Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-15 00:00:00

MURDER OF AN AGED WOMAN.

On Friday afternoon, an inquest took place at the Swan
Inn, Redvales near Bury, before Mr. Price, deputy-
coroner, on the body of an aged woman which was found
in the river Irwell, at a place called Britain, in the parish
of Radcliffe, on Wednesday evening last. The matter is
still involved in considerable mystery, the following being
the principal facts that have yet been brought to light :
On Wednesday morning last, between six and seven
o'clock, a woman about sixty years of age, called at a
lodging-house kept by Rachel Robinson, Cross-street,
Bury, and stated that she had come from Ramsbottom, hav-
ing left the place where she lodged at an early hour,
in consequence of their being fighting with pokers in
the house. After taking rest and refreshment, she left the
lodging-house at Bury, about ten o'clock in the forenoon,
intimating that she was going to Radcliffe or Manchester,
and that if she did not go to Manchester, she would return
to Bary in the evening. About half-past four o'clock in
the afternoon of the same day, a woman, named Mary
Settle, went to a well for-some water, when she observed
some sticks near to the river side, and on going to gather
them saw a human hand projecting out of the water. Infor-
mation was afterwards communicated to the police, and
the body was removed to the Swan Inn. A post mortem
examination was afterwards made by Mr. Lancashire,
surgeon, Pilkington, when he found that several
severe wounds had been inflicted. The right
side of the head was much bruised and torn ; on the
right eyebrow there was a triangular cut, eaca of the
three sides being about an inch in length ; the temporal
bone on the right side, and part of the skull were laid
bare, and the covering next to the bone was stript off; the
skin about the left eye and cheek was bruised, and there
was an irregular cut extending from near the left eye
two inches and .a half in length ,dowTt to the bone, the
scalp was almost entirely stripped from the skull, and the
bones of the skull were broken into seven pieces. The base
of the skull was also fractured. The second, third, and
fourth ribs were fractured about three inches from the spine.
The spinons processes of the sixth and seventh cervical ver-
tebrae were broken. Mr. Lancashire was certain that thefrac-
tures of the skull were produced before death, and by some
person or persons other than the deceased. She was killed
before being placed into the water, as the heart cauld not
have been empty if she had been drowned. The fractures of
the skull, and the separation of the cervical vertebrae were
sufficient to cause immediate death. She was more than
sixty years of age, and was without teeth.—Mrs. Robinson
identified the body as that of an old woman who called at
.her house.—The jury returned a verdict of " Wilful
Murder" against some person or persons unknown. The
7.7,4 a-r. 7n fhA of the day. in
such a populous district, could take place without being
discovered; and it is difficult to conjecture what motive
could be assigned for the commission of such a barbarous
act, upon an old, and apparently a poor woman.

THE CENTaAL AMERICAN' FILIBUSTERING.—It is esd-
mated that in the Walker-Nicaraguan war more than
2,000 Americans and 6,000 or 7,000 Central Americans
have perished.
Tan Calarnioseriele ANTIQuITIIIs.—A letter from Tunis
of the 29Lle ult., states that the English frigate Caregao,
having taken an beard all the antiquities collected by Mr.
Davis in the ruins of Carth tge, had sailed for England.
NEW RoMAN LOAN.--1 letter from Rome states that
the sacred College has jest concluded with Baron
do Rothechild a new loan of 3,800,000 Roman crowns
(about £800,000) intended to be employed in calling in
the copper money.
Tian MonmoN Smuset.—According to a report from the
Great Salt Lake, the schism in the Mormon church has
assumed a formidable character. Brigham Young was
said to have deserted the Tabernacle and remained shut up
in his oem house, guarded night a• .d day by his friends.
lie was afraid to ,flow lehneell in public.
RT.TssIA. IN THE BLACK SEA. —A telegraphic deepatch
from Odessa says, that the steamers in communication with
onstantinople, the Crimea, Nieholaieff, Cherson, and
os:off had commenced retuning : and. that those for
Gala z an] the Sea of Azeff ware to follow shortly.
THE LUNDHILL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—The operations
for the recovers of the ho lies are still continued with
unabated vigour. Up to Saturday week, 100 bodies hal
been brought out. During the past week, twelve more have
to be added to the list, meking a total of 132 band up to
the present time. On Tuesday two more were found ; on
Wednesday, six ; and on Thursday, two. The first fife
were found on the north side, and the remainder on the
south side, where nearly the whole of the volunteers are
at work.
NUMEROUS ARRIVALS OF SHIPPING IN THE THAMES.—
The number of vessels of all clas3e3 entered inward at the i
Custom-house since Wednesday, amounted to 370, and the
vessels reported as heving arrived at the month of the
Thames this morning are 108, making a total of 478 vessels,
the aggregate tonnege of wnich is 70,700 tone. The arri-
vals are from every part of the globe, including Australia,
India, and China. The number above stated does no.,
however, include the passenger steam ships or mail boats
between the country and ports in Europe.
GROSS SUPERSTITION IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
—Within a few miles of this town, and within forty of the
metropolis, scenes of the grossest superstition are daily
enacted, wire' few pets ,el 3 in this enligh.enA age would
credit. In the parish of Doonan, iu the Queen's County,
there resides a Roman Catholic Clergyman, the Rev. Mr.
Nolan, whose reputation for performing miracles has
spread far had wide amongst the humbler clasees
professing that faith throughout Ireland. Travellers
passing through the district are not a little surprised
at meeting a number of individuals afflicted with all
manner of • diseases, and if unacquainted with the
cause, must naturally conclude that the Queen's County
people, of all others, are the moot unfortunate. Should
he, however, have the curiosity to inquire of come half
dozen of unfortunate cripples whom he may meet on the
road, slowly dragging their limbs after them on crutches,
where they belouged to, or where they were bound to, he
• will invariably be informed that they came from Kerry,
M yo, Galway, &c., as the case may be, and that they
were going to see the "good pariah priest of Doonau,"
fully persualed that they woul I be able to return home,
after having recovered the use of their limbs. For
the last month his reverence's house has been literally
besieged by hundreds of the lame, the blind, the deaf,
the epileptic—in fact, with persons having every variety of
disease, but no cures have been, as yet, reported to have
been effected. La ,:,t year, it is true, a young woman from
Kilkenny, who was alleged to have been a cripple all her
life, paid her devoirs to Father Nolan, and returned, to
the astonishment of her neighbours, perfectly cured, enter-
ing the city with great ceremony, and sounding aloud the
miraculous powers of her kind benefeceer. An investiga-
tion having been instituted into the circumstances by the
mayor, the whole story was found to be untrue, whereupon
the impostor was ordered to leave the city. That people
are so blind as to believe such miracles are being performed
is most extraordinary ; and although reports are fre-
quently circulated with a good deal of industry of the blind
receiving their sight, the lame being able to walk, and such
nonsenee, the tricks are ofttm exposed, the poor dupes
finding to their cost that they must make their way back
no better than they came. To the farmers living in the
locality these wretched creatures are a great burden,
because, on finding they have no chance of having their
wishes accomplished, and all their little means exhausted,
they are obliged to apply to the nearest houses for alms —.
Carlow Correspondent of Saunder's News. Letter,