The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-08 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS DEATH ON PLAISTOW MARSHES,

On Thursday a labourer, while walking along a field in
the occupation of a farmer named Lake, near Canal-line,
observed the body of a man, apparently a gentleman,
lying in the bottom of one of the deep ditches by which
the place is intersected for purposes of drainage. Having
procured assistance, the body was lifted out of the
ditch, when it was found that the throat was cut
from ear to ear. A surgeon who saw the body was
bf opinion that death had been caused by the fearful
wound in the throat some three weeks ago, and that the
:body must have lain concealed in the ditch for that period
of time. The remains were those of a respectable-looking
man, apparently of the middle class. The clothing was so
tffected by the water and mud of the ditch that a minute
description of it could hardly be given. The deceased ap-
peared to be a stout, well-made man of about sft. gin.
in height, aged about 60 years. The features were greatly
decomposed. Nothing but a few copper coins were found
in the pockets. Search was made in the vicinity of the
spot where the body had been discovered, and an open
Tiasp knife was turned up The police are endeavouring to
procure some evidence as to the identity of the deceased.
AN ARCTIC EXPLORING PARTY.—Mr. Lomond,
late M.P. for tute, and Mr. Levsey, of Ventnor, have just
arrived at Dundee from an expedition to the Arctic regions.
The party arrived in the steamer Diana at Spitzbergen in
June. The primary object of the expedition was to
endeavour to penetrate beyond this point until, if
possible, the pole was reached; but notwithstanding
every exertion, they were unsuccessful on account of the
unusual quantity of dense heavy ice that was encountered.
If it had not been for the extraordinarily large blocks of

i©e that were met with, it is believed that the Diana would
have made some considerable distance farther ahead. Ten
years ago Mr. Dimond attained a more northerly point in
a sailing' sloe, than that -which he reached on the present
occasion, although at that time the excursion was more for
hunting than exploration. The present expedition made
three attempts to go beyond Spitsbergen, but the farthest
point they could reach was 80 degrees north latitude. The
medical gentleman was Dr. Smith, whose name is familiar
to all who take an interest in seafaring matters from his
connection with the ill-fated Diana, of Hull.
STRANGE AFFAIR AT ,BELFAST.—The other
morning the inhabitants of Byron-street, Belfast, were
alarmed in their beds by a sudden report resembling
thunder, or the discharge of a battery of artillery, under
their windows. Hasty preparations were made for a speedy
exodus from the locality, and many people, in the firs'
paroxysm of the panic, rushed out in every stage of the
toilet. After some time COrifil:CllCC was restored, and the
people retired again. In the morning it was found that
the cause of the night's alarra was the total demolition of
a whole street of new houses, fortunately as yet not occu-
pied, not being quite complete, which came down
with a sudden crash. Doors, windows, bricks, &c., all lay
in one heap of ruin. Where, the previous night, a row of
partly-completed dwelling-houses stood, there was now I,
pile of rubbish and debris. The mystery was cleared by th,
production at the police-court of a. man named Clarke,
who, with a number of other men, was found by two con-
stables, immediately after the fall of the buildings, con-
cealed in the imraediato vicinity, A subsequent search
about the premises lea to the fluding of a UWAllber of
strong ropes, like ships' hawsers, which leads to the sop
position that the mischief was &ma by passing the rope=
round the narrew walls betweefl wiaclewa *aatlex-
math, and " a lei atmagtvA ai a }All
laithav did AO rest,