The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-01 00:00:00

SCENES LN THE SPANISH BULL CIRCUS.

MADRID, JCLT 26.
Yesterday, the Bull Circus of Aranjucz became the
theatre of &spectacle worthier of the age of the Itomans of
the empire than of the 19th century. Several wild beasts
were introduced successively to fight in the arena. The
Queen-Mother and her family, together with the King and
the Duke of Rianzares were present in the royal box. The
first fight was between a wolt and several dogs. The wolf
looked at first excessively frightened, and made several leaps
to clear the lofty iron grating which surrounded the arena.
These effort' became desperate when he saw bound into the
circus four powerful dogs, which in a few moments reduced
him to such a pitiful state, that it was necessary to withdraw
him. The wolf stood merely on the defensive—he shook
off the dogs, but he did not attack them. Next entered an
hyena, against which four dogs were likewise loosed. One
of the dugs distinguished himself greatly in this combat,
and several times mastered the hyena alone, dragging him
over to the ground, hut he wax so punished by the fierce
bites of the wild beast, that his master was fain to cater the
arena and withdraw him from the combat amid salvos of ap-
plause. The hymn* was then withdrawn in rather a mangled
audition. The next wild beast that appeared was a sturdy,
surly bear, against whom were launched as many as 13 dogs.
The enemy was now evidently of a more formidable kind,
for the dogs were no longer so carter to grapple with the
object of their attack, but contented themselves with bark-
ing around him iu a ring ; and when any of the number
ventured into closer quarters, he received a hug and bite
which left him apparently lifeless during several secondu
The public now loudly called for the intrepid dog who had
mauled the hyena. This was the first of the pack who
dared to seize the bear with his teeth. The others imitated
his example with less pluck, but no effect Premed to be pro-
duced by any of the assailants upon the shaggy beast, and
the bravest of them seemed baffled by the thickness of his
coat, which defied the gripe of his adversaries. The last
act of the spectacle was that which had more particularly
attracted crowds by railroad to Aranjucz. The fight was now
between a lion and a bull. The first was one of the finest
of his species. No sooner was he loosed into the
arena and espied the bull than he made towards him
at once, and attacked him with fury. But he only suc-
ceeded in seizing the tail of his horned foe, by which he
clung on with his claws. The bull, thus attacked from
behind, was unable to defend himself by his horns, but pre-
sently the lion having bitten his tail close off to the rump,
the bull turned on him, and frantic with pain charged with
tremendous fury, tossing the lion, notwithstanding his size,
into the air, which so damped the pluck of the latter, that
it became at once clear on which side the victory would be
declared. The lion sat down dejected and moaning with
pain, while the bull charged him several times in succession,
instigated by the crowd outside the grating more than by
his own will, for as soon as the lion was hors de combat the
bull sought no longer to molest him, and would have left
him alone but for the stimulation which was applied to him
by the spectators. The lieu was killed.

THE GREAT EXIIIIIITION.—YestertIay the num-
bers attending the Exhibition amounted to 57,819; the
stun taken at the doors was 2,8001. 16s.
ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following
gentlemen having undergone the necessary examinations
for the diploma, were ailmitt.al members of the college, at
the meeting of the Court of Examiners, on the 30th ult.:—
Messrs. F. Martin, Brighton; J. Sainsbury, Denbigh; J.
Dale, Yarn; J. Andrews, Pershore ; W. Smith, Caistor;
J. S. Dodd, Notting-hill; C. J. Toren, Hailleigh; and J.
F. Wright, Edwards-street, Portman-square.
NATIONAL REFORM ASSOCIATION.—Tho council
of this association for 1841.2 is now being elected. All those
who have subscribed before the 21th ult. are eligible to
vote, the aggregate list of candidates, from whom 190 are
to be selected, being placed in the hands of each subscriber.
The voting commenced yesterday and will continue to-day
and to-morrow; and the scrutiny, to decide on the 100
names for whom the largest number of votes has been re-
corded, will take place on the Bth. The chairman of every
local association numbering 10 members becomes a member
of the council er affi,in; and every local association num-
bering 100 members is further entitled to send a second re
presentative of their body to the council. The elected lel
will have the power of adding 50 honorary members to the
council. Every member of parliament who has voted with
Mr. flume, on the Reform Association, is placed on the
council. This new arrangement for the constitution of the
council gives great satisfaction to the now numerous body
of whom the association is composed.
I)EATIIS IN THE ARMY.—According to the Army
List for this month the following names of de-
ceased officers have been received at the War-office
sines the last list was published: General Sir It.
11. !theatre, Bart., Colonel of the 36th Regiment, July
17, 1851; General J. S. Wood, Lieutenant of the
Tower, July 3; Major-General Birch, Royal Artillery,
June 29; Colonel M. Stewart, half pay Portuguese officer,
May 29; Colonel Story, unattached, July 3; Colonel
Roberts, retired full pay, R.A., July 9; Colonel Thomson,
R.E., July 13; Colonel Vavasour, ILE., July 4; Lieut.-
Colonel Hon. G. Cadogan, half pay, May 1; Major
Townsend, 83rd Regiment, June 2; Major Soden, 2nd
West India Regiment, June 30; Major Murphy, retired
full pay, June 22; Captain Chalk, 51th Regiment, June
21; Captain Lewis, half pay, sth Neat India Regiment,
June 12 ; Lieut. Lind, retired full pay, Ist Infantry Bat-
talion, June 30; Lieut. Muckleston, half pay, 25th Foot,
June 21 ; Cornet Brinkley, 9th Lancers, May 16; Ensign
Thompson, 3rd West India Itegiment, July 22; Paymaster
Doran, 76th Regiment, June 19; Paymaster Harman, half
pay, 17th Dragoons, no date; Surgeon Henley, half pay,
Staff, July 6.
VIOLENT STORM.—On Tuesday last a very des-
tructive hailstorm, accompanied with thunder ana light-
ning, broke immediately over the boundary line between
the counties of Nottingham and Derby, on the
Erewash line of railway. Shortly after 3 o'clock in
the afternoon two heavy clouds, one from the south
and the other from the south-east, met apparently just
over the village of Sawlcy, and immediately afterwards
Large hailstones, mingled with heavy drops of rain, fell in
torrents, deluging the streets, and beating down the crops
in the neighbourhood. Four yearling calves, the property Of
Mr. Parkinson, were killed by a flash of lightning; and the
electric fluid, passing down the chimney of a cettage, As*
tered to splinters some bedsteads that stood in the corner
a room, broke all the windows in the place, and camel
other considerable damage. At the neighbouring villages
of Sandiacrc, Breaston, and Wilsthorpe, the storm me
equally violent, five cows, also the property of Mr. Parkin-
son, being killed. At Draycot the lightning killed a fat
cow belonging to Mr. Timson, and a vivid flash darting
down a chimney in the house of Mr. Smith, butcher, set a
bed on fire. At Sandiacre nine acres of grass land, never
before under water, were inundated ; and at Stapleford a
valuable young cow, belonging to Mr. Burton, farmer, was
destroyed by lightning. At Cuckney, near Worksop, a
village some miles further in the north, a servant employed
by Mr. G. Swift, of Norton, was holding her hand on the
door-latch of Mr. Smith's house, when she was struck by
the electric fluid; she became insensible, and was unable
to speak until the following morning, but is new partial's,.
recovered. On the London-road, near Cavendish-bridge, a
horse, which was drawing a chaise containing a lady and
' gentleman, was struck by lightning, its eye was burst, and
' its fore-legs were broken. The animal was immediately
shot; the persons in the chaise sustained no injury. The
water in tht Trent, near Long Eaton, rose three feet dur-
ing the storm, but subsided to its former level soon after
the hail and rain had ceased falling.
THE SHEFYIELD-PARK NIURDER.—We are in-
formed on very good authority that the convicts William
Battersby and Eliza Wilkinson, who have been found guilty
of manslaughter of the husband of the last named indivi-
dual, have made a statement which, if true, explains to a
certain extent what has hitherto been a most mysterious
transaction. The communication is made to us verbally, and
in respect of exact details is not very complete. The put,
port of it is as follows: On the Saturday upon which the
unfortunate Wilkinson perished in so horrible a manner he
went out into the yard for a few minutes, leaving his wife
and Battersby alone, the little girl having gone to bed.
During that interval his wife and Battenby were
toying with each other respecting a handkerchief,
of which he was endeavounng to gain posetiasioe,
and while so engaged Battersby placed his am
round the woman's waist. In that relative position they
were surprised by Wilkinson, who, inferring a more grave
impropriety than the facts warranted, became very angry.
" Collie, Battershy," he exclaimed, " we'll have no more a
this; there has been too much of it already; you shall leave
my house this night, and see that you never enter it again."
He then turned fiercely towards he wife, and, snatching up
a knife that lay on the table swore he woald kill her in-
stantly. At this moment Battersby interposed, and strove to
take the knife from him. the

There was, and is dill, A strait6i tossed, in which.
a youth in the public hospital, accessible to 311, and whose hands of both of them were cut, as deposed to by certain of
ease i. duly attested by medical certification, who. I the witnesses. The woman, taking advantage of this mo-
taken to the police station in a street quarrel, was ' mentary withdrawal of attention from herself, snatched up
subjected with perfect impunity at the hands of the police the poker, struck her husband on the wrist, and knocked
ruffians, of whom sixteen are implicated in the horrible the knife out of his hand. Wilkinson upon that became
transaction, to outrages so cruel and revolting that a modest quite furious, and she, to screen herself from violence, ran
pen must refuse to trace, and a respectable newspaper hesi- upstairs, and leaped out of the window. Battersby, find-
tate to publish, such disgusting viliany. ing the stream of the jealous husband's rage turned wholly
This ease is universally known at Rome. Mr. Petre against himself, then got possession of the poker or coal-
cannot be ignorant of it. I have authority for stating rake, and dealt him that terrific blow which made such
that Mr. Baillie Cochrane when at Rome had proofs of . havoc on his head ; and, afterwards, observing that the
this horrible story offered him—that is to say, a sight of the , disabled man was dead, conceiving the thought of present-
victim. and of the attestations of the surgeons attending ' ing the appearance of suicide, he cut the dead man's throat,
him, but turned a deaf ear to the proposition ; and lastly, and laid the clasp-knife upon the floor, where it was found
1 challenge our consular agent, Mr. Freeborn, to deny my the following morning. Haring completed his gory work,
statement, if he be inclined to do so, which I cannot be- he then ran upstairs, hastily changed his dress, and ran
leers away in the manner described by the witness Mary Sarah
I ask, therefore, whether under such a system we ought Pearson. If this were so, it would seem that the statement
to permit a British subject to undergo secret trial I—whe- of the woman as to her own conduct was in the main true,
thee any evidence against him ought not to be given in the and that she acted deceitfully only in suppressing such de-
moonlight of day, and ten times over sifted and re sifted, tails as would have prejudiced herself and Battersby.—
before admitting it against him Shefidd Times.

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 1, 1851.