The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-04 00:00:00

THE BURGLARY AT KNOWSLEY-HALL.

It appears the burglars who committed the recent
daring robbery at Knowsley-hall, in the first instance
effected an entrance through the window of the cooking-
house, in which two squares of glass were broken to ad-
mit of their ingress. Subsequently, on finding that the
door leading to the hall was well secured, they were in-
duced to retrace their steps and adopt some other mode
of entrance, by which their object—that of gaining access
to some of the principal rooms in thelall—might be ac-
complished. They then made a second attempt, and
succeeded in entering the hall by a window opening into
the corridor leading to Lord and Lady Derby's bed and
dressing-rooms. The window had been left unfastened.
The burglars entered the apartment Where the Earl and
Countess were asleep, and passed thence to the dressing-
rooms, where they took every article of value that came
within their reach. From his lordship's dressing-room
they stole, out of a dressing case, a large bunch of seals
and the silver tops of various toilet articles ; a pencil-
case and some other small but valuable articles were
also taken, and a purse, containing six sovereigns, from
a table where his Lordship had placed it the previous
evening. A number of articles of a kind similar to those
above enumerated were taken from her Ladyship's
dressing-room. The burglars retired with their booty
without making the slightest disturbance, and got clear
off. Two massive silver candlesticks which they took
from the dressing-rooms were left in the lower part of
the hall, near where they made their final exit. While
the burglars were in the hall they passed a room where
not less than 15,000 ounces of plate is usually deposited
under the charge of the butler. His Lordship on rising
the following morning noticed the bedroom door being
open, and called her ladyship's attention to it ; she closed
the door, and no further notice was taken of the circum-
stance until the discovery of the robbery at a later period
of the day. There are two watchmen, whose duty
it is to keep guard at the hall in the night time, and
this service has been confined to the members of one
family for several generations. It appears that, in conse-
quence of the violence of the gale on Sunday night and
Monday morning, these guardians took refuge in an out-
house, where they fell asleep, and were absent from two
o'clock to a quarter-past four. It is considered very.
Probable that during their absence from duty the bur-
glary was committed. A check is kept upon the watch-
man by means of what are called peg clocks. These
clocks are erected at various stations about the premises,
and the watchmen are required to move the pegs at cer-
tain intervals during their rounds. As it was ascer-
tained that no pegs had been placed between the hours
of two and a quarter-past four, an investigation took
place, when the watchmen admitted that they were
absent at the time previously stated. They pleaded as
an excuse for their neglect of duty that the terrific cha-
racter of the storm had induced them to seek shelter in
a neighbouring building, where they accidentally fell
asleep. Most of the property stolen consisted of articles
belonging to the late Earl of Derby, and which, inde-
pendently of their intrinsic value, were esteemed as
family relics. No clue has been obtained to the perpe-
trators of the burglary.

PERILOUS POSITION OP A LIVERPOOL EMI-
GRANT SHIP AND PASSENGERS.

The Oncasta, Hadfield, arrived at Liverpool on Sun-
day, from St. John's, N. 8., bringing the intelligence of
a melancholy disaster to the emigrant ship Isaac Wright,
Captain Abeel, which sailed from this port on the 20th
ult. The Isaac Wright had on board 600 steerage and
10 cabin passengers, composed chiefly of German and
Irish emigrants. For several days after her departure
she experienced very rough weather and heavy hail-storms,
with a dense fog. However, everything got on well
until the evening of the 27th ult., when she was found
to be close to land. The captain was on deck at the
time, and called to the man at the wheel to put the ship
about, hut it was too late, for as she was wearing round
her stern struck on a rock, unshipped her rudder, and
caused her to make water rapidly. They got her into
deep water, but as it was impossible to control her
movements, all sails were reefed, and all hands took to
the pumps. She remained in this position with signals of
distress flying, and although several vessels hove in sight
none of them answered the signals until the Oncasta
bore down to her. On being asked where he had
struck Captain Abeel said he believed it was Cape Clear,
but Captain Hadfield told him that could not be as he
was only 40 miles off Cork and 34 off the Head of
Kinsale. Upon consulting together it was agreed that
the Oncasta should make all sail here, and send a
steamer to her assistance, Captain Abeel being of opinion
that he would be able to keep her afloat in the mean-
time. Captain Hadfield took off the cabin passengers,
10 in number. When the Oncasta left the Isaac Wright
she was very deep, the water being up to her port-holes.
The passengers speak in the highest terms of the con-
duct of Captain Abeel and his crew, stating their belief
that the former had not slept from the period the steam-
tug left the Isaac Wright to the period of their leaving
in the Oncasta. Theyalso spoke in the warmest manner
of the kindness of Captain Hadfield and his wife. Four
deaths from natural causes had occurred in the Isaac
Wright. On Sunday, Captain Dixon, of the Fidelia (be-
longing to the same line of packet-ship, Baring Brothers),
left this port in the steam-tug Constitution in search of
the unfortunate ship, with a view of rendering assistance.
Since writing the above a communication has been
posted in the Exchange and underwriters' rooms, tele-
graphed by the Semaphore, from Holyhead, stating
that a large ship, apparently an American liner, was off
that port, inward bound, at 11.30 a.m. She appeared
to be in want of assistance, and a steam-tug had just
arrived alongside.fller name could not be distinguished,
she being far distant to the W.S.W.

A WOLF STORY.—The Courrier de Gas says :
"Two mountaineers from the Pyrenees appeared about
a fortnight back in the village of Mazoux, leading three
large wolves, which they exhibited as they went along
in order to obtain money. Suddenly one of the wolves
broke the rope which held him, and made off towards
the open country. Meeting in its way a dog, it killed
the animal, and was making a meal of it, whn a man
named Canuse, known in the country for his intrepidity,
came in sight. The wolf at once left the dog and
rushed at him, but the man standing firm, thrust his
hand into the animal's mouth as it sprang at him, and
tore out its tongue. The wolf soon after expired. The
owner came up immediately after, and seeing the ani-
mal without life, he flew into a violent rage, accusing
the other of depriving him of the means of earning his
bread, and attempted to strike Canuse with a stick. A
struggle ensued between them, and the mountaineer got
the worst of the contest. The other mountaineer then
came up, and in his turn attacked Canuse, who also
treated him with as little ceremony as he had done his
comrade. Afterwards, touched with compassion at their
state, he took them home and entertained them hospi-
tably until they quite recovered. The inhabitants of
Mazoux, in honour of Canuse's intrepidity, have just
given him a fete, in which he was borne about on a plat-
form covered with evergreens and flowers."
ROMANISM IN THE ARMY.—We give the following
from a Chatham correspondent as we have received it :
" Chatham Garrison.—Very considerable sensation pre-
vails with the military owing to an extraordinary ordero
from the Secretary at War, that the military chapeLin.
Brompton Barracks is to be used alternately
day by Protestants and Roman Catholics, andlliteth_ef
Government has appointed a Roman CatholicatnPrul to
the name of M‘Gurr, at a salary of 801.
during his
perform the duties. He is also to receivepineraddition 50.
Catholic dun
for every visit he makes to a Roman . been built,
stay in hospital. The chapel ever since it n
as
which is now some years, has been entirely devoted for
ta
the troops who are of the faith of the
been met by thehlished Church,
consequently the order in question h
lit,— a,
h olain (the Rev.
authorities here, and also the intriated..7
against the chapel
Mr. Green), who have remonstrated
that the Roman Catholic
being so used. It is
appointed,also stated
now demands that, in
priest, having been_ y
out the forms and rites of his
order that he should
be erected in the chapel. Of course
faith, an altar Should
this is
the Protestants, and a correspond( nce
between the Parties hcre and at the
oppo.sedd
ob n y
is
Horsenow Guards;earrle and it is urged, and very properly so,
place of worship, the
that if the Roman Catholics want a
Government ought to build a place for them."—Morn-
ing herald.
PROPOSED BANQUET TO LORD PALMERSTON.—On
Friday afternoon a meeting,
's Rooms, Geor e called by circular, was
held in Dowell
's
street for the purpose
of considering the proprie.ty of inviting- Lord Palmerston
to a public banquet, to be held in Edinburgh, at any
time which might be most convenient for his lordship.
There was but one opinion expressed by all the gentle-
men present, that the services of the noble lord had been
of such a character as eminently to entitle him to such
a mark of respect ; and accordingly it was unanimously
resolved that immediate steps should be taken for hold-
ing a public meeting of the citizens, to give them an
opportunity of making known their feelings upon the
,subject,-42tsnian•