The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-24 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES.

FRIGHTFUL MURDER IN THE BOSPHORUS

A letter, dated Constantinople, July 14, supplies the
following narrative :—Another atrocious murder has been
committed near the capital, on board the English barque
the Globe. She had a mixed crew, the master, the mate,
two sailors, and a boy being English, and the five other
sailors Italians—namely, three Neapolitans, a Venetian,
and a Triestine. These latter determined to assassinate
all the English on board, take away whatever they could,
and make their escape in the boat. The vessel was
coming in from the Black Sea to the Bosphorus when
they resolved to carry out their design. They had
carefully prepared everything, and went even so far as to
secure all the table knives which could have served as
arms. About three o'clock in the morning, on Monday
last, the boy awoke, hearing a groan near him, and, look-
ing up, he saw one of the Italians busy cutting the throat
of one of the English sailors, who was asleep. The boy,
frightened, rushed to the cabin where the master and
the mate (his brother) were sleeping, to give the
alarm ; they had only just time to shut themselves
up in the cabin when the murderers, having shot
the other English sailor who was at the wheel, came
up and tried to force the door. Seeing that ,they could
not succeed, they lowered the boat, took with them what.
ever they could lay hands on, and pushed off for the
Asiatic coast. 'When they were gone the master and
mate brought in the vessel with great difficulty, and gave
information of what had happened to Admiral Grey and
the Turkish authorities of the port. The Admiral sent
off immediately the Recruit, one of the Prussian gunboats,
in pursuit, while the Turks gave a detachment of marine
soldiers. After following the coast for about 30 miles, they
got the first information at a place called Shivi, where
three European sailors had been seen. A party of sol-
diers was landed, who attacked them, and two were
captured and identified by the master. The third escaped.
While this party was chasing these three the Recruit went
on to the next place and canght another. There are indi-
cations 'that the fiflh man has been murdered by his
accomplices. The Recruit has brought back the three
who were caught, and they will be sent to Malta to be
tried there.

THE ROYAL OAK BURIAL SOCIETY AGAIN!

In our journal of Tuesday last, we gave a graphic
description of the proceedings of the members of this
society, held at the Queen's Hall, in Bold-street, on the
preceding evening. That meeting was convened for the
ostensible purpose of electing a certain number of
officers to transact the affairs of the society for the next
twelve months. From the disgraceful exhibitions which
took place at that meeting, the chairman, T. Martin,
Esq., had no other course to pursue than that of
adjourning the meeting sine die; and thus it was that th e

society--one of the most important organisations
amongst the working classes of the town—was left
without officers; so the society, through the conduct of
its members, has become virtually extinct. That being

the case, it was necessary that some steps should be
taken in a matterof such vital importance to thousands
of the poorer classes, in order to reorganise it, and
hence it was agreed. that application should he made to
the Judge of the County Court, J. Potiocx, Esq , (who
had previously had the case under his consideration, and
who had made certain orders), for his opinion on the
subject; consequently,
Yesterday, Mr. Hall appeared on behalf of the
investigation committee, and Mr. Martin for the late
office bearers, to make the necessary application. What
transpired on the occasion, will be seen from the
subjoined report, one portion of which cannot fail to
attract the attention of all parties concerned, namely,
the judge's statement, that if the members did not settle
the pending dispute, and take the management of the
affairs of the society into their own hands, he should be
compelled to exercise the power he possessed under the
act of parliament, of stepping in to save the society and
its funds from ruin. By the act of parliament, under
the powers of which the late investigation, and, conse-
quently, the late orders were made, there is no doubt but
that his Honour possesses almost unlimited powers,
extending so far, we believe, as being enabled to dis-
place all the present office bearers, and to appoint those
whom he may think fit to fill their places, thus taking
the entire management of the affairs out of the hands of
the members, a course which he expressed his reluctance
to do, but which he will be compelled, for the benefit of
the parties interested to do, should not the present
unmeaning squabble be settled, by the members at once
convening a public meeting, and deciding, calmly and
dispassionately, whom they will have to preside and take
the management of the society.
It being understood that the application was about to
be made, there was a number of the members present,
including the late office bearers and members of the
investigation committee.

Some minor eases having been disposed of,
Mr. Hall: Your Honour will recollect that some
time since the case of the Liverpool Legal Friendly
Burial Society, better known as the Royal Oak Burial
Society, was brought under your consideration, and you
made certain orders. Since then, we (Mr. Martin and
myself) have taken steps, in accordance with that order,
to form a code of rules, which have been agreed to, and
sanctioned by Mr. Tidd Pratt. These rules might,
perhaps, not have been perfect, but I believe they would
have worked well, and might, in the course of time,
been amended, if required. Under the provisions of these
new rules, the annual general meeting of the society was
held at the Queen's Hall, Bold-street, for the purpose
of carrying out the provisions of these rules, and I am
sorry to say, owing to the disturbance that took place in
that room, no business was transacted. On that night,
there was assembled in the room, a large number of per-
sons who did not go there for the purpose of having any
business transacted, but, I believe, there were also many
who attended there expressly for the purpose of doing
the business that was required to be done. Bt.t what
was the result? —there was so much noise, so much dis-
turbance, and so much interruption, that my friend,
Mr. Martin, who occupied the chair on the occasion,
was obliged to adjourn the meeting before any business
was transacted. At the time that adjournment took
place, from the unparalleled position in which he was
placed, the meeting was adjourned, and he was unable
to fix any day when it should be resumed ; therefore, the
meeting was virtually adjourned sine die. Such, being
the case at the present time, the society is ithout any
officers, and thus it is, that the society is placed in a very
difficult position. Under such circumstances, I have but
one course to pursue, and that is, to make an application
to your Honour, the precise terms of which I am not at
present prepared to put in proper form, and shall, there-
fore, on the present occasion, ask your Honour to be
kind enough to fix a day when I can make the applica-
tion, which I am sorry to say, will be necessary to make,
to get the society out of its present difficulty.
His Honour: I have seen with regret, by the public
prints, what took place on Monday night. I was in hopes
that the members of this soeiety would feel it due to them-
selves to come to such arrangement, in carrying out the
rules that had been agreed upon, as being most beneficent
to the interest of their society. I thought they would
have felt it due to themselves to have done so, therefore,
it was, that I purposely abstained from exercising all
the powers I possess, under the Act of Parliament. I
was anxious that the society should do that which they
had a right to do, that is, transact their own business,
which I believe hey could do themselves much better
than it could be done by the interference or compulsion
of any constituted authority. If they will not adopt
that course, it will be my duty to exercise the full
powers I possess under the statutes of Parliament.
shall have no other course to pursue. I shall greatly
regret to be obliged to adopt it, because, I believe that
the working people have the good sense, and are capable
of managing their own affairs, if they act properly. uln
order to save this society from ruin, if steps are not taken
to come to some arrangement, I do assureyou, I shall not
hesitate to exercise the powers vested in me. If Ido
exercise the full powers I have under the act, all parties
may be placed in a very different position, but I do
sincerly hope, that after what has transpired here, that
nothing of the kind will be necessary.
Mr. Martin : This is only an application, therefore I
can make no objection to it. The court is aware from
the reports in the papers, of what took place at the
meeting on Monday night. I assure the court that for
two hours there was nothing but yells and shouts, so
that no business could he transacted. Ido most exceed-
ingly regret, that such conduct should haie been
exhibited. There was only a simple question at issue
--whether the late officers of the society should be de-
tained in the places they occupied, or whether other
persons, as recommended by the investigating committee,
should be appointed in their stead. This I repeatedly
endeavoured to impress upon them, but the noise and
confusion was so great, and the conduct of the persons
so violent, that I could not obtain a hearing. This I
say, is much to be regretted, for the society had by such
conduct, ran themselves to an expenditure of between
£2O and £3O in getting up the meeting, and yet no
business was done By such conduct, the society is
now placed in a peculiar position, but I do hope if there
is a further adjournment, and another public meeting is
called, that the good sense of the members will allow
the matter to be settled. They have only to listen to the
propositions that are made —be silent and hear
each speaker—and then decide on the merits of the
question.

- His Honour : If some steps are not taken, I have no
other course but to carry out the powers with which I
am invested by the Act of Parliament. But Ido hope
that something will be done, for I have still great faith
in the common sense of the working classes. They
may possibly at times be led away, but still I think in
the long run they come right, and arrive at the correct
conclusions. I say again, I have great faith in the
judgment of the working classes, and I hope they will
not by their conduct render it necessary that I should
exercise the powers which I possess. I hope from what
has taken place this day, that some settlement will be
come to—that the working classes will take the manage-
ment of their own affairs into their own hands, and that
they will exercise the common sense they possess in
doing so—if not, I shall have to step in, and it may be a
great deal worse for them.
Mr. Martin ; I too'; the chair on the occasions, and was
perfectly unbiassed. If the motion put had been
listened to, and there had been the least dispute on the
show of hands, I should have had each person counted,
for by the present rules the chairman has the power to
ascertain the numbers by having each individual voting
counted. Therefore if I had had the least doubt as to
the result of any division, I should have instantly had
each side counted.

His Honour : I hope, from what has passed, that some
steps will be taken, for the character of the society, to
hare the matter settled. I hope they will adopt some
course to settle the dispute among themselves.
Mr. Martin: It 1s absolutely necessary that this issue
should be decided at as early a period as possible.
Mr. Hull : Will your Honour name a day that I rimy
make the proper application, in order that I may take
my own_ course in the matter.

His Honour: I will take it at twelve o'clock on
Monday next.

Mr. Hull : I have no wish to be precipitate in the
matter. Monday will be an inconvenient day for me.
Therefore I should suggest that the motion stand over
for a longer period
Mr. Martin : Let it stand over. I have no objection.
His Honour : Let it stand over, by all means, and I
hope that in the meantime the members of this society
will take steps, by their own accord, to settle the matter.
and not call upon me to interfere. I am not at all
desirous to do so, and shall have no objection to be
excluded from interfering,
It was then decided that any further application to
the court should be adjourned to the 11th of August. In
the meantime, a hope was expressed that a meeting of
the members would be convened, and that the officers
for the transacting the business would be chosen, and
thus put an end to any further interposition by the
County Court Judge.