The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-07 00:00:00

SUICIDE ©t A MURDERESS.

1 LINCOLN, Auci. s.—At the recent assists for this
county Mary Ann Millner was sentenced, to death by
Mr. Baron Rolfe for poisoning her mother-in-law, sister-
in- law, and niece, is the village of Barnetby-le-Wold, by
mixing arsenic
,in food which they partook
,of. Her
execution was appointed to take place on Friday last, at
noon, and crowds kept flocking into. the city from all
parts to witness the dreadful ceremony. She, how_ver,
avoided so ignominious a fate by hanging.terseif iirthe:,
coll she-was confined is duping the night. The sentence
of the M'w not being carried into effect at the usual plsee
and hour, led to the rumour that she had been oteeuted
within the walls of the prison. The inquest on her remains was held on Saturday,
and the Rev. Mr. Ritchie, the chaplain, stated, that he
last saw her on Thursday night about eight o'clock, when
she seemed reconciled to her fate. She had made a con-
fession, and declared that she had nothing more to confess.
She said she teL that she had made her peace with the
Almighty. She evinced deep sorrow for the crimes she
had committed, and sympathy for those she had sent un-
prepared out of the world. She wished him to write to
her husband and give him the best account he could of
her, and beg of him to take case of hut. child. On this
occasion she certainly betrayed more dejection than at
former times, but it was not of such a chat acter as to
lead him to suspect that she would destroy herselt. He
had no doubt of her perfect sanity. He did not order
her a candle.

Mrs. Johnson, the matron, deposed that she last saw
the deceased on 'rhurt.day evening, about a quarter past
nine o'clock. She then seemed as well as she had been.
Did not notice anything particular in the room.. De-
ceased kept her clothes on an arm-chair by the side of
the bed. She had no person to sit up with her. There
was no candle in the cell. There was no order for wit-
ness to visit persons condemned to death more frequently
than others. She had been 18 years matron of the
prison, and during that period had had no order to have
a person to sit up with prisoners. She was the first
person who opened the door of the deceased's room, and
found her suspended against a cupboard door by a
handkerchief which she had round her neck. It was
affixed to a screw, which was used to secure books in a
closet.

Mr. Nicholson, the governor, said that during his
governorship there had been no instance of a prisoner
having on the night previous to execution a person to
sit up in the cell. There was no order on the bo.,ks for
a person condemned to death to have a person to attend,
and in this case there had been no departure from the
prison discipline. The magistrates intended to adopt
some regulation for the future. He had noticed the
handkerchief by which she had suspended herself. She
had formed a knot of such strength that, having once
put it round her neck, strangulation would inevitably
follow. lie had heard the opinion of the public execu-
tioner, who stated that the knot was made in the
most dexterous manner.

W. Alitlsom, one of the principal turnkeys, assisted
in taking down the deceased. He telt her neck ; it was
cold and hard, as if she had been dead for some time.
There were two chairs near the cupboard door, and, by
jumping off either, she would suspend herself.
This being all the evidence, the jury returned a ver-
dict of Fel° de se, and the body was interred within the
precincts of the prison.
The Rev. Mr. Ritchie, the chaplain, has caused to be
published a correct statement of the confes,ion the
wretched murderess made. He says, "On Wednesday
morning, the 21st of July, she confessed to me that she
did poison her brother's wife, by inviting her into her
house to eat a cake made of batter, into which she pat
arsenic for the purpose. No further confession was
made till the morning of July 26th, when the prisoner
said she poisoned the infant daughter of her brother's
wife ; and when on a future occasion she was asked
how ? she said she put arsenic into its drink (tea, she
thought), and fetched the child into her house. to give
it to her. In the evening of the same day she confessed
that she had intended to poison her husband's father,
by putting arsenic into a rice pudding ; but she de-
clared solemnly she never intended to pois(m her
husband's mother, and that if she died or poison it
must have been by accidentally eating some or the rice
pudding that was put away after the father had partaken
of it. This is the amount of her confession; and she
gave the following reasons for perpetrating the crimes:—
The prisoner said, that with regard to her brother's wife,
there had been much disagreement between the husband
and wife in which she herself was mixed up; that the
wife was continually vexing herself, and making herself
very unpleasant to her; and that, in revenge, she deter-
mined to rid both herself and brother of the wife and
child. When asked what induced her to attempt to
poison her husband's father, she said that his father and
mother did not treat her well; that they came to her
house on all occasions, as though it was their own, and
took and did what they liked, without regard to her, and
also that her husband gave them money and things,
which so exasperated her that she told him she would
leave him if he continued to do so; and that, finally,
she determined to poison his father. The prisoner could
give no other reason, and constantly declared that she
did not intend to poison his mother, that she had made
away with no one else, and that no one else was con-
cerned in the crimes she committed and which she had
confessed."

The Secretary of State will doubtless direct a strict
investigation to be made into the affair, so as to ascer-
tain if any of the gaol authorities were guilty of neglect
while having charge of the culprit.

ALLEGED MURDEROUS ASSAULT

AT NE NPORT.

On Monday evening last, about nine o'clock, a large
mob of men and boys came down Iligh-street and on
towards the station-house, yelling vociferously ; and in
their midst, guarded by two men, was pushed onwards
a poor half famished Irishman. At the last step from
the street into the statioc, some gentle Christ'.an be-
stowed a curse and a heavy blow upon the unlucky
Irishman's head, as a farewell token of popular favour.
In an hour atter down came the mob once more, abso-
lutely frantic, and shouting more than ever. "Here are
the other two murderers F' they cried ; and in their
midst, tightly hemmed in by the mob, were two other
Irishmen, in rags, and very pale. To the station they
were also taken. And then rumour, with her thousand
tongues, cried out that these villanous Irishmen had
almost murdered a poor inoffensive navvy ! On Wed-
nesday, it was rutnouted that the navigator died ! On
Thursday, accordingly, the examination was ordered to
come on. But the charge was only against one, John
Sheehy, the person who was said to have committed the
murder.

The first witness examined to-day, however, was the
murdered man himself, stout and strong. Aaron Goss,
sworn, stated as follows :—I am an excavator upon the
Pontypool line of railway, and on Monday evening last
was coming down the Marshes-road towards Newport,
about seven o'clock. I went to a fire on the side of the
road near the toll-gate, to light my pipe. Three or four
men, amongst whom was the prisoner, were sitting
against the wall, near the Sre. I asked them to allow
me to light my pipe. I stirred the ashes about to see if
there was any fire. The prisoner said something,
and made a motion with a knife and fork
he had in his hands, as if to cut my boot, and I put
my hand to his arm to prevent it. I believe the fork
was in his left hand, and the knife in his right. He stuck
the fork into my head on the left side. I believe he struck
me twice in the head with the fork. The knife and
fork produced by ThomasMe dlam, constable, c.re the same.
He held the 4nife pointing at me, as if to stick me, and
he gave me a stroke with it, which cut my right hand
little finger. The blood from the stabs in my head ran
down the side of my face. My finger bled much. I
caught hold of the prisoner by the arm, and seeing I was
cut, I got away from him. I came to Newport, and went
to the doctor. I am sure I did not push myself against the
Enifo or fork. The prisoner struck at me in the he ad
with the fork. Prisoner said he would cut me when I
first went to the fire.

Cross-examined—I was not drunk. I did not ask you
for tobacco. I did not follow you to the farmer's house
or to any other house. I did not strike you. You said
you would cut my boot. I did not pull you down on your
back, because you would not give me tobacco. You did
Strike me with the knife and fork. I did not see you
eating anything.

Mr-. Win. Bi•wer, surgeon, sworn, said, on Monday
evening, somewhere about seven o'clock, the last witness
was brought to me. On examining his head, I found a
wound, which I am certain had not been done with a
fork. There was an incised wound on his finger. He
was very drunk. The cut on his finger might have
been done by seizing hold of the knife.—The case was
dismissed.
[lt is said that the " navvy" grossly insulted those
homeless people, while eating their miserable meal,
kicked out their fire, broke up their cooking apparatus,
and with drunken brutality gave them kicks and oaths.
and dragged a feeble old man along the road on his
back. If this be true—and it is stated to be—we cannot
ww,der at the case being dismissed].
Henry MacMahon, surgeon in the 87th regiment, was
taken into custody under a judge's warrant, for forging
a receipt for 271. 14s. 2d. on Luke Homer,
theshoemaker,station:f
Pill.—He was removed in custody to
Monmouthshire Merlin.

_ -
STATE OF TRADE.
YoRK WOOL MARKET, AUG. s.—There was but a
small show of wool at this day's market, and few hu3ers
being in attendance very little business was done. Prices
without alteration.
ENGLISH Wool, MARKET, AuG. 6.—The supply of
wool at market remains light for the season, and prices
here are not so high in proportion as those recently ob
tained by the growers. There is a steady demand ; but
the buyers say they cannot afford to give an advance,
and therefore buy very cautiously.
LEEDS.—There was more business done at the Cloth
Half, both on Saturday and Tuesday, than on the two
previous market days, but principally for goods of low
'
quality and heavy winter goods.
in prices, nor do the stocks accumulate,re is no alteration
although more
goods have been supplied from the country during the last few weeks. Business has been dull in the ware-
houses this wick, but from the splendid harvest weather
we have had, and the fall in the price of corn in con-
sequence, there is a very general opinion prevailing
that business will improve as soon as the elections
are over.
BRADFORD MARKET, TRIIRSDAY.—We have nothing
fresh to report from the
last few weeks. This market
is very bare
of wools, and will continue so while the
farmers demand' the prices they are doing, as it is im-
possible to realise on them from the prices the manufac-
turers are offering. Noils and broker are in pretty good
demand, and a shade higher in price. Yarns—There
is nothing fresh to report in yarns from last week.
Pieces—With respect to et a general
dullness is complained of, thwheictiemceaymbaelkattributed to
temporary causes. In both yarns and
.pit car prices are
without alteration.
MANCREsTER, TIIIIRSDAY EVENING.—We have bad
it Yer7 clull, nis,rket (or cloth this week, and prices are

-------T-7-.......447...........
rather lore? for r.,_..,:rl all :::sertp_ttens. n the grli
decline in the corn markets, appears not--tot ope I -
any_ perceptible way.' The tightriess of tit e - market has induced some wealthy, m,.nula i%
spinners to press Tales, and while i 6 c:. • di t,;:;----
are not -expected to itnprove. Y:,rrs nre inr :ari: (it ". -
Slippers.-",
l
for expqrt, but-this season is always the btitturiti---1,1,.,
-;:,
- ,J : :. , it4_,,..',.:..?

• -
I E 'l." rHE -144 i. 1 AND, CI .
:*konrOcK-'-'ll4.fiaivest ii''alrea,dy'. c`diie?
A,
• • 'W* 'as!
yea, and. some. of the netscorn mkv,'"ey-en at
moment, rave been ebtiv4rfeLl'ilitc:tOod'for man. Th#
stock of old wheat at-the cornmencement,of harvest is
probably lesS now than ,it usually has been at any
former period ; the mills are literally empty, and the
barns and granaries nearly so. The general harvest
may be expected to commence, in the early part of
next week; and it appears unquestionable that
wheat, " oafs, and barley, wilYbe found to yield a full
average produce; with the smallest possible amount
of defective grains where there are indications of the
presence of blight or mildew. The bean and pea
crops appear .to be more seriously affected; first, by
reason of the glutimins and adhesive substance usually
called honey-de : and afterwards (as a necessary
black
con-
sequence) from. the presence of green and
aphicles; but eiie'is in this case we are notquite sure that
the amount of injury has not been greatly over-rated.
The worst feature of the present season.is that which
appertains to the potato crop. The disease to which
this root has been subjected during the last two
years exhibited itself this year earlier than hereto-
fore, and is rapidly g
spreadin over the whale, under
somewhat similar circumstances, although there' ap-
pears to be a slight variation in the symptoms which
i
indicate eventual decay. Thus',nstead of brown
spots on the skin or the young tuber, the
pellicle is enlarged. by watery pustules, which in-
crease in size, as the potato itself advances
in growth, and will, in all probability; produce a more
rapid destruction of the root Symptoms may vary,
but the disease is 'unquestionably the same • and
such has been the case with •the so-called epidemic
amongst horned cattle. First the hoofs, afterwards
the mouth, and latterly the lungs, became more or
less affected; and although naturalists may disagree
as to whether the former is produced by aphides or
electricity, the reasonable presumption is, that both
the one and the other:owes its origin to some atmo-
spheric phenomena, of which we are wholly ignorant.
We never remember to have seen so large a breadth
of land seeded with mangel-wurzel as the present
year affords, and certainly a more perfect crop 'has
never been exhibited since the introduction of that
root. Turnips are almost equally unfailing, and the
prospect with regard to winter provision in general
is abundantly satisfactory.
DONCASTER.—FINE CROP OF OATS.—A crop of
oars, grown in a field in the occupation of Mr. Axe
of the Plough Inn, adjoining the grounds of F.
Fisher, Esq., of Westfield, near Doncaster, from its
extraordinary luxuriance, has attracted much atten-
tion,.has been cut, and presents.sucti a mass of sheaves
as, in point of productiveness of grain, as well as of
number, has rarely been surpassed: Leeds hies-cuk fr.
CORNWALL.—The harvest is in a very forward
state. The barley crop is spoken highly of.
DoitcnasTEß:=Several farmth in this district
have commenced harvest, and in a few days the opera,
tions'in the harvest field will be general. At. present
the crops-promise well.—Sherborne Journal.
BARNSLEv.—The glorious weather we have been
favoured with of late has done all that could be wished

for in the vegetable kingdom of this district, and if we
have only a continuance of favourable weather, every-
thing promises to be abundant, with the exception of
beans. A few patches of oats have already been cut,
and several farmers talk of cutting barley next week.
We hear nothing of potatoes being diseased, but, on
the contrary, abundant crops, and the few showers
we had on Monday afternoon has rather revived the
turnips and other crops. •
Hur.L.—The weather has been hot, and although
we had some rain yesterday, it was again fine to-day.
We have nothing further to remark with regard to
the complaints about insects in the grain, although
there is no doubt but that injury has been done to the
crops in the south, and partial, though not very mate-
rial, in the north. As far as our own observation
extends, we think wheat and oats will be light in this
district, and barley good, but not a great crop.
Beans bad.
RIPON.—The season has hitherto been favourable
for the crops, although occasionally gloomy, s ith
slight showers of rain, but which have been rather
beneficial than otherwise. Some fields of barley we
have noticed much twisted, and in some situations
flattened, but they, will not sustain much loss, save
the extra trouble in reaping. Wheat stands 'erect,,
and presents a beautiful appearance. In oats there
is little reason to complain, but in beans the 'crops
will be very deficient. In some favourable situations
cutting has commenced, and will be general in the
ensuing week. We have not heard of a single
complaint of the rust, &c., in wheat, but a general
acknowledgment of a moat bounteous crop. From
very close observation of the potato crops, vie are
enabled to state 'there continues a general soundneas
in the plants. Occasienally diseased ones have been
exhibited to ns, but, on inquiry; they would net
amount to a single one in a cart-load, and would
only have beer; noticed a few years ago as a common
occurrence. If the yield' of the late crops be equal
to the produce of the early ones, and even one-half of
them diseased, a reduction of 50 per cent. from last
year's prices would be ample compensation to the

grower.
FAILURE OF THE POTATO CROP IN PARTS OP
Colo waee.----The Cornwall Gazelle says—At Grade
the potato crop is beginning the
disease is become general. to look bad, and
The sound potatoes are
of a superior quality, could we preserve them, but it
is to be feared there will be but few left after the
diseased are separated from the others. •
BUDE.—The blight has begun to exhibit its baneful
effects in many gardens and fields ; the very early
sorts have turned out remarkably fine, but those re..
maining in the ground are showing the disease in the
leaves and stalks, and some that have been drawn the
last few days are marked with the scald (if we may
so term it) or dark spot on the skin : it is to be
feared that the late crops will be seriously
affected, but as a • large breadth of other roots
and vegetables has been planted, it is to be
hoped that the loss will not be so distressingly
felt among those ill able to bear it. The weather is
remarkably fine, and in the course of a few days the
harvest will be general in this district. At St.
Merryn the potato fields are fast assuming the same
withered and blighted aspect they wore last year.
Still, we are happy to state that the tubers
themselves are not so generally diseased as they were
then ; neither in those which are diseased is the
process of decay.so rapid; and the earlier varieties of
the potato are yielding an abundant produce.. It is to
be feared, however, that there will be a very serious
failure in the late crops, since the leaves and stalks
are already Smitten ; and these gone, it is impossible
that the tuber can attain any size. The ripening
wheat, barley, and oats, are magnificent.
WHEAT FROM SEEP THREE THOUSAND YEARS
OLD.—At Castletown, on the lands of J. Eastwood
Esq., within one mile of Dundalk, may now b '
e seen
a splendid crop of about two acres of mummy wheat,
the seed of which was taken from the
mummy brought
from Egypt, in which it was
Coln
above three thousand years, and
r mpntuted to
the4ve_arl
lain
of Haddington when First Lordpotetsheeietd to
diniraityE.
A
few grains of the seed were given to Mr. Eastwood,
Who has cultivated it during the last five years, and
Augmented it to the present abundant yield. The
stalks are one foot higher than those of the ordinary
wheat, and present a most luxuriant appearance. In
these days of agricultural improvement and even
enterprise, the supply of cereal food might be much
increased by, the culture of a grain proved to be
suited to the Irish soil.—Newry Examiner.
Greatly do we rejoice at the prospects of the har-
vest, which a continuance of fine weather for a
few weeks longer would be sufficient to secure. In
regard to cereals, the reports are most en ur R. n
from all parts of Ireland. The English co - 8-Ing
are also highly gratifying, The Liverpool
accounts
anticipates a " tremendous" wheatzverpool Albion
crop.
There are
comparatively few .complaints about
we observe by the following potatoes • and
that
Chronicle a most co the Gard;flers'
hopefully of the growing competent authority speaks
crops :
" Although we have
of- returns as to thepotato
yet received such a number
pressing a decided crop as to justify us in ex-
bound to say opinion
. on the subjt-et, yet we feel'
that the reached information which has
us, through th
cor-
respondents, strengthens the ekindness of our
view that we bad formed
previously, as we stated '
believe, although ''there in last week's paper. We quite
disease, and here andert
eheare many examples of the old
bad. cases, that,
never-
theless, upon the. whole rethveery ,
actorstate, and likely toproduce crop
is in a sati-f
i., je
an average return. Iv
shall, however, be
prepared to speak with more certainty
a week hence
Our own accounts warrant this favourable tone ;- but
it would be foolish to conceal the fact, that there are
still occasional accounts of the appearance of disease
in a decided form. For instance, Mr. M'Cormick,
the steward of the Duke of Manchester, at Tandragee
Castle, has published a letter in the Newry Telegraph,
stating that disease of the most decided character hies.
suddenly appeared in the potatoes of various kinds
planted there. Still, however, such cases are compa-
ratively few end isolated, and we have now got beyond
the time when the blight had become general and de-
structive last year.—Dublin Post,

LONG SERVICE."-WORTHY OF IMITATION. Mr.
John Wills, an Old servant of the late J. T. Curyten,
Esq., and the present Augustus Coryton, Esq., of Pen—
tithe Castle, has retired, after having been forty yeardint
their service, rewarded with an allowance sufficient ftd
make himself and wife comfortable for life, with a good
house and garden, land sufficient to keep a cow and herr*,
and. likewise a very handsome present from AugustiFt.
Coryton, Esq., as a token of the estimation in which 12*
past services are held.-- West Briton.

y