The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-07-13 00:00:00

MAN KILLED BY Ins WIFE.—On Monday last, an
old pensioner residing at Rotherham, being too ill to go
personally and receive his pension, sant his wife for that
purpose, 'but the woman, instead of returning direct
home, stayed and spent a portion of the money in drink.
When at length, however, she reached home, her hus-
band severely admonished her and remonstrated with her
for her conduct, which so exasperated her that she took
up a sweeping brush, struck him a violent blow on the
temple and killed him on the spot. The woman is now
in custody, on a charge of manslaughter.—Doncaster
Chronicle.

LOSS OF AIRS. GRAHAM'S BALLOON.—Mrs. Graham,
the aeronaut, who very nearly lest her lite, about two
years since, was announced to make an ascent on Wed-
nesday evening, from the Rosemary Branch Tavern, at
Hoxton, with her Victoria balloon, which she had ob-
tained at great cost, to replace the one previously
destroyed. The machine, with which she had already
made various ascents, was inflated and displayed in the
Rosemary Branch Garden during the day, and it was said
that Mrs. Graham was to be accompanied by two ladies,
who anticipated a delightful excursion, the weather being
as propitious as could possibly be desired. Shortly after
six o'clock, when they were about to attach the car pre-
paratory to the ascent, through some mismanagement of
the persons who held it, the balloon suddenly escaped
from the netting, and bounding off with great velocity,
completely unattached, rolled over and over as it ascended,
while the gas visibly expanded, until, having attained a
great altitude, it was seen to burst—the gas appearing
like a luminous circle around it, after which the ruptured
silk fluttered for a while in the air, and was presently
lost sight of,

DISGRACEFUL SCENE AT SALISBURY I BURIAL 07 A
SUICIDE.—On Friday night last the remains of a pen-
sioner, named Morgan, who had poisoned himself, and
against whom a verdict of felo-de-se had been returned by
the coroner's jury, were buried in St. Edmund's Church-
yard ' • upwards of 500 persons were present. The coffin
was lowered to its destination just as the church clock
struck ten, when a scene which baffles all description en-
sued ; prayers were offered up by some, others gave vent
to awful imprecations, and a voice exclaimed, " Throw
him in like a dog, an old fool, to live those years, and then
to poison himself for a married woman." Many declared
deceased to be insane, and said had he been a rich man,
he would not have been served so ; at another quarter a
voice proposed three groans for the coroner, and, while
the police were interfering, groans emanated from another
quarter. The moon was just in the ascendant, and re-
lieved the dark foliage of the trees surrounding the grave-
yard ,• a more fearful spectacle scarcely ever was pre-
sented. The streets afterwards were lined with those
who had witnessed the burial, or had arrived too late to
do so.—Salisbury paper.

A SHIP SUNK AT SEA BY A WHALE.—On Tuesday
the English brig Crusader, arrived at Cowes from St.
Jago de Cuba, and landed the captain and crew of the
Pauline, Le Chevalier, master. It appears that on the
17th of last month, whilst on their passage from Porto
Rico, in lon. 40. 13 W. of Paris, and lat. 40. 30 N., with
a cargo of sugar, bound for Havre, at about 11 a.m.,
whilst under easy sail, the vessel, a new ship of 400 tons,
was struck by a monstrous whale on the bow, and the
damage was so greatthat theship filled almost immediately.
The captain and crew, consisting of ten men and a pas-
senger, hoisted out a boat, in which, after stowing away
a bag of biscuits and a little water, they embarked, and
in about fifteen minutes after the vessel was struck she
sunk. For three days and nights she was tossing about,
but on the fourth day they were providentially seen by
the Crusader, and rescued from their perilous situation,
None of those rescued have preserved anything, and as
they are destitute of necessaries, the French consul, W.
Stuart Day, Esq., has shown his usual kindness and
promptitude in providing for their necessities.
FRIGHTFUL SUICIDE.—A very painful sensation was
caused on Thursday morning among the occupants of the
TaYistock Hotel, Covent-garden, London, in consequence
of the following awful discovery :—lt appears that a
gentleman belonging to a highly respectable family had
been lodging in the hotel, and from his generally pleasing
manner no one for a moment contemplated that his intel.
lect was impaired. At an early hour on Thursday some
surprise was created from the fact that the unfortuuate
gentleman did not make his appearance at the usual hour ;
some of the domestics were therefore despatched to his
bedroom to call him, but, not receiving an answer, the
door was opened, when the unfortunate person was found
lying on his back on the 'floor ; a pillow was under his
head, and the throat was severed almost from ear to ear.
A medical man was, without loss of time, sent for, ar.d
in a few moments two surgeons arrived, and pronounced
life extinct. From a more minute examination it was
found the deceased had, in the first instance, cut his
throat while lying in bed, and that he then jumped out
and made his bed on the floor, where he shortly after
expired.
CAYENNE PEPPER.—In none of the investigations of
the Lancet Commissioners have the disclosures made
been more startling than those now brought before the
public respecting cayenne pepper. Of twenty-eight sam-
ples examined, it was found that twenty-four were adul-
terated, twenty-two contained mineral colourinsr matter,
and four only, were found to be genuine. In 130 of the
samples red lead was found in large and poisonous quan-
tities. In seven of the samples were found venetian red,
red ochre, brick-dust, or some other analogous ferrugi-
nous earth. In six of the samples were found a large quan-
tity of salt, combined with red lead and red ferruginous
earth ; the purpose of the salt is supposed to be to bring
out the colour and acrid taste of the genuine portion of the
cayenne. The other ingredients were vermilion or sul-
phuret of mercury, a highly deleterious substance, cinna-
bar, tumeric, ground rice, and husks of white mustard
seed. It is remarked, as a peculiarity of red lead and
vermillion, or sulphuret of mercury, that not only are
they highly poisonous, but when taken into the human
system are not eliminated, as is the case with some other
poisons, but remain in the body, the doses gradually ac-
cumulating, until they seriously affect the health of those
who use them.
DREADFUL TRAGEDY.—An awful, and double crime
was committed at Du'mfries on Saturday morning. A lad
named Rain, a baker, and a servant girl named Johnston,
whom he had been courting for some time, attended a
wedding party, where the girl excited her lover's jealousy
by some fancied slight, and encouragements afforded by
her to a rival. The party went on till an early hour on
Saturday morning, and it is thought that the lad had not
gone to bed at all, but must have been nursing his wrath
till Ire wrought up his passions to commit the fearful ha-
voc which we have now to record. At nine o'clock in the
morning he repaired to the house of his lassie's master,
in High-street, and, after a few angry words, drew a razor
which he had concealed on his person, and inflicted some
terrible wounds about the girl's neck. Thinking that he
had killed her, he then cut his own throat with such de-
termination as to destroy life almost immediately. The
attack was so sudden that, before the alarm of the girl's
cries, the deed had been perpetrated. She, though seri-
ously injured, will, it is expected, yet recover. The street
where the scene occurred has been thronged all the day
with an excited idle crowd, especially of women and
children, whom it is pitiful to see with such a craving ap-
petite for the horrible, talking over the details, and peer-
ing into the doors and windows of the girl's residence.

TRAFFIC RETURNS.—The traffic returns for the week
ending June 4th, on the undermentioned English lines of
railway, are as follow : 1852. 1851..
London and North Western £50,679 .. £61,239
Midland

Lancashire and Yorkshire 17,783 .. 17,114
London and South-Western 14,248 .. 16,744
London and Brighton 12,096 .. 13,097
Great Western
South Eastern

York and North Midland
Manchester, Shelf, and Lincoln 7,193 .. 7,001
Bristol and Exeter _ 5 017 5 310
_ t___

York, Newcastle, and Berwick.. 14,701 .. 14,505
Shrewsbury and Chester .... 1,914 .. 1.817
Eastern Counties and Norfolk.. 16,433 .. 17,557
Great Northern ..
Chester and Holyhead 3,919 .. 3,759
North Staffordshire 5,229 .. 5,705
Leeds Northern ...
South Devon ..

Caledonian .
South Wales

The total receipts on the above lines being £241,792,
against £260,399 in the corresponding week of last year;
the decrease is shown to be £18,607. The number of miles
open on the above, was, in 1852, 4.433, and in 1851,
4,3041, showing an increase of 121 miles.

EXECUTIONS.—The two brothers, Michael and Peter
Scanlan, who were sentenced at the High Court of Jus-
ticiary in Edinburgh on the 14th ult., underwent the
last penalty of the law on Monday morning at Cupar, the
chief town in Fifeshire, within which the deed for, which
they suffered was committed. The two culprit* wc►c
Irish labourers, and were employed at the Hill of Forthar
Limeworks, in the parish of Kettle. Near this place
there is a small village orhamlet, called Hilton of Forthar.
In this village they lodged. Adjoining to their lodgings
there lived an old woman who kept a small huckster's
shop, with whom they were in the habit of dealing for
meal, bread, and other articles c f food. This old wo-
man, it was suspected, had some little money by her ;
and the brothers Scanlan, along with a man named
M'Manus, who turned approver at the trial, entered into
a compact to rob the old woman's house .on the evening
of Sunday, the 15th of April last. They met about mid-
night to accomplish their nefarious purpose ; and
NV:A/anus alleges that he remained outside to watch and
give warning, and that the Scanlans entered the house by
a small back window. The old woman, it seems, was
awakened by thenoise, when one of the Scanlans knocked
her down with a three-legged stool, and, by repeated
blows, cruelly murdered her, by smashing in 'her skull.
The event created great excitement in Fifeshire generally,
where there has been no execution for the last 20 years.
The scaffold was erected at an early hour on Monday
morning, and by the time fixed for the execution an
immense crowd of people was colle;cted in the streets of

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