Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-08 00:00:00

LANE GAOL BY A DEBTOR.

'Yesterday morning a horrible murder was committed in the county
gaol for Stirrer, in Horoemonger-lane, Newington, which has caused
Consilerable tiensatlon among the inmates. It appeared that John
Hodges, aged 6g, described as an agmt, was confine iin th infirmary,
be having undergone sev.ral examinations at Lambeth Police
-Court, and committed on the 23ch ult. on four charges of
'forgery ; and ho was to have been removed to Newgate
-for trial at the next C, ntral Criminal Court Session.
'ln the same room, in the infir nary, were James Preston,
debtor, who until recently carried on the businsas of a
-tool merchant, in the London-road, and two other men. Preston
Was Lbonring nn:ei a sing Jar speiies of monomania; but there was
mothine in hia conduct to cause a ,prehension of violence to other
persons• The four were licked up on Sunday night at the usual
hour, but at four o'clock on fvfonday morning the watchmen were
alarmed at hearing cr;es of murder proceeding from the infirmary
They at once aroused up Mr. Keene, the governor, who, with
Eatenum and other turnkeys immediately proceeded there, and found
}lodges lying on hie bed quite dead, and his brains smashed
out• Mr. Ebaworth, a medical gent'eman residing in Swan•
street, was directly :sent for, and he was of opinion that
death must have i eon in tantantaneous. The governor was
informed by one of the prisoners e taflied in the same room that
about four o'clock in Vie morning Preston got out of his bed and
Went to the closet. He returned in a min' te or so with a pail, when
be proceeded to the bedside of Hodges, and deliberately dashe I his
brains out with it while asleep, The two men immediately seized
hold of him and called out for assistance. They hal no idea that he
intended to commit murder wi h the pall, as they could have jamped
out of bed and prevented hi•n. The blows ware inflicted so suddenly,
that befote they had au opportunity of getting o it of bed the man was
murdered. Irtforma ion of the melancholy event has been forwarded
to the coroner, Mr. W. Carter, who will hold an inquest on the body.

PALL OF A HOUSE.-MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

About a quarter to twelva o'clock ou San lay night the party All
and chimney stack of the houscs, Nos. 4 and 5. Artillery-passage,
1211b0Psgate, fell, taking with it the roof and ficors of No. 5, and
vest of the roof and ftnrs of No. 4. No. 5 WAS in the occupation of
Godfrey Phillips, h s wife, three children, and two young women,
:named
Rose Je sell and Mary Ta;g. The wife of Phillips, who was
bed, about half-past e'even, heard a cracking el' tho wall, andcalled
dA her husband below; lie ran up to the second floor, and when
seeking at the
wer himself heard a singulir rumbling
'4l,Parently in the shop. Phillips in .tantly desired his
Wife to leave the place, regardless of her dress, and having succeeded
arousing the girle'and his nechhenr Ht. No. 4, he carried his chit-
' en out of the premises and lodged them at No. 3, then he g ve
t 4foanation of the danger to the policy at the Chipzl-yard station,
ited wasreturning to the spot when ha learned that the inns° had

fallen as described. Samuel M ss and his wife, at No. 4, ana ous to

save their money and valuables, stayed too long, and while taking
them frcm drawers on the second floors, were precipitated,
-toge.l,er with the debris, into the cellar, from whence they were
dragged by some of he police most miracalmily escaping with a
' feW bruis s. A great degof property is buried in the runs, with
about
150 in money.

FATAL ACCIDENT.-03 th 10th of August, a ann
named Nlichaq Gannon, wis at work on board a ship is
the Princes Dock, when he was hurt by a fall, and taken
'tD the Northern Hoskiital, where he died yesterday
'afternoon.

Tile ROYAL A RTlLLSBY.—Yesterday morning, a Corn-
PanY of the 11111 Artillery ptsse,al through Liv
'e't route for Ire'and. Tin appsaran3o of these
Inc", and their general (I,maanour, elicited great praise
'r°lll all who saw them.

THE PER lA.-11r. Cunard, of the British and Nerth
American Mail Selene Packet Line, has caused to be pue-
li!bed the following. card, in the New York p mere, it is
wed-eased to the editor of the New Or:ean4 Picayune :
My atteniion has been coiled to a letter published in your
Paper, in which the writer sass I learn on authority that
Cannot be denied that the Persia on her lest trip to this
Tort Nvos con lemeed, having eighteen feet of water in her
'"old, and two of her comioartmeuts filled with water; the
remaining compartments were all that saved the vessel
from being wrecked, but the passe gars were kept in
blessed ignorance of any such fact.' I will feel obliged by
Your giving me space in your columns to deny these state-
%eats. Tney are false, The Persia has not been con-
-demised, never hal, sixteen feet, nor as many inches if
Water in her ho'd, never had any compartments filled with
Water, and never been in the slightest danger of being
reeked. The passengers, therefore, were not kept in morn
Ignorance than the owners and captain.—l remain, sir,
Your obedient servant, E. CUNARD "
TH$ AUSTRALIAN SHIP, KING OF ALGERTA.—This is th
name of a new clipper, edded to the Eagle Line of Aus-
tralian packets, and destined to sail on the 15th instant for
Melbourne. Not only the usual attention has been paid
.!0 this vessel, but she in many respects (if possible)
is superior to ethers that hare preceeled her. The
eelevation between her decks, the anap'e epace allowed for
slping roeres, the excel'ent ventilation, mde i the
dining saloons, the new mode of a ands the
ad nirable contiivanees to afford light to the passengers, a-e
almatters of deep interest to emigrants. In these respects,
is ship has nothing further to be desired, and the visitor
Will at once acknowledge, that she has no superior in th se
'4Tui other important essentials. Doe regard has been paid
to the position of the berths—a subjsct too often neglec'ed
In o-der to crowd as many es possib'e into the smallest
The owners of the Eagle Line, however, have
always eschewed such petty economy, considering,
lightly, that their duty towards the public should
dischargel with the same fidelity as a
`duty due to their own interests. The btrths are so
arra
aged that the motion of the ship can hardly be felt by
the Passengers, and this is a desi leratum long required,
particularly in a three months voy Tee There are a varistv
(4 small details attended to, and everything increased
'experience has suggested has been done to render the
ipeople as
.comfortable, and give them as much convenience,
as if on shore in their own domiciles. The dining tables
inre arranged so as to afford a promenade in wet or other
'weather, when the passengers cannot resort to tha chief
deck for exercise ; but it must be remembered that, if they
are obliged to remain below, they have light and air as
aluple as if above. Of course these remarks refer to the
third and intermediate class of passengers—the most
numerous, and a class that, in the ships of this line, have
ever been the object of the owners to make most
comfortable. The second cabin generally is on
t~k-heuses, ant possess all the reqiiirements necessary.e grand cabin is fitted up, with great taste, and combines
all the luxuries of a first class drawing room. There are
baths for the use of all classes of passengers, closets, &c.
PM hospital and the sanitary arrangements are such as
it° Contribute to the health of all. The bill of fare pros
led in the victualling department, is as usual, ample and
of unexceptionable qaality, nothing but the best being
admitted into the stores. C ,ptain Smith, the gentlemanly
"'amender of this fine vessel, has been quite successful in
;akin rapid. voyages, and the testimonials presented to
at attest the high estimation in which he hasbeen always
held by those who have travelled under his guidance.
The King of Algeria, on her homeward voyage, beat soma
of the crack ships both of this country and America.