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

DIABOLICAL OUTRAGE.

At the Worship street police-court on Monday, Jel!
Shea. an athletic young labouring man. was charged with
feloniously cutting and wounding a little boy, naMet'
Thomas Ballard, seven years of age. William Ballard,
an excavator, living in Caroline street, Clapton, statea
that on Saturday last he accidentally met the accused'
with whom he had occasionally worked, and finding that
he had been drinking freely he took him home, for the
purpose of sleeping off the effects of his debauchery'
About an hour afterwards the witness, who had returned
back to a pahlichouse close by, was called out by one 0'
the neighbours, who told him that his infant nepheir'
whom he had left fast asleep in the same room with the:
prisoner, had been dreadfully cut and mangled ; and 0
hastening home he found the child in the arms of e
woman, and bleeding copiously from the face and other
parts of its person. The prisow'r at the time was lying
'on the bed where the child had bees sleeping; and
observing that the sheets were saturated with bloods
witness questioned him on the subject, but he made no
reply, and instantly hurried out of the house. .WithesSe
however, followed him up, and having obtained 'the.
assistance of a policeman, the prisoner was ultimata
taken into custody. Police-constable Francis stated that
on receiving information of the outrage, he proceeded in
search of the prisoner, whom ha overtook year Lis ovre,
door, and at once secured hi.n. The prisoner, however.
made a desperate resistance, in the course of which wit-
ness received a caution from one of the bystanders, which
induced him to search his pocket, in which he found a
clasp-knife, the blade of which was covered with fresh
blood. On wresting, the weapon from him, after a severe
struggle, the prisoner carelessly remarked, " That is a
good bit of steel for such a job, but I'm not the man to do
it." The officer added that the unlbrtunate child had
sustained serious wounds about the face, hands, and neelc,
and had been ever since under medical attendance
The prisoner, who in general terms denied the charge'
was.ordered to be remanded for a week.

ACCIDENTS IN THEI UNIT,D STATES IN 1856.-116;
pe:sons were kiled and 539 wounded by 142 railroad
accidents in the United States. Among the killed %Feta
26 engioeers and 23 firemen. Duri^?, 1855, there were
195 killed and 629 wcunded by 143 similar accidsnte•
There were 89 fires in the United Stites in 1856, which
invo'ved the 'OM of 183 lives. In 1855, there were 0011,
62 files where loss of life occu-red, and the number of
rArs(r:s lost was but 119. The number of fires in the
United States in 1856 (4hcre the loss of property was over
20,000 dots. at each ) was 227, and the aggregate losg
21,159,000 dole. agsinct a loss of 13,049,000 at 123 fires
in 18.53. Add to the abnv© the amount of property
destroyed by fires, wherein each inetasco, the loss wag
20,000 dole., and the aggrcg.te would he increased to
probably 27,000,000 dole. in 1856, and to 18,000,000 dole'
in 1855. The cumber of steamboat accidentsoin 1856
was 29—persons killed 358, wwityjed, 127. The number
of ecuideats in 1855 was 27—k'11ed 176, wounded, 1071
Thirtr revolutionary soldiers died in the United State°.
in 1856.

Loss OF THE MAIL STEAWHIP ERIN.—At the Green'
wick Police-curt on Saturday Mr. Trail, assisted by
C,ptain Sulivan, R.N., bed an official inquiry into the
loss of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation"
Compeny's ship Erin, of 850 tons burden, wh'eh
wrecked oa the east coat of C3llon, on the 5,1 of June last,
while elnveying her Mjesty's mail, treasure, specie, and
a large cargo of opium, to the amount of 200 0001., frobl
thoatny to Point de Galle and China. Mr. Cumberland
attended from the Bard of Trade, and Mr. Stenning,
the firm of APL.to'l Stenning, of Fenchurch-etreet,
appeared on behalf of the company. Mr. Cumberland
stated that the ship left Bombay on the let of June for
Point de Galle and China, and continued her proper cours9
until the 6th of Jane, when she suddenly struck. The
main question for enqairy was now whether the proper
sounding had been taken and such measures adopted as
might have saved the ship. Capt. Bayley, the commander
of the Erin, John Charles BayLton the third officer, and
John L. Gregory, suppl:rarn'ary officer, having been eV
amiued, Mr. Traill, Capt. Sullivan, and Mr. Cumberland
retired for a short time, and on their return to court Mr.
Traill said, he and Capt. Sullivan had held some conversa-
tion with respect to the inquiry under consideration:
and bad comp to the conclusion that the certificate °E
Captain Bayley with his ('ir. Trail's) report should be
forwarded to the Board of Trade, when, in all probabilitYt
reference would be made to the conduct of the third 011"
perior officer.