
bitten by a dog. When the bite took place, he made use
of some quack remedy. and paid no further attention to the
wound, which healed up. Just 96 days after be felt the
first attacks of the fearful malady, and seeing that his PM
was hopeless, immediately put his affairs in order. On the
following day he was raying mad, but between the paroxysms
had sufficient presence of mind to warn the bystanders to
keep out of his reach. As his fury kept on increasing, the
assistance of gendarmes was obtained, and he was rolled in
• blanket, and bound on a bed, where he died, three days
from the time of the first attsok.—Geliyna ni.

WO
100
100
100
100
100