The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 30, 1861,

dressed the assembled corps, observing that alto-
gether they had done very well. He commented on
the motley uniforms of the various corps, and recom-
mended that when new clothes were ordered they
should be the same throughout. The Volunteers,
who had become very wet, cold, and hungry, were
then invited to partake of some refreshment, after
which they returned home. The Gainsborough
Corps has had a competion for prizes extending
over two days. On the second day a silver cup, of
the value of £lO given by Mr. H. B. Hickman, was
won by Sergeant Woolvine, and another cup, of the
value of £5 ss, given by Sir T. Beckett, was gained
by Private Barton. The 3d Lincolnshire battalion
has also had a competition for a number of prizes
at Boston. A silver eup, presented by the Mayor
(Mr. S. Lewin) was won by Quartermas-
ter-sergeant Wheeler, of the Boston Corps ;
another cup, presented by Alderman Cooke,
was won by Private Thomas, of the Boston Corps ;
and a third cup, presented by Alderman Wren, was
won by Private Cox, of the Donington Corps. The
Boston Artillery Company has been firing with
321 b. solid shot, and has made some fair practice.
On Thursday and Friday last the members of the
10th Wilts (Warminster) Rifle Volunteers had an
interesting contest on Mancombe-hill, near War-
minster, for a number of prizes. The first, a piece of
plate of the value of £lO, given•by Captain the Mar-
quis of Bath, was carried off by Private R. Melsome,
for 12 points, as the best shot at 300 and 500 yards
(five rounds at each). The terminating contest was
for a silver salver, of the value of £l5, given by the
honorary members of the 10th Wilts as a prize to
the best shot at 500 and 700 yards (five rounds at
each). This prize being open to all the enrolled
and honorary members of the corps, comprising the
Ist battalion of Wiltshire Rifle Volunteers, natu-
rally excited interest, and, after some close shoot-
ing, Corporal Sheppard, of the Ist Wilts (Salisbury)
and the present holder of the Challenge Cup, given
to the Ist Wilts by Sir Alexander Malet, succceeded
in carrying it off with 11 points, Captain the Mar-
quis of Bath making 10.
On Wednesday the Epping Corps, under the
command of Sir William Bowyer Smyth, the late
M.P. for South Essex, had a field-day at Mark-
hall, Harlow, where they were entertained by the
Rev, J. Arkwright, father of the ensign of the
corps. On Thursday an elegant silver cup, given
by Mr. H. S. Abrey, one of the members of the
Witham corps, was shot for. There were 17 entries,
and the distances were 200, 300, and 600 yards.
After some good shooting the cup was won by pri-
vate Harvey, who made 12 points. It must be
shot for again before it is the exclusive property of
any member. An entertainment has been given in
aid of the band fund of the sth Essex (Beacontree)
Rifles, which was attended by at least 3,000 per-
sons, and from which a good profit will accrue to
the fund.

The 4th and 13th corps of Kent Volunteer Artil-
lery completed their shot and shell practice for the
season at Sheerness on Saturday evening from the
10-inch and 68-pounder guns mounted on the forti-
fications at the entrance to the Medway. The ex-
pert manner in which these corps manage heavy
ordnance proves that the liberality of Government
in providing them with ammunition is well be-
stowed.

The first meeting of the Notts Rifle Association
was brought to a successful termination on Friday
evening last. The shooting shows that the county
corps contain some first-rate shots. The principal
prizes competad for during the meeting were one of
£lO, won by Mr. Chadbourn (Bth Notts) ; a Tur-
ner's rifle, value £ll lls., won by Ensign Perry, Ist
R. H. R. ; a sum of £lO for Yeomanry Cavalry,
Corporal Hazeldine ; a prize of £2O and the associa-
tion medal, Colour-Sergt. Simkins, lst R. H. R. ; a
prize of £lO for file-firing, won by the Southwell
corps. The association cup, value £2O, was won by
Mr. T. Lambert, sth company, R. M. R. ; the Sheriff
of Nottingham's cup, value 10 guineas, by Colour-
Sergt. Simkins; a prize of £l5 by Sergt. Johnson,
Sherwood Foresters; and a prize cup, value 20
guineas, by Mr. Shepperley.
On Thursday the interesting ceremony of pre-
senting colours and a very handsome silver bugle
to the sth Northampton Volunteers took place on
the racecourse outside that town. At 2 o'clock this
corps, which is composed of a fine body of men,

marched from their quarters headed by Mr. Isaac,

the Capt.-Commandant, the band playing, and
crowds of the townspeople accompanying them.
The uniform of the .sth Northampton is a very be-
coming one; it is a light gray with scarlet facings,
and there is a scarlet plume to the shako. Arrived
on the ground where the colours were to be pre-
sented, the men were drawn up in hollow square.
The colours were then laid across the drums, and
the usual prayers _having been said by the Rev.
Mr. Lawson, of St. Peter's, they were presented by
Mrs. Isaac, wife of the Captain-Commandant, who
delivered a very neat address, in which, while hop-
ing that the day might never arrive when it would
be necessary to unfurl those standards on the
battlefield, she expressed her confidence that,
should the sth Northampton ever be called on to
defend their country, the banners that should
lead them to victory would not be disgraced. The
colours were then saluted. They are of rich material
fringed with scarlet and gold alternately. In addi-
tion to the name of the regiment, they bear the motto,
" Ready." A beautifully-carved lion and crown
surmount each staff. The bugle, a splendid silver one
elaborately chased, and bearing an appropriate in-
scription was presented by Miss Isaac, who addressed
a few eloquent remarks to the officers and men. The
bandmaster then blew the first call with the new
bugle, and the ceremony was brought to a conclu-
sion. The presentations were witnessed by a numerous
concourse of ladies, who had taken up positions on
the grand stand and around the platform in front of
which the officers received the valuable gifts.
The rifle competition for a silver cup, value 35
guineas, given by Mr. W. Scholefield, M.P., to be
competed for by members of the various companies,
took place on Saturday, and, notwithstanding the
unfavourable state of the weather, attracted a large
number of persons to the ground at Bournbrook.
The firing party consisted of ten men from each
company, who were to fire ten rounds each at 400
yards range. The competition commenced on Mon-
day last, when each man fired five rounds each ; but
the match remained undecided in consequence of
the approach of night, which prevented the targets
being seen. The contest was adjourned till Satur-
daY; when it was decided that every person who
lad- not scored five points in the first five rounds
:should not fire. This reduced the competition to
about 25 candidates. The two competitors who
made the highest score at the first five rounds were
_Lieut. Warren and Sergeant Fletcher, who scored
seven points each, and the competition was virtu-
ally -looked upon as a match between these two.
However, on the firing taking place, Lieutenant
Warren missed his first shot, and Sergeant Fletcher
his second, so that it was felt there was some
chance for the others. At the conclusion of the
round, it was found that Lieutenant Warren, Ser-
geants. Stokes and Fletcher, and privates Elking-
ton, Graves, and Fowkes, had made 11 points each
in the 10 rounds. It was then arranged that the
parties should shoot off one found each till five
missed, or one made a centre. In the first round
Sergeant Stokes missed, in the second privates
Elkington and Fowkes were out. In the next
round, between Warren, Fletcher, and Greves,
Lieut. Warren hit the target, Sergeant Fletcher
made a centre, and Greves missed. Sergt. Fletcher
was then declared the winner. Notwithstanding
the showery weather the shooting was unusually
good, the average number of points made by each
man in 10 rounds being 9.50.

The Worcestershire rifle corps have been busy all
last week in contending for prizes for excellence in
shooting. Earl Beauchamp having given prizes
(silver cups) to each of the several county corps,
they have been contended for, and some very good
shooting was the result. On Friday the Onibersley
Volunteers shot for three money prizes, ten rounds
each, at three ranges, the result being Corporal Pye
1, Corporal Amphlett 2, Private Griffiths 3. The
leading man is only 19 years of age. Earl Beau-
champ's cup, given to the same corps, was won by
Corporal Amphlett. On Saturday the 20th (Kid-
derminster) Worcestershire Corps, was inspected
by Lord Lyttelton, who expressed his approval of
their efficiency in complimentary terms; The Ten-

bury Corps have had two days shooting for a silver
cup and timepiece, the former being won by Private
Beezer, and the latter by Corporal Holyoake.
On Friday, Lady Emily Foley presented a pair of
silver bugles, purchased by public subscription of
the people of Herefordshire, to the Herefordshire
Volunteer Rifle Corps.

The Volunteer Riflemen of Newport and Cowes,
Isle of Wight, shot for prizes on Wednesday at
Parkhurst. A silver goblet, presented by Mr. Ken-
nard, M.P., was won by Mr. J. P. Read, who made
18 points, a lady's dressing case, silver mounted, by
Mr. J. W. Kelloway, 18 points; a cigar case by
Mr. J. T. Read; a set of silver spoons by Mr.
Minns ; a clock by Dr. Pomery ; and a silver pen-
cilcase by Mr. F. Hardley. There were 64 compe-
titors for Mr. Kennard's prize.
Several of the Volunteer corps of the counties of
Glocester and Somersetshire have undergone their
annual inspection during the past week.
A friendly rifle match between 20 members of the
Bristol and a like number of the Bath Volunteer
Rifle Corps took place on Tuesday at the butts of
the latter corps. There were five rounds each at
ranges of 200, 500, and 600 yards, and the result
was that the Bristol won by 15 points, scoring 200
against 185 made by their opponents.
The left wing of the Ist Administrative Battalion
of Devon Volunteers, comprising the Colyton,
Buckerell, Honiton, Ottery, and Broadhembury
companies, under the command of Col. Acland, were
inspected by Major Hume on Thursday, in a field
near the Ottery-road Station of the South-Western
Railway. The weather was delightful. The men
went through battalion drill, and at the conclusion
were highly complimented by Major Hume.
On Saturday last three companies of the 2d West
York (Bradford) Artillery Volunteer Corps were
officially inspected by Lieut.-Col. de Renzi, in Peel-
park, Bradford. The inspecting officer, after having
witnessed the exercises of the day, expressed Mm-
self somewhat disappointed with the want of pro-
ficiency in drill displayed by the three batteries in-
spected.- Two batteries, he understood, had been
raised only three or four months, and it was not to
be expected that they could do as well as the Hull
and other corps, that had been-raised 18 months or
nearly two years ; but they had a great deal in
them to make good soldiers. All they wanted was
to come together more frequently. Capt. Wood,
commandant, hoped that when another inspection
took place they would be found equal to any other
Volunteer corps in the kingdom.
The prize shooting of the 10th North York Volun-
teers has been held in Goodham-dale, near Helms-
ley, during the week terminating on Friday. The
corps has made rapid strides, now numbering 120
men.

THE NEW 111IIVUTE ON EDUCATION.

The:Minute of the Committee of Education had
several objects, which will best be understood by
considering for 11, moment the Report of the
Royal Commissioners. The Commissioners reported
in general in favour of the present system—that is,
of Government aid to voluntary effort where reli-
gion is taught, subject, however, to the correction
of the faults by which that system is disfigured.
They considered that too great an expense was
thrown on the Central Government, and that the
plan of paying grants directly to the persons who
were intended to receive them produced an unne-
cessary complication, which threatened to overtask
the powers of the Central office. They reported
very unfavourably of the instruction given, and
deduced, not only from the reports of their own
Commissioners, but from the reports of the Govern-
ment Inspectors themselves, conclusions very un-
favourable to the efficiency of +he present system of
bounty and protection. They admitted the partial
working of the present system, which, being founded
on voluntary contribution, gives assistance to those
districts which need it least, and withholds it alto-
gether from those which require it most. With a
view to obviate these faults, the Commissioners re-
commended that all appropriated grants, including
the augmentation of the salaries of certificated
teachers and the salaries of pupil teachers, should
be abolished, and that all annual payments made
by Government to schools should be reduced to a
single capitation grant paid upon attendance.
In addition to this the Commissioners recom-
mended that a grant should be paid out of the
county rates upon as many children as could pass
an examination in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
In order to extend the system as widely as possible,
the Commissioners recommended that the grant out
of the county rate should be open, not only to schools
at present receiving assistance, bat to schools kept
by private persons with a view to profit.
The view taken of these recommendations by the
Committee of Council was minutely explained by
Mr. Lowe on moving the Education Estimate last
year. He did not deny the truth of the criticisms
of the Commissioners, but in fact admitted the ex-
pense, the complexity, the partial working, and the
very imperfect teaching of the present system. He
acquiesced in the propriety of substituting a capita-
tion grunt for the present appropriated payments,
but he refused to propose to pay any part of the
expenses out of the county rate, alleging many ob-
jections to the principle of local taxation unaccom-
panied by local management and supervision, and
the difficulties involved in having two centres of
payment. The Minute of the Committee was drawn
to meet this view of the case. It requires a certifi-
cated master in every school ,receiving assistance;
but, in order to spread that assistance as wide as
possible, it institutes a lower kind of certificated
master, who would be content with a lower salary.
It recognizes the vested rights of existing pupil
teachers to receive f'om Government the payment
agreed upon at the time of their apprenticeship;
but, as to future pupil teachers, it leaves the terms
on which they are to be engaged and their pay-
ment to the managers, providing that the appren-
ticeship shall be as now for a period of five years.
It leaves the certificated masters the monopoly of
Government Education, but abolishes the augmen-
tation now received as an increase of salary. The
Minute proposes to make only one annual payment
from Government for the managers of the school,
and that payment is to be a peenS, for every child
for all attendances above one hundred at morning or
afternoon school, and above twelve at evening school.
But this payment is liable to reduction of one-third
for each child which, hiving attended as above,
does not pass a satisfactory examination in reading,
one-third for a like failure in writing, and one-third
for a like failure in arithmetic. The grant may also
be reduced in certain proportions upon an unfavou-
rable report of the Inspector. It will be observed
that the Committee of Education, rejecting the
recommendation of the Commissioners to relieve the
central expenditure by placing a burden on the
county rates, and proposing a scheme of capitation
by which it is not intended to effect any money
economy, must, in order to provide for the poorer
schools, increase instead of diminishing the demands
upon the central revenue. To obviate this neces-
sity it was announced in the House of Commons
that certain economics would be effected. These
are principally directed to those parts of the system
which are in contravention of its principle. Thus,
the assistance to Training Colleges, which are
almost wholly maintained by the States, is reduced.
A pupil teacher who used to receive on an average
£l5 is now estimated at £lO, and other smaller re-
ductions have been made. This is the general outline
of the Minute. The document may he obtained in
full at any bookseller's for the moderate sum of 22c1.
There are two points of view from which this now
celebrated attempt at reform may be regarded--
the one public, and the other private ; the one
abstract, the other mixed up with personal interests
and passions. Estimating the merits of the perform-
ance from the first point of view, the Minute
appears to us exceedingly ingenious, aiming at
objects which it is desirable to attain, and attain-
ing them by means at once simple and efficient.
It cuts off the redundancy and superfluities of the
plan by which our present educational machinery
has been coddled and fondled into existence, not
for the purposes of a paltry saving, but in order to
extend aid to those who, wanting it most, have
been least able to obtain it. If it be true, as
we believe it is, that our teachers are over-
trained and over educated, it is on their training
and their education that economy would most
naturally fall. The enormous complexity of the
system is effectually remedied by reducing all grants
to a capitation grant, and trusting its appropria-
tion to the managers of the school, who, if un-
worthy of this confidence, are surely unworthy of
any. It is creditable to the Committee of
Council that, when the imperfection of the teach-
ing under their system of bounties and sub-
sidies was brought to their notice, they frankly
admittedtruth, and sought to remedy the evil
instead o
disguise it by sophistry and
ft
thre yn g t
evasion. The plan of bounties and protection has
signally broken down ; the public have been paying
thir money for the education of the people without
receiving their money's worth. We are told that
education costs a, pound a head, but we have only
just learnt that for three pounds out of every four
we do not receive the education for which they are
paid. The difficult has been met boldly. We have 1
found that we do not get education by paying for
the means and appliances of education. The infer-
ence is obvious. We must go a step further. In-

stead of paying for the machinery, we must pay for'
the results wnich that machinery is intended to
produce. We find that we may provide masters,
pupil teachers, proper school-rooms, and bribe
children by capitation to attend, and yet that the
result of all these things may be that the education
for the sake of which they are done is, after all,
not attained. This fact being ascertained, the only
choice that seems left to Parliament is either to do
away altogether with a system convicted of ineffi-
ciency, or to follow the course pointed out by the
Committee of Council—that is, to'examine as well
as to inspect, and to pay nothing for any children
who have not received the knowledge in considera-
tion of which the Government grant is made. It
is to us incomprehensible how any persons can delude
themselves with the expectation that, after the ex-
posure of the failure of our education in the by no
means unimportant point of instruction, matters
could be allowed to go on as if no such exposure
had been made. To substitute what is neces-
sary for what is superfluous, to reduce complexity
to simplicity, and to pay no public money till we
are satisfied that the object for which the money is
paid has been attained, are the principles of the
Minute of Council; and, looking at it merely from
the public point of view, and with reference to the
interests of education, we confess we think the
Minute meets a great difficulty in an efficient and
satisfactory manner. There is, we have said,
another point of view from which the question may
be regarded, but we have left ourselves no space to-
day to give it the consideration which it deserves.
—limes.

FALL OF AN IRON BhIDGE AT YORK.

One of the most frightful accidents, as regards
the loss of life, personal injury, and destruction of
property, which can be remembered in York, took
place on Friday afternoon last in connection with
the new bridge which for some time past has been
in course of construction at Lendal.

Some explanation of the construction of the bridge
in question, and the works connected therewith,
may serve to simplify our subsequent description of
the exceedingly lamentable circumstance to which
we are about to refer. About two years ago the City
council and the inhabitants, assembled in vestry
meetings, which were held in the various parishes,
came to the resolution that, for the benefit of the
city generally and for the purpose of carrying out
an improvement which it was suggested should be
made by the construction of a street which should
run direct from therailway station to the cathedral,
an additional bridge should be thrown across the
Ouse at Lendal Ferry. At that time the plan of a
lattice girder bridge, the design of Mr. Dredge, an
engineer of eminence, resident in London, was sub-
mitted for consideration, and was ultimately adopted
as the most, suitable. The sanction of Parliament for
its construction and the carrying out of the street
improvement was subsequently obtained, and the
works were commenced, and the stone buttresses on
either side were completed. The piles consisted of
four rows of timber of massive dimensions, the ob-
ject of which was to sustain the weight of the iron
work of the bridge before it was deposited upon the
buttresses. Then commenced the construction of the
girders, a process which, inasmuch as the present is
the first example of a girder bridge which has been
thrown across any river in England, excited the
largest amount of interest and curiosity. This con-
sisted simply in the riveting together a number of
narrow wrought-iron plates with a vast number of
bolts into a sort of lattice work, some two or three
yards in width, and of sufficient length to extend
across the river, and these were bound round by
what may be termed buckling plates. The construc-
tion of the girders was carried on so that when
completed they might stand like walls of iron
trellis work across the water, and as each was com-
pleted it was by the means of hydraulic power raised
from its supports, which were then taken away,
and the iron gradually lowered to its place upon
steel rollers let into the buttresses, this description
of bed being adopted for the purpose of allow-
ing of the contraction, expansion, or depression of
the iron when under the influence of heat or cold or
excessive pressure. Only a short time ago two of
the four girders of which the bridge was to consist
were completed and successfully lowered to their
places, and as these were the heavier portions of
the lattice-work, which were to divide each side of
the road from the footpath, it was naturally anti-
cipated that the main difficulties in connexion with
the structure were over. There, however, remained
two lighter girders to complete, and one of these
was ready, and was in the course of being lowered
at the time when the accident which we will now
describe took place.
Shortly before three o'clock on Friday afternoon
the bridge seemed all safe, boys ran to and fro with
the heated rivets from temporary furnaces on the
bridge, and the clash of hammers at the various
portions of the structure bespoke the active pro-
gression of the Works. The outer or footway gir-
, ders, as before mentioned, still remained on
" chocks." It was then agreed to remove the
"chocks" or wedges connected with one of the lat-
tice girders, so as to place it in its final position.
Prior to the completion of this operation Mr. Pick-
ersgill, the city surveyor, and Mr. Ackroyd, his as-
sistant, had passed over the bridge, and just de-
parted, when Mr. Moore, the clerk of the works,
in the employ of Messrs. Calvert, the contractors
for the construction and the- erection of the iron-
work, and who was superintending the workmen,
directed that the remaining " chocks" should be
taken away on the west side of the river. For this
purpose the hydraulic engine on the spot had to
be brought into requisition. The girder was raised,
a few wedges or packings alone remained to be
removed, when a low rumbling sound was heard
to emerge from the structure, succeeded by a tre-
mulous motion of the moving girder, which directly
after careened over on to the other adjoining
one (although stayed by 11-inch beams),
which in its turn carried away the next,
and this giving way also, the outer girder was
forced over, and fell bodily with a terrific force into
the water, carrying everything before it. Huge
beams cracked and snapped like dried twigs, and
all the massive scaffolding, with its iron supports,
and the side of the ponderous gantry were brought
down with a tremendous crash, as was also directly
after srzrds one of the immense travelling cranes.
Thus in a few moments the lattice girder bridge
which for so many months has been in course of
construction, and the completion of which was
shortly to have been fulfilled, disappeared, leaving
only a bare wreck behind. The scene that followed
passes description. There lay the thre_. massive
girders on their sides, groans and shrieks issuing
from the wreck of iron and wood ; while below were
heard the most pitiful cries for help. The river
around the scene was covered with fragments of
piles and planks, and to many of these the unfor-
tunate workmen were clinging. One po)r fellow,
who was working on the bridge, sprang clear away
from th-- falling mass into the current, and was
picked up uninjured. Some hair-breadth escapes
took place, and fortunately many were rescued
from death. One man was brought down with
the falling mass, and was seen to gain terra
finna, but in a most frightful condition. ))read-
fully bruised and bleeding; he lay down and cried
for help, which, of course, was promptly ren-
dered to him. Another poor fellow lay at the
bottom of a boat in a ,deathlike state. He appa-
rently had been at the bottom of the river, and,
with' his blood-stained face, he presented a dread-
ful spectacle. A stretcher was quickly obtained,
on which he was placed, and, after some kind
woman had pushed forward and covered the face
of the sufferer from the public gaze, he
was carried to the hospital, a place to which he had
been preceded by two others iu a similar condition.
Mr. Moore fortunately escaped without injury, as
did also Mr. Lee, the resident engineer. Mr. Moore
and a number of workmen were engaged with ham-
mers cutting away the ironwork to extricate a poor
fellow who had become firmly imbedded between
the girders. After half an hour's exertion the suf-
ferer was extricated. The poor man's life had unfor-
tunately for some time been extinct. A young lad
unhappily shared a similar fate, being crashed to
death, and his body was conveyed to an adjacent
pnbiichouse. Renewed exertions were continued,
in the hope of finding other men, and at the close of
the evening it was ascertained that three persons
were still missing, the whole of whom, it is pretty
confidently anticipated, are at present in the river.
Considering the sudden character of the accident,
it would seem strange that a greater sacrifice of life
has not taken place when we state that no less than
52 •workmen were engaged on the bridge at the time
of the occurrence. This, however,may be accounted
for by the fact that as soon as it was seen that the
falling of the first girden was imminent a cry of
danger was raised, and a simultaneous rush for life
ensued. Subjoined is a
LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED. _

Richard Inasser, 15 years of age, engaged as a
heater of rivets, dead.
John Manuel, aged about 22, a rivetter, and son
to a foreman engaged at works in Manchester, dead.
Peter Dearlove, 15 years of age, son of John Dear-
love, of Straker's-passage, Fossgate; cut across the
nose and left cheek, right collarbone broken, and
bruised in several places.
John H. Peckitt, of Beadham's-court, Skeldergate,
a married man with three children, head cut in
several places, and much bruised upon the legs and
sides ; evidently been at the bottom of the river,
Thos. Coulter, Bootham-row; injury to back and
wound on the head, and also bruised.
The persons who do not answer to the roll of
names at Messrs. Calvert's works are a youth named
Hoyles, a labourer named Luke Brown, and what
is termed a " holder up," named Smith, whose lives,
it is feared, are sacrificed. The addresses of these

persons up to our hour of publication we were un-
able to learn.

The scene of the catastrophe was an object of
great interest througbout the whole of Saturday:
Mr. Dredge, who was communicated with while in
London, visited the spot early on Saturday, and gave
it as his opinion that the loss of property would not
he so serious as had at first been estimated. The
resident engineer to the North-Eastern Railway
Company also came forward, and said he had been
instructed not only to offer his advice as to the course
which should be pursued towards recovering the
girders, but that the apparatus belonging to the com-
pany should be placed at the disposal of the con-
tractors, to enable them to carry out the professional
advice which might be given to them. Several days
will, no doubt, elapse before that is done, as at pre-
sent the works are entirely suspended.
THE INQUEST.

OR Saturday afternoon a jury of 15 attended at
the Guildhall for the purpose of investigating the
circumstances connected with the death of John
Manuel. They were also sworn in the case of Richard
Masser, and the inquiry was conducted before the
city coroner, Mr. J. P. Wood. Mr. Shepherd, bar-
rister, watched the case on the part of the corpora-
tion, and Messrs. Calvert, the contractors, and Mr.
Lee, the resident engineer, were also represented.
Before the jury had viewed the bodies the coroner
told them to dismiss from their minds any preju-
dice which might have arisen from the excitement
which had necessarily taken place from this cala-
mity, and that they must give their verdict upon
the evidence which would be brought before them.
The jury having returned from viewing the bodies
the Lord Mayor stated that the corporation were
anxious that the fullest possible investigation should
take placeinto the whole of the circumstances.
Mr. Dale said he attended there on Fehalf of
Messrs. Calvert and Locking, who were as anxious
as the corporation that the fullest inquiry should
take place.
Two of the workmen, named Isaac Fletcher and
William Lilley, were then examined as to the cir-
cumstances attending the accident, and the cross-
examination of these witnesses tended to show that
every care had been used by those employed at the
works.

The inquest was then adjourned until Friday
next, and it was arranged that the jury should view
the bridge on Monday morning.
It was then reported to the coroner that the body
of Luke Brown had shortly before been takes out
of the water near the bridge. The hody presented
a ghastly spectacle, the head of the deceased being
so dreadfully mangled that the brains protruded,
and one of his thighs was broken. The same jury
were then sworn to inquire into the circumstances
attending Brown's death.

SHOCKING MURDER AND BURGLARY
AT BILSTON.

BILSTON, SUNDAY.

A foul deed was committed this morning in
Bilston. A tradesman in Church-street, named
John Bagott, was deliberately murdered in his own
house, and his premises were plundered and fired
The victim was a Mr. Bagott, who carried on busi-
ness as a tailor and clothier at the corner of Staf-
ford-street. At about four in the morning the
family of Mr. Beard, of that street, were disturbed
by hearing voices in the side passage of their house,
and thinking it was her brother returning home,
Miss Beard went down with a light. In the pas-
sage she stumbled upon some bundles of cloth and
men's new garments. Her brother happened to be
coming down the street at the eame time, and saw
three men carrying a bundle. Information was at
once conveyed to the police-station, and it was soon
discovered that Mr. Bagott's house, situate opposite
to that of Mr. Beard, had been entered. The officers
found a little gas burning in the small sitting-room
on the ground floor, numerous bottles and drinking-
glasses on the table, and the body of a man lying
with his head on the fender, in front of the fire, with
a poker across his throat. His face was discoloured
with soot, and the policeman at first thought that the
body was that of a burglar, but on turning on the
light it was found that it was the proprietor of the
house. He had been dragged to the ground and
forcibly held down in the position in which he was
found till life was extinct. Mr. Bagott was a
bachelor, 45 years of age, and, though possessed of
considerable property, lived alone. His habits were
somewhat eccentric. He always carried the keys of
his upper rooms and the day's receipts of the shop
about with him. He kept a banking account both
at Dudley and at Bilston, and the premises in which
he lived and those adjoining belonged to him. He
had been known to produce as large a sum as £2OO,
which there was reason to believe had been secreted
in out-of-the way places, like the sacking of a bed,.
or beneath a quarry or stone of the floor. Of all this
the murderers seem to have been aware, for the
pockets of the dead man's trousers had been torn
open with much violence. His keys were all laid
upon the table, but the money was taken away.
The burglars had forced open the doors of the up-
stairs rooms with a heavy c)al hammer. In a simi-
lar manner access had been had to the drawers and
the cash box, and the bed had been tossed over.
There is no means of ascertaining the amount of the
booty the villains had found. A fire of paper and
linen had been made in the grate, and the embers
had fallen out upon the carpet, which had ignited.
Happily the watchfulness of the police is likely
to prevent this fearful crime from falling into the
list of mysterious murders. Several burglaries have
recently been committed in the district. The police
believed they knew the offenders, and last night
Superintendent M'Crea had taken steps to arrest
one of the gang. Shortly after the three men spoken
of were disturbed in Stafford-street, three men car-
rying a bundle were stopped near Bradley, which
adjoins Bilston. When challenged by the policeman
they threw down the bundle and decamped. The
officer pursued them a short way,but wisely returned
to the spot where the property fell. Whilst watch-
ing here a man named Wm. Jones, aged 20, of Canal-
street, Tipton, returned, and fell into the officer's
clutches. The bundle contained property that had
no doubt been stolen from the house of the murdered
man. Knowing Jones's haunt the officers proceeded
to a brothel in Bury-yard, kept by Samuel Bills,aged
25. Here they found Thomas Jukes, aged 28, who
is well known to the police. He had just come in,
had blood upon the front of his shirt, and seemed
greatly agitated when the officers appeared. Bills
was also apprehended, and so was Thomas Lil!ey,
aged 24, a chapman, well known in Birmingham,
for he too was in the house. The last two it is
thought may be able to give evidence of a corrobo-
rative nature against the others, respecting whom
the police entertain little doubt. Jukes is one of
the three who ran from the constable at Bradley,
and the third is supposed to be David Brandriek, a
puddler, aged about 21.