The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-27 00:00:00

A CLERGYMAN AND HIS FAMILY POISONED

NARROW ESCAPE.

The Rev. James Alexander, of Killygalley, near Fer-
bane, county Kerry, Ireland, with his family and servants,
were recently placed in a frightful position by partakieg
of arrowroot, in which mineral poison was by mistake
mixed. On Monday, the 16th instant, the rev. gentleman,
being convalescent from slight illness, was ordered by
Doetor Fry, Ferbane, to take arrowroot, and a messenger
was sent to the shop of Mr. Edward Whitfield, in Fer-
bane, for one pound weight of it. The shopman, named
Denis Grogan, not having the whole pound in a bottle
which he placed upon the counter, took from a paper
parcel sufficient to make up a pound. On the messenger's
return to Killygalley, some of this parcel was prepared
in the usual way for food. Miss Mary Jane Alexander,
however, remarked at the moment that the pcwder " was
not arrowroot, as it felt gritty ;" she likewise tasted it and
mentioned her suspicions to the cook, who put her finger
into the bowl, tasted it, and said it was all right.
The cook sent it up stairs, and shortly after Miss Alexander
felt a pain in her throat, and ran up to prevent her papa
from eating it. Unfortunately, however, he had taken
Ave small spoonfuls, and instantly felt the reality of his
eaughter's apprehensions. The butler felt carious, and
took a very small portion to satisfy himeelf, but soon felt
the same violent pain and sickness. There were now four
of them in great agony, when it providentially occurred
to that amiable young lady, Miss Mary Jane Alexander,
who evinced great presence of mind and fortitude during
the trying and painful scene, to give a mustard emetic,
and, after giving one to the other three sufferers, tiok one
herself. This had the effect of completely emptying the
stomach before the arrivel of Dr. Fry; and to thet prompt
act of extraordinary presence of mind is to be attributed,
❑nder God's providence, the saving of several lives. Dr.
Ry had only to assist that action and administer a few
antidotes. The Rev. Mr. Alexander continued in a very
hopeless state until Monday night last, when he was
pronounced to be much better. The butler suffered
awfully for a period of three days. Miss Alexander is
not yet quite well, but it is confidently expected that she
will be convalescent in a very few days. The cook,
though only tasting the stuff, was exceedingly ill for a
day. D. Fry ,had the able assistance of Dr. Pierce,
Banagher, in this trying scene. They found a large
quantity of mineral poison in both the food made up and
the powder which remained, and both gentlemen have
no doubt but the portion to make up the pound weight
out of the paper was arsenic. It is to be hoped that this
and the many other,, frightful instances, which have
recently occurred in England and this country, will have
the effect of inducing the legislature to alter the very lax
mode in which traffic in deadly poisons is at present so
shamefully carried on.

L UNDHILL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

COMMENCEMENT OF OPERATIONS FOR

EMPTYING THE PiT.

Contrary to expectation, the drawing off of the water, pre.
liminary to reaching the bodies of the victims of the late
explosion, did not commence until late on Tuesday afternoon.
On Monday, the water had reached within 15 inches of the
height fixed on by the engineers as that required to overpower
the burning matter. Great disappointment was felt by
4aaany of the relatives of the deceased, who, despite the
unfavourable state :of the weather, had come from
a distance to be present at the comjpencement of
operations. This anxiety was increa►ed by it being
made known that some of the men who had gone down
to the water had observed some of the bodies floating on
the surface. This, however, on more minute inspection, was
found not to be the case ; and what had been supposed to he
bodies turned out to be pieces of wood which wore &Min.
At an early hour on Tuesday morning the water had reached
the maximum height of 60 feet, and during the forenoon the
water from the brook was stopped from running into the pit.
Some delay was occasioned from the buckets being too large.
The buckets having been lessened they were let down, and
were found to do their work admirably, discharging about 600
gallons in five or six seconds under a minute. Besides a
disinfectant, which is thrown into the water, a large quantity
of pure water is mixed with it, pumped out of the Abdy bed.
During the operation of drawing. it is arranged that men shall
go down to the water edge at stunt intervals, as it is expected
that bodies may occasionally come up to the surface. On
Tuesday, doubtless from want of thought, a waggon load of
coffins was sent down to Lundhill from Barnsley, in the middle
of the day. The women left their homes, rushed up to the
waggon, :and on witnessing its contents, the sad spec!aele
bringing, to their minds so forcibly the great loss they had
sustained, a most agonising and painful scene was the result.
It is to he hoped that such scenes will in future be avoided,
as they easily might be, by the transit of such articles at night.
Two lowerful fans, for exhausting the gases in the pit when
the water is drawn out, are being erected to be worked by steam
power.

FRATRICIDE IN THE COUNTY DOWN.—A most unfortu-
nate and fatal occurrence took place at Ballykinlar, near
Dundrum, county DJwn, on the evening of Patrick's Day.
It is usual in some districts of the county to celebrate the
anniversary of our patron saint with the music of fife and
drum. It was so observed in Ballykinlar on Tuesday week,
the drummer, for the nonce, being a young man named
IVllen. It appears that, having satisfied himself playing,
he ealled at his brother's to leave the drum. The latter,
not wishing to identify himself with the processionists,
i
r ,fused to admit the instrument, and a scuffle ensued, n
hick the young man struck his brother with the drum
stick behind the right ear, which resulted in his death a few
hours afterwards. Deceased was a quiet steady man, a
carpentE:r by trade, and has left a widow and five children
to lament his untimely fate. The wretched fratricide, who
was immediately arrested, upon the dea'h of his brother,
has b, en committed, on the coroner's warrant, to the county
gaol, Downpatrick, to await his trial at the summer assizes.