Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-31 00:00:00

A BAD FOOTWAY.

Mr. Elvis, one of the jury, then presented to the court
the state of a bridge over a rivulet on some lands belong-
ing to Mr. Tbomas Arton, between Tranniere and Oxton,
and near to what was called the " Happy Valley." For-
merly it had a plank over it, but really it had become so
delapidated that it was dangerous to the public. After
some conversation, the further proceedings in this case
was postponed until the next court.

AN ENCROACHMENT UPON A PUDLIC ROAD.
The Steward stated that he had been informed that a
Mr. Cheesworth had made an encroachment upon a public
road in Little Neston, by building a wall on the road, and
including the public drain.
Mr. Norman came forward, and, upon being sworn, said
that he had built the wall, and that the drain was in the
inside.
Some conversation ensued, after which the jury went
and inspected the locality complained of, and, upon their
return, gave it as their opinion, after the Steward had ex-
plained the law on the point to them, that the wall
was an encroachment on the rights of the public, and im-
posed a fine of 40s, and that the owner should pay a fine
of 40s per week for every week the wall was allowed to
remain.
Several of the jurors stated, that although they had
elme to the decision, they knew that the wall would be
immediately removed, as, Mr. Cheesworth had erected it
through ignorance of the law, and was, therefore, anxious
to remove it.
There being no other presentments the court adjourned.
After the business of the court bad been disposed of,
the jury and the officers of the court dined, by invitation
of the Lord of the Hundred, at the hotel, when a most
excellent and substantial dinner was. prepared by host
Moses Robinson. A most agreeable evening was spent.

A STOVES SXULL. —A. curious illustration of the,
enthusiasm of science was exhibited at the exhumation, ,Jf
the remains of the great surgeon Bichat upon the occasion
of their removal to the Cemetiere de l'Est. The meant
congrss appointed to superintend the ceremony and a,ttes
the authenticity of the remains, awaited in awe and silence
their bringing to light by the gravedigger, and a rraurmur
of respect and veneration ran through the assembly as, by
degrees, these honoured relics were uncovereo,. The
skeleton was found perfect—lying exactly as it had been
interred—all, saving the skull, was found complete and
entire. Search was made in every direction for the missing
skull without effect, and various were the surrnises create,
by its mysterious absence, when lo I to the utter stupefaction
of all present, Dr. Roux, one of Bichat's successors at
the Hotel Dieu, stepped forward, and, drawing from
his pocket a human skull, held it aloft for a moment,
proclaimed it to be that of the great Bichat, stolen from
his grave forty years ago, and entered upon a learned
osteulgic disquisition, which amply proved the fact to his
initiated hearers. The skull, then crowned with a wreath
of immortelles which was found suspended by some un-
known hand upon the tomb of the illustrious doctor when
the learned body arrived at the spot, was placed with the
rest of the banes in a new coffin, and the ceremony pro-
ceeded, The story told by Roux is this: Having learnt
from the wife of the gravedigger of St. Catherine's that an

Englishman had off.ired her husband a huge sum of
money to obtain possession of the skull of Dr. Bichat,
Roux immediately hurried to the gravedigger, menacing
him with the vang,,ence of the whole. Ecole de Medecine
if he dared to desecrate the gra-ie of its idol. Over-
come with terror, the unfortr:mate culprit confessed
that the deed was already done, and that the skull was
already packed, waiting for t!de Englishman, who was to
come and fetch it that ver; tight. Warned by the threats
of Dr. Roux, the gravedigger drew from his provision
cupboard, by the side of the chimney, the skull, and placing
it in the learned doctor's hands, begged hard for forgive-
ness, promising never to offend ces Messieurs of the Ecole
again. Roux took the skull home to eximine, but, during
all these years, he has kept it as the greatest treasure that
earth could confer, and nothing but a great event like the
p went, when his conscience cried aloud, could have ir.-
41%104 hiu to part with it.—Court Journal.