Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-01-20 00:00:00

THE MURDER AT QUEENBOROUGH.

The murderer Prentis has not yet completed the 20th
year of his age, and his victim was under 16. He was
formerly at work as a labourer on the Sheerness and
Sittingbourne Railway, then employed by Mr. Josiah
Hall, of Queenborough, and has lately been in the employ
of Mr. Moxon, contractor for the batteries at Sheerness.
He has been resident at Queenborough about three years,
is of short stature, sallow complexion, and stiffly built ;
he has a very fair character at Queenborough, for
his steadiness and general conduct, with the exception.
of being somewhat morose in disposition and reserved
in character. When taken before the magistrates
at Queenborough, on Wednesday last, it was with some
difficulty that he was able to walk up the stairs of the
court, and not without being supported. He was then.
'placed on a chair in front of the bench. He hung his
head down during the whole of the proceedings, without
even raising his eyes or uttering a word. He shook
violently, sobbed audibly, and appeared to feel his position.
most acutely. The father of Emma Coppings, the mur-
dered girl, is an agricultural labourer, residing in Queen-
borough. He bears an irreproachable character, and has
a large family. On Monday night his daughter called
at his house on the way to the Ship Inn for her master's
supper beer. She stayed only a few minutes, and
left about half-past eight-o'clock. At nine she was taken
home a corpse. We understand that the prisoner has
scarcely spoken to any of the prison officials or constabu-
lary since his capture. He has taken but- the smallest por-
tion of food, and has ever since his arrest been apparently
suffering the most intense agony of mind and prostration of
body. Indeed, it was found requisite to administer repeated
doses of brandy and water to him on Wednesday and Thurs-
day, in order to enable him to undergo the investigation
rendered necessary by his crime.. The unfortunate de-
ceased was buried at Queenborough, on Sunday afternoon
last, the Rev, Mr. Bingham, M A., incumbent, officiating.
The affecting service was attended by a crowd of not less
than 2,000 persons, who thronged to the Burial b.-round
from Sheerness and other parts of the neighbourhood.—
South, Eastern Gazette. _ _

The Sheerness Guardian says :—" We have v,reeved
the particulars of the interview between the Rev. R.
Bingham and the prisoner; they are, however, of such
a private nature as to preclude publication. We may,
notwithstanding, state, that when the reverend gentleman
entered the room, the unfortunate criminal held out his
hand to him, and burst into tears. A long conversation
then ensued, in which the prisoner manifested every dis-
position to be communicative, and would doubtlessly have
made a ' clean breast' of the whole affair had he been
pressed to do so. -Mr. Bingham contented himself with
directing the prisoner's mind to the state of his built, by
suitably exhorting him, and by engaging with him in
devotional exercise. The prisoner was deeply affected,
and there is little doubt but that he will make a fall
confession of the crime, and plead guilty to the charge.
It is said (we believe on the prisoner's own statement)
that he has neither father nor mother alive; that the
only relation he has is a sister, and that she resides at a
great distance, but he refuses at present to say whole."

RIGID ECONOMY.—The Belfast local constables have
got new cuffs to their great coats, now three years in use,
and rather ragged from tear and wear. We fear our
local authorities are extravagant in this respect as com-
pared with our Irish friends.
DIOCESAN TRAINING SenooL.—We are informed that
the managers of the Diocesan Training School, Man-
chester, have elected the Rev. Joshua Jones, M.A., of Lin-
coln College, Oxford, to the office of Vice-Principal of
the above institution. Mr. Jones was some time cnrate
of Holy Trinity, Hulme. _ _ _ _

,
PRIZE POEM. —The Kilmarnock Burns Club having
offered a five pound gold medal for a prize poem in
honour of Robert Burns, fourteen competitors have sent
in their MMS. We understnnd the Rev. Mr. Buchanan,
editor of the Ayr Observer, has, at the request of the
committee, undertaken the onerous task of judge.
GIFT TO THE NIECES OF BURNS.—The subscription
for this philanthropic object has been opened at Ayr, and
already, we understand, a very handsome sum has been
collected. There cannot be the slightest doubt but that
the object of the gentlemen who originated the movement
will be most successfully responded to by the admirers of
the poet.
_ _

An
Irish bankrupt was refused a certificate by the
judge, last week, because he kept six horses and three
servants to look after them. One of the late Glasgow
bankrupts indignantly repelled the allegation that he
kept more than a dozen servants, when he had only nine.
Of course he got a. certificate from his tender-hearted
creditors.

BURNT TO DEATH.—On Saturday morning a fatal
accident occurred to James Albert, aged eight years, son
of Mr. James Broadbent, manufactnrer, Bedford-terrace,
Halifax. The boy was playing with some companions in
a warehouse belonging to Mr. Thompson, waste dealer,
situate in Carrier-street. They were standing warming
themselves, when deceased's pinafore caught fire, and
before help came he was shockingly burnt. fie was
conveyed to the infirmary, where he died early in the
afternoon.

It is amusing to find that, after all, both French and
English journals were in error respecting one of the most
remarkable visitors said to have been at Compoigne.
Lady Palmerston was not there ; on the contrary, she did
not conceal her regret at the proceeding, and positively
refused to go. When asked, the other day, why she had
not accompanied her lord, she replied, " That it was all
very well for a yonng man like Palmerston, but, for her
part, she was growing old, and did not like, at this sea-
son of the year, going into comfortless chateaus, or ex-
posing herself to drafts.--London Correspondence of the

New York Times,

A few months back public attention was called to a
peculiar circumstance connected with the fate of Strahan
and Paul, the bankers. Upon their conviction they
received the sentence of fourteen years' penal servitude.
An act passed last session, however, reduced the penalty
in all future cases to three years' imprisonment. When
it was found last mouth that on the expiration of three
years no mitigation was announced to Strahan and Paul,
a memorial was prepared on their behalf, signed by the
most eminent London houses, and presented to Mr. Secre-
tary Walpole. It has received, however, no attention.
The writer of the city article in the Times says that the
position of Strahan and Paul is " analogous to that which
would be witnessed in the case of an offender upon
whom a sentence of death might be carried out, although
in the interval between the conviction and execution
capital punishment had been repealed. It is the same as
if we were now to apprehend an escaped forger whose
crime was effected thirty years ago, and were to hang
him in accordance with the statutes of that period."
A GAMEKEEPER SHOT BY A POACHER IN AYRSHIE.E.-.-
On Sabbath morning, about three o'clock, three keepers,
in the service of the Marquis of Ailsa, encountered two
poachers, one named Withers, and the other supposed to
be a man named Ross, belonging to Maybole, on the farm
of Park, between Kirk-Oswald and Turnberry. The
keepers were some distance from each other, and one of
them, named Jones, who was in advance, came first on
t n a
few with-
out provocation, levelled their guns and fired, the one at
the poachers. He had a dog on the string, and was
advancing
yard s, it nh
the latter
der
deliberately,toseizethe poaaenly,
is alleged,lV4e
nv6h
the d 0„,,,, and the other at Jones. Each shot took
fatal effect Jones
was shot through the heart.
;
When he received the deadly discharge, he leapad up,
exclaiming " Oh," and then fell lifeless. Another of the
keepers, named Nicholson, coming up, seized With ers,-who
said, "I'm no caring; I only shot the dog, but Ross shot
the man." Pursuit after Ross was instantly given, and
two policemen went to watch his house. As daylight
approached, the watch was given up, and the watchers,
thbeee Sncene ofthine
on entering ROSS'S house, found him in bed. Ile denied
all knowledge of the affair. One of his boots was taken
and memeasuredat the spot, and it is said to have cor-
fraetsaplonila
fferdaywi thwtihteherfosotamnadrks
Rosslefthave
a t
Ayr gaol.—Scotsman. lodged

A
CIJANCI FOR BARNUM.— A passenger from Humbolt,
says the Trinity Journal, relates that when Captain
Messec recently destroyed an Indian raneheria, one of his
men—Hank Smith—entered a deserted hut, but came
out a great deal faster than he went in, with each
particular hair on end, and declaring that there
was a ghost within ! The jests of the others in-.
duced the man to go back, but again he returned,
more precipitately, and swore that there was a
moving skeleton in the lodge. Afterwards an
Opening was made in the hut, and a living skeleton
was discovered crouching under a basket —an animated
anatomy of skin and nes, five feet six inches. high,
which weighed but sixteen pounds ! The thing is
declared to be a complete embodiment of death,
without a particle of flesh discoverable either on the
limbs or face, and that it was small enough at the
waist of it to be spanned by a man's hand, yet
capable of walking and intelligent action. The prisoners
employ the skeleton man in mixing bread, in which his
long bony claws exhibit considerable dexterity. So far
as the credulity of our informant goes—and we have no
he declares that he has seen the living skeleton, which
reason to question his veracity—the foregoing is no hp_,a.ex.,-
ich has
ocaptorsrme e ot
its
will shortly be sent to the settlements as the g
inusse‘eisiiq the siege
life' fru.
physiological
believe
thatthe phenomenonattenuated
creatureof the
is
thege.
Sort of enemy which
ghastly tabernacle. If that be
h.
some unknown disease (a peculiar aetlrltiooepghreya)
slowly wasted the flesh withputthee:
l'ilessac has to fight, we implorea ~
it ger cannot be
and come home ; for even "Texas
expected to encounter "Death and ell ."Francisca
Herald.