The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-18 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE TAY.

The official report of Mr. Traill, the Greenwich police-
magistrate, appointed to enquire into the loss of the Tay, was
presented to the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council
for Trado on Saturday. After going carefully through the
evislence, Mr. Traill states :--t' On a review of the whole
case, I am of opinion that the loss of the ship is to be attri-
buted to an extraordinary current which retarded her progress
after her departure from Vera Cruz, and was not, within the
meaning of the Act of Parliament, caused by the wrongful act

that t

Captain Strutt

id subsequently to the time e

;he wreck,

in the attempts he mule to get the ship off,

and the means he used for the safety of the passengers, crew,
and mails, was marked by judgment, skill, and self-possession."
Mr. Traill concludes his report by directing attention to that
part of the evidence which relates to the use of the patent log,
with which the Tay was, and several other ships of the
company are provided. It appears that, although strict
injunctions are given by the company that this log shall bo
regularly filled up, in many cases these injunctions are
neglected. The log was not used above two or three times
after the Tay's departure from Southampton ; Mr. Traill
therefore thinks that such an allowed breach of orders by a
captain cannot fail to operate injuriously upon the seamanlike
character of those under his command.

SUSPECTED MURDER OF A WIFE AND
SUICIDE OF THE HUSBAND.

About half past ten o'clock on Saturday night, a constable,
on duty on the Hackney road, was hastily summoned to No
17, Great Cambridge street, London, where he was informed
that a man had committed suicide. On entering the parlour, a
young man, apparently about twenty-seven years of age, was
found lying on the carpet in a pool of blood, his throat cut
from ear to ear, and by his sido lay a razor. A surgeon was
sent for, who found the body warm, but quite devoid of life.
The police were left in charge of the apartment, and about
an hour afterwards, the same officer who had received
information of the foregoing act, was apprised that a woman
had been taken from the water of the canal near Haggerston
bridge, quite dead, and conveyed to the Acorn, public house,
adjacent. This, on enquiry by the constable, likewise proved
correct, and a further investigation resulted in the discovery of
the deceased parties being husband and wife, the latter only
22 years of age. In connection with these facts, a subsequent
searching investigation tends to show, almost beyond the
shadow of a doubt, that the n
husband was instrumental in
causing the death of his wife, ad then took his own life.
Mary Ann Brown, a girl 16 years of age, while passing near
the towing path of the canal, between nine and ten o'clock,
observed a man standing near the water's edge, and at the
same time heard a gurgling sound proceeding from the
middle of the stream. She remarked to the mar, " You
have thrown something into the water." On hearing
which, he ran off without reply, and she following, per-
ceived him enter the house 17, Great Cambridge street.
A man named Finch shortly afterwards saw something on
the surface of the water, near the bridge mentioned, and
having procured the assistance of the police, obtained drags,
and drew the body of the female to the sido. The same
medical man who had attended upon her husband was called
in, and, as in the former case, pronounced life to have been
but a short time extinct. Their names are Herrry and (we
believe) Ann Fenn. By trade ho was a carver and gilder.
There is no family, but the lodgers state they lived unhappily,
he keeping her without domestic necessaries. On the same
evening the bodies were found as described. She was heard
to say " Good bye, Henry," and left the house followed
quickly by him, but he very speedily returned, and persons
above stairs, observing an unusual silence, entered his apart-
ment, where they found him weltering in blood, as described.

WITAT OUR POLITICIANS ARE DOING.—Mr. G. Doin-
brurh, in his corn circular says :--Our politicians are
again busy brewing mishief. Another war looms in the
distance. And how could it be otherwise ? So long as
there are armies and navies—peace cannot last. It is
their trade to bully, threaten, quarrel, worry, and
fight. Fight, qiev must somebody, somehow, somewhere,
no matter why or wherefore. At this moment a rich
choice of subjects to pick a quarrel with floats about. If
Naples escapes, Mexico will do as well—or Persia, or may
be again the Crimea, should a quarrel not be got up with
our dear ally, the Emperor of France. And why not ?
In politics, it appears everything that can be done, is
permitted. In fact, the whole craft of politics seems to
Consist in the most relined tissue of deception and fraud,
with only expediency, resorting, to over-reaching and
double-dealing whenever an advantage is likely to be
secured or a rival humbled or destr.oyed—disregarding
the most deliberate engagements, holding no treaty as too
binding, violating the most sacred oaths, and trampling
under foot the roost solemn promises when a suitable
opportunity offers. All that cornmerce s is—to be
left alone. Let governments no longer have. armies and
navies to play a reckless game with the lives and pro-
perties of the people. Nor let a secret diplomacy conspire
to embroil the nations in quarrels in which these have no
interest. Why should there be any secresy in what
concerns everybody ? If a man is to be bound by what.
another contracts for him, ho i
a rght to know
the terms. In the intercourse of people and people
there need be no secresy, if the general good, and not the
private interest of a few, is to bo promoted. Henceforth,
may there be no more secresv in state matters, but the
fullest, plainest information, and the freest intercourse.
Let railways and steamboats extend and increase all over
the earth, with the most unrestricted interchange of ideas
by telegraphs, ocean penny postage.. penny newspapers,
and free trade. May armies and navies, and secret diplo-
macy cease to exist, and the people's tree and open diplo-
macy, with peace and plenty, prevail all over the earth It

MURDER BY A DISSENTING MINISTER AT
WOKINGHAM.

.r sem-el days past, the greatest excitement has pre-
y.i :d in Wokingham (Berks), and the adjoining neigh-
uourhood, consequent on the commission of a frightful
murder by a Dissenting minister, on the body of his own
son. The name of the murderer is Charles Forrester, who
has, for some years, been a minister connected with one of
the Dissenting congregations, and the unfortunate victim, a
boy between five and six years of age. The murderer has
hitherto borne a most irreproachable character, and has
been considered a most kind father and husband. Prom
enquiries instituted in the neighbourhood, and the
evidence adduced before the magistrates, it appears that
Forrester, about two years ago, was a tradesman in
London. A lady named Saltmarsh, residing at Bell-
hill, in this neighbourhood, being desirous of obtaining a
minister and tract distributor to attend to the religious
wants of the labouring population, applied to the Committee
of the London City Mission, who mentioned the name of
the murderer as being a likely person to falfil the duties
with efficiency, and he was accordingly engaged by Mrs.
Saltmarsh: Having obtained the appointment„ the mur-
derer took a cottage at Eralarook, abut a mile from
Wokingham, but although he was much respected for his
earnestness, many thought he was not sufficiently intellec-
tual for the position. This also seemed to be the opinion
of Mrs. Saltmarsh, for shortly after he lost the appointment.
Sabssqnently his friends thought he was consumptive, from
sataptonos which betrayed themselves, and he went to Lon-
don, and became an inmate of the Brompton Consumptive
Hospital, Mrs. Saltmarsh having obtained for him the
necessary recommendation for his admission. It is supposed
that he had left the above institution a fortnight, but some
doubt is expressed on this point, as he was not seen in
Embrook till a few days ago. Daring his absence his wife,
who is a very ind ustrious and respectable person, and
possessed of a little property, op-hied a small general
store in the village, to which he returned on yesterday week.
There was nothing unusual in his appearance, and no
reason can be assigned for the perpetration of the crime
with which he now stands charged. On Friday morning
la-a, about seven o'clock, Mrs. Forrestera the murderer's
wife, got up for the purpose of opening her shop, leaving
her child and the murderer in bed, and about an hour
afterwards the prisoner came down, and left the house,
passing her in the shop without speaking to her. Shortly
before nine o'clock, Mrs. Forrester went up stairs for the
purpose of arousing the child, when the appalling sight of
the murdered corpse was first presented to her. Her child
lay in the bed covered in its own blood, which was still
warmly oozing from the wounds, three in number, with the
head nearly severed from the body. An alarm' being raised
by Mrs. Forrester, several neighbours rushed in, and a
medical man was sent for ; but what followed will be best
understood from the subjoined evidence adduced before
the magistrate on Saturday. Mr. Gerald Fitzgerald,
the chairman of the bench, presided at the ma-
gistrate's office. The first witness examined was Martha
Evans, who deposed that sha was the wife of a
wheelwright, and resided at Embrook, near Wokingham.
Her house was two doors from that of the prisoner. Prisoner
lived with his wife, and a boy about five years old lived in
the cottage with them. On Friday morning, shortly after
nine o'clock, in consequence of an alarm that a murder had
been committed, she went into the prisoner's house, and on
entering the sitting room she saw Mrs. Forrester, who was
greatly distressed and crying bitterly. She told witness
that her husband had killed their child. She ran up stairs
directly into the bedroom. and saw the child lying on the
bed. Hie throat was cut, and there was a great quantity of
blood upon the pillow and bedclothes. The magistrates
enquired if the witness knew anything of the prisoner ?
Witness : I believe he was a tract distributor, and has been
acting as a missionary in our neighbourhood. John Bostock
deposed that he was sergeant in the Berks constabulary,
and stationed at Wokingham. About a quarter before
nine o'clock on Friday morning he was in bed, and was
aroused by hearing a knocking at the door. He opened
the window, and saw the prisoner, and asked him what he
wanted ? Prisoner answered, " I am come to give myself up
for murdering my little boy." Witness dressed himself,
and immediately went down stairs, when the prisoner re.
peated his statement. Witness examined the prisoner's
hands, and found them covered with blood. Witness handed
over the prisoner to another constable, and proceeded to the
house to ascertain if the statements were correct. He went
up stairs, and found the child with his throat cut lying on
the bed. He then returned to the prisoner, whom he found
in a state of great mental excitement, and the sweat running
down his face. Witness afterwards searched him, and found
several letters in his pockets, one directed to his wife, and
others to his friends. Mary Langley deposed that she was
a neighbour, and upon hearing the alarm, ran into the
house, and no stairs, and saw the child lying on the
bed in his blood. Sho turned the child over, and
found the razor' (produced) under the legs of the child.
Mr. Edward Wright, surgeon, of Wokingham, said that
from information he received, he went to the prisoner's
house, and there saw a male child on the bed, apparently
from five to six years old. Life was quite extinct. There
was a deep incised wound across, dividing the trachea and
oesophagus, the principal blood-vessels, and also the vertebral
column. The head was nearly severed from the body. The
wound was warm, and blood was still oozing from the
incised parts. He had no doubt the injuries were caused
by the razor produced. George Crook said he was super'n-
tendent of police, and whilst the prisoner was in his custody
on Friday morning, he said repeatedly to witness, " Oh
dear, oh dear, I would not mind giving anything to undo
what I have done. I loved my little boy, and no one loved
him better than what I did ; I can't think what I did it
for, lam sure." After some further evidence, the nature of
which was immaterial, the magistrate cautioned the prisoner
in the usual way, and asked him if he wished to say any-
thing ? The prisoner, who made no defence, was then fully
committed to take his trial for the wilful murder at the
Siring Assizes.
During the whole of Sunday large numbers of persons,
imbued with that morbid sensibility by which persons and
places of great criminals are generally surrounded, visited
the scene of this sad catastrophe, but they were only
rewarded for the trouble they had taken in coming, some of
them from a considerable distance, by being enabled to gaze
on the exterior of a small shop, with shutters and doors
closed, and having the knowledge that the body of a
murdered infant was inside. That the crime was
premeditated there can be no doubt, from the fact that
the prisoner had possessed himself of a new razor a day or
two before, the one with which the crime was perpetr, ted.
Whether the prisoner be insane or not, of course will be a
question for the jury on the trial, but it is the opinion of
many persons in the neighbourhood—and the assertions of
the prisoner after delivering himself up. corroborates this
opinion—that he is perfectly sane, but there is something
which induced him to commit the crime, which has not yet
been made public. From the kind disposition of the wife,
and her general urbanity of manner, she is very much
' respected among her neighbours, and the greatest sympathy
is expressed for the sad calamity which has befallen her.

Commerrtat Entelltacnct.

LIVERPOOL COTTON MARSET.—Nov. 17.

The cotton market continues without change, and the
transactions are on a moderate scale, at steady prices.
The sales—including 500 Pernambucos 74d to 7/d, 60 Bahias
61d, 60 Maranhams 74d, 200 Egyptians 61d to Bid, 1,000
Surats 5d to ssd—are reported 6,000 bales, of which 1,000
are on speculation and for export.

LIVERPOOL PRODUCE MARKET.—Nov. 17

SUGAR: The market remains 'quiet, and including
Saturday's business, the sales are confined to 2,350 bags
Madras at 42s 6d, and 3,500 bags Pernams iu bond at 31s
6d per cwt.
MOLASSES
9d per cwt

400 puncheons Barbadoes have realised 24s

Rux AND COFFEE : Nothing has taken place.
RICE : The sales are confined to 600 bags yellow Cargo
at 93 4id per cwt. _ _ .

SAPAN WOOD: At auction, a small parcel brought £l7
179 6d.

FUSTIC: A few lots of Savanilla realised £5 2s 6d per

LIVERPOOL CATTLE MARKET,

—Nov. 17

We had a free selling market to-day for both beef and
good mutton, a large proportion of the sheep beim; of a
rather rough description. Prises for those classes were
rather in favour of the buyers, whilst the best qualities of
both beef and mutton were slightly dearer. ()fir supplies
were 2,799 beasts, selling at from 51 to 61d ; 9,179 sheep,
at 6d to 7d.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE MARKET
Per stone, 20Ibs. Per goll4s. s. d. s d
s. d. s. d. Potatoes, Seedlings 3 2 to 3 4
O 8 to 0 9 Ditto, Kemps 3 4 to 3 8
O 7 to 0 8 Ditto. Whiterocks 210 to 3 2
O 6 to 074 Ditto, Baishvms 0 0 to 0 0
O 0 to 0 0 Ditto, Beldrums... 0 0 to 0 0
O 0 to 0 0 Ditto, cattle ..
O 3+ to 0 3:l' Per ton.

—Nov 17

Hay, old
Ditto, new..
Ditto, clover
Green Clover
Vetches
Straw, wheat

Ditto, oat .. 0 3 to 0 4 Turnips 2O 0 to 22 0
Ditto, barley .... 0 2i to 0 0 Carrots
Oats, in straw 0 0 to 0 0 Bangle wurzet 0 0 to 0 0
Nfanure 5 0 to 7 0

LIVERPOOL (SCOTCH) PIG IRON MARKET.—Nov. 17,

There is very little business going on in this market,
but there is not any great change in price. We quote
warrants:at 71s to 71s 3d per ton, cash.