The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-05 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE,

The following extracts are from the Southern Reporter
received this morning:—

In the account of the accident at Patrick's Bridge it was
not stated that more than eight or ten perished. As yet it
is unknown how many perished, but an informant of ours
estimates the number at thirty.

The appearance presented by the city this (Thursday)
morning was of the most melancholy character—the streets
in many parts were completely torn up ; and Great George's
street seemed more like the dried up course of a mountain

EARLY CLOSING

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES,

SIR-4 have read two letters which have re-

3ently appeared in your journal, respecting Early
losing, emanating, I understand, from an Associa-

tion formed by the Assistant Drapers of this great
commercial town, which is advancing rapidly in
commerce • and in science, and will, ere long, rival
any other in this great kingdom, if all classes but
work faithfully together, each man doing all in hip
power to elevate those placed under him to hap-
piness and independence.
I believe the sole and grand object which
stimulates these young men to agitate for
shorter hours of business, is only the culti-
vation of that mighty power, the intellect ; cer-
tainly there may be a few isolated exceptions, such
as those quoted in one of the forementioned letters,
viz., that young men become more dissipated when
the hours.of business are shortened. If such is the

language of Mr. No. 2, indeed I must say his capa-
city is not beyond the precincts of his pocket.
Are our noble merchants, bankers, &c., dissi-
pated, because their hours of business are .short?
I say no. In all grades you find men of various
stamps, some moral and some dissipated ; but are
the good to suffer for the bad in this respect ? If
such was the case, deplorable indeed would be our
position.

- Young men in these establishments work
,hard,
and very hard indeed, from seven in the morning
until eight, nine, and in some houses until ten and
eleven. at night. Where is the time for improving
the mind, or refreshing the memory in former
studies ? Many young men connected with that
trade possess very high orders of talent, which
would shine forth as bright as jewels in any of the
professions, if that fickle smile of fortune had not
darkened their meridian, to, blast their prospects,
crush their hearts, and lead- them to Mr. No. 2,
(professor of A.8.C.), to finish a course ofhard study,
(late hours indispensable), who will do in his
power to have them lost for ever to society.
Ladies of Liverpool; who have placed the golden
plumage. on this bird of No. 2, come forward with
all your power, beauty, and fashion, to clip the
wings of that haughty bird, if the lords of creation
are not set at liberty.

I remain, Sir, your obedient Servant,
ZETA

A PAPR WAIL—Some monarchs fight for gold,
but the Ozar and the Sultan are at war, about notes,--•

FRIGHT.FUL - MURDER OF A FEMALE

AND BURNING OF THE BODY

The picturesque parish of Burnham; at die southern
extremity of the county of Bucks, within about four
miles of Windsor, has been the scene of an appalling
and mysterious tragedy within the last few days. The
victim of the barbarous act is a young woman named Mary
Ann Sturgeon, whose friends reside in Suffolk, but who had
been living for some years as a domestic servant in the
family of Mr. Bayley, at Britwell Farm,_ previous to her
taking the situation of housekeeper to Mr. Ralph Willis
Goodwin, of the Burnham Abbey Farm, about three
months ago. On Wednesday an inquiry was opened be-
fore Mr. John Charsley, coroner for Bucks, at the Mile-
house, on the Colnbrook-road, and adjourned for the
production of further evidence. According to the testimony
already taken, it appears that Mr. Goodwin, who is a
highly-respectable young man, of the class of gentlemen
farmers, is unmarried, and that his household consisted
of the deceased and a groom named Moses Attow. In
the farm-yard • there is a cottage occupied by John Bunce,
the groundkeeper, who lodges in his house several labourers
employed on the farm. In the evening of Tuesday, Mr.
Goodwin 'left his, home soon after six o'clock, on a visit
to a neighbour, and returned about half-past eleven.
During Mr. Goodwin's absence deceased called at the
cottage of Bunce, where she remained until about nine
o'clock, when she returned to the house for the purpose, as
she said, of preparing the supper for the groom. The groom
states that he was served with his supper by the de-
ceased, and that he soon afterwards went to bed.
The farmhouse, it should be stated, is a modern and con-
venient dwelling, built some years ago on the site of the
ancient abbey of Burnham, by the late Mr. John Pocock,
of Lake End, a part of whose large estate it formed. The
kitchen in which the groom had his supper is separated from
the other part of the house at eight by a door, which, he
says, was locked on Tuesday night by the deceased, the
groom himself sleeping in a small chamber approached by a
ladder from the kitchen. He further says, that when he had
been in bed some time, he was aroused by a noise as of some
one falling down, and he thereupon got up, and proceeded
to the cottage of Bunco, who was partly dressed, with the
intention of looking round the yard, as he fancied something
was the matter with one of the colts. This proved to be
the case ; and after the animal had been attended to, Bunce
and 'Attow went round the yard, but could observe nothing
wrong. At half-past eleven, Mr. Goodwin came home.
Letting himself into' the house by a latch-key, he was
surprised not to find his candle burning, as was customary ;
and in walking along the passage up stairs, after he had
provided himself with a light, he discovered on the floor
a human tooth and a hair pin. He also perceived a dense
mass of smoke, and a strong smell of burning, both of
which appeared to proceed from the bedroom of the,
deceased, at the further end of the passage. Calling Bunce
and Attow to his assistance, he went to the housekeeper's
room, and there a horrifying sight presented itself. The
bedroom is provided with a fire-place, and, in contemplation
of a visit from some relatives, Mr. Goodwin had ordered
fires to be lighted in that and the other chamber. When the
door was opened, and objects could be distinguished through
the smoke, the body of the unfortunate woman was found,
lying with her head next the mantel-piece, her legs on the
hearth-rug, in the direction of the bedstead; and on her legs
and the lower part of her body was a mass of fire still burn-
ing furiously, and consuming the flesh of the deceased. A
dressing table and a quantity of- linen had been used as fuel.
The fire had burnt through the floor of the chamber, and was
already consuming the joists. Had Mr. Goodwin's return
been delayed one half hour, the house would have been on
fire past redemption. _ _

On examining the body of the deceased, it'was found that
both legs had been burnt off nearly close to the trunk, from
which they were completely separated. The head and
upper part of the body were not injured by the fire, but ex-
hibited marks of great violence. One of the teeth was miss-
ing—the tooth found by Mr. Goodwin in the passage—the
hand was injured as if by some blunt instrument. Near
the hand ofideceased was a large pool of blood, and on the
door of her apartment, and on the handrail of the staircase,
there were marks of blood. When the reporter visited the
room, the remains of the deceased had been removed, but
the apartment was left as it appeared when the fire was got
under. It was, indeed, a sickening and heart-rendmg
sight, and the smell of the roasted human flesh was quite
distinguishable.
That the deceased was foully murdered down stairs, and
her body then taken and set fire to in her bedroom, is the
present belief, but no distinct clue has yet been obtained to
the guilty parties. Suspicion at first rested on the groom,
but the result of the inquiry, so far as it has proceeded at
present, tends to establish his innocence.

- At first it was believed that nothing had been stolen from
the house, and the absence of plunder rendered the barbar-
ous deed still more mysterious ; but Mr. Goodman discovered
that some valuable rings, a gold pencil-case, and other arti-
cles were fakers from his bedroom.

LIVERPOOL MARK ETS.YESTERDAT.
Written expressly for the _Northern Duly Timm.

COTTON.—The sales to-day are 6,000 bales, 1,000 having
been taken for export, and on speculation. The market closes
quietly.
UonN.=----Alth-O-tigh the season is already very late, and after
long excessive rains a few days may be required to bring some
of the heavy lands of the country into a state fit for. the recep-
tion of seed, the return of fine dry weather, prevalent here
since the close of last week, affords a fair prospect of autumn
culture being shortly in extensive operation, as is now the case
in this district, and represses the fears so long entertained of
another serious falling off in the breadth of land intended to
be planted with wheat. This apprehension has of late been
one of the several important causes which have influenced the
steady advance of prices, and the prospect of its removal ap-
pears therefore in influence In Checking their up-
ward progress, notwithstanding the great deficiency of our
recently gathered crop, the continued 'large consumption, and
the declension of our usually most reliable foreign supplies.
In most markets•of the country this week, the trade has con-
sequently made a stand, some few are quoted at a trifle lower,
and here, with a very limited business passing in any article
intermediately from Tuesday to this date, wheat and flour have
been rather more pressed for sale, and each could have been
purchased on slightly easier terms. Beyond a tolerable quantity
bf oatmeal, we are still very meagerly supplied with any kind of
British er Irish produce ; of Foreign wheat, however, we have
to note a rather liberal arrival, into this port sines Tuesday,
amounting to upwards of 17,000 qrs., principally from the
United States, and partly from Canada, Spain, and Egypt,
Whilst of other grain from abroad the import is light, and of
States and Spanish flour 9005 barrels and 1960 sacks only.
Our market this morning presents an unfavourable contrast to
most of those which have preceeded it for many weeks past ;
the attendance has been exceedingly limited of millers and
dealers from any quarter, and little more than retail sales
could be effected in Foreign wheat, for which holders were
generally willing to accept a reduction of 2d to 3d per 701bs.
from the currency of Tuesday. Farmers being actively en-
gaged with sowing, there were scarcely any samples of country
wheat -offering. We note flour Is to is 6d per barrel lower,
end very little business done. Barley is neglected, and Id
per bushel cheaper. Beans aro in good demand, and some
quantity on passage has been taken to deliver at our extreme
quotations. Oats are confined, the value has receded is per load.
Indian corn meets a fair inquiry, but the actual business is un-
important to-day. Arrivals from the Ist to the 3rd November,
1853, inclusive,—wheat, 17,143 qrs.; barley, 1,028 qrs.;
oats, 2,315 qrs. ; beans, 118 qrs. ; Pease, 125 qrs. ; Indian
corn, 2,502 qrs. ; oatmeal, 5,217 sacks; flour, 2,377 sacks
and 9,028 brls. Exports from Ist to Brd November, 1853, in-
clusive.—wheat, 1,576 qrs. ; Oats, 646 qrs. ; Indian corn, 50
qrs,; oatmeal, 26 sacks; flour, 945 sacks and 4,711 brls.