The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-19 00:00:00

CAMPBELL.

POACIIING.—John Ascroft was brought up on a charge
of poaching, on land at Kirby belonging to Lord Sefton.
The prisoner had two fowl nets in his possession when
discovered, and a hare was fotini killed close to the
place. He was sentenced to three months' imprison-
ment,
INDECENT ASSAULT im A R tILWAY CARRIAGE BY AN
ENGINE DRIVER. Henry Ashton, an engine driver,
belonging to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway,
was charged by Mary Ellen Waddington with having
assaulted her in a railway carriage on the 3rd instant.
The complainant was a pretty and modest looking girl.
Her statement was that on the day in question she came
from Belton to Liverpool by the Lancashire and York-
shire Railway. Her cousin was with her, ha left the
carriage at Wigan. Several other persons were in the
carriage at first. but they gradually left until com-
plainant wag alone: When leavine. Bolton she saw the
engine driver, (the defendant) with' whom she had been
previously acquainted, and spoke to himi",'calling him by
his name, and they talked for a few moments. At the
next station after that of Preston road, the defen-
dant left his engine, and got into the carriage.
She was not alarmed at first, having known him
before, and he being a married man, but presently he
attempted to take liberties with her. She struggled,
and begged him to desist. He succeeded to some extent
in his indecent attempt, but, at last, owing to her strug-
gles and beseeching, he desisted, and when they came
near the next station, he asked her to forgive him. Being
afraid of him, she consented to shake hands with him,
and he got out. She told the story at the station', how-
ever, to a guard named Whittaker, and made'a complaint
in L'verpool before Mr. Williams, at the terminus. The
complaint was inquired into by the company, who, we
understand, being anxious that their passengers should
have the fullest protection, recommended that the prose.
cution should take place. Mr. Dodd defended the
accused man, but did not succeed either in shaking the
testimony of the complainant by cross examination, or
refuting any portion of it by the witnesses he called.—
Mr. Hall said the magistrates considered it a very aggra-
vated case. The bench had nothing to do with the
offence committed by the accused in leaving his engine,
with which, of course, the company would deal ; but
they considered the assault fully proved. There could
be no doubt that the character of the young woman was
quite unblemished, and that she gave her evidence very
properly. The bench, therefore, would go to the full
extent of the law, and fine the accused £5, or in default
of payment, two months' imprisonment. The accused
party in this case had been, it was stated, nine years
in the employment of the company, and up to the com-
mission of this offence, had borne a good character.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

LIVERPOOL.
BEFORE MR. MANSFIELD.

WIFE DESERTIONS.—Patrick Gahan, described as a
printer, was charged with leaving his wife and two
children chargeable on the parish. - The defendant stated
that want of employment was the cause of his not being
able to maintain his wife and children. He was
remanded for seven days.
Bernard Gibney, a pig dealer, residing at a beerhouse,
corner of Cazneau street, was charged with having
deserted and assaulted his wife on the 28th December
last. Mr. Bluck was for the prisoner. This was another
of those domestic difficulties which are painful to hear.
Mr. Bluck, in the kindest manner, effected an arrange-
ment whereby the prisoner was to pay 15s a week to
his wife and chi!dren, and the prisoner was then dis-
charged.
CHARGE AGAINST A MATE.—Jeremiah Holme, chief
mate of the ship Kennebec, was charged with stealing
34 cwt. of old copper belonging to Messrs. Moss and Co.
The ship is being newly coppered, and the old copper
was to go to Messrs. Moss and Co., who were to give
credit for, it • but whilst the copper was being taken away,
the mate took the quantity alluded to, but was stopped
at the gate by a policeman. He was remanded.
Does FINES.—In the case of Mr. Jump, who was fined
a heavy sum a few days ago, on the evidence of a police-
man, forlhaving corn obstructing other vessels on one of
the dock quays. Mr. Mansfield stated that an application
had been made to him to rehear it on new evidence
He was always glad to do so, and on hearing the evidence
now produced—that of the master porter for the ship
said to be obstructed, he found there was no obstruction,
and he would therefore reduce the fine to the nominal
sum of ss. His rule was always to fine heavily where
there was obstruction reported ; and although such was
reported in the first instance, be now found that there
was no obstruction, and therefore he reduced the fine.

LOSS OF THE HARMONIE OF LIVERPOOL,

FOR SHIELDS.

The following facts, from an authentic source, itt
reference to the loss of the above-named fine barque,•
may not prove, uninteresting. The Harmonic, coin..
mended by Captain Duncan Smith (a well known,.
respected, and exprienced commander, sailing out of
Liverpool for many years), left. Liverpool on the 27th.
December' with over five hundred tons of salt bound for
Shields. She had a crew of thirteen hands, besides the
captain and steward. She made a rapid voyage up to the
morning of the 3rd January'(Saturday), when she was
caught in the frightful gale of that morning, and almost
immediately the violence of the gale carried away the
greater portion of her rigging. She was then dashed
ir-eide the Ferne Islands, off Bamborough Castle, where
one of the men was lost.- The vessel was dashed about
from one rock to another with such force, that she sootA
began to break into pieces, as nothing coull withstands
the fury of the sea beating her against the rocks. Her
masts and rigging, boats, and all above deck had been
carried away already, and death stared the captain and.
the poor fellows along with him in the face. What
added to the horror of the scene was, that the stern and,
cabin portion of the vessel were carried away by a
violent bluer against a rock, and all the provisions
carried away also. The captain called the men forward
to the only spot left, and exhorted them to coolness,
seeing there was not the most remote chance at the time
of any one being saved. The poor fellows behaved most
nobly, and declared they would die like men, and
as long as there was a plank to stick to, i'hey would not
abandon their commander. The forepart of the shine
fortunately stucK together, and this, under the, blessing
of Providence, was the means of saving the live' of all.
.Saturday night, and up to about 12 at noon on elunday
passed in this dreadful manner, the poor fellows chit''
s
ing all the time as best they might to the left portions °
the doomed ship. Captain Smith and his second mate,:.
Mr. Aitkins (whose conduct is spoken of in terms of
admiration both by Captain and crew) tried to form a raft
ith a spar, but this failed and it was the last resource.
The remains of the wreck, was dashing about furiously
through the rocks, when it was seen from Bamborough
Castle, and a life boat was got out, but, shame to say, the
fishermen of the place 'totally refused to man the boat.
This we could have hardly believed, except from une
doubted authority. From 12 until the time the poor fellows
were rescued, they were in sight of hundreds of people,
who had collected at Bamborough. About 3 o'clock,
Captain Gillie, of the barque " Fairy," of Liver-,
pool, who happened to be spending the holiday!,
at Spindlestone Farm, the residence of his father•
came along the road in a gig, and being' attracted
to the place by the crowd, he saw the horrible seen°
before him. He instantly changed his clothes and
jumped into the life boat, declaring that even unaoisted
he would try and rescue the NI retched sufferers.
young fellow, a stone mason, as ive are informed, leap
into the boat, being animated and encouraged by the
gallant bearing of Captain Gillie— the example thus set,
produced its effect—six or seven brave fellows, all
mechanics, not one of whom had ever been in a boat
before, got into it, and pulled for the wreck. By thig
time there were only a few planks of the unfortunate
vessel left, to which the captain and crew still clung%
A very brief time, however, would have rendered humao
aid useless. At the awful ragmen*, the life boat-with its
brave fellows came up, and with God's blessing, picked
every one off the planks, and about five o'clock lanecd
them safely at Bamborough, amid the applause of hun-
dreds. There was yet more to be done, for the rescued'
creatures were more dead than alive, being not only
half insensible, but bruised all over their bodies in a
fearful manner. Captain Smith was all one mass of
bruises, and, prof-ably, be will never regain the complete
use of his right arm. Captain Gillie had Mr. Smith
and several of the men at once conveyed to bis father 'e
house, where the utmost attention was bestowed on there,
and medical aid procured. The rest of the-men were
conveyed to adjoining farms, where like attention wasbestowed on them. Norte were able to reach Liverpool-
before the end of the week, as their sufferings had been
great. The poor fellows loat all, as there was not s
plank of the ship left together, and Captain Smith's loss,
both in personal and other property, is considerable.—'
Is not that brave man, Captain Gillie, Waled to some
thing more than a mere record of his glorions deed ?

BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE:

ALLEGED EXCESSIVE DAMAGE.

SMITH V. WOODFINE.-This was a ease brought before',
the Court of Common Pleas, on Saturday. Mr. Stra
Bylv, Mr. NI i.--. Montague Smith, Q.C, an 1 M tmthan 'l:
~.
appeared to show cause against a rule obtained on the par:
of the defendant for a new trial of this case, which so.
tried before Mr. Justice Willes, when the jury found
verdict for the plaintiff for £3,000, which it was no!
I
alleged was an excessive amount of damages. It appean
that the plaintiff's fattier was retired from business, sw;
living with his daughter (the plaintiff, whose age is aboo,
twenty) at Hornohurch. The defendant, whose age is aboo:
thirty two, had a half share in a brewery in the
neighbourhood of Hornchurch, and was reported to
be very wealthy. The' plaintiff, when the defendant
first proposed to • her, suggested that it would be
,
better the marriage should not take place fa' t
year or two, in order that she and the defendant migict
judge whether, on better acquaintance, they were suitable
for each other. The defendant constantly visited 01°
plaintiff at her father's, and ultimately the marriage cll
was fixed for the 3rd of April, 1856. The plaintiff had
been told by the defendant, an the presence of her fatber:
that he had a large interest in the brewery, and that he 1044
also something like £19,000 in the Funds; that he he;
ordered a carriage, and had taken a house, furnished. a"
Exminster, at the rent of £2OO per annum. Before the dal
for the marriage came round, the defendant took offence, 90
he alleged, at an insult offered to his sister, a MI
Thompson, by not inviting her to the marriage, and je
subsequent interviews with the plaintiff's father beca'°!
very abusive to him, called him a liar and a fool'
and on the 17th March wrote to him a letter, saylfl
that " the affair," meaning the marriage, must. h 6..
postponed. After this he apologised for what had take°,
place, and again urged the plaintiff to name another day ft_,e)
the marriage, which she did: Again, however, tfly
defendant took offence at his mother not having heell
expressly invited to the marriage. To this it was answered
by the plaintiff's father that it was taken as a matter 01
course that she would attend the breakfast to be given 0a
the occasion. This, however, did not satisfy the defenday:l
and at length he proposed to the plaintiff that they shot
be married privately, but upon the express condition the
neither her father nor any of her family should ever list!
her. This, of course, the lady refused, and the jury at th
trial considered that the last proposal was made solely Cu'
the purpose of breaking off the match, and assessed tbe
damages at £3,000: The rule was obtained upon affidavit
tending to show that the defendant's means were greatiCi
over-rated, and counter affidavits were put in on the part 0
the plaintiff.
Sir F. Thesiger, M. Chambers, Q.C., and Mr. Prentice
were heard in support of the rule.
The court held that there was no perjarv, no falsehood'
and no surprise that the defendant could complain of °,l
the trial. There was no prejudice; the defendant he
made statements with regard to his means, by which b",
must abide. The court would not interfere with the asses'
meat of the jury, unless in a very strong case. There vl
no doubt that the jury had considered that the defendant
had inflicted great injury upon the plaintiff by his condoe'D
Rule refused.

FRAUD.—John Hughes, a foreman cooper, in the
employment of Messrs. Hatton & Cookson, was sent ft
trial for having obtained money undr false pretences, ula
representing that a certain man had been employed, atl.„,
by him, whereas the man was not in thi employment sill('
May last.
FLOGGING A WITCH TO DEATH.—We find the follovvil
very singular story in the,Brownsyille (Texas) Flag. Th
transaction is said to have occurred about a month el
"It seems that a young lady of Matamoros was taken sic;
and an old lady 'in the neighbourhood, reported to bald
some skill in the virtue of herbs, was solicited to visit an,
administer to the patient. From some cause or other, t„'„
old lady failed to attend, and suspicious reports were el'e,
ciliated that the old lady had bewitched the young 00/
The authorities were petitioned to compel the attendance
the old one. Officers were sent to take her before ba
supposed victim, and these miserably ignorant wretches
reported that they on several occasions repaired to 1!r
domicile and could no find her at home, but found instead,
suspicions looking black cat. After several efforts, he"!
ever, they found the old woman at home instead of her C5l
and she was taken to the presetce of the invalid. Bat 11`,
herbs filing to restore the sick to health, and the meddle'
some black cat persisting in following its owner, and 10'6a
by the neighbours found in the room of the invalid inste°4
of her mistress, fixed the opinion fast in the minds of the',
ignorant people that the old woman and the black cat weldone and the same person; that she, being a witch, o`ill
take the form of the cat and assume her own shape at 'lre.
—that the invalid was a victim to her diabolical t;be
With these convictions, it is said, they sought out I,th
unfortunate old creature, and actually tied her up, and 11,0
thongs cruelly flogged her to death as a witch. In jo%te
to the civil authorities of Matamoros, we are happy to 641st
that they were tot a party to the tragic part of this sing the
transaction, and that they.:were :prompt in arresting
actors."