The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-10 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF JACKSON AT STAFFORD,

The convict George Jackson, who with Charles
Brown, since respited, was sentenced to death for the
murder of Mr. Charlesworth, at Abbotts Bromley,
suffered death on Saturday in front of the county
gaol.
When the unhappy man was made acquainted
with the fact that his fellow prisoner was to be
spared and himself hung, he gave way to one of
those fearful paroxysms of
grief to which he has
been subject more or less since his conviction, and
when on Thursday he was visited by his aged.
parents, three sisters, and a brother-in-law, the
scene was of a most distressing character, and ex-
ceeded anything of the kind ever previously wit-
nessed within the prison walls.
Shortly before eight o'clock this morning the
g r
that
various
I: °oil:is
peaoiavnfmtaititoloi
nr authorities ews a ofs p
proceeding
oh
cee
egdaionl
0,
and
alWhen proceeded
wehnei
knt
ithtooeor
mtt
pro-
cesshhe
deecondemned cell, where they found the unhappy
otrtwstlthpe
momenttr
aiaebal pitiable
hadot
hii dg condition.
the spectacle was
heart-rending. In almost an °insensible state he
was carried from the condemned cell towards the
scaffold, but on reaching that spot, he began to
struggle most violently, and cried, sobbed, and
bfarneea,s ltise o
again
shrieked in a manner that struck awe into the
When
the
ca
s placined3ouvlleirughiits
struggled,andsucceeded w
a
off. At length, however, the preliminariesl were
concluded, and the bolt was drawn. The unhappy
man struggled violently, and death did not appear
to take place for several minutes.
During the whole of the morning, and at the time
of the execution the rain was descending in torrents,
still there wa4 large concourse 0 persona Smuts

LITERA'

Travels in the Free States of Central America. By
Dr. Carl Scherzer. 2 vols. Longman.
The author of this work has previously given to
the public the results of a journey. undertaken for
purposes of scientific and social observation by Dr.
Moritz Wagner, and himself, to the Republic of
Costa Rica. The favourable reception which that
work met with( has induced him to compile the
present narrative of their experiences in the neigh-
bouring States of Nicaragua, Honduras, and San
Salvador. Although the name of Dr. Scherzer
alone is on the title page, Dr. Wagner has contri-
buted some portion of it, more especially a de-
scription of the destruction of the town of
San Salvador, by an earthquake, of which
catastrophe he was an eye-witness. The picture
given of Central America is gloomy enough.
With a soil of marvellous fertility, with every ad-
vantage of nature, and many valuable articles of
commerce indigenous to the country, the inha-
bitants are sunk into a state of ignorance,
sloth, and wretchedness, from which they are only
roused by the miseries of petty civil war. Travellers
used to thek rapid means of communication and
locomotion which are now spread over the greatest
part of the habitable glob; may well be surprised
in journeying through so central a portion of if, so
close to the bustling civilization of the United
States, to find themselves in a town where they
can with difficulty procure food, and in villages
where they can scarcely obtain a mule. The utter
insecurity of life and property is well known, and
such is the state of the administration of justice,
thanks to party strifes and perpetual skirmishes,
that a thief was forced to go unpunished as the Lead
of one of the chief parties was glad of his services.
Even in the chief cities things are not much better.
Granada lies near the great Lake of Nicaragua midis
the richest and most important town in the republic.
The people prefer trade, and especially petty traffic,
to any other occupation, but as they are by no
means to be relied on, dealings with them are not
always profitable. Social life here, as in most other
towns of the country, is described as tedious and
insipid. " Whoever is not compelled by hunger to
work, swings himself the greater part of the day in
his hammock, smokes paper cigars, which even the
ladies do not disdain, gapes through the always
open windows at the blue tropical sky, and enjoys
in perfection the state of do-nothingness, which
passes here for life. The exertion of -the brain is,
in Granada, dreaded even more than that of the
muscles." When this is the favourite way of spend-
ing time, there is little wonder that poverty and
famine are frequent guests in a country which, in
some places, yields three harvests a year. In the
mining districts, the inhabitants are poorest—they
persist, like the dog and the shadow, in neglecting
agriculture for mining, for which they have not
the appliances, even if most of the mines were not
exhausted. Dr. Scherzer plainly states that they
would be richer without the mines. Of the gran-
deur and fertility of this beautiful country he gives
us constant proof. Speaking of Nindiri, in Nica-
ragua he says—" The soil and climate have in this
district endowed the poor Indian with a wealth of
fruit such as no European horticulturist and no im-
perial conservatory can emulate ; and the best that
is placed upon royal tables in our quarter of the
world, is but like that with which naked Indian
boys pelt each other, as ours do with snowballs at
the same season." The birds and flowers are de-
scribed as gorgeous and brilliant. Dr. Scherzer
gives a detailed account of the chief articles of pro-
duction suited for commerce and home consump-
tion. He gives a list that might render this poor
and desolate country one of the wealthiest of its class,
but the gifts of nature are useless to a people
that persist in just planting enough to last till the
next harvest, and are consequently frequently in
fear of famine, besides begrudging, the stranger a
morsel of food. The lamentable state of the
people—mental, moral, and physical—Dr. Scherzer
attributes to various causes, such as the long-
-continued tyrannous rule of Spain,
the resent pro-
ceedings of demagogues, the ever-recurring horrors
of revolution and civil war, the rage of parties, the
hantipathyve
been
ee of and rivalry of towns. They
sinkingraces lower and lower till even the
warmest friends of the confederation of the five
central states are becoming hopeless. An influx of
foreigners Dr. Scherzer imagines to be the best
thing for them, as well as affording a fine prospect
for some of the toil-worn inhabitants of olden
states ; only, he says, the emigrants must go in a
large body ; isolated individuals would be unable
to contend against the evil influences around them
and must fail. The geological and metereological
observations will be interesting to the scientific,
and the narrative of the catastrophe of San Sal-
vador by Dr. Wagner gives a vivid picture of that
fearful event. The important question of the
proposed canal between the two oceans is fully
discussed, and maps given to show the various
advantages of the proposed routes. The volume
contains much useful information about these
states, conveyed in a pleasant and sensible
rammer.

Duds not Words; a Domestic Tale. By B. Bell.

Rc n ticdge.
This is one of Mr. Routledge's series of cheap
original novels, and it is one of the best of the kind
that we have seen. It is a simple domestic story
of the trials and efforts of a Scotch family, the
Flemings of Dinnaik, and though we meet some
improbabilities there is nothing extravagant in the
events chronicled. The heroine, Susan, is a strik-
ing and interesting character, combining unusual
talents with feminine gentleness. She is favour-
ably contrasted with her beautiful and selfish sister.
The latter part of the story is hardly equal to the
former. The author is apparently a beginner, and
gives promise of attaining a position among writers
of domestic fiction. We are glad to see a work of
this superior class in the rank of cheap novels.

Tht Two Convicts. _ By Frederick Gerstaecker.

Routledge.
Frederick Gerstveker is known as the author of
some exciting romances, such as " The Pirates of
the Mississippi," and " The Haunted House."
His novels generally display considerable ingenuity
of construction, and some degree of originality.
The present tale is one of colonial life, and the plot
turns on an unjust conviction. Love and romance
are mingled in the story, which offers considerable
attraction to the lovers of a fresh and interesting
fiction

Arithmetical Teaching. By John Blain. Longman.
This little work will be a valuable assistant to
teachers and learners. It is called "The Rationale
of Arithmetical Teaching," and gives a full expo-
sition of the principles of numeration, and the
four elementary rules. The author is late vice-
principal of the Winchester Training School. His
remarks on the system of teaching arithmetic
have therefore the weight of an authority. They
show careful consideration of the subject, and de-
monstrate clearly the advantages of making the pupil
think for himself instead of loading his memory with
rules which he scarcely understands. This work
is calculated to lead to a thorough comprehension
of the Arithmetical principles, as well as to a ready
facility of mental calculation.

Tom, Burke of " Ours." By _ Charles Lever.

Vol. 11. Chapman and Hall.
The second volume of this favourite novel has
appeared in the cheap edition. Its exciting and
varied adventures have obtained for it an extended
reputation, and many will be glad of the oppor-
tunity of securing it in its present cheap and con-
venient form.

The New Zealand Settler's Guide. By Captain
T. Rhodes Cooper : Stamford.
This useful little work gives a sketch of the pre-
sent state of the six provinces of New Zealand ;
an account of the constitution, the social condition,
the land regulations, and every kind of information
connected with the colony. The author has had
the experience of many years residence, and has
travelled over most of the settlements. He has
also in his possession the land regulations of the
which ho
never before
to differentthe reader.
governments,
These
regulations o f
been published in England,tding and aoregiovfes caoudrsigeeostf
greatsm importance
h home
me thanto y
en
thean i
gives a particular account emigrant. He
considers New Zealand n
better
o f suitedth the climate,
for a n Es no
soil,
other colony, and there-
forepolitical constitution, and social condition, which
he justly thinks are points of paramount importance
to one who means to settle. ermn ently in the
island, while they are of little consequencea to those
who go in search of health or wealth only. In the
introduction lie offers some sensible advice to the
emigrant, who will find this little book of much
service.

tan government consents to restore to the Sardinian
It is stated, in a Naples letter, that the Neapoli-
Company, to which she belongs, the Cagliari, the
steamer which was captured not long since with in-
surgents on board.
The Italia c Popolo of Genoa was again seized
the Cattolico, the clerical organ,
on the 4th for a second article written by Mazzini
gveh
time,
ment articles against Mazzini, was
on the Situation, or state of public affairs. At
account of some attacks on the constitu-
tscleolineztesadaimuoinne
tion contained in those articles.
ISLE of WIGHT.—The first stone of the new light•
house for the Needles, has just been laid near the south-
west edge of the Lower Cliff, Isle of Wight, and is
expected, when completed, to be of great advantage to
the merchant service, as it will be visible thirty miles
mu land,