The Express.
London, England, 1867-08-15 00:00:00

THE TRAGEDY Ar LJMEHOOSE.

Yesterday John Wiggins, a lighterman, lately
dwelling at No. 1, Temperance-cottages, Lower Nonh-
attest, I.imebouse, and within • few yards of the
Regent's-canal. was brought up on remand before Mr.
Paget, at the Thames pol We-court, charged with the wil-
ful murder of Agnes Cakeeiam the 24th of July loat.
Mr. Charles Young,itlicitor, again attended for the
prisoner.
Mr. Paget wished that William Dunn, a labourer,
should be recalled, and he was sworn. He stated that
when he went into the prisoner's bedroom, on hearing the
alarm of murder, he was by himself. Mm. Wig-
gins, the prisoner's mother, was on the landing at
the top of the first flight of stairs. The woman
he was living with, and to whom he was not
married, followed directly afterwards. She did not
go so far into the room as he did. Mrs. Wiggins remained
on the landing. The prisoner was inside the door along-
side of him. The bead of the dammed was lying on •
pillow and coat. He put his hand to her heart ; pulsation
had ceased. He then went in quest of a policeman, and
soon returned with one. He did not then notice that any-
thing had been removed. He was not absent more than
five minutes.
In cross-examination by Mr. f'ha•les Young, the witness
said he was called into the house by the prisoner. When
he opened his window he maw the prisoner's father about
the rune time. The prisoner said "My wife has cut ler
throat and has cut mine."
Some other evidence having been taken, the case was
adjourned for • day, in order that inquiries might be
made into the state of a witness who is sail to be too in to
attend and give evidence.

EXPLOSION AT STOWNARKET GUN-COTTON
WORKS.

Yesterday afternoon an explosion took place in
the building used for the purpose of drying gun-cotton at
the works of Messrs. Thomas Prentice and Co. The build-
ing was a two-storeyed one, the bottom being built of clay
lumps, the upper par;. of wood, with a lining, and the
space filled up with sawdust packing. The roof was of
slate. The building was situated near the bank of the
river, on the railway aide, at almost the furthermost part
of the works. The custom his been to place the manufac-
tured cotton in this building moist, and subject it for •
time to beat varying from 110 to 120 degrees. This beat
was imparted by means of pipes from an adjacent shed, in
which were a series of stacks of horizontal pipes, generat-
ing beat from steam conveyed to them by a pips across
the river. About three o'clock a loud dull report
was heard, and people whore attention was drawn to
the noise saw • sheet of flame shoot up into the air like
a gigantic rocket. This was quickly followed by another
rather sharper report, not so loud, and the building was
levelled with the ground and in a blare. This instantly
spread to :mother drying shed in which was a quantity
of the sheets of paper used in cartridges hung up for
drying. The roof of this abed was quickly sent up, and
came down in some thousands of picot. (it was in this
building that the explosion took place two years since).
The dames went thence over the large tanks containing
cotton in process of manufacture. Sonic of the covers
were burnt, but the cotton was only blackened in places.
Beyond these the flames reached an old tree, which wee
set on tire, but went no further towards the main part
of the factory. The trees on the railway side were burnt
and scorched, and some cattle belonging to 2.1 r. Arnold
Bottle were badly burned; one poor animal wu killed
on the spot, end all the others more or leas blackened
about the had and back. Fortunately no pennon was
in any of the buildings on that side of the river when
the explosion took place. A boy who was standing about
thirty yards off, amongst the tanks, was either knocked
or fell down and hurt his arm, and this was the only
casualty. A large number of the workpeople ore
women, who were desperately frightened and scampered
off in all directions to get away front the works, and
some few fainted. The occurrence is no doubt to be attri-
buted to overheating.