The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-23 00:00:00

DETERMINED SUICIDE.

Yesterday morning a most determined suicide was
committed by a ship carpenter named Alexander Mac-
kenzie, 44 years of age, residing at 34, Amity-street,
Liverpool. He was of intemperate habits, and, having
been out of employment, was much depressed. He drove
a nail into the wall in the back yard about three months
ago, and said he would hang himself on it. About one
o'clock in the morning he went out to the back yard
and hung himself from the nail, swinging himself
off from the steps by which the descent into
the yard is effected. Becoming frightened, a child went
out after some time, and, on opening the back door,
knocked against th• body. An alarm was at once made,
and Dr. Pierce, who attended the schoolmistress who had
attempted suicide in the same locality a few days ago, was
sent for; but all his efforts to restore animation failed.
The man leaves a family of six children. At six o'clock
this morning his wife left the house, and has not since been
heard of.

THE LATE TRADE OUTRAGE AT -
MANCHESTER.

A man named Malachi Ryan was apprehended at Bol-
ton on Friday on suspicion of being concerned in causing
the incendiary fire at the timber-yard of Mr. Johnson,
builder, of Ancoats, on Saturday evening, April 30th—the
same night on which an attempt was made to blow up Mr.
Johnson's house. The prisoner, who is described as a chair-
maker, is a man apparently of about fifty years of age, of
slender build, and features deeply marked and furrowed.
A sergeant of the Rochdale borough police stated that,
acting on information received, he apprehended the
prisoner in Bolton on Friday afternoon, and in the police-
station there charged him with the offence. The prisoner
said nothing then. While being conveyed in the train from
Bolton to Manchester the prisoner said, "I have told
nobody but George Hopkins of Rochdale." The prisoner
had been drinking, but was not far gone in drink.
Prisoner (interrupting)—l was so drunk I don't remem-
ber leaving Bolton at all. When I woke up this morn-
ing I could not believe that I was in Manchester.
George Hopkins, the informer in the case, said he was
by trade a chairmaker, like the prisoner, but he now kept
the Beaver Inn beer-house at Rochdale. He had knowu
the prisoner for 20 years. On Thursday last he acciden-
tally met him at Bolton. He was then quite sober,
and told witness that he had just come from Manchester.
The two men had several glasses of ale together, and after
spending nearly two hours drinking, the prisoner becoming
confidential said, "George, I want to say summat to you.'
Soon afterwards he asked, "Do you recollect that fire at
Johnson's timber yard ?" Witness answered that he did.
" Well, then," the prisoner went on to say, " I did it."
Witness was astonished, and replied, " Well, if you have
done it you have no business to tell me, nor nobody else."
To which the prisoner rejoined, " Ay, lad, but thee'll
never split." Witness saying, " I'll bid thee good bye,"
put a half-crown into the prisoner's hand, and went
away. He had given him three shillings previously to
that. Yesterday witness wont to Bolton again. He
found the prisoner in a beerhouse asleep from
the effects of drinking. A man named Higgins
was with him. The prisoner was awakened, and the
three men joined in a glass of ale. The witness afterwards
asked the prisoner to accompany him for a walk, and the
prisoner replied, " I will go with thee if I shall not shame
thee." Higgins also went with them. Witness, however,
managed to take the prisoner aside, and then asked him,
"Do you know what you said to me last night ?" Prisoner
answered, " Yes, thou'lt never split. My life o' in thy
hands." Witness rejoined, "Then thou ought not to ha'
told me," and asked how he did it. The prisoner said
" Thou wantest to know the whole now. Well, I got by
the backway over the wall ; and I thought I had broke my
leg, when I leet into th' yard ; but I come round
in a moment or two. I had a bottle of
naphtha, and I sprinkled it on some boards,
and made a train of gunpowder and steel
filings. I got £l4 for the job. I received it in two sums
df £7 each. A few of the brickmakers gave me a pound
each, and made it up to £2O. Witness asked him if he
knew anything about the house, meaning Mr. Johnson's
house, Levenshulme. Witness said "Yes," but that
moment the man Higgins came forward and interrupted
the conversation. Witness afterwards left the prisoner in
a beerhouse, and gave him and Higgins 6d. to have a
quart of ale. He then returnedto Rochdale, and had not
since seen the prisoner until he appeared in the dock
that day.
The prisoner, on being invited to cross-examine the wit-
ness, said—" I have nothing to ask him ; but it is a parcel
of lies altogether. I was drunk, and I was only—
The stipendiary magistrate here interrupted and c au-
tioned the prisoner against making any statement.
A remand for a week was then granted.

In the Oxford University summer eight-oar races, con-
tinued on Saturday, St. John's failed to get near the
University head boat. There was a fine race between
Balliol and Brasenose, but the latter got home unscattered.
Pembroke bumped Worcester, Queen's bumped Merton,
and New College bumped St. Edmund's Hall. The races
will be resumed on Monday evening, and continued each
evening until Friday..
An aggregate meeting of the Jewish congregations in
Manchester was held on Saturday, at which petitions to
Parliament were adopted in favour of the abolition of
University Tests. Dr. Gottheil, who moved the resolu-.
tion, regarded the Solicitor-General's bill as a proof
of departure from the old anti-Jewish feeling which was
wont to characterise legislation, 4eligious clOgroatic tests
in the sense in which the Thirty-ninii Articles were put
before candidates for the highest honours were
unknown in Judaism, and every attempt to in-
fluence the. teachings of Judaism within the bounds
of a certain set of dogmas had at all times met
with a great opposition, and it had never been
necessary to put any such tests to any candidates for any
of the highest offices which Jewish congregations or Com-
munities could bestow. The petition stated that within
the last few years perions prOfeesing the Jewish religion
had respectively retained the rank of senior.second and
fifth wrangler, who had all been deprived a the chances
of obtaining fellowships on eccetwet of conscientious ob-
potions to signing the articles,