The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-15 00:00:00

DISCOVERY OF A DRAD CHILD IN A RAILWAY

CARRIAGE.

This morning information was received by Mr.
Payne, the City coroner, of the discovery of the dead body
of a newborn chill in athird-class carriage at the London-
bridge railway station.

It'appears that at 7 o'clock on Wednesday evening the
carriage searcher, at the above station proceeded to
examine the carriages of the South London train from
Victoria. While in a third-class carriage they found a
neatly done up brown paper parcel lying underneath
one of the sesta. The package was sealed at both ends, and
as it presented a somewhat mysterious appearanoe it was
opened. It contained the body of a fine female child,
wrapped up in a piece of calico and a lady's cambric pocket
handkerchief. Dr. White, of Tooley-street, was at once
sent for, and he is of opinion that the child was born alive,
and that it had only recently died. The train in which it
was found had only just been cleared of pamengers.

MURDER AND SUICIDE.—On Tuesday afternoon
the mysterious disappearance from their home at Devon-
port of • respectable young widow, named Elizabeth Ven-
ton, and her child, was cleared up. It appears that on
Monday night, about half-past 10 o'clock, Mrs. Venton and
her child were left in a sitting-room at the mother's resi-
dence by a sister for something like twenty minutes,and on
the return of the latter she found no person in the room,
but a note, written with a pencil, and addressed to herself.
It ran thus :—" My dear Suter,—This is my last will and
request, that you take everything I have in my poesession
for yourself, and by the time you And this I and my poor
baby will be no more. I dare any person to take anything
from you. Settle all my accounts and bury me decent. Give
my love to father and mother. From your poor affectionate
sister. God bless you, my dear sister ; God will reward you
for your kindlier to rue. Good-bye for ever. As to my
business, everything is for you, as I am tired and weary of
everything on this earth. Good-bye, God bless you, my
dear sister.—Elizabeth Venton." This note was at once
handed to the police authorities and a vigorous search
commenced. On the following morning the body of the
child was found in the water near to what is called
Camel's Head-bridge, and afterwards was discovered, em-
bedded in mud, the body of the unfortunate mother, who
had evidently jumped from the bridge during low water,
and walked fifty or sixty yards before she got to sufficient
water to drown herself. The poor woman had exhibited
great depression of spirits since the death of her husband
six months ago.
EXTRAORDINARY POISONING CASE IN STAFFORD-
itsias..—At the Stafford Assizes, yesterday, before Mr.
Baron Pigott, James Machin, 34, blacksmith, was indicted
for feloniously administering to Henry Rainford, on the
lit and 2nd February last, at Newcastle-under-Lyme, •
certain poison called chlorideof zinc, with intent thereby to
kill and murder him. Another count charged him with
causing bodily injury. The evidence showed that the pri-
soner and prosecutor worked at the forge of Mr. Llewellyn,
the prosecutor being the foreman and the prisoner next
under him. The prosecutor enjoyed good health until the
month of September last, when the circumstances com-
menced out of which arose the present charge. The pro-
secutor was in the habit during the month of September of
drinking • pint of beer every morning, which was fetched
for him by the prisoner. After drinking the beer the pro-
secutor always felt a burning sensation in the throat,
accompanied by violent purging and vomiting. This was
always the case after drinking the beer brought by the
prisoner, but not when others fetched it. This state of
things went on for some time, until one day in February
the prosecutor saw the prisoner tampering with a bottle of
fan he hail left in the forge. After drinking some of the
gia the old symptoms recurred with increased intensity,
sod the *entente of the bottle were sent for analysis, when
they were discovered to be strongly impregnated with
chloride of zinc. The jury found the prisoner guilty upon
the minor count, and he was sentenced to five years' penal
servitude.

Sumacs RAILWAY DIFFICULTIES.—The ques-
tion as to the depth to which the railway interest of the
country will allow their property to fall in consequence
of their sheer inability to combine for the purpose of re-
storing public confidence, seem, to be rapidly approaching
a solution. It was undriatood that in order to place
themselves in a position to meet their most pressing oblige-
bons, the Great Western Railway Conipany during the past
fortnight have been seeking an advance of a million from
the Bank of England. As the Great Western is not
the only line in trouble, the Bank of England, of course,
felt the difficulty of meeting an individual ease, and thus
furnishing an insufficient palliative for an evil that has as-
sumed a general aspect. According to report, the matter
was thereupon referred to the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, by whom also it was considered impossible that the
required relief could be authorised, except as • conse-
quence of some general parliamentary action. It is added
that the subject was yesterday afternoon discussed at
a Cabinet Council, with the result that the applica-
tion has been declined. Apparently, therefore, • new
and pressing element of confusion will now be introduced
into railway affairs by the position of this company and the
uncertainties that must prevail as to the steps to be taken
for its extrication. And all this is happening, not from
any fatal want of value in railway property, but from the
absolute helplessness of that class of business men
who have been entrusted with its control to devise or
agree upon any plan of mutual proceeding that shall
confer upon it the stability that might readily be attained
by a solid general organisation. In the emergency there is
of course a universal disposition to look for government or
parliamentary help; and judging from what in now ob-
servable in the money market, and the extent of injury to
be apprehended, not only to railway, but a number of
other establishments, if the existing panic should be
allowed much longer to gain head, it is, perhaps, unde-
sirable to check the cry.—Timea.
CRIME IN New SOUTH Wstax.—During the last
month the colony has been startled by the perpetration of
atrocious crimes. The fact becomes more apparent as well
as more serious, that there are settled in remote and inac-
cessible districts people who have adopted that spirit of
violence and opposition to law which has often been the
bane of other countries ; and the fact is not to be disputed
thst the principal harbourers and perpetrators of these
atrocities are people who have been so trained, and who
have thus perverted the social sympathies of family life
into a secret agency for the organisation and concealment
of violence and robbery. Thus, four constables were shot
at once in cold blood, and the reports from the districts
where these iniquities have been perpetrated leave no
doubt that this has been an execution of the common will,
awl the vengeance of the neighbourhood, rather than the
offence of outcast' and aliens. What is to he done is not
so clear, but it is greatly to be deplored that the new land
law has offered such mad facilities for the location of dis-
orderly people beyond the surveillance of government.—
Sydney Morning Herold, Jan. 23.