The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-23 00:00:00

MURDER AT MANCHESTER

MANCHESTER, SATURDAY EVENING.—Thia morning con-
sider,ble excitement was croatett in the neighbourboid of
Oaf }rd-road, by the discovery of the body of a youth in what
is commonly called the " Black- brook,", which runs through
the adjoining township of Chorlton-upon-Medlock.
Owing to the extreme drought of late the brook is almost
dry, there not being more than three inches deep of water at
the spot where the body was found. The body was lying with
the face uppermost, but neither the face nor body was covered
with water.

The body was first discovered by Mr. Batty's ostler, who
had come earlier than usual to work, to clean the harness,
being employed during the day at hay-making. On opening
the window of the harness-room, which overlooks the brook,
about four o'clock in the morning, he discovered the body.
Ile and his companion immediately went out, and finding a
polieeman at hand, told him of the circumstance, and on
going round, saw the body as already described. It was
taken out and laid on the bank, and was at once recognised
as the body of a boy who had for some time been
known in the neighbourhood as a hawker of blacking
and blacklead. A tin box, with handle, in which
he carried his blacking, was found near him, partly im.
mersed in the water, with part of the lid broken off. Notice
was, of course, immediately given at the police-office, the
body was removed into Mr. Batty's stable, where it now
lies, and in the course of the day a post mortem examination
was made by Mr. Galland, who at once declared that death
had not ensued from drowning, but from a blow on the head,
over the right temple, which seems to have been inflicted by
a blunt instrument, such as a heavy club or stick. There
was no blood or external marks of violence on the body, but
when taken out of the water and laid face downwards, some
blood and water came from the mouth and ears.
The name of the deceased is George Wray, whose father
is a blacking manufacturer, residing at 324, Deansgate, and
he had been out during the day, supplying the small shops
in the neighbourhood. No money was found upon the boy
when searched, although`his father states that he should
have bad 16s. or 18s., from the quantity of blacking which
had gone out of the box.

On the police making inquiries in the neighbourhood, it
was soon discovered that the deceased had been seen in
company with some boys near the spot where the body was
found, as late as 11 o'clock on the preceding night. Two
of these boys were immediately taken into custody, the oldest
being about 17, named James Siddon, residing at 37, Jenkin-
son-street, the other fourteen, named Joseph Dean.
On searching these boys, a knife, two combs, and two
handkerchiefs, were found upon them, all of which have
been identified by the parents of the deceased as his pro-
perty. Some money was also found upon them, on some of
which bits of blacking were found.

THE MELANctIiiL L:iss OF LIFE

OFF GREENOCK.
The recent sad accident on the Clyde by which Mr. E. G.
Ilberry, the superintendent of the locomotive department of
the Greenock Railway, and his cousin, Mr.. Howel, lost their
lives, created the deepest sensation, not only at Greenock,
but at Glasgow and Paisley, where the unfortunate gentle-
men were highly respected. Since the night of the fatal oc-
currence the Lord Provost has been assiduously engaged in
investigating the circumstances of the collision, and sufficient
has been adduced to warrant the arrest of the owner of the
steamer occasioning the loss of life. In addition to the par-
ticulars which have alfeady appeared concerning the catas-
trophe, it appears that the deceased gentlemen left the shore
about a quarter to ten o'clock in a new boat belonging to
Mr. Ilberry, for the purpose of enjoying a cigar in the cool of
the evening. It was a beautiful moonlight night, and they
scarcely rowed out 60 yards when they observed a steamer
bearing up the river, and perceiving her course was direct upon
them they pulled further out into the channel. Still finding from
some extraordinary, and as yet unexplained cause, that the
steamer was proceeding towards the boat, notwithstanding
she had been rowed to a considerable distance from the ori-
ginal poAtion, Mr. Ilberry and Mr. Rowel called out to those
on board the steamer to port her helm. The facts have been
fully established by the sister of the unfortunate Mr. Ilberry.
who watched the movements of the boat from the window of
her brother's house, and the deplorable scene that afterward,
occurred. It seems that not the least notice was taken of
the cries of the deceased gentlemen. T ey were pulling with
all their might to get out of the way of the steamer, and so
continued till she came down upon teens at her full speed,
cutting the boat in halves,. and killing its unfortunate occu-
pants. The steamer proved to be a new powerful iron one
not 3-et named, built by Barr and 11.‘Nab, of Renfrew, and
on the authorities boarding her after the unfortunate occur
rence, they were surprised at finding no pilot or person acting
in the capacity of captain on board. She was in charge of
Mr. 111‘Nab, and the excited condition of those on board, and
the reckless way the vessel was stated to have beet,
travelling, induced the official to arrest the principal.
Mr. M'Nab, who was subsequently liberated on provid-
ing satisfactory sureties. It is alleged by thosf-
who were on board the steamer, that they called to the gen-
tle:nen in the boat to get out of the way—but from their
confused manner, they probably did not understand their
calls, and hence pulled into the danger instead of out of it
Be that statement correct or otherwise it has been satisfac
torily proved that the course of the steamer was contrary t.•
the rules of the river navigation. The channel where tht
accident happened is between three and four miles wide, and
her track should have been more in the centre of the chan-
nel. The vessel was on an experimental trip, aad it is as-
serted that she was, at one period of the day, going at tht
-rate of eighteen miles an hour. The course she to..k, which
unhappily has led to the shocking affair, can only be ac.
counted for from a desire for testing her capabilities in stilt
water. Experimentalising, however, at so late an
hour of the evening, at such remarkably quick speed.
and so near the shore, on a busy river, is fraught
with the greatest danger, and now forms the sub-
ject of a very strict investigation. The Lord Provos
has forwarded the minutes of evidence relating to the catas-
trophe to the Judge-Advocate at Edinburgh, who will de-
termine against whom prosecution shall be instituted. The
funeral of the deceased gentlemen took place on Friday, and
seldom has such a mark of respect been witnessed in or neat
Greenock. Their remains were followed by thousands.
Amongst the mourners were the Sheriffs. Bailies, and the
principal clergy and gentry of the neighbourhood. Mr.
Rowel was the treasurer anti secretary to Messrs. Stephen
son and Mackenzie, the contractors for the new harbours a.
Greenock, and was in his 50th year. M . Ilberry was a vert
promising young man, and was in his 22d year. 'He had ontj
recently entered into a contract with the Caledonian Coin
limy, on the construction of 75 locomotives and upwards o
300 carriages and trucks. The unfortunate young lady th,
sister has sustained a severe shock by the catastrophe sit
witnessed, and has since been confined to her bed. It is ;.
question whether she will survive the calamity.— Glasgow
Herald.

RAILWAY FROM THE MISSIS

SIPPI TO THE ATLAS no.
(From the Railway Herald.)
The citizsns of the Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia,
and South CarAina, are making gr, at efforts to complete
the Great Southern Railroad to connect the Mississippi
river with the Atlantic. The line is to connect Jackson,
in Mississippi, with Montgomery, Alabama ; the distant.
is 103 miles in Mississippi, and 124 miles in Alabama. or
about 240 miles on the probable course to be taken. Fron
Jackson, by the railroad now in use, to the Mis
sissippi river at Vicksburg, and a branch to Natchez
and eventually westward to Texas. At Mont
gomery, this railroad is to connect with the
Montgomery and Westpoint Railroad, of which
about forty-five miles are completed, and the remaining
forty-five miles in progress, and reostl) graded to to
finally completed next year to Westpoint ; from tbenc.
to the Macon and Western Railroad is fifty-three miles.
The rights to make all these connexions are granted
This railroad will bind the Charleston and Savannah,
lines of railroad already made or in construction, con
necting all the points with the Mississippi river,
the ocean, and the interior. The estimated cost i‘
3,000,000 dollars, towards which the Company has
granted 500,000 dollars of the two per cent. fun
of Alabama, set apart for this route, but loanet!
out to the Montgomery and Westpoint Railroad Corn
pany ; and also the two per cent. fund of Mississippi.
amounting to some 300,000 dollars more ; these two
sums are gifts granted to encourage foreign subscrip-
tions for the Company's stock. And there is a Bit,
before Congress, and now in the Senate, for giving the
sale price of the alternate sections of United States lands
along the Hese for a certain distance from the railroad ;
so that it is estimated that a subscription of 150,000
dollars only in hard money, every four months, will be
sufficient to commence the works, or 450,000 dol
lars yearly ; and it is observed that the climat.
and soil are favourable for the perpetual use of the road.
without any interruption from snow, rain, or other im
pediments. The subscription is for a capital of 3,000,000
dollars, in shares of 100 dollars each, 5 dollars in six
months, 5 dollars in eight months. 5 dollars in ten
months, and the remainder as called for, not closer tha,
ten dollars every sixty days, and the company to
go into activity when 500,000 dollars shall be
-igned for. The Company is perpetual, and has
power to purchase any railroad that shall be directly
or indirectly connected or in communication with
their railroad. The Governm-nt funds granted an
only to be issued when a lilt( sum of subscription-
money has been expended on the works. When this
railroad is completed the time of travel will be lessened
on the whole line to two days at least ; between Charles.
town and St. Louis, six days ; New Orleans, three
days; Galveston, five days; and between Vicksburg and
Washington city, a little over four days ; and New
York, five days ; and on the completion of the Chatta-
nooga and Nashville Railroad, this will be the ordinary
route of travel from Nashville to Vicksburg, in forty-
eight hours. The distance to Vicksburg from Savannah
is set down at 670 miles, and from Charlestown at 790
miles.

ARTESIAN WELLS. The artesian well commenced
on the Southampton Common in 1838, with the intention of
obtaining from it a bountiful supply of water for the town
and which has been carried to the depth of 1,300 feet, at an'
expense to the town of 12,886/., and to the contractors of
11,176/, above that sum, was, on Thursday, transferred to
the commissioners of waterworks in its unfinished state, the
contractors having refused to go on with the wark unless
guaranteed their expenses and fair profits by the commis-
sioner?. The work was commenced in 1838. The first 78
feet of soil was found to be alluvium, the succeeding 304 feet
London clay, the following 97 feet plastic clay, and the suc-
ceeding chalk, in which the boring has been carried down
the great depth of about 821 feet, being a total of near 1,300
feet, and giving no indication by which a judgment can be
found as toShe depth to which the chalk may yet extend;
and experience has shown that the chalk will not yield the
water required, and that the great stream sought for must
be obtained from under the chalk basin. The well, in its
present state, will yield, by pumping, from 7,500 to 10,000
cubic feet of water per day, but that is but a fourth of
the quantity it is calculated will be required for the rapidly
increasing demands of the town.
A CHILD SUFFOCATED BY HIS BROTHER.—Yesterday
an inquest was held before Mr. W. Baker, jun., at the Bird-
cage, Birdcage-walk, Bethnal.green, on the body of William
Clark, aged seven weeks. It appeared from the evidence of
the mother, that on Saturday evening last she left the de-
ceased and his brother, a little boy about two years of
in bed together. On her return shortly afterwardas,cesn
the
dis-
covered her son Henry lying on the chest andt.
whoand
deceased, apparently asleep. She endeavoured.
eafarwmaeko_ef,
deceased, but could not do so. She boecirn
m
conveeyd him to Mr. Wallace, The
pronounced the
jury returned a verdict of
ND —Accounts have just
DEATH OF
decxreaseld)c:l:vie been. _
wasoeroldf.this celebrated naturalist
with whom he n
and companion of the e
"tAlicticmidabensouitdrtt,deeeadthee.'llinealetkimae;'
arrived in England of tgthedathecee
tra-
velled over a great part ofGRAVESEND.O Saturday, bright as the
STORM AT
sun shone in the metropolis, there was a heavy fall of rain,
accompanied with thunder and lightning, in the neighbour-
hood of Northfieet and Gravesed. Towards the middle of
the day the rain fell in torreuta,

IMPERIAL It' R. Lt 11 Pi4;IN T.
F(Jr'SE r)F LOROS „Tyne 22
The Loran CHAtscELLott took his seat on the Woolsack at
Five o'clock.

SUPERANNUATION TO POOR-LAW OFFICERS.
Lord STANLEY presented a petition from the poor-law
;uardians and other officers of the poor-law union of Warring-
ton, praying that superannuation allowances might be made to
poor-law officers.
FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.
Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition frost a Presby-
terian congregation in Durham, sympathising with their Free
Church brethren i❑ their present destitution of sites for build-
ing places of worship upon.
Lord PORTNIAN gave notice that, on Thursday, he would
ask the Noble Lord, the First Commissioner of Woods and
Forests, what Government proposed to do with regard to the
Metropolitan Building.' Act ?
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY announced his inten-
tion to oppose the third reading of the Liverpool and New-
castle-upon-Tyne Junction Railway Bill. There were
circumstances connected with that project which ought, he said,
to have been shown up to the country and the public. For in-
stance, out of 80,000 shares the managing committee had
engrossed 60,000.

Lord HEAUMONT said the Noble Nfarquis had been mis-
informed as to the character of the undertaking.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY entirely agreed with the
Noble Lord who had just sat down.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY explained. He thought
the present scheme was a monstrous monopoly, when he found
that out of 80,000 shares 60,000 were taken by the Committee,
20,000 only being left to the public. Mr. Hudson was the
chairman of this company, and his object was to establish
a great monopoly in the north of England.
Lord BEA um oNT said that the Noble Marquis had ad-
mitted that he was not in any way connected with any railway
undertaking. Now, if the Noble Marquis had not made that
admission in so many words, his speech on the presentation of
this petition showed clearly enough that he could nut be con-
nected with a railway.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.
Earl ABERDEEN laid on the table the copy of a recent
convention entered into between the English and Prussian
Governments as to international copyright in the two countries.