Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-26 00:00:00

CANADA.

The publication of Lovell's Canada Directory for
1857 and 1858, contains a vast amount of commer-
cial information, and should be in the possession
of every merchant as a valuable work of reference,
now that the great importance of Canada is begin
ning to be understood and appreciated, in connexion
with the Hudson Bay Company's usurpations of ter-
riritory, and the eventual construction of a railway
to Vancouver's Island through British territory,
from the head of Lake Superior. As an instance
of the remarkable progress of Canada, since Lord
Elgin's despatch of 1852 furnished data, it will
be found that the population has increased from
1,812,265 in 1851, to 2,500.000 in 1856 ; the
revenue from 602,2161. to 1,235 6661 in 1850 The
.yatite of goods that passed through the United
States in bond to Canada, was in 1856, 1,231,7301.,
while the goods purchased from the United States
reached six 'millions sterling. The value of agri-
cultural produce in 1851, was 941,5971, and
in' 1856, 3,743,068/. The produce of mines nil
in 1850, and 41,4111. in 1856 The tonnage
and produce passing through the Welland Canal
in 1851, was 1,741,918/; in 1856, 2,155,8021. This
great and increasing traffi3 has been directed to
New York by canals and railways, since the repeal
of the Corn and Navigation Laws ; and it was to
regain this traffic that the Canadian Government
projected the Grand Trunk Railway, which, when
finished, will intercept the traffic of the Western
lakes at &irides, and convey it without a break to
the seaports of Quebec and Portland. Toi,varis
this great provincial work the Government
has given X 3,111,500 ; the authorised capital
was £12,900,000 ; the estimated coat, including
the Vic'oria Bridge, £9,500,000 ; the capital
consists of two millions 6 per cent. preference
bonds, one million eight hundred and eighty-eight
thousand 6 per cent. debentures, two millions of
7 per cent. bonds, and three millions of share
capital—total .C 8,888,100, of which, exclusive of the
Government aid, £5,144,900 has been expended up
to 30th June last, so that with a return to an easy
money market, the company will have ample funds
at their disposal to complete the works, the whole
capital bonds, vs well as shares, bearing interest at
0 per cent until the line is finished in 1860. The
directors also give the acts of the Legislature
regulating public; schools, tariffs of Canada
and the United States, the laws regulating
the forwarding of goods in bond, besides
other matters not only necessary to the merchant
but useful to the general reader and statesman.
Tha growing importance of Canada cannot be
over-estimated by our merchants, shipowners, and
manufacturers. If it has progressed so rapidly
without steam and railways, what will be the
increased speed of developement when brought
within eight days of Liverpool. and New Orleans
in twelve days from Liverpool in 1860. The
ignorant cannot realize such changes in transit,
and the prejudiced and interested shut their eyes
to coming events.

THE LEIGH WOODS MURDER-TRIAL OF BEALE.

This trial commenced on Tuesday morning, at nine o'clock, at the
Somerset winter assizes, aa Taunton Castle, before Mr. Jasace Wines.
John William Beale was indicted fo: the murder of Charlotte
Pug.ley, in Leigh Woods, near Bristol. Mr. Storie and Mr. Cole.
ridge appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. T. W. Saunders (in-
structed by Mr. Timis, of • Bath) defended the prisoner. The
prisoner e.tterel the dock with a firm step,- and being canoe on,
pleade I " Not Guilty." Mr. Storie than rose and drew the attention
of thejury to the serious nature of the charge upon which it would
be their ditty to come to a decision. The murder was committed on
the 10th or 1 ith of September, at a place of romantic besu'y at the
heed of Nightingale Valley, is Leigh Woods, near Bristol, and was
discovered on the afternoon of the. 11th, by a man named Wort,
gamekeeper to W. Wee, Esq , M.P. Wort was going his rowed in the
woods at a place called the Warren, when his attention was attraeted
to the corner of a bloody poze et hankerchal pointing out of the
earth ; and, on taking hold of it, he drew the hankerchief out
of the ground, and on looking over a precipice near the spot,
about which the gamekeeper's dog seemed very curious, Wort saw
under a ledge of rock the dead body of a young woman, and, on
examining it, he foand the throat to be cut, and observed a ballet
wound over the tight temple. The murder crested the greatest
excitement in the neighbourhood of Br.stol, and after the body had
been conveyed to the inn at Rownham, it was there viewed by some
thousands of persons, and was 3t length identified as that of Charlotte
Pagsley. The murder was evidently a moat barbarous one, and
whoever might he, e committed it was highly deserving of the severest
penalties of the law. The prisoner, in his early days, resided in this
neighbourhood, sad, while a few years ago eegage4 as but'er at
Kingsweston, he courted the deceased, and it was understood he
would marry her. He di I not do so. however, and I,ft t .is
neighbourhood to ester the employ of the late Captain Watkins, of
Daventry, Nortbannamashire, who was accident illy tailed last week,
on his way to Plymouth. On the 6th of September, the prisoner
left Captain Watkins, at Daventry, to go to Bath, having
represented to his master that his father had met with
a sad accident, and that his sister, on learning c f the
accident, had been thrown into premature labour. All this would be
shown to be untrue, bat on the Monday he was in Bristol. and on the
way ha went to the hoes: of Mr. Bytheson, at Fresh'ori, and took
away the dweesed, whom he said he we, going to marry at South-
ampton, after which they would proceed to America. 'fhe prisoner
assisted the young women to pack up her boxes, and put upon them
his own name only. On lea, lag Mrs. Bythesees, the prison?, and
deceased avant to taimpney stoke htation' with the Ingeaae, acetone-
penied by a man named 1511 er, the bailer of 11. e. Bytnesea. At the
staran the prisoner added to the direction of the trunks "to be
ctlldil for," making the plane of destination Bristol. The prisoner
proceeded to Bristol w'th 'he deceased, and at ten o'clock p.m. ha
called at the Bristol Station for the luggage, is company with a
young woman, and there was a dispute as to the charge between
prisoner and a clerk named Vn T. On the following morning, the
10th of September, prisoner avert calael at the station about the
luggage and had it transferred to the Midland Station. Toe
prisoner had at that time —the morning of the day on which it was
almost certain the murder was committed—a young woman with
him, and they went away tam in arm. At eleven o'cloek in
the forenoon of that day, the prisoner and the deceased ware seen
going along the road leading from Bristol to Howniasm Ferry,
near Leigh Woods ; and in the afternoon they were seen again
walking with their arms round each other, near the spot where the
body was found. Now, looking at these plain facts, as they wont ibo
proved, and also at an extraordinary cling of mis-statements which
the prisoner made, woat could be the man's object in decoying the
deceased from her situation, on the prcteace that he was about to
marry her? The prisoner was a married man, and what, therefore,
could be his objet in walking with the deceased about 1 eigh
Weeds? There was an object, and it was murder; and if the prisoner
was not the murderer, who collet be? But that be was—if there
con d be any doubt from the circumstances that occurred before the
fact—would be proved by the proceedings of the prisoner after the
deal was committed. The prisoner, then left Bristol, and took away
with him the deceiteed's boxes; and at ha lodgings at Daventry had
been found the barege shawl, which the deceased had on when she
left with the prisoner, and which, therefore, must have been taken
'rem her person, as it could not have been pat into any of the boxes.
The prisoner returned to Daventry, and said his sister was dead; and
in a few days after his return he presented a s.lk dress to a good
looking young woman, named Gulliver, in Daventry, telling her that
it had belonged to his deceased sister. It would be showi that that
dress belonged to.the decease I young women; and evidence weulci be
offered to prove tact the prisoner had an his possession a d sciverged
pistol, and ballets precisely similar to the one found is the
exult of the deceased. All the circumstances snrrona lug the
murder ware very clear, and he doubted not would be strong enough
to convict the prisoner. The first witness called was G 3 3rga wort,
the gamekeeper, who described the finding of the bod, ,on the 10th of
September, under a ledge of rock at the to of Nightingale Valley.
lie and Superintendent Jones conveyed the body to the liewaham
Inn. Saperintendeara Jones saw the body under the precipice, and
assisted in its removal to tae inn at Rownham, where he locked it up
in the coach-house; and observed that the clothes oa the body ware
marked " C. I'." Those initials were also visible on the handkerchief
when it was washed. Witness took charge of the clothes. Mr. Lucas,
surgeon, of Long Ashton, sail he examined the body of the deceased
the day after it was disc mead. There was a bubet ffoanit in the
right side of the head, and the throat was cut almod from ear to
ear; the windpipe and the jugular vein being completely
severed. He found a bullet in the head. and it was nearly
the same weight and of the s.am a size as some given to him by
Policeman Unsettle to weigh, and which were said to be found its
the possession of the prisoner. "1 he balite: was a grain or two lighter
than the others, is consequence of having had a bit cut off, by com-
ing in contact with the bone of the scull. Saw a knife, whit', wis
each a one as would have inflicted the wound, and it had bleed epee
it. Took out the teal of the dmeased, which he produced, and they
were peculiarly stuffed. Cross-examined: The stain on the Italia
was not a print stain, bat a blood stain. William Jones, in the em-
ploy of Mr. Aplin, tailor, of Bristol, and Mr. Edward Aplin, raid they
saw Beale on the Monday before the murder, when he ordere a coat,
and had with him a pistol similar to the one produced. alley saw
Beale g -in en the Friday, when he said he was going to the Casino,
and that ha had not been out sine) Tuesday. Louesa Farr, house-
keeper to stir. Bythe3ea, of Fre hford, said she lived with the
decearei and slept with her for about twelve months, at the house of
Mrs. Western, of Bath, and while the deceased was there the
prisoner, who Lved with Mr. Mogga, near Bath, was in the habit of
coming to see her as her lover; and he sad he intended to marry
her. Withers and Pagsley, in December,
.1856, went into the
service of Mr. Bythsea, and Lleale want to Daventry, to
take the situation of butler In the house of Captain Watkins,
of Hadley House, Northampton. On the 9th September la-t. the
prisoner came down to Mr. Bytheeea's, at Hill Hone, Freshford, to
fetch Pagsley away. H 3 said to witness that he Pagsley were
going to be manned at St. Mary's Cfiurcit, Soathampton. after which
they ehould go to Upper Canada. Warless asked where Pagsley
woad sleep until she was married, and why the prisoner proposed
to go to Southampton by the roundabout way of Bristol. The
praoaer replied that Pagsley would sleep at the house of the porish
clerk of St. Mary's, in Southampton ; and ho said he was going by
way of Bristol because he had business there. The prisoner sit ha
had left the service of Captain Watkins, because that gentleman and
h:3 fermiy had all proceeded to India about a fortnight before
Pagsley went away with Beale, and iieale cords I up her boxes, and
directed them wren teey went away. Pugaley had on her arm a
green barege shawl, and she carried in her hand a carpet-bag
and a little fancy be oret. Those now produced are the same.
[rho boxes were here predated, and the witness identified
tnem as the fame that Beare had corded up for Pagsley.
She kes3 identified toe articles they contained as Pugsley's
proper'y.l Superintendent Jones produced the wearing apparel
taken Coat the body of the deceased, and marked "C. P." Witness
could posi ively identify all the articles as those worn by Charlotte
Pagsley, when she loft Mr. Bytheseaes. Mare Ann Kelson, a dress-
maker, from Froshford, said she made several (tithe articles produced,
for• Puzsley, among others the frock found on tile end body.
Charlotte Beezor, a fellow-servant of the deceased, gave 811114
evidence John Miller, batter to Me. Bythesea, stated that he
isecompsnied the deceased and the p Isouer to the Limp nay stoke
Station. Ms prisoner said Ise was going to marry Pagsley, and then
proceed with her to Qaebec. The camoasel carried a green
barege shawl. John Ash, Henry Vane, and Thomas Siverthorpe,
servants at the railway station at Bristol, preyed that Beale,
in company with a young fema'e, was at teat station on the
morning of the 10th September. and sent his lulgage
into the Midland office, saying, " We are going to Liverpool."
This war about tea o'clock. Louisa Davy raid, that about eleven
o'clock on the 10th September, she saw the prisoner, and a young
woman dressed in a grey alpaca gown walking on the road leading
from the Bristol Station towards Rowell tea Ferry. Edward Hand-
cock, c ereenter, stated that he saw the prisoner, and a young woman
n a grey alpaca dress, in the efte-nOOO of tao 10th September, about
100 yards from the ferry, going towards tee-Down. The dead ,Oung
we nun that ha saw on the Saintly after was the same that he saw
with the man. Wilearn Jacesen, of Clifton, stated that on the latter
part of the afternoen of the 10th Septemeer, he saw a man all
woman in tee Down. near Nightingale Vol ey. sae was leaning her
head on the man ssh older. The murdered young woman was the
same he tea. Inspector Norris, of Bath, and telemeter Seasome, of
Daventry, described tire aepreitensioe of the prisoner and tee
finding in his possession the bares identified as Pagsley's.
'The keys that unlocked them, tee bloody aura, a dis-
charged pistol, E 0313 ballets, and a bullet mould On
tee Bth October, eanic ma found in the house of Captain Watkins a
new Wick cloth mat, on which were spots of blood, and under the
fire-plane, in his bed-room, he found the remains of a straw bonnet
and some net. Mrs. Gulliver stated that woes Beale returned from
his visit ha presented her w th a silk dress and other articles, which
he said had belmg, dto his deceased sister. Mrs. Ford identified
those articles as Pagsley'a. Title was the case for the trosecutiou.
Mr. *Winders, at mach length addressed the jury for the defence;
asking them to find a verdict of manslanaister. His Lordship then
summed up. erhe jury, after a few minutes' consideration, returned
a verdict of " Guilty." His lordship then passed seatence in the
usual terms, adding that for the prisoner them was no hope of
mercy.