The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-21 00:00:00

DREADFUL MURDER AT LIVERPOOL.

LivEnroor,, Wednesday.—At an early hour this
morning the inhabitants of Chisenbale-street, Clement-
street, and the locality of Vauxhall road and Great
Howard-street, near the first-named streets, were thrown
into a state of great excitement by a, report that a man
had been murdered during the night, robbed, and the
body dragged into a long and narrow passage running
between Chisenhale-street and Clement-street.
linndrPds of persons soon congregated about the spot,
and, between five and six o'clock, brie or two inspectors
and several police-constables arrived.
The body of a man, apparently about 35 years of age,
was f ,und lying extended upon his back in the cantre 01
the passage known as " Baggin's Entry," which leads
from Knight's•bnildings into Vauxhall-road, one way,
and into Great Howard-street on the' other. This pas-
sage is not more than four feet wide, some 150 yards in
'e.igth, and on either side there is a dead wall, or the
backs of a miserable lot of building., said to be tenantea
by the worst characters in Liverpool.

The murdered man had neither coat, vest, hat, nor
boots on ; he wore black cloth trousers, a fancy shirt
with studs down the front ; his trousers pockets were
turned inside out, and nothing was found upon him to
afford way clue as to who or what he was.
Around his neck was a small scarf, the ends of which
lay in opposite directions. The scarf was tight when
found, and the appearance of the throat left no doubt
that the man had been strangled.
Near where the body was found there were marks on
the brick wall as though they were made in a struggle ;
and it is supposed that more than one person was en-
gaged in the murder.
It was stated by persons who reside in Chisenhale-
street that between nine and ten o'clock last night, a
man, answering the description of the deceased, was seen
in Joseph Tyrer's spirit vaults, the sign of the Grapes,
in Clement-street, in the company of a girl of bad re-
pute, and that although the man was not drunk he bad
been drinking. The landlord, however, had no recollec-
tion of seeing them.
From the appearance of the deceased and his dress—
alt that was left—it is supposed that he was mate of a
vessel, but this is only conjecture, and that having visited
a house of Ll-fame, he gut robbed, turned out, and was
strangled. _ _ _

The police are engaged in making inquiries.

THE OLD &LDIERS OF THE FRENCH

EMPIIiE.

The Moniteur publishes the following account
of the labours, to the end of 1855, of the commis-
sion appointed to examine into the claims of the
old soldiers of the Republic and of the Empire
"In November, 1854, the Grand Chancellor of
the Order of the Legion of Honour sent in a report
to the Emperor on the labours of the commission
up to that time. At that period the number of
old soldiers admitted to the benefit of the decree of
the 14th Dec:, 1851, and of the law of June 10,
1853, was 17,019, thus divided :—Octogenarians,
2,245 ; septuagenarians, 8,157 ; and sexagenarians,
6,517. Since the Ist of November, 1854, the ad-
mission of other claimants has gone on in a re-
gular manner, his Excellency, at the recommenda-
tion of the commission, having granted life allow-
ances to 4,425 fresh members, viz. :-655 octoge-
narians, 2,373 septuagenarians, and 1,397 sexage-
narians. From the Ist January, 1852, to the 31st
December, 1855, pensions have thus been granted
to 21,444 old soldiers. The number of deaths
which have been notified to the Grand Chancellor
up to this time amounts to 5,133, of whom 1,165
were octogenarians, 2,802 septuagenarians, and
1,166 sexagenarians. A decision of the 21st
March, 1852, conferred on the Grand Chancellor
the power of awarding to the widows or relatives
of the deceased the part of the life grant unpaid at
the moment of their decease. It is in virtue of
that power that the Grand Chancellor, on the pro-
positiou of the prefects, has just ordered the sum
of 120,984 f. 50c. to be divided among 2,239 1
claimants, as heirs to the deceased members."

MURDER IN PARlS.—Countess Caumont Laforce was
murdered yesterday morning by her groom, who stabbed
her with a pitchfork, in consequence of a violent quar-
rel he had had with her. The Countess was 40 years
of age, somewhat eccentric, and resided in the Avenue
des Champs Elys6es. The assassin made no attempt to
escape, and gave himself up to the Commissary of
It is said that 10,000 Austrians are to remain for two
years in the Principalities, and a force of 30,000 Anglo-
French in Turkey.

THE MURDER OF A GIRL AT ISLINGTON.—In The
Sun of Tuesday we gave an account of the examination
of a man named Charles Sommer and his wife, at the
Clerken well Police Court, charged with the murder of a
girl of lt. The wife was committed on the charge of
wilful murder, and the husband wag discharged. Yes-
terday
as inquest was held before Mr. Brent, at the
North Pole, Iloxten, respecting the death of the child,
Celestina Christmas, and the result of the inquiry was a
verdict of wilful murder against the wife, Celestina
Soul oer.

FT v. LuMLEY.—IIEE MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—In
the Exchequer Chamber, yesterday, Mr. Barer) Aldersan
delivered the judgment of the Court in this case. The
Calla of Error were of opinion that the judgment of the
Court of Queen's Bench ought to be affirm ed. There
were two questions-whether there had been a forfeiture
of the lease of the Opera,house ; and secondly, if there
bad been a forfeiture, whether there had been a waiver
of it by the acceptance of rent. The Court were of opi-
niou that the three grounds set out as breaches of the
covenant oneratedi as a forfeiture ; but the Queen's
Bench had considered that the warrants of attorney
which had been given by the defendant amounted to a
forfeiture, although afterwards waived. This Court did
net, however, consider that the executing warrants of
attorney under the circumstances were encumbering the
property so as to warrant a forfeiture ; they were given
under compulsion, and were not voluntary, being given
only to cave expense and gain time. Therefore the judg-
ment for the defendant Lumley must be affirmed. Judg-
meat below affirmed.