The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-03 00:00:00

CO URT-MARTIAL.

A court-martial as4embled on Tuesday morning,
on board her Majesty's sloop Impregnable, 104, in
liamoaze, for the trial of William John Lowry,
acting-lieutenant of her Majesty's sloop Britomart,
8, on the following charges :-
1. For that the said William John Lowry, when
acting lieutenant of her Majesty's sloop Britomart,
and in r.ctual service and full pay in her Majesty's
fleet, did, on the Ist of April, 1849, on board the
said sloop sleep upon his watch.
2. For that the said William John Lowry, when
such acting lieutenant, and in actual service, and in
full pay as aforesaid, wan, on the Ist day of April,
1849, drunk on board the said sloop.
3. For that the sjd William John Lowry, when
such acting-lieutenant, and in actual service and tull
pay as aforesaid, did, on the 16th day of November,
(n board the said sloop, disobey the orders of William
Charles Chamberlain, Eig.; the commander of the said
sloop, his superior officer, by getting upon the poop-
grating of the said sloop during the watch of the said
IVilliam John Lowry, although ord red by the said
Commander William Charles Chamberlain not to
do so.

4. For that the said William John Lowry, when
such acting lieutenant, and in actual service and full
pay, as aforesaid, did, on the 16th of November,
1849, on board the said sloop, behave himself with
contempt to the said Commander William Charles
Chamberlain, his superior officer, being in the execu-
tion of his office.

The Court was composed of Vice-Admiral of the
Blue Sir John Louis, President; Captain Hope
Johnstone, of the Agincourt, 72 ; Captain Robert
Smart, of the Indefatigable, 50; Captain Sir Thomas
Maitland, of the Impregnable, 104 ; and Commander
Charles Hall, of the Agincourt. William East-
lake, Esq., officiated as Judge-Advocate. The
prisoner, by permission of the Court, was defended
by Mr. John Beer, jun., of Devonport.
The Judge-Advoeate read the correspondence of
Commander Chamberlain, of the Britomart, to
Commodore A. Fanshawe, C. 8., in command of the
station on the west coast of Africa, authorizing the
assembling of a court-martial, when most expedient,
for the trial of Lieutenant Lowry on the above charges.
William Charles Chamberlain said—l was com-
mander of her Majesty's sloop Britomart, and was on
board on the Ist of April last. The prisoner was
acting lieutenant, and was in full pay, at that time
serving in her Majesty's service. Iwt a absent from
the Britomart on the evening of the Ist of April upon
duty. I returned to the ship between eleven and twelves
o'clock that night. I was received at the gang-
way by Mr. Townshend, the midshipman of the
watch, the sergeant of Marines, and the boatswain's
mate. I turned round to address the officer of the
watch, and, not seeing him, I asked where he was.
I asked Mr. Townshend where he was, and he replied
that he was below. I added " Where ?" The answer
was, "In the berth." I then gave him orders to go with
the boatswain's mate and sergeant, and that all three
were to report to me where he was, and in what
state he was. They went and shortly returned, and
each reported to me that he was asleep upon the table
in the midshipmen's berth, and that he was drunk. I
sent for the first lieutenant, and whilst waiting for
him I observed the prisoner get up the main hatch-
way and stagger against the gangway ladder quite
drunk. I placed him under erre st.
Q. State what you know relating to the third and
fourth charges against the prisoner ?—A. On the
16th of Nov., 1849, I was walking the deck during
the six to eight watch, of which the prisoner was the
officer, and observed him to be standing cn the poop-
gratings, in company with the surgeon and master,
holding conversation. I went up to him, called
him down, expressed regret that I should have
to speak to an officer for disobeying an order
which I had before given him, not to stand on
the poop-gratings, and desired him never to stand
on the poop-gratings whilst officer of the watch,
but to keep his watch attentively on the weather side
of the quarterdeck. He replied, " I was speaking
to the Master, Sir, about the log." I told him that,
as the officer of the watch, it was his duty to see
the log written himself, without conversation with
the other officers ; and that, if there was occasion to
refer to the master, he could do so when relieved. I
went on to say that there was no earthly necessity
for an officer to be upon the poop-gratings, to which
Ee replied in the most disputatious, contemptuous
tone of voice, " I don't think so at all ;" and added,
" Do you mean to say, Sir, that I am never, at any
time whatever, and on any account whatsoever, to get
up on those poop gratings?" I told him that he
was to go and walk the deck, reserve his convets
tion, and not get up on the poop gratings any more."
He walked the deck fur a few minutes, and then got
up on the poop gratings, and looked slowly round
the horizon, got down again, and walk( d the
deck. He again got up on the poop-gratings,
and as I saw him wilfully defying my order, I
called hitn down, and in a peremptory manner again
repeated my order—" He was never again, on any
account, to get up on those gratings whilst officer of
the watch." He said, in a tone highly improper,
" Then, Sir, I have not charge of the watch—l
cannot be answerable." To which I replied that
he was to continue in charge of the watch. He
said something may go, and I cannot be re-
sponsible if I am to continue in charge of the
watch. I will go upon:the poop ; and if I cannot
go up on the poop I won't sign the log." I sent
for the first lieutenant to witness the execution of this
threat, and mentioned to the first lieutenant what
the prisoner said he would do, and then I said to Mr.
Lowry, " I desire you, sir, to walk the quarter deck
immediately, keep charge of the watch, and sign the
log." He obeyed the order, and very shortly after
he was relieved by another officer, and after consider-
ation of what happened, I thought it my duty to place
the prisoner under arrest.
By Captain Johnstone—When the prisoner came
up the hatchway, I was about four yards from him.
He was dressed as officers usually are, with the
exception that he had no shoes on over his stockings.
I did not observe the prisoner walk after he came on
deck, but I observed him to reach the gangway by
the help of the, main bits and the third gun. I did not
speak to the prisoner on that occasion. I heard the
prisoner speak, and his tone of voice was that
of a drunken man. It was a clear light night, but I
forget whether the moon was above the horizon. I
had not given a general order previously that the
officers of the watch should not stand upon the poop•
gratings, but I had given :a special order to Mr.
Lowry, as I had so frequently observed him lounging
about the poop. I considered the prisoner's manner
with reference to the fourth charge decidedly con-
temptuous.

Evidence was called which fully corroborated
Commander Chamberlain's testimony.
In his defence the prisoner admitted the truth of
the first charge, but urged it was the first time in his
life he had been guilty of such misconduct, and
denied having spoken contemptuously to his com-
mander.
At the conclusion the court was cleared for about
an, hour. On re opening, the JUDGE-ADVOCATE
read the sentence, which was, that the prisoner,
William John Lowry, be dismissed her Majesty's
service.

dance.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE EAST LANCASHIRE
RAILWAY.—On Tuesday evening, one of the most dread-
ful accidents which has occurred in this locality for a
long period of time happened at the Maghull station on
the East Lancashire Railway, attended by a fearful loss
of life. It appears from the narrative of a passenger
that a train lett Preston at a quarter before 8 o'clock
last evening for Liverpool, with only one carriage
attached to the engine, consisting of first and second
class compartments. At the Ormskirk station there was
a considerable accession of passengers, for whom it did
not appear that there was adequate room. When the
train arrived at the Maghull station there was a spare
carriage on the siding, and to get hold of this carriage
the train crossed the line on to the other rails, and for
about 10 minutes was moving up and down on the rails
on the wrong side of the line, when an alarm was given
that a train was coming up; and being in the way of
any train on the wrong rails, it was apprehended by the
passengers that a train might be coming up on the same
line as that on which they were moving, and under this
apprehension several of the passengers jumped out, when
.
a train towards Liverpool passed at a rapid rate, andktho _
night being dark, and the passengers on the track
the advancing engine in a state of the utmost
and alarm, three of them were caught ivthengille
and killed on the spot. Their werebodiesdlmmediatelymutilation. VVe
picked up, but in a shocking state
.
have not been able to obtain the names of the parties,
but it is believed they were country
b:( n transacting business at orn. k t people who had
rk. Had the se Un-
fortunate people retained their seats, they would have
sustained no injury, but the continuous moving of the
train up and down the line at the station, the knowledge
that they were on the wrong rails for their own train,
to
and the sound of the approaching engine, appear
have caused a panic resulting in this melancholy termi-
nation. Whether blame attaches anywhere or not,
cannot, as yet be ascertained, but no doubt the whole
of the facts will transpire at the inquest to be held on
the bodies of the unfortunate passengers.--Liverpool
Courier.
P ABRlDGEDThei,,,pe.ltheir c
pot::
sioHnlfLoLrPsoinTnTesrsv.toGporrton,o7.
Sends Bulls, NNithout mercy, to ?fore 'em;
Our Phillpotts, to slow his nose fatherly love,
Refuses permission to gore 'em.
—Punch.

DEATH OF A YOUNG WOMAN
FROM BURNING.
It becomes our melancholy duty this week to
~,..,
record another death from burning. The unfortu-
nate individual in this case was a young wont -N:, -
named Elizabeth Jones'
woman, in the upper , art
aged 17, who resided Ath
her sister, a married
of Bath-road, near the Norwood Arms. ' he
was engaged on Friday evening, at half past 'six
o'clock, in frying pancakes for the family supper,
when her apron caught fire, and the whole 'of
her garments were enveloped in flames. . sbe
screamed loudly for assistance, and ran into the
passage, hut before aid could arrive she was fright-
fully burnt. Mr. Askwith, surgeon, of Huntley-
lodge, Suffolk-road, was sent for, and was promptly
in attendance. He did everything which •Nvvas pos-
' Bible under the circumstances, but medical assist-
' ante was of no avail.. , The poor creature lingered
in great agony until, aline o'clock on Saturday
morning, when death put, a period to her suf-
ferings. The lower part of her person was lit, rally
burnt to a cinder, and the upper part of her body
injured. Aga inquest was
was also moat dangerously
herd on the boly on Saturday night, at the Norwood
Arms Inn, before Samuel Ma3.er, Eiq., deputy
view ing the
coroner, and a respectable jury. After
body, the following evidence was taken :
Henry Nash-1 em a labourer, residing in Bath.
road, and work for Mr. Jonathan 1.3cmh.,, of Ltck •
hampton. I reside in the same house where deceased
lived. I was sitting in the kitchen abi ut half.
past six o'clock, when I heard loud screaming up
stairs. I ran up, and found deceased in flame.
running about the passage. Her clothes were
burning rapidly. I ran down stairs and fetched
up a bucket of water. I threw it over her;
but the first bucket did not put out the flames,
so that I had to fetch two more bucketsful!.
She was burning all the time. Several per-
sons arrived soon after, and we sent for a medical
man. Mr. Askwith arrived in about half an hour.
lie ordered some liniment to be applied to the burnt
parts. It was applied according to his orders. The
deceased lived with her brother-in-law, Mr. Bolton,
and his wife, for whom she kept house.
Anne Bolton—ljam the wife of Henry Bolton, who
is a haulier. Our house is in the parish of Chelten-
ham. The deceased was my sister, and she has
lived regularly with me for the last ten months.
She assisted me in taking care of my children, and
in housekeeping. After the untottunate acci-
dent which caused her death had occurred,
she told me she was frying a pancake aad that her
apron caught fire; she said she was unable to put it
out. I was away from the house at the time of the
accident at work. Her stays were much burnt. She
seemed to know that she would die; she lingered in
much agony until about half-past nine o'clock this
morning, when she expired.
The CORONER here put it to the jury whether they
were satisfied as to the cause of death, without
further evidence, and being answered in the affirma-
tive, he closed the inquiry.
After a brief consultation, the jury came to a
verdict of " Accidental death from burning."—Chel-
tenham Journal.

DIAMOND DUST.
(From Eliza Cook's Journal.)
The most strict and severe, and suspicious ptrsons,
are precisely those who are most often deceived. Suspi-
cion is so rarely directed aright, that cunning is more
than a match for it; and oppression ever begets cunning,
which is the dwarfed and deformed cleverness of the
slave.

The young should be spired from sorrow as much as
possible. Never dim the sunshine of hope and joy, so as
to leave them without even the memory of its glory.
Rob charity of its name, by the delicacy- of .your be-
quests, and yku give it a fair chance of proving the
divinity of its origin.

People seldom- improve when they have no other
model but themselves to copy after.

FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—An explosion of
sulphnreous gas, attended with fatal consquences, oo-
curred at a coal-pit at Kingswinford, ou Thursday
morning last. The miners resumed their labours at the

ordinary hour, after testing the workings of the pit with
a safety lamp, and pronouncing it safe. About an hour
and a half atterwards, however, an explosion took place.
All the lights were put out, and the men (several of

whom are :lightly injUred) thrown down by the current.
A boy named Jabez Burks, about thirteen years of age,
was killed. An inquest was held on the body at the
Sampson and Lion Inn, Pensnett, before T. M. Phillips,
Esq., coroner, on Saturday last, when a verdict in ac-
cordance with the evidence was returned.— Wolver-
hampton Chronicle.

BERLIN, DEC. 28.—The Court has received the
satisfactory intelligence that her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Dessau, saved, as it were, from the jaws of
death by Dr. Wehscmeyer, of Berlin, continnes to im-
prove, and that hcpes are entertained of her ultimate
recovery. Dr. Wchsemeyer is understood to have re-
sorted to an ingenious mode of applying a douche to the
patient's head. Iler Roy al Highness was removed from
her bed into a warm bath; the th.c:ur then mounted a

ladder plum' against the walll, whence he pourt d down
bucket after bucket upon the Duchess's head. This
t•implc and efficacious mode of applying the remedy, in
cases of spoplexy, or paralysis of the br..'n, merits bang
recorded.

RAILWAY FESTIVITIES IN MA N C lIESTER.—On
Tuesday eveuirg, within oue of the t.reoes of the Lou.
don and North-Western Railway, au entertainment was
given to the my n employed in the goods department of
the line, by Mr. Samuel Salt, the general manager.
The arch, which is upwards Of 200 feet in length, and
proportionably wide, was lighted with gas, and decorated
with evergreens and artificial flowers. The number of
persons present was from 650 to 700, and nearly one-
halt of these were the wives and sweethearts of the

men. Upon the platform, erected at ono end of the
arch, the guests' table were placed; and at these were
seated the principal officers in various departments of
the company's service, together with their ladies. The

. .
usual loyal and other tosits appropriate to the occasion
were given, and the entertainment concluded with a .

TUE AMERICAN PRESS.—The enterprise and libe-
rality of the New York press are, we apprehend, un•
equalled in any other city in the world, except, perhaps,
the city of London. Among the late enterprises of the
press for procuring early foreign news was the establish•
merit of a weekly express between this city and St. John,
New Brunswick, a distance by land of nearly 300 miles,
which was run from February to November at a rate of
speed, over most of the route, of nearly 20 miles per
hour. From St. John the news has been regularly tele-
graphed to New York, some 600 miles further, at an
additional expense of 1001., making the total weekly
expenses for a single dispatch of 3,000 words nearly
2001. The completion of the telegraph to this city
renders the continuance of the horse express unneces-
sary, but the telegraph tolls are still to be paid, and they
amount, for 3,000 words, which the press contract to
receive, to n very heavy sum, say 5,000/. to 6,000/. per
year. A good deal has been said, and not a little oppo-
sition exists, in this community, against granting the
exclusive use of the wire for the transmission of the

foreign news' dispatch to the New York press, and as
the merits of the case do not app: ar to be fully compre-
hended by the public, we propose to give what we be-
lieve to be a correct statement of the matter. The New
York Associated Press embraces all the leading papers
in that city, and the committee appointed by the different
publishers also represent, in this foreign news business,
the morning papers of Boston, the principal papers of
Philadelphia, and all intermediate cities to New Orleans.
The leading object the committee of the press profess to
have in view is to place -die principal commercial news
before the whole public in advance of its receipt for
speculative purposes; and their arrangements for giving
the public the benefit of their ,enterprise are the most
perfect that can be devised.---HaVux Sun.
Tne MAILs.—SouTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY, JAN.
2.—The Royal Mail Steam-packet Company's ship
Trent, Captain W. Clarke, took her departure this after-
noon with the usual mails for the West Indies and Gulf
of Mexico, in charge of Lieutenant O'Reilly, R N., Ad-
miralty agent. Her route is via Bermuda, the Bahamas.
Havannah, and Mobile to the Gulf of Mexico. She had
33 passengers, amongst whf m were Paymager Gibbs for
Jamaica, Quartermaster Macdonald for Barbadces, M.
Sotomayor for Ilavannab, &c. The freight list com-
prised 8,0001. in specie, 100 bottles of quicksilver, value
about 1,6001., and the usual cargo for various parts of
the West Indies. Some alteration has been made in the
rigging of the Trent, which has bad the effect of im•
proving her appearance considerably. She now carries
topsail and topgallantsail yards on the main as well as
the foretopmast. This addition, besides enabling the
steamer to carry a vast deal more canvass in fine and
moderate weather, makes her look more warlike, and
has greatly augmented her
" shipshape" appearance.
The Avon, with the West India and Pacific mails, may
now be daily expected.
A PRISON BREAKER.—Freder ,
ick Grimwood, some
time since, when under -sentence of transportation fur
seven years, quietly walked off from Ipswich gaol, to
the utter consternation of the authorities. He then in.
pal d
to
dulged in u•plundering expedition throughout Norfolk,
happened
Huntingdon, and Cambridge, and ultimately found his
way into the Bury Assize Court for robbery. Here he
was
atesodn, andyho
was
ba p s
recognisedbein court at Superin-
tendent the
time.
time. Grimwood, who had adopted the name of
Smith, was senteeced to six months' iroprisonstent
con
for the offence of which he stood convicted, and it
was arranged that, at the expiration of that term, he
should be transferred to the Ipswich gaol, preliminary to
undergoing his former sentence. On Wednesday
afternoon, however, he took a distas,e to her
Muj' sty's gaol at Bury is c aecordiugly walked off on
his own account, with cut in any measure studying the
feelings of the governor, who had been quite unaccuse
turned to lose his prisoners. We learn that his escape
was effected by the negligence of the plumber, in leaving
a ladder which he had been using in the well. The
prisoner could see the ladder from his yard, and he isn-
mediately climbed over the iron railings, seized the
ladder, mounted the wall, and dragged the ladder ovet
the wall to descend by. But it appears the ladder slipped
sideways out of his reach, and he had to drop from the
top of the wall, a distarce of 20 feet, as a deep indantsk-
tion was made in the sod by his feet in the tall. The
officer having had occasion to leave the yard for about s
minute, it appears that he took immediate advantage of
his abience. Officers are scouring the country, but
nothing has yet been heard of the prisoner.—lPsweek
Express.
The Hon. H. Fitzroy bad an interview with Sit
George Grey yesterday at the Home-office.