The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-05 00:00:00

REPORTED MURDER OE A RO..IIAN CATHOLIC
CLERGYMAN AND THREE LADIES.

The following appalling announcement appeared in The
Sun of yesterday evening, and produced an unusual degree
of excitement in the metropolis. The facts were all so dis-
tinctly detailed that little room was left to question the
accuracy of the report, and one universal feeling of horror
was excited wherever the rumour penetrated :
" DREADFUL MURDER OF A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND

THREE LADIES.- (THIS DAY.)
" The most diabolical murder has been perpetrated within
three miles of Guildford,at the dwelling of a Roman Catho-
lic clergyman, Sutton-place. The tragedy, which has only
just been discovered, has created an amount of dismay never
before equalled in this county, so far as the news has at
present spread. It appears that at nine o'clock this morning
as the baker's boy, servant 'of Mr. Jay, of that town, was
in the act of delivering his bread in the district of Sutton,
hiS attention was directed by a milkman to the fact of the
latter not being able to get any answer at the house of
Father Henry Lea, the priest. Both men then knocked
and rang the bell violently for some time, but not being
answered, and observing no smoke coming from the chimneys,
nor any indication of the servant being astir, they went to
the rear of the building and tapped loudly at the washhouse
window, with the same result. They then beat violently
at the washhouse door and still finding no reply they raised,
the latch, whereupon the door opened. Thinking it strange,
they entered and made their way to the kitchen, and still
finding no one, nor any fire in the grate at that hour, they
pursued their way to the parlour. where they became' horri-
fied at beholding the Rev. Mr. Lee, at full length,
face downwards, and his throat cut from ear to
ear, and his head bearing marks of dreadful blows
having been inflicted, as if from some blunt
instrument. Upon this, both men alarmed the
neighbours in the retired spot, and, upon further searching
the house, they found three young ladies, cousins of Mr, Lea,
also dead, with their throats cut in the same way, and other-
wise beaten about the head as their unhappy relative. Upon
going to the servants' bedroom, the old woman was found
tied down to the bed, with her mouth gagged and almost
dead from suffocation, through the manner in which her
mouth was gagged. Upon releasing her she was found to be
quite unconscious, and after the arrival of a surgeon, she
could only be got to cry out, " Ohl the men, the men." It
was too clear that terror had deprived her of reason. The
Misses Lea were dead, and all the bodies quite cold. The
drawers were all ransacked. The police are on the pre-
mises.

We immediately dispatched a gentleman from the Observer
office to the spot, for the purpose of inquiring. into the par-
ticulars, and we have the satisfaction of stating there is not
the slightest foundation for the extraordinary concoction, of
which our contemporary has unwittingly been made the
dupe. The whole statement, from beginning to end, is a
wicked falsehood. Our reporter went up to Sutton-place.
and made inquiries on the spot, and also called upon the
police authorities at Guildford, and he' has ascertained that
nothing has occurred, either in the town or its vicinity,
which could form the shadow of a groundwork for this most
heartless and unjustifiable report. It may also be stated
that the Rev. Mr. Lea had no female relatives at or near
Sutton-place, nor even in the country, and the only conceiv-
able object of the miscreant furnishing the fabrication, in
making three young ladies the sojourners at a priest's holm
during the night, must have been with a view to throw a
doubt upon the morality of the clergyman whose name has
been so shamefully used on this .occasion..---Observer, of Sa-
turday.

DOVER CLIFFS.—It is proposed to remove 200,000 tons
of chalk from these cliffs over Athol-terrace.

The Earl of Aberdeen has been suffering from indisposi-
tion during the last few days, and we regret that the noble
earl has not been able to attend at his office.

Dispatches were sent off on Saturday evening from the
colonial-office to the governors of Australia, Hong. Kong,
Malta, Ceylon, Gibraltar, and the Lord High Commis-
sioner of the lonian Islands.

His grace the Duke of Bedford has signified his inten-
tion of giving his support to the Tavistock and South Devon
railway, and to give all the land on his property through
which the railway will pass.—Plymouth Mail.

The Duke of Buccleuch's and the Marquis of Salisbury's
youthful sons, Lard Walter Scott and Lord Eustace Cecil,
are both on their passage to India with their respective re-
giments, the 43d and 52d light infantry.
THE ORLEANS PROPERTY.---TWO cases have arrived
from Dunkirk for his Royal Highness the Duke D'Aumale,
containing articles restored to his Royal Highness by the
French government.
THE NEW REFORM BILL.—A committee of the Cabinet,
says the Daily .ilretes, have for some time been busy with
the details of the coming Reform Bill. This committee
includes, it is said, Lord John Russell, Sir James Graham,
the Duke of Newcastle, and Lord Palmerston.
THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY OF IRELAND.—The
Hon. Mr. Massey has left Belfast for England, and the pro-
ject on the part of the company to lay down telegraphic
communication between this country and Scotland is for the
present abandoned.—Northern Whig.
GREAT FOG IN BELFAST.—On Friday night last, and dur-
ing the early part of Saturday morning, a dense fog prevailed
in Belfast, so dense indeed, that the several steamers
appointed to sail from the port that night (including the
Glasgow mail steamer) had not left on their voyage at the
time of our going to press.—Northern Whig of Saturday.
THE WESTERN FISHERIES.—Vast quantities of herrings
and pilchards continue to be caught on various parts of the
coasts of Devon and Cornwall. On the opposite side of the
coast, between Teignmouth and Dawlish, it is computed that
no less than 200,000 were enclosed in one day.
THE WEST INDIA AND MEXICAN MAILS.--SOUTHAMPTON,
FRIDAY.—The royal mail company's steam-ship Solent,
Captain Jellicoe, left this afternoon with the usual monthly
West India and Mexican mails. She had on board 120
passengers, amongst whom are Sir W. Thomas, Viscomte
de la Motte, Captain Arbuthnot, Dr. Rohrbach, and Don
A. Mao. Her specie amounted to 14,0001., and she had
besides some general cargo.
A TROUBLESOME CUSTOMER.—A drunken, disorderly
character, named Charles Cumming, who received six sue-
c( ssive terms of imp innment of a month each during the
last year, for disorderly conduct, was, on Tuesday, again
sent to goal for a month, for severely kicking constable
Murphy (of the constabulary), and constable Crea (of the
local force), while in a drunken state.—Northern TfPhig
AUDACIOUS It )13IIERY.—At the Belfast police-court, on
Friday, a young thief, named Archibald M‘Fadden, was
brought up, charged with picking the pocket of Mr. Adam
Hill, the superintendent of the local force ! The expert
young rascal, after several attempts on the person of Mr.
Hill, succeeded, at last, in depriving him of his pocket-
handkerchief on Wednesday.
CARDINAL WISEMAN.—The Cardinal has met with an
accident since his arrival in Rome, which has caused him
some inconvenience. The fore legs of a chair on which his
eminence was sitting gave way, and threw him upon the
ground. There appears a letter from the Rev. Canon Oake-
ley, in the Tablet of Saturday, stating that the cardinal
will leave Rome for home-immediately after transacting the
business on which he went thither, and on which he had
consulted with his chapter before his departure.
THE EARL OF STAMFORD ASSAULTED. BY POACHERS.—
On the evening of Tuesday last the Earl of Stamford, while
walking alone in the neighbourhood of his seat, Enville hall,
near Stourbridge heard voices in one of his preserves, into
which his lordship , immediately walked, and found three
poachers, who made off on his approach in double-quick
time. His lordship pursued and caught one of the fellows
by the collar, but was immediately brought to the ground
by a heavy blow on the back of his head, which stunned him
for a the fellows availed themselves to
get clear off. His lordship, on recovering nimseii, lliauaDca
to get into the road again, but was so disabled from the
effects of the blow that he was obliged to go into a cottage,
and send for a carriage to take him home.
DEATH FROM THE ABUSE OF LAUDANUM.—Mr. IL
Jackson, coroner, held an inouw 0,, T6ursaay, in Carrick-
fergus, on the_hrl7 ~r Luc illegitimate male child of a girl
_tam Bradley, residing at Clippertown, near Carrick-
fergus—death being attributed to the effects of a quantity
of laudanum administered to the child on Tuesday last by
its mother. She had been, it appeared, in the habit of
administering the drug to the child, and whereas the doctor
had directed she should only give one drop, she gave between
thirty and forty. The jury considered the mother had acted
very wrongly, but without any evil intention, and returned
a verdict of " death by misadventure." Some of the jurors,
who retail laudauum, stated that parties frequently came
into their shops and swallowed laudanum in spoonfuls.
Dr. Forsyth remarked, the medic 11 men are aware of the
alarming extent to which laudanum was used in the locality,
but their influence was not able to check it ; and he hoped
the present case would operate as a warning, both as re-
garded children and adults.
PUNISHMENT or SHIP DESERTION.—This offence seems
on the increase. In the journals of the respective towns on
Saturday, we find the following cases, the first occurring in
Rothesay, the other in Belfast :—On Monday last, three
sailors, of the respective names of Johnson, Henry, and
Mead, who had been engaged to proceed in the Trelawny on
a voyage to Jamaica, were brought before Bailie Brown, in
Rothesay, charged with refusing, to do duty,or to proceed on
the voyage. Their grounds of refusal were, first a complaint
as to the quality of provisions, but they afterwards shifted
their ground, and alleged that the ship was not seaworthy.
Both were found to be untenable, and they were sentenced
each to four weeks' imprisonment in Rothesay gaol with hard
labour. In the other case, two seamen, named Robert Bain
and John Thomas, refused to continue their work, since
Wednesday, on boad the ship, Aliester, Captain Anderson, at
present windbound in this port. The reason they assigned
for their refusal to carry out their contract was, that the
ship was not seaworthy, and that their beds were in a wet
state from the influx of the sea. They expressed their {corn-
pltee satisfaction with the captain and officers of the ship,
but refused to proceod with the vessel on her voyage. They
were brought up at the police-court yesterday, and Mr.
Fenton, the presiding magistrate, after hearing the above
facts, and Captain Anderson's refusal to take the men again
on board the ship, said that whatever complaints they
wished to prefer against the vessel would have been heard,
and, if necessary, rectified by the emigration officer, but
they must go to gaol for one month, fo: the improper course
they had taken.

TRADE AND NAVIGATION RETURNS.

The official trade and navigation returns for the month end-
ing Nov. 5, have been issued.
The declared value of some of the principal exports, com-
pared with that for the same articles during the correspond-
ing month of last year, was as follows

1852. - 1853.
Beer and Ale £35,724 .. £6,590
Coals and culm
Cotton manufactures 1,460,483 .. 1,563,791
Cotton yarn .
Earthenware 83,641 .. 1112,960
Haberdashery and millinery 122,471 .. 259.700
Hardware and cutlery
Linen manufactures
Linen yarn 83,054 . 98,781
Machinery 152,281 .. 193,270
Metals
Silk manufactures 61,360 .. 86,875
Silk thrown
Soap
Wool 47,915 .. 31,513
Woollen manufactures..: 495,081 .. 620,387
'Woollen yarn
The comparison of imports for the ten months is as
under :

- 1852, 1853.
0 ,:en
Sheep . no. 170,931 .. 162,472
Wheat
Barley
Oats
Flour
Coffee 1b5.45,232,859 „ 47,899,849
Cocoa
Flax
Currants
Guano tons. 113,951 .. 88,691
Hemp cwt. 840,328 .. 980,928
Oil, palm cwt. 80,719 ... 141,016
Potatoes cwt. 290,738 . , 924,494
Bacon, pork, and beef cwt. 153,710 .. 480,664
Silk, raw lbs. 4,197,766 .. 4,669,495
Rum proof gallons. 4,600,646 .. 3,616,441
Branly proof gallons. 2,583,264 .. 3,909,481
Geneva proof gallons. 146,374 .. 266,721
Timber loads. 1,632,609 .. 1,556,788
Tobacco 1b5.15,948,125 .. 24,643,171
Wine gallons. 4,767,538 .. 8,535,248
Cotton
Sheep's wool 1b5.70,336,038 . 94,045,710
The total declared value of all the exports Amounted to
£6,168,026, which, as compared with the like month of last
year, shows an increase £1,312,360.

SCOTCH UNIVERSITIES.—The Scotch claim to have
representations for their universities under the new Reform
Bill.

PRUSSIAN RAILWAY.-A letter from Berlin says : The
government is at present having carriages of the fourth
class built for all the railway lines in order to have pas-
sengers carried at the charge of 2 groschen and a half (28
centimes) per mile (about four miles English.) This mea-
Sure is altogether in the interest of the poorer classes, the
present charge on the Prussian railways being double
that sum.

THE SMITHFIELD CATTLE Snow.—His Royal Highness
Prince Albert will, as usual, be an extensive competitor in
the cattle and pig classes ; and it is stated that Sir Harry
Verney, Claydon-house, has entered for exhibition an ox of
Brobdignagian proportions ; while some of the finest speci-
mens of Earl Ducie's remaining stock have been selected
for competition. The judges will make their awards this
day, and in the evening the private view, will take
place prior to the opening of the show to the public to-
morrow.

EARL FITZWILLIAM'S ANNUAL FAT STOCK. SALE.—
This important and extensive sale of fat stock took place at
the farm at Wentworth Woodhouse, near the Yorkshire
seat of the noble earl, on Thursday. The bidding was so
spirited that in about half-an-hour the whole were disposed
of. A pen of five half-bred Southdown wethers was knocked
down to a Mr. Ellis, at 60s. per head ; and another pen of
the same number at 50s. per head. The other pens ranged
from 395. to 48s. per head. Of the gross number of sheep,
300, the average was 425. 6d. per head. Two much-admired
stall fed heifers were knocked down, one for £37 10s. the
other for £35 ss. All the rest fetched prices varying from
£l6 to £25.

TIIM RUSSIAN STEAM-FRIGATE WLADIMIR.—We no-
ticed on Saturday the contradictory statements from
Bucharest and Constantinople respecting the capture of the
Wladimir, a Russian man-of-war. The Wladimir is one
of the finest and most powerful steam-frigates the Russians
possess. She was built by Mare and Co., of Blackwell, a
few years since, ostensibly as a yacht for the Emperor; but
a visit to the ship soon dissipated the notion that she was
anything but a substantial man-of-war; and, although she
had not any guns mounted, she nevertheless had a full arma-
ment of 08 pounders, with carriages, &c., stowed on board.
She is 1,200 tons measurement, and engines of 400 horse-
power, by Rennie.
PRICE of CORN IN FRANCE.—The Moniteter publishes
the official monthly returns of the price of corn in the pin-
cipail markets in France. The highest price is 32f. 70c.
per hectolitre, in those of Bergues, Arras, Roye, Soissons,
Paris, and Rouen ; and the lowest 27f. 33c., in those of
Saint-Lo, Paimpol, Quimper, Hennebon, and Nantes.
The average for the whole of France is 29f. 97c., being a
rise of 2f. sc. on the last return. In consequence of Vie
dearness of provisions the directors of the Rouen, Havre,
and'Dieppe railways have decided that until further orders
a monthly allowance shall be made to employes whose sala-
ries do not exceed 1,500 f., and to unmarried ones with sa-
laries under 1,200 f., in order to bring down the price of
their bread to 35c. the kilogramme.
MANSLAUGHTER RY RUSSIAN SAILORS AT DEPTFORD.—
On Friday night an inquest was concluded by Mr. Payne,
at Guy's Hospital, . respecting the death of Thomas Brosna-
han, which occurred at Deptford on the 22d ult., and, as
was alleged, was caused during a scuffle with three Russian
seamen. The evidence went to prove that on the night of
Tuesday week some men were fighting near Deptford Dock -
yard, one of whom was the deceased. Two women were in
their company, and were near them at the time of the fight.
Brosnahan received a stab with a knife, which caused his
death. A man named Sullivan also received a stab during
the scuffle. The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter
against Henri Gustaff Brunel, Andreas Alkola, and Eri
Gustaff Khronolmer • and they were committed for trial at
the next session of the Central Criminal CoUrt.
ACCIDENT ON THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. —Au accident
occurred on that part of the Midland Railway between Nor-
manton and Leeds, on Weduesday afternoon, which proved
an obstruction to the working of the line for hours, and
which might have resulted in serious effects. A luggage
train, which left Normanton, had arrived at the Meilley
station of the line, when the spindle-rod connected with the
valve snapped in the centre, and stopped the progress of
the locomotive. At a quarter to four o'clock the 3.25 pas-
senger train from Wakefield came up with the disabled train,
and was obliged to pull up in the rear until some reparage
could be made. While still engaged in this work there came
up in quick succession a luggage-train from Normanton,
two coal trains, and the Midland train from London to
Leeds, which leaves Derby at 12.40 p.m. All these were
obliged to pull up in the rear of the disabled train. The
scene now became an exciting one, and as the shades of night
were beginning to fall, an anxious look-out was kept for
trains due, which might be coming up at the usual speed,
and thus come into collision with the trains brought to a
stand still. The obstructing luggage train and its dis-
abled engine were not cleared off the line until some hours
had elapsed, and the over-due trains then proceeded on their
journey.
Nfvvrnr AV —The baoue Meridian left
Gravesend on the 4th of June last, with cabin passengers,
steerage passengers, and a valuable cargo, for Sydney, New
South Wales. Sho WWI a- very fine vessel of her class, A 1
at Lloyd's for thirteen years, and only a year old. On the
night of the 23rd of August, a heavy gale sprung up, and
the captain altered his course, and bore up for the island of
Amsterdam instead of St. Paul's, which he wished to sight,
in order to correct an error which he imagined might exist
in his chronometer. The gale increased the next day, and
the weather was very thick, but the course steered E. by S.
enabled the vessel to go freely before the wind. A few
minutes before seven o'clock a sea struck the vessel, and par-
tially inundated the 'tween decks, after which -the captain
ordered the course to be altered to E. About 7 p.m., the
ship struck on the island of Amsterdam. The captain, upon
the first alarm, rushed up the poop stairs, and was swept off
by a sea almost immediately afterwardi. The situation of
the second cabin passengers was distressing in the extreme.
Almost as soon as the ship struck, large quantities of water
poured down the hatchways, and the cabins on the lee
side of the 'tween decks filled so fast, that it was with
the utmost difficulty that the passengers got over to
the 'starboard side, where they remained for more than
two hours up to their waists in water, and many of them
having no other covering than their night clothes. The
vessel parted in two at the after hatchway. The poop,
however, remained entire, and afforded some kind of shel-
ter to the majority of the passengers, till it was deemed safe
to attempt a passage to the shore. This was safely effected
by six o'clock on the following morning. For two nights
the men and most of the women and children lay down on
the bare rocks, with no other covering than the clothes in
which they stood upright, but providentially they had been
supplied as soon as they landed with abundance
of new flannel and red and blue serge shirts, which
formed part of the cargo, and were cast on shore. On the
third day after the wreck a general move was made to a
point about a third of a mile distant from the Wreck, where
it had been found practicable to ascend the cliff, on the top
of which an encampment was formed, and a signal post
erected, with two red shirts and some yards of white flan-
nel to serve as a flag. Most happily for all, on Monday,
Sept, 5, when there was only cabbage enousrh remaining for
a single day, and water was only procurable at the distance
of a mile, a distance which it was impossible for many of
them in their exhausted and emaciated state to have walked,
they were taken of by Captain Ludlow of the American
barque Monmouth. On board of this vessel they received
every attention that a large-hearted benevolence could sug-
gest, and they reached Mauritius just three weeks after they
had h,een. rescued from a triple death by drowning, cold, and
starvation.