The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-24 00:00:00

KOSSUTH.

Sunsenirrioxs.—Our Birmingham correspondent
writes:—Whilst the 'limes newspaper, inspired by the
infelicity which has characterised its articles of late, is
vapouring about the uselessness of M. Kossuth's visit to the
provinces, and the empty shouts which have greeted his
progress, it may be worth while to point out that from Bit,
minghain he has received the first substantial aid, as from
Birmingham there went, early in 1849, the first marks of
sympathy for the Hungarian cause. We are speaking now
of an occurrence before the Hungarian struggle had become
the fashion, and M. Kossuth the public idol; since that
period the cause has gained many friends, and in Birming-
ham as elsewhere (doubtless) a good many people have
taken advantage of the popular feeling to bring themselves
before the public us favouren of a holy strife which they
never assisted in its infancy; s ill the fact remains that
from Birmingham has gone the substantial aid, Mr.
H. W. 1 yndall (deputed by the committee) having
last Tuesday, in an interview with M. Kossuth,
at Eaton-place, presented to him 7d01., which had
been subscribed by a few gentlemen, to be by the
illustrious Hungarian appropriated as shall seem to
him most advantageous to the cause of Hungary. We are
assured by Mr. Robert Wright, who has largely interested
himself in the promotion of the cause of Hungarian free-
dom, that there is every probability of a further handsome
sum being raised for the same object. The list of sub-
scribers to this fund has irA been divulged, but, without
being guilty of any breach of confidence, we are enabled to
state that Mr. Charles (leach, M.P., subscribed 1001.; and
Mr. Monts, SUP., Mr. Scholefield, M.P., Mr. Alderman
J. James, Mr. Charles Sturge, and other gentlemen have
made equally liberal donations.

SERIOUS COLLISION ON TILE LONDON
AND NORTIL-WESTERN RAILWAY.

A collision of a very serious, if not fatal, character
took place on Saturday evening, on the London end North-
western Railway at Weedon, by which nearly all the
passengers in the 4 o'clock up train from Rugby were more
or leas injured.
It appears that the 4 o'clock train from Rugby due in
London at half-past 7, started from Rugby at its proper
time, arriving in due course at the Weedon Station at 25
minutes after 4. At this time it was still daylight, and all
the punter *tapping signals were on at the station. At the
Weedon Station there are no sidings, and the passenger I
train, in which was Captain lluish, the general manager, and
Mr. Bruytree. the chief superintendent, both of whom bad I
been down for the purpose of making arrangements for the
opening of the Stour % alley line, meeting with a coal train at
the station, had to wait on the main up line until the coal
train had been shunted on to the down line, to allow the
passenger train to reach the platform of the Weedon station
and then pass on. The pauenger train had reached the
platform, and was discharging and receiving passengers, and
the coal train was still shunting across just up above on to
the down line, when an engine and cattle train of 13 heavily
laden carriages, dashed into the passenger train with great
violence, breaking several of the nearest carriages, and
also dashing the passenger Mill forward into the coal train,
which had not yet entirely got across on to the down line,
with such violence, us to knock several of the coal trucks
completely over.
As soon as the alarm occasioned by the first shock of the
collision had in mine measure subsided, surgical aid was
procured from the town and barracks. A gentleman,
named Currie, of Warrington, and connected with the firm
of Ridgway end Co., the tea-dealers, of King William-
street, City, was taken out of a second-class tannage appa-
rently lifeless, and was reported as dead, having MU.
mined some frightful lacerations and injuries to the head.
A second, in almost as bad • condition, was taken from
the same carriage, and proved to be the servant of Colonel
Sir Douglas l'ennant, also a passenger. A third gentleman,
Mr. Cleatun, of Upper Barnsbury-street, Islington, was
also taken out insensible, with several several severe cuts
about the head and face ; and Mrs. (3ower' of Oxford-
street, was also very much shook and injured. Most of
the other paueuacers suffered more or less from wounds
and contusions.
Capt. finish was himself very severely injured about the
bead and face, as was also Mr. Bruyeres, whose escape from
death was truly miraculous. It appears that on the Rugby
train reaching the platform Mr. Bruyeres, who was in the
same carriage with Capt. Huish, got out, and at the mo-
ment of the collision was standing with his hand on the
carriage door, whilst Capt. Huish, who had not left his
seat, had his head out of window conversing with him.
The shock caused the captain's head to be driven violently
from one aide of the opening of the window to the other,
whilst a portion of another carriage, lifted completely off
the rails, struck Mr. Bruyeres on the shoulder, knocking
him down, end he in turn knocking others down who were
standing near him. Mr. Bruyeres rolled towards the car.
riages still in motion, and had not a gentleman seized him
by the coat, he must have fallen under the wheels and been
est to pieces.
The matte, it is understood, were not much mutilated,
bat the up lino was blocked for several hours, and the
Rugby train did not reach the Ruston terminus till nearly
11 o'clock, when Xs. Clinton, Mrs. Gower, and most of the
other passengers were sufficiently recovered to proceed to
their residences. Mr. Currie, however, the gentleman
reported as dead, and the servant to Colonel Douglas Pen-
nant, still remain at the Weedon station. The former,
although insensible and apparently lifeless for several hours,
was yesterday afternoon reported to have resovered his
senses, and to be enabled to speak. He has, however,
received, in addition to other injuries, severe concussion of
the brain. The other sufferer at Weedun is reported as
progressing favourably. Captain Huish, although having
received very painful injuries, and Mr. Bruyerea, were last
evening also reported as much better.

THE DEMERARA STEAM-SHIP.—The Demerara,'
I Royal West ludic mail packet ship, of whose stranding in
the river Avon accounts have already appeared in the Dolly
News, was removed on Saturday from the berth she had
taken up on the Somerset/hire bank of the new course of
the river Avon, and hauled into the Cumberland floating
basin, where she now lies preparatory to her being dry-
docked, which will he effected as speedily as possible, so as
to permit a close surrey of her bottom. A committee of the
Society of Merchant. venturers were engaged during the
greater part of Thursday and Saturday, in investigating
the conduct of the pilot, Percival, in whose charge the ship
was at the time when she ran aground. The appointment
and supervision of the pilots of the Bristol Channel are
meted in the Corporation of Bristol, who, by royal ebor y*.
as well as by act of Parliament, are made conservators of
the river, from the Steep Holmes to the Barham Locks,
but that body delegates its povers, as far as they relate to I
pilots, to the Merchants' Hall. The committee came to the
conclusion that Percival the pilot had been guilty of error
of judgment, in having so much way on the vessel, but
taking into account the excellent character he had received
for steadiness and nautical skill, they considered that the
justice of the case would be met by his being suspended
from the exercise of his calling for six calendar months.
DEPARTURE OF TER ROYAL MAIL BiLA,M-iIMIP
AnnitioA.—On Saturday, shortly before noon, the British
and North American Royal Mail steam-ship America, Capt.
Harrison, let time Mersey for New York direct, with the
usual mails for the United States and British America,
about fifty passengers, and a valuable asp.

MURDER AT ROMSEY.

(Vro ete Ihs.spsAire Advert(ser.).

Considerable excitement prevailed in the town and
neighbourhood of Romsey, on Friday and Saturday last, in
consequence of a report that John Saffe, an inhabitant of
the village of Minesteed, in the New Forest, had been miss-
ing since Thursday evening, when he was seen intoxicated,
and in the company of four persons of low character, who
had been observed loitering about and drinking with him
for several hours before he left the town. The deceased
was a small tanner and dealer in timber and other things,
for which purpose be was in the habit of frequenting the
neighbouring towns and villages with alone and cart. Last
Thur-day, the 13th of November, he drove into Romsey, as
usual, to get some corn ground at the Town Mid, but to the
surprise of his friends, who had never known him stay out
all night, be did not return. On Friday morning, therefore,
his brother went to Romsey to make inquiries after him,
but hearing that he had fetched his flour from the mill about
four o'clock the day before, and left his usual place of resort
soon afterwards, in a state of intoxication, he thought he
might possibly have passed him on the road, and returned
in the hope of finding him safe at home. In this, however,
he was disappointed, and the next morning (Saturday) his
son and brother proceeded to Romsey for the purpose of
making further inquiries after him. In the meantime, a
hat had been found in the river Test, between the bridge
and Sadler's Mill, and an empty canvas purse on the cause-
way adjoining, both of which were recognised as having
belong to the deceased. The circumstances were then com-
municated to the police, both of the town and county, under
whose superintendence au active search was made (or the
body until Sunday morning, when it was found lying at
the bottom of the river, adjoining a place called Pearce s'
meadow, an inclosed and secluded spot, about thirty yards
above the mill-bead, and far removed from any public
road or path. Information was then given to the coroner,
who immediately ordered a post-mortem examination to be
made of the body, and appointed Tuesday moralise for the
inquest. The case was also reported to Mr. Stanley, one
of the county magistrates, who issued a warrant for the
apprehension of John Eyres and John Keinish, two of the
persons last seen in the company of the deceased, and re-
manded them for further exanuuation.
The postmortems examination of the body was made by
Mr. Wiltshire, surgeon, of Romsey, who afterwards deposed
that he found no mark of external violence, no trace of
disease, nor any appearance to indicate that the deceased
had died from apoplexy, or any other natural cause. On
the contrary, the general aspect of the body was that of a
strong-built, healthy man, and all the vital organs were
perfectly healthy, except that the lungs and brain were in
a congested state, as in cases of suffocation ; and he had
therefore no doubt the death of the deceased had been
caused by drowning. The inquest was commenced on
Tuesday, at 11 o'clock, before Mr. Todd, at Romsey, when
the avid. ace of twelve witnesses was taken, disclosing cir-
cumstances of so much suspicion against the two men in
custody, and also against two women of the names of Emma
Leach, and Mary Ann Sim., that the latter were imme-
diately apprehended, and all four remanded for further ex-
amination. The inquest was then adjourned till the follow-
, ing morning, when it was resumed at the Town Hall in the
presence of the four pile:otters and a vast concourse of people
of all classes, including the mayor and several of the borough
magistrates. Fourteen mote witnesses were then examined,
each of whom deposed to facts elucidating the circumstances
under which the deceased came to his end, and implicating
more or less the parties suspected to have been concerneu
11 in it. The depositions were of course voluminous, and the
facts disclosed by them necessarily much intermixed, but
the folios ing may be relied upon us a correct epitome of
their contents, so arranged as to convey an intelligible out-
line of the circumstances:—

The deceased left his house at Minestecd shortly after
keakfast on Thursday morning, for the purpose of taking
sone corn to be ground at the town mill at Ramsey, where
be arrived and left the corn about eleven o'clock, with an
understanding that he was to call for it between three and
her In the afternoon. He then put up his horse and cart at
tbe levee of Charles Bailey, a retailer of beer in Middle
bridge-street, where he had some bread and meat with two
rang men from the same village, with whom he sat till
shout two o'clock, and then went into the town. Between
two and three he was seen in Hog•lane, rather the worse
Ise liquor, playing with some children and talking to some
women, one of whom was the prisoner Sims, whom ho in.
lifted to go down to Bailey's and have some refreshment.
At half-past three he returned to Bailey's, accompanied by
tbe two female prisoners, and bringing his horse in har-
ness, but without the cart. He then sat down in the
tap room with the two women, whom he treated with
bread and meat and beer, until a quarter to lour, when
Hwy all left together, and the deceased went up town with
his horse. About four o'clock he went to the mill with his
bone and cart, as appointed, took away his grist, and paid
bit the grinding. In so doing he produced a double can
was purse, outof which he took a handful of money, con-
sisting of silver with several gold coins intermixed. After
baking the payment, he replaced the remainder of his
trogin the purse, which he put into his left-hand
es pocket, all which the miller particularly noticed, an
the deceased had evidently been drinkii.g. lie then re-
Inesed to Bailey's with thehorse and cart, containing three
tat *or sacks partly tilled with flour and bran, and after
Owing the horse on to the railings in front of the house, re-
swami his seat in the tap-room, where he was joined by the
four prisoners, and ordered a quart of beer, of which they
all partook. He then ordered another quart, but the land-
lord, seeing his state and the company he was in, endea-
voured to dissuade him from having any more, but Sims
whispered something in his ear, Leach threatened aloud to
leave him, the men joined in persuading him to have more,
and another quart was introduced. At half-past four the
deceased anti the four prisoners all left the house together.
At that time the deceased was quite intoxicated, though not
so bad as he had been on some former occasions, so that he
was able to get up into his cart without assistance, after
which the landlord went out and untied the horse, but
seeing the four prisoners Mitering about the place, he cau-
tioned the deceased against them, and wished him to
leave his money with him until he came in again. He
promised to go straight home, but refused to leave his
money, and unfortunately the whole of this conversation
took place aloud and within the prisoners' hearing. The
landlord then led the horse a short distance towards the
bridge, and the deceased drove off quietly in the direction
of his home. Some neighbours, however, on the opposite
side of the road, observing what had passed, had their sus-
picions aroused, and watched him for several minutes after
he had passed over the bridge. The two female prisoners,
who bad gm* ow before, were then seen to follow the cart,
selling out to the deceased to stop and give them some beer,
the two men at the seam time waiting near the spot. After
they had called him several times, he unfortunately yielded
to their request, and pulled up at a public-house called the
'• Bridge Tavern," kept by W ahem Webb. There he was
helped out of the cart by the two females, who accompanied
him into the house, and were immediately followed by the
two men. More beer was ordered, anti the whole party
began carousing and making such a noise, that a re-
spectable person who happened to be taking tea there at the
time, was obliged to leave the house. The beer was paid
for by the deceased out of his canvas purse; shortly after
which an altercation took place between him and the pri-
soner Eyres, about a shilling which Eyre' demanded of
him for finding a bundle of leather some time before, and
Eyres became so noisy that the landlord threatened to turn
him out of doors. About six o'clock, the two female psi-
Boners went away, and in about five minutes the deceased
left the room, and never returned. About the same time
Eyres took away the horse and cart of the deceased, which
were recognised by Bailey just as they were passing hie
house, upon which he accosted Eyres, asking him what he
was going to do with them—and what was become of
the deceased? Eras replied that he did not know where
the deceased was, but that he was going to take the horse
and cart up street. To this Bailey most positively objected,
and with some difficulty succeeded in obtaining possession
of the horse and cart, which he put into his own stable, ex-
pecting that the deceased would come and fetch them, for
which purpose he waited up till past twelve o'clock, but saw
nothing of him. Eyres then returned to the Bridge Tavern,
where he sat drinking with Kemish till between six
and seven, when they went away together. Between
six and seven, the voices of men and women were heard near
the Bridge Tavern, and in a few minutes they went down
the causeway together, leading from the bridge to Sadler's
Mill. There appeared to be three or four persons, but the
witnesses could set see who they were. They did not speak
loud, audit was nearly dark. About the same time, namely,
between six and seven (for none of the witnesses attempted
to fix the exact time of anything that occurred), a little
boy of the name of Glasspool, son of a journeyman miller,
who works at Sadler's mill, was standing by himself aear
the causeway between the bridge and the mill, when he
heard the voice of a man down by Mr. Pearce's mead, call-
ing out to lay hold of some one, directly after which he
heard the voices of two women screaming as if frightened.
, IThe voices all seemed to come from the same place. He
heard no more, and saw no one. Between eight and nine '
the same evening, the two male prisoners were met to-
-1 gather in the town, in a state of intoxication, inquiring for
1 the female prisoner, Leach, and threatening that Halle did
not " dub up," there would be a row in the Moe/11111. This
was said on more than one occasion. About theism time,
a young man passed by them, and heard one of the NT to
the other, " Let us go and have some beer, for wetness's*"
away with him (adding an oath) now." Anothseiritnem
beard them say they had plenty of money, for they bad
" done the trick," They were about the town, however, for
some time after that, endeavouring to obtain beer, but ap-
parently without the means of paying lc), it. About tea
o'clock they returned together to the Bridge Tavern, and
had more beer. While drinking, Eyres kept saying he
knew a thing or two, and upon being pressed by the land-
lord to tell what he meant, said he would learn in the morn-
ing. The two male prisoners slept that and the following
night under a rick in the neighbourhood, and were con-
stantly sew together until taken into custody. Hanish
was seen in two different dresses (a velveteen coat and a
white swesit4solk) on Thursday night. The canvas purse
, bekoillas Op Ibe stemessed was found lying empty upon the
Onotoror boooses the bridge and Sadler's mill, oa Friday
mooolai lei slow the same time his hat wee found in the
deer NOV oggeette, with sawdust sticking to it, showing
Me It some through the mill, one part of which is
Yid op sr a saw-mill.

All the witnesses having been examined, and sevens' of
them etose-examined by the prisoners, especially by Ke-
ntish, the priaonen were severally aakeil, in the usual form,
whether they wished to say anything, or to call any wit-
nesses, when they all declared their innocence, bat de-
elined to say anything more, except Sims, who made a
statement that she and Leach left the Bridge Tavern with
a Mrs. Webb (one of the witnesses) soon doer six o'clock,
after which she went to her brother's bogie, in Hog lane,
and there remained till ten o'clock. To peeve this, she
called aM. Barnett, who lives next door to her moihar,
and her evidence, to a certain extent, corroborated the
prisoner's statement.