The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-24 00:00:00

THE MURDER NEAR LEEDS.

Last Friday two men, one named Wm. Appleby
and the other Walter Beardow, were committed for
trial by the Dewsbury magistrates, n on 'charge of
burglariously entering the house of Mrs. Benjamin
Blakely, of Batley, near Dewsbury, a few nights
ago. Appleby, a young man of 27, is a native of
Bolton, in Lancashire, but has resided for the last
ten years in Bradford ; and Beardow, who is a year
older, has been previously convicted of burglarly.
As is usual with West Riding prisoners, these men
were committed to the Wakefield House of Correc-
tion, there ,to await their trial. When they arrived
in the prison-yard, on Friday, suspicion attached to
them in conseqnence of their answering to some ex-
tent the description furnished by the witnesses in
the Leeds murder case ; and Mr. English, chief con-
stable of Leeds, was also communicated with. Mr.
English took over the witnesses (two in number)
to Wakefield prison on Sunday, and although
Appleby and Beardow were then attired iu the
uniform of the gaol, they were readily picked out
by the witnesses as the two men who were seen
lounging about the fields at Ronndhey a abort period
previous to the hour at which the murder must have
been committed. On Monday Mr. Barr, clerk to
the Leeds justices, wrote to the Secretary of State
for the Home Department, asking that the men
might be brought over to Leeds by habeas corpus
on Thursday next, in order that the evidence against
them might be taken.

At a nieeting of the Leeds magistrates, largely
attended, held on Saturday, the circumstances at-
tending the murder were fully considered, and the
steps taken by the police were entirely approved.
At this meeting it was stated by Mr. English that
the watch had been found pledged at a pawnbroker's
shop in Dyer-street, Leeds, and had been so pledged
about two hours after the murder, but the fact had
not hitherto been allowed to transpire, in order
that the ends of justice might not be frustrated.
The cudgel, bludgeon, or hedge-stake, with which
the fatal blows are supposed to have been struck,
had also been found in the field, about 50 yards
from the scene of the murder, by the police. It is
a common hedge-stake, about four feet in length,
the end used f'or the blows being studded with
knots, from which the bark had been peeled by the
severity of the strokes ; and portions of the old
man's hair were found adhering to it for a space of
about six or eight inches.

EXECUTION AT NEWPORT.

MONMOUTH, TUESDAY.

The execution of Matthew Francis, convicted at
the recent assizes here of murdering his wife by
cutting her throat with a razor, at Newport, took
place this morning in front of the county gaol in
this town.

Calcraft arrived on Monday evening, and at once
proceeded to the gaol. He was recognised, though
his hair and whiskers have turned grey since his
last visit.

Shortly before nine o'clock the solemn procession
mounted the scaffold, and then there was a hush,
and all interest was concentrated on the dread pro-
cedure. The prisoner was led out by two turnkeys ;
he looked very pale, and trembled violently, but
spoke no word that was audible. Calcraft, having
put on him a white cap, adjusted the noose on the
neck of the unhappy man, who was then observed
to clench his hands. The bolt was drawn, and then
a visible shudder ran through the crowd, while
many faces turned white with terror. The culprit's
hands dropped to his side as he fell, and he writhed
for several minutes. Death did not end his suffer-
ings until he had been hanging five minutes,
' may be accounted for by the fact that he was. a
very spare man. The body, after hanging thee
usual time, was cut down for burial within the
precincts of the gaol. which

It is generally stated in military circles that
Major-General Thomas S. Pratt, C. 8., is selected to succeed
Major-General Edward Macarthur, C. 8., as major-general
on the staff at Melbourne, Australia.
THE STREET BETTING NUISANCE.—The members
of the betting ring who transact their business in the public
thoroughfares having been expelled from the City by the
police authorities, now congregate in considerable numbers
in Princes-street, Coventry-street, and in Bird-steet, Ox-
ford-street, where they are almost daily to be seen, some with
betting books, and most of them evidently belonging to the
sporting fraternity, causing an obstruction to respectable
passengers. On Monday, as Mr. Eagles, farmer, of Boving-
the countlrowfhathtesheorse the
don, Herts, in company with his brother, was crossing
specula-
torsP r i niene sf-usttur ere: ,they
events,w were
desiringaccosted
to
know b y o n,e,
would back for the Doncaster St. Leger;" anti
betwoem £l4 and Ll 5
ing themselves from the crowd
gr., ntloenmeanniocriand
himself minus his purse, containing
in old and silver.
SEDITIOUS BALLAD s.—The a owstitution of Wex-
g
ford states that, on Wednesday
Gimm arrested two men, named Joann eSo- g'
ballads in the public thoroughfares. sub-constable
Sulli-
van, on the charge of singing and ir an 6 Martin
ter, and were forfeited to the authorit!
them-
selves are of the usually foolish though f he ballads w sing of seditious
let off by his worship the ma
Rtely leave the town. . • r tem
mayor on lain to immedi-
,eign;cethndeia
mrYen°harabeinci

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Under tne Management of Mr. Charles Kean.
THIS EVENING, THE WIFE'S SECRET. Mr. and
Mrs. C. Kean.
To conclude with A MIDSUMMER NIGH I''S DREAM.
Commence at 7.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Bnckstone.
THIS EVENING the performances will commence witk
THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE.
Followed by THE CONTESTED ELECTION.
After which, OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND.
And HALLOWE'EN.