The Express.
London, England, 1849-08-06 00:00:00

MARVELLOUS ESCAPE FROM DEATH.

On Saturday morning, shoal, after 8 o'clock
John Smith, of Newcas•le, a middle-aged shipwright
now in the service of Mews. li,wks, Crawshay, and
Sees, was at work on the High Level Bridge, across the
Tyne, the floors of which are laid in shipbuilding
fashion. Ile had occasion to pus from the permanent to
the temporary bri 'go at the south end of the first water etch,
counting from Newcastle. A loose plank eateuded from the
oue brings to the other as a roadway, and when tie placed his
foot upon it, it canted over. The end upon which us stepped
had bean lying, probably, upon SLIM loose gravel. Ha was
looking westward at the time, hut found Liman suddenly
turned eastward, and with his bead down. His thought at
the moment was—" I'm gone !" Immediately below wrath*
projeeungeomice orate stone pier a.. the lower-roadway of the
bridge, eu which he must dash in bis descent, and be thence
precipitated into the Tyne, at a depth from the plank of 120
feet. But he was miraculously arrested in his doe award
course. A huge sail had been driven to the depth of an loch
ands half into the end of a eras-bearer on which the tempo-
rary platform rote. It served ao purpose, but had apps.
natty been driven in from mire caprice. The projecting
head was John Smith's guardian angel: it aught his
fustian trousers at the leg, a little above the hem (if
that be the right word), and he hung suspended, swinging
to and fro in the wind, and g ring downwind upon
the cornice and the flood, which threatened him with a
double death. Edward Ward, a painter, with Mears.
Cummins and Fkbenk, was the first to observe his situation,
and running up, held him by the leg ; but Smith told him
that he aunt obtain rusher assistance, or he could do him
no gxd. Ward then alarmed the other workman—soar of
whom procured a ladder, by which they got ein to their
comrade from the lower bridge, and reieesed him frost peril.
Oa the following Monday, when in c invereation with him
on the bsidge we suggest :c1 that he s ould pr serve hie
tram ra and the nail as memorials of his deliverance from
death. "Nay," deverutly replied the worthy shipwright
(who has been many years a member or the Wesleyan body),
thought either of my trousers or the sail while I
was hanging in the air. It was the hand of God that held
me up. I thought so at that moment, and I think so now."
Unlike tie bailie he gave no thanks to the nail-driver or the
weaver.—Gagerhsod Observer.

ItEPREEINTATION OP KIDDERMINSTER.—In addi-
tion to the mad d .tee already named for the representation
of this borough, Capt. the Hon. D. Ward, tne brother of
Lord Ward, and Kr. W. H. Co, k, of the Ozford circuit,
are named in the conservative interest. It is stated to be
not improbable that Mr. Samson Ricardo will be brought
forward by the liberals.
TUE PALACE COURT.— By the County Court
Act, which received the royal assent on Tuesday, no fresh
actions can be commenced in the Palace Court, and at the
end of the year all its Inactions will cease and determine.
A rest number of writs were issued in the few days pro,:
**tag the act receiving the royal assent.
BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL Society.—On Friday,
the members dike society and the visitors made two emu, •
dons. The party Id. Cluster by railway for Ohirk Castle,
Llangollen Valle Crude Abbey, and the Sling The other Party left for Beeston by railway, where carriages
' were in downtown at the station, and conveyed the visitors
to Banbury Church end Beaton Cattle; and theses to
Waterton, whence they went to Baighton Hall, Aldford and
Baton-hall.—On Elohudey the closing meeting took plats at
Chester. The Rev. Dr. Anson, the dear, presided. Dr. Pet-
tigrew proposed that the thanks of the /Cohn elegised Society
be given to the Nibs, ad the clergy of the die.ese of Ches-
ter, for the Mai bran which they had shown towards the
society daring its visit to the city. Hr. Balkh seconded the
motion, whisk was carried. Sir F. Dmitri. moved, and Mr.
Gould mended. a similar compliment to the dean, which
was to, were also these to the mayor and corpora-
doe air Crustier, se
the mayor and corporation of Liverpool, the
local comma tie, the gentlemen who bad read papers, the
persona who had thrown *pen their eaMblishments to the
congress, &c The proceedings concluded with a pubis
breakfast.

ATTEMPT TO MURDER THREE CHILDREN BY THEIR
Morass, •ND 8171CIDI or VIZ hittRDIRIBB.—A osinhil
degree of excitement was created throughout the whole of
yesterday and
Pancras,
day in the vicinity of the Hemp-
, stead•reed, St. Pancras, in consequence of a horrible attempt
on the part •f • young woman, named Mary Chapman, aged
24, the wife of • bricklayer, residing at 19, Henry-ortat, to
murder her three children by strangulation, and the subse-
quent destruction of her own life by the same means. Thu
husband of the unfortunate woman, who with her
family lived at 19, Henry street, has been out of work for •
very oonakilerebte period, nail the last week, and in conse-
quence the fondly have been involved in great distress. Oa
Saturday morning tne husband went out to his employment
shortly before flee o'clock, leaving his wife and children in
1:011. Shortly before eight o'clock a woman named Martha
Stevens, living in the aditining room, heard faint groans
proceeding from Mrs. Chapman's rooms, and on calling to
her and receiving no answer, she burst open the room door,
and on entering the apartment a most horrible mass
presented itself. Lying on the bed wee the body of the
unfortunate woman. with the eyes az:, tongue protruding
from the effects of augmentation, which she had effected
by tying an old silk handkerchief in knots round her seek.
The mother was quite dead, and Mary Ann, the eldest end,
nearly so, having a ;nimbi* bound tightly round her seek.
The second child, Amadea, had • handkerchief tied round
her neck, whilst round the neck el the infant was • piece of
cord. An alarm was raised, sad Mr. Collins, surgeon, of
Mary-street, Hampstead-road, was immediately seat for, and
promptly attended, and in the meantime the handkerchief
was with the utmost difficulty removed from the neck of the
unfortunate woman. On the arrival of Mr. Collins, he at
ono, advised the removal of the three children to University
College Hospital, and on examining the body of Mrs. Chip.
man, whom he pronounced to have been dead some tint*, he
found • wound in her throat, and a table-knife was band
near the bedside with blood upon it, clearly indicating that
the unfortunate woman, after she had, as she *ought,
destroyed bar children, had endeavoured in the tint in-
stance to take her own life by cutting hoe throat,
but finding the weapon too blunt to effect the
object, had eubsequently remitted to strangalatiea.
The enfortnnate woman bears • most excellent character fee
sobriety and integrity, but she has been knewn to complaint
for the last fortnight et pains its bet heed. Since the has
band has got into employ it appears that the wiles to whoa
they were indebted have been exceedingly importunate for
paymmt, sad it is supposed that this preyed on her mind.
'Dramatise& of the melancholy occurrence has been net.
warded to Mr. Wakley, the coroner, who is expected to bold
an inquest OR Tuesday, when all the facts will no doobt be
fully devekpea.