The Express.
London, England, 1861-10-05 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDA Y EVENING, OCTOBER 5, 1861.

THE CATASTROPHE AT YORK.
- -4.

lab Inttlltgence.

SHERIFFS' COURT.-Ot.T. 4.
(Won Mr. Omahaloser Ken.)
Joan= r. DAVIS.

This was an action to reamer a sum of money as damages
sustained by plaintiff's bone and cab, through the alleged
negligeoce of defendant's carman.
Mr. Haynes called his witnesses, who swore that the cab
belonging to plaintiff was going down the New-cut at the
rate of tour miles an hour, and a cart belonging to the de.
fentlant, driven at the rate of 10 miles an hour, dashed
against it, and seriously injured both cab and horse. The
cab, indeed, was completely overturned.
Mr. 0. B. C. Harrison, for defendant, called a police.
officer, who deposed that the cab was overturned in the
middle of the road, and a lad who more that it was not
overturned at all. (Great laughter.) The police-constable
further said that plaintira cab was racing with another cab
a very short distance (two or three feet) from it, and the
lad said that the other cab was 15 yards a-head. (Renewed
laughter.)
The jury here stopped the case, and said they could not
believe the ',Annie.. called for the defence, and at once
found for the plaintiff, his Honour allowing costs.

Mr. Barker maid, as the prisoner seemed to have been
severely pturished the had two black eyes), he should not
now send him to the Howe of Correction without
the option of a tine. He now ordered the jwisoner to pay a
tine of 111., or, in default, to be int for le days.
Tb. prewar was locked up is de r ault.

Mawr- Storey, aged 62, a charwoman, having no home,
was charged with dealing from inside the shop, No. 7,
Little Bath-street, Clerkenwell, a brass candlestick, of the
value of ls. 3d., the property of Samuel Stones, a marine
store dealer.

The ease was clearly proved, and poli;e•oonstable Shirley,
121 U, said that the prisoner bad had four years' petal
servitude, besides huviug been several times previously con-
victed.

Mr. Barker sentenced the prisoner to three months hard
labour in the House of Correction.

FRIGHTFUL MURDER AT THE CAPE.
The Cape of Good Hope papers bring intelli-
gence of • frightful tragedy which took place at the village
of Tulbsgb. A coloured man, named Aodries Pails, called
at the house of Mr. J. C. Botma, who resided on some pro-
perty belonging to the Independent Dutch Reformed
Church, and bad charge of a water mill, also the property of
the church. It appears that Mr Botma, his wife, and
their only child, an infant of seventeen months, had retired
to rest some time before Patio called. The man, however,
roused Mr. Botma, and informed him that Mr. Marais (who
owns the adjoining farm, and in whose employ Patio bad
been for some time) bad sent him to request Mr. Botma to
go for • doctor, as Mr. Marrus's child was ill. Mr.
contrary to the advice of his wife, immediately rol:e°4=
accompanied Patio. On reaching • gloomy part of the road,
surrounded b' trees and shrubs, Pails, who must have been
walking behind Mr. Botma, dealt his unsuspecting 0001.
panion • blow with • poplar stick ou the side of the head
and right across the temple, instantly depriving his
victim of life. Leaving the murdered man weltering in his
blood, Pails returned to the house and knocked at the door.
Mrs. 'Jaime, thinking it was her husband, opened the door,
and said, "How is it you have returned so soon ?" She
then lit • candle and found the person she had admitted wee
not her husband. Yetis said, "1 have waited some time
for an opportunity, but I have this night found it." Hs
immediately seined her and threw her to the ground, and
most violently ill-used liar. She endeavoured to escape
from him, when he again threw her to the ground, and
then completed his second brutal assault, leaving her in
the most excruciating pain. He then demanded the
money that was in the house, and his trembliug victim
pointed to the wooden box in which her husband—of
whose death she was of course unconscious—kept his
cash. Patio broke open the box and abstracted the,
money, and then left the house. He still remained close
to the door, however, and when the unfortunate
woman attempted to fly to the protection of • neighbour,
the brute kicked her back. Ultimately she did succeed
in getting away, and fled, clasping her infant in
her arms, and closely pursued by Pails, towards the
belt house. The murderer came up with her, threw her
and the infant to the ground, and then inflicted on her two
fearful wounds, the one being a cut on the back of the neck
from ear to ear, and the other being from the breast to the
left car. Mrs. Botma's arm was also fractured, though
whether this was done during the struggle in the house, or
when the last deadly attack was made on her, it is of course
impossible to say. Loss of blood, fright, or exhaustion, or
probably all these causes combined, rendered the poor
creature insensible, and the murderer, no doubt believing
her to be dead, took his departure. In tho course of that
fearful night the sufferer revived, and saw her child playing
with its mother's blood. She was, however, too weak to
call for assistance, even if screams could have been heard, ,
and so in this sad plight she lay till daybreak, her child,
dabbled and splashed with blood, crying itself to sleep
in the meanwhile. Soon after daybreak Mrs. Botma
was discovered by some boys lying insensible, and
frightfully mutilated. She was removed to her
own house, and her infant taken care of, and when the
poor woman recovered consciousness she was interrogated as
to the perpetrator of the outrage. She stated that it was
Patio, and a number of persons at once proceeded to Mr.
Marais 's farm and arrested the ruffian, who had, as usual,
gone quietly about his work. Mn. Botma's statement was
amply corroborated by marks of blood upon the prisoner's
pamenta. A clasp knife, known to be his property, was
found in his victim a house, and it was stained with blood.
Patie's pipe was also found on Mr. Botma's premises, and
the latter's moray-box was found broken open near Mr.
Marais's vineyard. It bad been rifled of the contents, with
the exception of a cheque for 51. and some loose papers.
Between two and three hours after the remains of her hus-
band had been confined to their last resting place, poor Mrs.
Botma breathed her last. Her case was hopeless, and, con-
sidering the accumulated horrors of the fearful night she
had gone through, death cannot but be looked upon as in
this instance a glad and welcome release from suffering.
The murderer Pais is described as a Mozambique, about
21 years of age, b feet 6 inches in height, and of robust ap-
pearance.