The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-16 00:00:00

PARRIOIDE.

GLOSSOP, SATURDAY MORNING.—A sensation, which
it would be difficult to attempt to describe, prevails at
the present time throughout this usually quiet district,
in consequence of the discovery having been made of
a most appalling murder, which there is no doubt,
from what has recently transpired, was perpe-
trated by a young man named Thomas Doxey, a son
of the unfortunate victim. The murder was committed as
far back as last December, and the body was found on New
Year's eve in the water near Victoria-bridge. The circum-
stances connected with the case were at the time considered
to be very mysterious, but no evidence could be procured
likely to implicate any person, although rumour was busy,
and pointed to members of the deceased's family, who
were known frequently to quarrel with and ill use the
old man. On Good:Friday, however, a man named
John Clough made a most startling disclosure con-
nected with the affair, which coming to the ears of
Mr. Clayton, the chief officer of police, he at
once went in search of the alleged murderers.
On Sunday last he succeeded in apprehending
Thomas Doxey, the deceased's own son, and William
Dawson, his son-in-law. The two were on Wednesday
last brought before Mr. Yates, one of the magistrates
of the district, when John Clough, upon being sworn,
stated, that on the 30th of December last, about 10
o'clock at night, he and his wife were crossing
Victoria-bridge, when he saw Thomas Doxey aid
another man, whom he at first believed to be Wil-
liam Dawson, accost the deceased, who was also
crossing the bridge. The deceased was at that time
in front of witness. The prisoner Doxey then went
up to him, and said that he would strike Lim, when
he at once gave him a blow over the head, which
felli-d him to the ground like a bullock, and the other
man kicked him on the head. His son then cried
out, " We will murder the d— old b--- now."
After that he kicked his father twice on the breast,
when witness went up and asked what they were doing
to the old man. The wife of witness was with him at
the time. The two persons who were murdering the
deceased cried out that if they did not go away they
would serve them the same. They being afraid of
losing their lives, made off, but as they were so
doing looked round and saw the two men throw the
deceased over the Victoria-bridge into the brook.
He (witness) heard the splash and saw the man fall.
years,
ea
rhs had kandn owwa
was,
the
therefore,
prisoner
quiteDoxey
cert a
ifnor he morese tnhea n
of two
men who committed the murder. The reason he did not
mention the matter till Good Friday was on account of
the prisoner Doxey telling him if he did he should surely
lose his own life. He was not certain that the prisoner
Dawson was the other person he saw with Doxey,
and be now considered that that person was
somewhat stouter. lie had seen Doxey se-
veral times, who had cautioned him not to say
a word about his throwing his father over the
bridge. The witness having been severely cross-
examined. Mrs. Clough, his wife, was next called, and
after she had given her testimony, the prisoner Doxey
was fully committed for the wilful murder of his father,
but the prisoner Dawson was discharged, his friends
proving that he was in the house at the time the murder
was committed. The police have received orders to look
after the other man who was engaged with the prisoner
Doxey in murdering the poor old man.

ELECTRIC and HYDRAULIC TELEGRAPHS.— On
Thursday evening last, April 12, we bad the pleasure of
attending a lecture, delivered by Mr. W. H. French,
lately engaged in the service of the Eleetric Telegraph
Company, London, &c., on the comparative merits of
electric and hydraulic telegraphs. The lecture was de-
livered to a respectable, but scanty audience, in the
Collegiate Institution. The lecturer went into a minute
and critical examination of the inefficiency and the liabi-
lities of the electric telegraph to disarrangements, show-
ing in a very clear and satisfactory manner that they arose
from fluctuation of galvanic electricity and the interfe-
rence of terrestrial and atmospheric electricity. Mr.
French's statements respecting the uncertainty of the
t,lectric telegraph's signals, from oscillation and the strik-
ing and variations of the needles, were very plain and
convincing, and drew from the audience warm plaudits,
inasmuch as all present felt the full force of his
arguments, and by the illustrations and experiments
brought forward, proved that he was stating nothing
more than reason and the laws of natural philosophy
warranted. The complicated character of the electric
telegraph's alphabet was next descanted on, and proved
by the exhibition of one invented by the lecturer. Mr.
French then exhibited and explained at some length the
nature and objects of two of his inventions—current
deflectors, as he termed them—and complained in very
pointed terms that the Telegraph Company had dis-
missed him from their service in consequence of matters
arising out of these inventions. He next explained his
mode of transmitting signals by means of water. Alto-
gether his lecture was a very able and interesting one,
and strengthened our previous convictions, founded on
a very extensive experience of the operations of the
nissioofus, which
company, that the electric telegraph, as. at present '
the errors, o r s,
repetition and
tend to bring the practical part
.of an invention,
. no less
delays, worked,
entirely i s constantly
inexcusable, liableantdo
useful than important, into a daily increasing disrepute.
Why is this? Simply because the public have no
guarantee that their messages will be transmitted in-
stantaneously, or with accuracy. Indeed, from Mr.
French's lecture, it would appear that a certainty of
accuracy is what cannot be attained so long as the
letters of the alphabet are signalled as they now are.—
European Times.
LERWICK, APRIL io.—Wind N.E.—Sld. sth, True-
love, Davis' Straits. 10th, Gulnare, Boston, United
States; Prince of Wales, Davis' Straits.