Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-20 00:00:00

ran to the mill and shut himself in, but the defendants
coming after him broke open the door, and commenced
ordering the plaintiff's servants to dispose of some cotton
that was strewn about. For the defence it was urged
that the defendant had some right to the property', but
the case was settled without submitting it to the consi-
deration of the jury, by the plaintiff accepting £ll3 for
the damage done to his machinery, a guarantee being
provided against any future claim that could be made
upon the plaintiff.
BROWN v. DAVIRS.—This was an action to recover
damages for a libel which had been uttered by the de-
fendant upon the plaintiff's character. Mr. Monk, Q.C.,
and Mr. Brett were for the plaintiff ; and Mr. E. James,
Q.C., and Mr. Quin for the defendant. The plaintiff is
an architect, carrying ou business in Hull, and the de-
fendant a lixendraper in the same city. The libel com-
plained of was uttered in St. George's-hall, at the late
Summer Assizes, during a conversation between the
defendant and a gentleman called Deft. The slander
was with reference to the payment for some buildings
which the plaintiff was building in Hull, and the de-
fendant imputed fraud to the plaintiff. The defence set
up was, firstly, a denial; and, secondly, a justification.
The case occupied the court up to a late hour last night,
and it will be resumed this morning at nine.

LIVERPOOL POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY.

(Before Mr. J. S. MANSFIELD.)
ASSAULT ON POLICE-OFFICEE.S. —John Newton, a
young man, was brought up on a magistrates warrant,
for assaulting Police-constables 153 and 499, in Wind-
sor-street, on the 2nd of October last. The prisoner
stated that he had been, in Manchester since August;
but being unable to substantiate this by evidence, he
was sentenced to pay a fine of L 5, or be imprisoned for
three months.

ATTBMPT TO COMMIT SUICIDB. - Mary M'Kenna,
rather a decent-looking young woman, who resides in
Cotter-street, Toxteth-park, was brought up on the
charge of attempting to commit suicide. Police-officer
539 stated that he apprehended the prisoner on Satur-
day, in the act of leaping into the river from the end of
the south Landing-stage. In answer to the charge,
the prisoner stated that her mother and herself were
going over to the other side of the water to work. They
had some words on the Stage, and she threatened to
leap into the river, but had no intention whatever of
doing so. She also said that her husband ill-used her.
—Mr. Mansfield advised her to go home, and do her
duty to her husband.
ROBBERY ON Boanu SHlP.—Alexander Thompson
was brought up bn the charge of robbing Richard
Hornby of a sum of money on board the ship Vigo,
from New York. Mr. Bluck appeared for the defence.
The prosecutor stated that the prisoner and himself were
both third-class passengers on board the above-named
ship. The prisoner came from Canada, and prosecutor
came from the city of Providence, Rhode Island. They
occupied berths next each other. After the vessel
sailed, he was completely overwhelmed with sea-sick-
ness. On the morning of the 7th or Bth instant there
was a cry on board of " Ship ahoy !" which was
mistaken for "ship on fire." Shortly after the
hurry and confusion that was occasioned by
this, he discovered that his money, which he carried
about his person, was gone, and he recollected feeling
the prisoner's hand in his pockets. The money con-
sisted of twenty-two English sovereigns, two Australian
sovereigns, twelve half-sovereigns, three twenty-dollar
pieces, five one-dollar pieces, two two-dollar bills, and
two one-dollar bills. He mentioned the circumstance
immediately after to the captain, and the person whom
he suspected to be guilty, but the captain would not
allow any one to be searched on board. On his arrival in
Liverpool he gave the prisoner into custody. [The prose-
cutor was here shown the money which was found in pos-
session of the prisoner, and swore that a sovereign he saw
amongst it was his property.] Police-officer 706 stated that
when he apprehended the prisoner, and questioned him
respecting the charge, he at first said the money belonged
to himself, and afterwards that he was bringing it home
for a relation. Mr. Bluck contended that nothing was
more probable than that the prisoner and prosecutor,
coining as they did from the same country, should be in
possession of similar coin ; that as there was no evidence
but that of the prosecutor, he did not think there was a
case made out against the prisoner. Mr. Mansfield,
however, committed him for trial.
Imßiaa.i., DETENTION OF A. DOCUMENT Captain
Coran, of the ship Asia, was brought up on the charge
of detaining a document in an illegal manner. The
circumstances are as follow :—Richard Bland, first mate
of the same ship, summoned him before the magistrates
for a balance of wages. The summons was withdrawn,
and Mr. Cobb, who was Bland's attorney, presented the
account to Coran, and asked if he would pay it. As
soon as Coran got hold of the bill, he said, "This is
mine, and I'll stick to it." Bland, on the advice of Mr.
Cobb, gave him into custody, when he was immediately
conveyed before Mr. Mansfield, who discharged him, on
the ground that the document was of no value whatever
to any one.
(Before Messrs. SHAND and RATHBONE.)
CLAIMS on Wkons.—Richard Bland summoned
Captain Coran, of the ship Asia, from Hull to Bombay,
for a balance of wages which he said was due to him.
The whole amount was over £6O, but Mr. Cobb, who
appeared for the complainant, advised him to sue
only for £5O, as that was the extent to which
the magistrates had 'jurisdiction. Several sums, how-
ever, had been paid on account, and when it was
intimated that these sums would be deducted from
the £5O, the complainant withdrew the summons.—
Charles Schwarey, second-mate of the Asia, also sum-
moned Captain Coran for a balance of £25 19s. 4d.
The captain acknowledged the debt, with the exception
of forty-five rupees, which, he said, he had on one occa-
sion paid the complainant ; but, having no receipt to
show for the sum, the case was decided against him.

FRIGHTFUL BOILER EXPLOSION AT
WOBURN-HILL.

About twelve o'clock on Sunday noon, a most frightful
explosion took place in the house of Mr. Sharpe (of the
firm of R. S. Sharpe & Sons, coffee-roasters), Woburn-
hill, near Stanley. About the hour stated, it appears
that a girl named. Shaw, one of the domestics, had just
goneinto the kitchen for the purpose of preparing
dinner for the family, and` almost at the instant she en-
tered, the boiler attached to the kitchen-range burst
with a fearful force and noise ; the report, indeed, being
heard for a considerable distance round the neigh-
bourhood. Mrs. Sharpe and an invalid daughter,
with the exception of the girl Shaw, were the only
inmates .of the house at the time, and the two
former were in an upper apartment—the bedroom of
the dau.ghter,.who was confined to bed. And so power-
ful was the explosion that the bed and the chairs,
in the room referred to, were lifted, as Mrs. and
Miss Sharpe say, fully a foot from the floor. In a state
of great alarm Mrs. Sharpe ran down stairs to see what
was the matter ; and, on looking into the kitchen, she
was shocked at seeing that the whole of her kitchen range
was blown out, and that the floor was Strewed over with
fragments of, it. 'All the furniture and other things in
the-kitehen were les4 or more destroyed. The whole of
the kitchen :window—frame and all—was bloWn out,
'and thrown to a cOnsiderable 'dbitance. • SeVeral of the
other windows, in the house .were also shattered. A more
a h Coreispection discovered the poor girl, Shaw, lying
nearly' linried and much hurt, under amass of fragments
blown'froni the boiler, and the bricks with which it had
been built. She was much scalded, and severely wounded
by fragments Of the boiler. Mr. Pritchard; surgeon,
Fairfield, and two other medical gentlemen were speedily
in attendance, but from the very serious nature of the
injuries sbe had sustained, they entertained no hOpes of
her recovery.

FATAL EXPLOSION AT THE MAGDALEN
INSTITUTION.
An accident, as terrible as it was unexpected, and which
has in two cases already been attended with fatal results,
took place yesterday morning at the Magdalen Institu-
tion, •Mason-street, Edge-hill, in consequence of the
explosion of the steam boiler in the washing house.
The boiler was constructed on the self-feeding principle.
About half-past eight o'clock the inmates were pre-
paring to commence washing. Before the fire was put
to the boiler the feeding cistern was examined, and found
to be full of water, but covered by ice, which was
broken. Naturally supposing that the water would run
into the boiler in the ordinary manner, the fire was
lighted. The supply pipe, however, being frozen up, the
water was prevented from making its way into the boiler,
and the small quantity left in it from the time it had been
previously used being converted into steam, the result
was the explosion. The boiler was lifted entirely out of
its building scattering fragments of brick and iron in
all directions. Two girls, who were sitting in front of
it, were hurled with such violence against the opposite
wall, that one of them died almost immediately after