The Sun.
London, England, 1832-07-21 00:00:00

CHARGE OF MURDER.

At three o'clock Catharine Aththridge, an
t'Avuured, abandoned woman, aged 26, was placed
at the bar of the Thames Police-office, before Cap-
tain RICHBELL, charged with the wilful murder or
William Francis, a man of colour.
El'zabeth Bowles lived at No. 4, Match-walk.
Shadwell. She had a slight knowledge of the pri-
oner, who occupied an apartment adjoining the one
witness rented. The prisoner cohabited with a mat!
of colour. On Thursday night, the deceased came
home between eleven and twelve, but he was not
ible to get in. He asked her for a light, and forced
he door open and went in. SJOri afrerwarth, the
prisoner came home, and shortly after she heard this
breaking of things in her room, and a great noise.
She heard the prisoner say, " i'll stab you with a
knife;" but whether she stabbed him witne,s could
lot say, but in less than a minute afterwards she
reard the deceased say," 0, Nance, Nance, Nance,"
Free times, as if lie was suffering from some cut or
blow.

Ann Leonard lived in a room in the same house,
inderneath the one occupied by Bainbridge; I heard
he deceased and prisoner quarrelling. I went up
stairs, and as I entered the room I saw him staguet-
mg and bleeding. He made an attempt to hit her
as he staggered, but failed, and fell heavily on the
floor, and never spoke afterwards. When she Gist
•ntered the room, the deceased said, " 0, Nance,
see what Kitty has done ;" on which the prisoner
she threw a basin at him, and rut him. There
,vere a basin and several other things broken before
I. went up stairs. I saw the fragments about the
room. There were two or three knives lying on the
ittair; one of them was stained with blood.
The prisoner in a sullen manner, and holding
lown her head, said, she flung a large basin at the
leceased, and also threw some plates at him; but
she did not stab him with a knife; because she had
,lot one in the room.

Captain RICHBELL—I have no doubt pm stabbed
,he man, and I feel it my duty to commit you to
NlewErate for trial for the wilful murder of William
Francis.

Tire prisoner was brought up in the evening
merely to again hear the depositions read over, and
•he was then sent to Newgate.
The deceased was a tall athletic man, aged 31
years, and the police and or hers describe his sym-
metry and shape to be the finest they ever beheld.
In fact he was a perfect model of manly beauty.
lie was a native of J‘maica,and for several voyages
ciad officiat4ti as cook of the William Lushingtnn,
West Indianian, and was much re•cpected by the
Captain and his shipmates, for his strict attention
co the duties of his situation and his obliging dis-
position.

A woman in the neighbourhood of Chelms-
!4d was bitten in the leg by an eft, on Thursday, which
.welled very considerably, and serious consequences were
it one time apprehended. Tnis refutes the general opinion
,hat efts are perfectly harmless.—Essex Independent.
A most melancholy and destructive fire took
Glace at Bradnich, near Exeter, on Wednes lay afternoon,
which consumed, in less than two hours, 48 or 50 houses.
No exertion on the part of the inhabitants could stop the
progress of the flames ; for, owing to the dryness of the
weather, and the roofs of the buildings being of thatch,
he parts becoming ignited were immediately consumed.
We are sorry to say that an old inhabitant, in his ex r ion
co save his property, became so severely burned that he died
three hours after. Many others were much injor• d.
A disturbance of a peculiar nature took place
on the South Bridge, on Thursday, which deserves to be
publicly explained, as hundreds of people bore a part in it,
vho knew nothing of its origin. A pretty large crowd
was attracted by a poor ballad-singer, nho was singing
some idle political ditty about Reform, and when the po-
lice interfered to disperse the crowd, the man ran away
and all the people followed him. A young gentleman
who was passing thought they pursued a pickpocket, and
caught hold of hint to deliver him to the police. The
mob grew angry because the gentlem cn interfered, and be-
gan to abuse him, threateniog to murder him ; so he, to
prevent so sad a consequence to himself, made the bet use
of his heels, and took refuge in a shop, the door of which
.tood invitingly open. He was pursu•d by at least 2,000
people ; the two or three foremost sprung into the shop
after him, but being ashamed of their conduct apparently,
they went out again. Numbers stood around the door ut-
tering frightful threateoirigs of murder and ven-
geance. No attempts to quiet them were of any
avail—they only tended to make things worse. The
most prudent plan that could be pursued was to shut the
shop, extinguish the lights, and keep the gentleman in.
This was accordingly done, and aft, r some ineffectual at-
tempts to open the door, they gradually dispersed. The
breaking of one pane of glass was the only damage sus-
tained.—Edinburik Observer.
On Wednesday se'nnight a box, addressed to
ALEXANDER GALLOWAY, Esq., hanker, in Airdiie, was
left in the quarters of one of the carriers to this place its
Glasgow, and, air a matter of conrse, was regularly delivered
to the gentleman to whom it was address-d the following
morning. In expectation of sonic letter arriving to ex-
plain the nature of its contents, Mr. GALLOWAY allowed
the box to remain for several days in his office, without
attempting to open it; but no such explanation appearing
to be forthcoming, be was induced to examine it cau-
tiously, and by turning it upside down discovered several
particles of gunpowder dropping out. This exciting his
worst suspicions, he determined on being doubly circum-
spect in his future precautions with regard to opening the
box. Accordingly, he despatched it to a founder in the
neighbourhood, with instructions to open it; which being
done by breaking the lid thereof in the centre, a discovery
was made which must have excited horror in the most
callous breast. The box, which was very strong, about
a foot in length, six or seven inches in breadth and in
depth, contained some 4lbs. of gunpowder mixed with
turpentine, a quantity of tow in the centre thereof, and a
small phial containing phosphorus and water. The in-
ternal mechanism of the box was of the most tout deroos
and fiendish description, and was evidently intended f,r
the most diabolical purposes. We confess ourselves un-
equal to the task of explaining fully the minutia of this
contrivance, but so far as we are able to judge of it from
a slight examination, not a doubt remained as to the in-
genuity of the project, and the dreadful results that
_must
have followed any attempt at opxpinetiii4in
tthhee (p'rhdril troyt.
way. Several wire springs,
phosphorus, were ingeniously fixed to the inner extremes
to the
bottom, so
soto
thatitli
:ifd,tia'endbothxm, these
again
connectedby
on the wires, And instantly broke the phial containing the
phosphorus,
toy opening the: laisd in the tllgieniutesuiatil ms annionear,c,itithethceortols:ho:rae(r:tnied.
oustibles already mentioned, and produce the dreadful
consequenms contemplated by the villainous Frojecter.-..
Glasgow Free Press, Zirtel:vst=