The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-03 00:00:00

DREADPUL ACCIDENT.

[From the Manchester Guardian of Saturday.]
About half-past two o'clock yesterday afternoon the neighbour.
hood of the Collegiate Church was thrown into great consternation
by the sudden fall of a public-house, known by the sign of Von
Blucher, situated near the Old Bridge.
Most of our readers will probably recoiled that a fire took place
last year in the premises occupied by Mr. Drew, grocer and provi-
sion-dealer, in Did Bridge-street, which were entirely destroyed,
and have never since been rebuilt (owing, we believe, to an inten-
tion which at one time existed of carrying a road to Strangeways
over the site of them). These premises adjoined the Blucher pub-
lic-house, which was probably one of the oldest buildings in town,
and constructed partly of timber, which appears to:have been greatly
decayed. Since the fire, it has lost the support it received from
Mr. Drew's premises, and has been gradually giving way ever
since, though no apprehensions of immediate danger were enter.
tallied by the family. About half.past two o'clock yesterday, how.
ever, the whole front part of the building fell at once, with a dread-
ful crash, giving very little warning to the inmates. Mr. Parr's
family consisted of himself, his wife, a brewer, and two Whale
servants. Mr. Parr was not In die house, and the others hap.
pered fortunately to be at the back of the premises, and made
their escape through the back windows, without injury. Three or
four guests were in tile tap-room (which forms the ground-floor),
all of whom very narrowly escaped. as the greater part of the room
in which they were seated was filled with the rubbish from the
roof and upper stories: none of them, happily, received any injury,
and they all made their way out at the front in a few minutes after
the accident. A poor girl, however, about six years old, named
Sarah Wright, who was in the street at the time, was crushed to
death. It appiars that the mother of the unfortunate girl has lately
been in the habit of standing in front of the public-house wiih a
skip, for the purpose of selling calico tents and other small articles
of that kind. About a minute before the accident she had gone
into the house to warm herself at the fire, leaving her daughter to
take care of the property. The poor little creature, at the moment
when the building was falling, was standing under the impending
ruin, perfectly unconscious of her danger. He made an cant to
rescue her, but the fall of the building was so rapid as to render it
ineffectual, and he narrowly escaped with his life, for the whole
from of the house fell into the street, and overwhelmed the girl in
an instant. Every exertion was, of course, immediately used to
extricate her, end she was dug out in a few minutes, but was per.
fectly dead. The mother escaped, we believe uninjured.
We understand it is only about two years since the back part of
the same premises fell in a similar manner, when several of Mr.
Parr's family narrowly escaped.
Had this accident occurred during the night, and more especially
if It had taken place during the busy period of the market on this
day, the probability is that the consequences would have been much
more lamentable ; as not only would the street have been crowded
with people, but the horse itself would have contained many
guests; and it is not probable that they could all have escaped
with their lives.

Accounts were received on Saturday from Demerara to
the 7th February ; the colony was healthy, and the weather tine.
Tqe new regulatiors for the treatment of the slaves were carried into
execution without complaint, except the new regulations respecting
the female slaves. The stocks, and the painful attitude they are
placed in for a certain time, as a commutation for flogging, are ex-
claimed loudly against. The heat of the climate, and the exposure
to the insects, particularly to the bite of the musquito, are stated to
be grievously felt by these poor wretches, more keenly than the lash.
Colonel Young is appointed protector of slaves in the colony, with
&salary of 2,00(11. per annum.
DEATH OF NIR. FAULKNER, PROPRIETOR OF THE
YORK THEATRE.—We arc sorry to announce the melancholy
death of this amiable man. It appears that he wandered from los
home, in Castlegate, on Friday, to the banks of the Ouze, and his
hat and stick were found a few yards from the cold bath. His
body was found about half-past six o'clock the following morninfi.
The deceased, it is said, has been labouring under a depression of
epithet* or some days. It is the subject of conversation of the
whole city of York. The Theatre is closed. The deceased, we
believe, was a widower, and has left five small children to lament
his melancholy loss.
We have the melancholy duty of announcing the death
of Colonel Delancey Barclay, in the prince of life, at his house at
Tellingbourn. The Colonel had for many years been in a confi-
dential situation at head-quarters ; was Companion of the Bath,
and Aid-de-Camp to the King. lie was a most amiable and highly
popular person, and his loss, deeply lamented as it will be, is ren-
dered more strik.ng by the tut, that his Lady had been confined
but a very fcw days.
Tire CONVICT CATHERINE Fertnts.—On Thursday
evening an order was received from the office of the Right Hon.
the Secretary for the How Department. commanding the enlarge-
ment of this unfortunate• female from the gaol of Ncwgate, in the
cells of which site had been confined for nearly twelve months past,
waiting in anxious suspense the moment when the" last dread flat"
of the law would be carried into execution, for the alleged commis-
sion of a crime, of which. it has since been ascertained, she had
been perfectly guiltless. The circumstances attendant on her ap-
prehension and subsequent liberation are Welly these :—ln the
early part of last spring a Mr. Marsh, while passing through
Wentwerth;street, Whitechapci, was robbed by three of the aban-
dcned females valentine thasmiatilsourhood, of a coosiderable SIAM
of money. Ile lodged In:Om:adore of the occurrence at Lambeth-
street office, and from the drecription he then gave of the persons
of those who plundered him, suspicion became attached to Ferris,
and a girl named Davis. who in conaequenee were taken into cus-
tody, and, on the identification of air. Marsh, fully committed to
Newgate. ' Their trial rock place at the riming sessions, and Mr.
M. being then equally positive as to their identity, they were found
and sentenced to suffer an ignominicus death. His Ma-
jesty s clemency, however, fortunately interfered, and granted a
respite tor an indefinite period. Some circumstances subsequently
transpired, which led to the opinion that Ferris was innocent, and.
the activity of Foster, one of the officers of Lambeth-street, the
real criminals were taken into custody, and, when brought before
the al agietwites fee etamination, completely exonerated Ferris from
any participation it. their guilt- NYlwn the above circumstances
attained publicity, a memorial was prepared and presented to Mr.
Peet, detailing the discovery and the proofs of Ferris's innocence,
and praying for her liberation. That Right Hon. Gentleman at
once took the subject loin can thleration- and directed a reference to
he made to the Magistrate!' of Latnbeth-stmet, who having made a
report confirmatory of the proofs which came under their cogni-
zance, his Alajeety was graciously plumed to issue his free pa.don
for the guiltless sufferer. The real criminals have, for the present,
escaped punishment. Mr. Marsh being confined in a lunatic asy-
lum, anti consequently unable to prosecute, they were discharged
on giving security for their future good behaviour.
Ott Sunday night last, at Carrick, a daring notice was
pitied on the door of a man named Rourke, violently threatening
destruction to hint it' he would not give up some ground he had
lately taken. The notice was next morning taken to that active
Magistrate. Henry Briscoe, Esq. of Tinvane, whn is usiag all tins.
slide exertion to discover the lawless author or authors of it....-Wa-
ferfurd Afttil, Aires 29,
MELANCHOLY OCCPRRENCE.—On Friday afternoon, as
• youth about sixteen pars of age, named William Rogers, who
was employed on board a steam vessel moored off Deptford, was in
the act of dipping fora bucket of water, he unfortunately fell over-
board and was drowned. It was not until late on Saturday after-
noon that his body was fotmd, when it was placed in a shell, and
conveyed to the residence of his mother, in Suffolk-place, Bermond-
sey, whn has ever since remained in a state of mental agony.
Upwards of thirty climbing boys were on Monday
treated with an excellent dinner at the Cutler's Hall, at the ex-
pense of a tow kind friend', who, for some years, have made it a
practice to render this pitiable aid degraded clue of human beings
happy on Easter Monday. They also received some good advice,
as well as small pet/Sent* of' tracts, &e. which we hope will not have
been bestowed on them in vain.--Slie Aid Iris.