The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-26 00:00:00

AN UNFORTU.VATE VOTRER•IN•LAV.

An inquiry was held by Mr. Humphreys, the
Middlesex Coroner, last evening, at the Queen's Head
Tavern, Cambridge-road, Bethnal-green, peeti the
alleged manslaughter of Margaret Collins, ag d 77.
Eliysts.th Hancock, 4, Triangle-place, Bethnal-green,
servant to Jetuinut Woodruff, said that on last Christmas-
eve, Mr. Woodruff was beating her when the deceased,
his mother-in-law, upon interfering, was knocked down
by him. She fell across a chair, and she was laid up ever
since. Witness proceeded against Mr. Woodruff before
the magistrate for the assault on herself, and he was tined
40s. He was in the habit of Musing his wife in such a
dreadful manner that the deceased used to tremble for fear
whenever his step would be heard.
. . .

Sarah Ward gave similar evidence, and said that when
Woodruff knocked the deceased down she said, " You
ruffian, you have given me my death blow." When witness
interfered he laid bold of her (witness) by the right breast
and dragged her across the room, and she had not got over
the effect of his illussge yet.
A friend of Mr. Woodruff's said that those two women
who gave evidence had a prejudice against bini.
A juror remarked that it would be a miracle if they had
not.

_
It was stated that the wife of Mr. Woodruff was too ill
to giveevidenee. She has become entitled tosome little pro-
perty upon the death of her mother, the dammed. On the
day when the acts deposed to were committed, Mr. Wood-
ruff was not sober, and he was "thrashing them all round"
in a fit of drunken fury.
Mr. E. Pope, 11.R.C.5. said that deceased died on Tues-
day. There were no marks of violence on the body, and he
attributed death to debility from the shock to the system
arising from the constant fear she was kept in by the
illtreatment of her daughter, as deposed to.
The Coroner, in summing up, sharply animadverted on
the conduct of the deceased's son-in-law ; but said that
the medical evidence showed that her death did not arise
from his direct violence to her.

The jury returned a verdict "That the deceased died
from debility accelerated by shock to the system and by
fear."

Mr. Childers, M.P., last night addressed his con-
stituents at Pontefract. He reviewed the reform question
for the last seven years, and commented upon various other
subjects of political importance.
PRINCE CHRISTIAN AND THE ARMY.—When
some months ago we announced the appointment
of her Majesty's son-in•law, Prince Christian, of
Schleswig-Holstein, to be a major-general in the
army, we expressed our gratification that tLe rank
was to be honorary only, and that therefore the
nomination would not impede the progress of the
regular officers of the army up to the post
of general on the fixed establishment. Her Majesty
had, in fact, ordered that the precedent of the
Prince of Wales should be followed. Now the
precedent of the Prinoe of Wales was this : his
royal highness was gazette(' a general on the day
he attained his majority in 1562, but he was not borne
on the fixed establishment, did not receive unattached
pay, and displaced or interfered with no one. In a
few months, however, the Prince was given the
oolonelcy of the 10th Hussars, which most materially
interfered with the promotion and reward of the
cavalry generals—General Gough being an especial
sufferer. Bearing this in mind, we are reluctantly forced
not to disregard an unpleasant rumour, which has lately
come to our ears, to the effect that it is intended to take
the earliest opportunity of giving Prince Christian a
colocelcy— that of a household regiment, it is said. Such
a step would be most unjust, and would create deep and
well.founded &satisfaction throughout the service.—
Arms arid Nary Gazette.

F.A.NeY I MPURTATION S.—There are very few ship-
masters who manifest so much interest in this colony as
Captain Harris, for each time the Orient returns she is
certain to contribute some items for the especial instruc-
tion and amusement of Young Australia. The present
contribution is a most extensive and really interesting
one. There are two large casks of gold and silver fish,
with a few eels for diveroity. Above them are cages,
in one of which is a fine badger, while next door there
are two coati. On the fore deck.houae is a box
containing a stork and heron, while abaft the mast
are pigeons, doves, starlings, monkeys, egrets, he.—• per-
fect menagerie on a small scale. On the main hatchway
Mr. Jordan has a commodious stall occupied by as fine an
entire as could be seen. The Ace of Clubs was &mutable
horse in England, and his owner may well be proud of him
here. A couple of brood mares, in good order, occupy
' another part of the deck. All the imported stock is in
condition reflecting credit on the keepers. Before con-
cluding Captain Harris's importation it in proper to notice
the arrival of a present from the Mercers' Company to the
Mayor and Corporation of the City of Adelaide, viz., a
cake of surprising richness and quality.—SosM A eatrahoot
pa r•
RAILWAY TEA/PIC RECEIPTS. —The traffic re-
ceipts of railway; in the United Kingdom amounted, tot
the week ending January 19, on 12,734 miles,
to 606,946/., and for the corresponding week of last year, '
on 12,495 miles, to 624,8571., showing an increase of 216
miles and • decrease of 17,911/. The groin receipts on the
following 14 railways amounted, in the aggregate, on 9,l)er
miles to 514,713/., and forthe oorreoponding week of 1866
on 9,039 miles, to 530,7791., showing an increase of 150
miles, and a decrease of 16,066/. The decrease on the
Caledonian amounted to 1,272/.; on the Great Eastern to
1,296/. ; on the Great Northern to 1,331/. ; on the Great
Southern and Western to 954/.; on the Great Wevt•rn
to 2,5551. ; on the London and North• Western, to 2,2081.;
on the London and Brighton to 1431.; on the London and
South Western to 2,3081.; on the Manchester, Sheffield. and
Lincolnshire to 1,946/. ; on the Midland to 1,214/. ; on the
North British to 1,3011. ; on the North-Eastern to 1,291/. ;
and on the South-Eastern to 1,347/. ; total, 19,2091. But
from this must be deducted 3,1431., the increase on the
Lancashire and Yorkshire, leaving the decrease as above,
16,1)1. The goods and mineral traffic on those lines
amounted to 217.8143/., and for the corresponding week
of 1866 to 318,8.13/., showing a decrease of 11818/. The
receipts for priesengers,parcels, tic., amounted to 196,818/.,
against 211,226/., showing a decrease of 15,108/. The traffic
receipts on 52 other lines amounted, on 3,543 miles, to
92,2.331., and for the corresponding week of last year, on
3,4.59 miles, to 94,0781., showing an increase of 86 miles
and a decrease of 1,845/. The total receipts of the past
week show an increase of 3,054/. as compared with those
of the preceding week, ending the 12th inst.