The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-09-14 00:00:00

THE SHEFFIELD MURDER.

In ou last publication we gave, under the head of
.npo! Murder at Sheffield," the particulars of the
discovery of the body of a young man named Alexander
Robinson, a Scotch hawker of drapery goods, in a deep
ditch in the outskirts of Sheffield, who was supposed, from
the mutilated state of his body, to have met his death by
foul means. Since the discovery of the body the police

" Supposed

found that a watch the property of the deceased had been
pledred in town, and they ultimately apprehended James
Barbour, a hawker of drapery goods, and a young man
named George Nl`Cormick. It was proved in evidence
before the coroner's _him on Wednesday last, that Bar-
bour was

lernoon, ant

about half-past four or five o'clock, Barbour went to the
ltandard, and there left a bundle that was in the
on of the murdered man two hours before. He
t to another place, where he showed a
I%X'Cormick is charged with having
ich is identified as Robinson's, the
the deceased were, some time

posses

afterwards we

tch produced

pledged the watch, wh
Darbour a

deceased

since, both in the employ of Mr. Barbour, draper, of
Doncaster. Barbour is nephew to that gentleman, Whilst
in this position, he was accused of having robbed the de-
ceased of £2O. The evidence, however, was not sufficient
Mr. Barbour

to convict,

and he was d

scharged

same time, discharged him from his employ, and retained
Robinson, who was placed in his situation. From this it
is alleged that Barbour owed the deceased a grudge. A
short time ago, Robinson quitted Mr. Barbour's employ,
and commenced hawking drapery goods. It appears that
the deceased and the prisoner have frequently met in
Sheffield on good terms, and on Thursday morning they
dined together, and afterwards adjourned to a public-
house, where they had some drink. The prisoner and the
- atter place together.

deceased left tl
The inquest

as resumed on Thursday afternoon, in the
the Town-hall, which was greatly
with spectators. The deputy coroner, after callinr
names of the jury, informed them that the police
fined evidence tracing the prisoner and the de-

had obta

Feu within a short distance of the field where the latter
was afterwards found murdered. He believed the evi-
dence would show that midway 'in the interval between
the prisoner leaving Naylor's with the deceased, at two
o'clock on Thursday, and the prisoner calling at the
Royal Standard; a little after four o'clock, and leaving
the pack of the deceased, the two were seen walking along
the footpath of the field adjoining that in which the mur-
der was committed.

At the conclusion of the voluminous evidence, bearing
out the deputy coroner's assertion, after the prisoner had
been asked the usual questions, his answer to which he
reserved, merely stating that he was not guilty, the jury
retired, and, after an absence of twenty minutes, returned
into court with the following verdict:—" We unanimously
agree in a verdict of wilful murder against James Barber."

The coroner at once made out hii' warrant for the pri-
soner's committal to York Castle. M'Cormick, who had
been admitted as a witness, 'was brought up in custody,
and, after signing his deposition, was informed that he
would be detained in custody until the magistrates could
consult as to the means to be taken to secure his attend-
ance on the trial. Although the prisoner's name is given
as Barber in the verdict, he wrote it Barbour in signing
his denial of guilt.

THE

HARVEST

Tux great bulk of the wheat crop is now gathered
throughout the United itingdom. Barley and oats are
yet out to some extent on the late soils, and'the bean crop
is almost entirely unsecured. The weather in the present
week has been very unfavonrable, and the' outstanding
crops mutt have suffered by the continual showers that
have fallen in this district. The new wheat that has vet
appeared at our market is very inferior to last year ; but
on the whole better than rumour had led us,to expect.
We are happy to hear that the yield per acre is quite equal
to the farmers' expectations, especially on clay and loamy
soils. Doubtless on the lighter quality of land, there was
considerable blight, and premattire ripening, and'the yield
from such is consequently less productive. Taking the
district, however, which usually supplies' our market, the
wheat crop will be inferior to last year in quality and
quantity, superior to 1850, and about an average produce.
Barley is various in quality, some very good, bat very
irregular, which' the maltsters will. discover. The aggre-
gate quantity is likely to be large, and above an average
in that respect. Both beans and cats may be considered
an average quantity in this district, and there are some
exceedingly heavy crops of the former grain. Looking at
the market reports of the south of England, the quality
of wheat is evidently very inferior, and the price at which
it is selling must be ruinous to the farmer. Prices are
quoted for seed wheat in several of the south country
markets at 265. to 365. per quarter, being from 3s. 3d: to
49. 6d. the imperial bushel. Prices are not only unre-
munerative, but a positive loss to the grower.—Doncaster
Chronicle.

EAST RETFORD.—We believe we may with certainty
announce that the harvest is now completed in this dis-
trict, as far as the wheat crops are concerned, and that,
with a few exceptions, the whole has been housed in
capital condition. On the clay soils the crops have been
most abundant, and from all we can learn the yield here
is considerably above an average one. On the lighter
forest soils, however, there is a slight failing off this year,
hut upon the whole we think this district will afford a full
average yield. Hop pulling has partially commenced in
the North Clays, but the picking will not be general until
next week. Where there is a fair quantity of bine the-.
yield will be good and the produce of the very best quality,
but in many parts of the district there is a paucity in the
bine, which cannot allow any great weight to he gathered•
therefrom. The -general yield of the Mirth Clays will
range from four cwt. to fourteen or fifteen cwt. per acre.
DLlleaster Chronicle.

The crops throughout these counties, and, indeed, in
the south generally, have all been gathered in. With
respect to tha crops themselves, all the accounts that
reach us confirm the fears before expressed. Much has
been injured by mildew and sprouting; more has been
hurried up in a state that will deteriorate its quality ; and
this will be more severely felt by the wheat-growers in this
district, because all the letters agree that as to the north
of the Humber, the crops came on late and escaped all
injury from the wet, a deficiency is not likely to be found,
either in quantity or quality, throughout that important
tract of the kingdom.—Chetmsford Chronicle.
LINCOLNSHIRE.—TIie fine weather during the last
week has been of great service to the farmers in this
neighbourhood, they having secured the principal part of
the white corn, though not in a condition to thrash im-
mediately, consequently old wheat is in request by the
millers. The farmers have commenced taking up their
potatoes, but they are much diseased, the largest being
most affected ; buyers are very keen to send away, and
there is no doubt potatoes will be found scarce towards
the spring, and very dear.—Lincolnshire Chronicle.
WISBECII.—Most of the white corn in this district has
been gathered, but a good deal of it will come to hand in
bad condition, and the best of it rather light in weight. A
few extraordinary fields (such as six and seven quarters an
acre) are spoken of by parties who have thrashed, but the
average will not be good either in quantity or quality,
particularly in the fens. Grass keeping is very plentiful,
and our feeding pastures seldom look so well ; a ride now
across our rich grazing districts, well stocked with huge
beasts and sheep, is a glorious sight to behold.

THE HARVEST IN SCOTLAND

Last week closed with highly-favourable weather for
winning, and, consequently, a large breadth was carried
to the barn-yard in prime condition, This week, howe-
ver, we have had a recurrence of close wet weather, and
the rains of Monday and Tuesday put a stop alike to reap-
ing and leading-in. Yesterday and to-day have again
opened more cheeringly with a bright sunny sky and a
somewhat sharpish breeze from the east ; and, if this fa-
vourable change continues, the present will all but clear
the fields in the Howe and north of Fife, also in the
southern and eastern districts of the county. In the
middle districts, a few days of good weather will suffice
to cut down all that is now standing, and we should say
that by Thursday next the harvest of 1852, so far as Fife
is concerned, will be " a fact accomplished. " As
the barn yards begin to fill, complaints seem in a
great measure to cease, and most of our friends admit
that, as far as bulk is concerned, they will have fully
a third, and in some instances, even a half more than last
year. The quality has yet to be tested, but we have no
doubt that with a few days of good sharp weather to get
all tidied up, we shall also hear little more of blight, dis-
coloured wheat, or shelly oats. The potato disease still
increases with virulence, and there are very few fields that
do not show symptoms of the taint. As we said last week,
it is ',impossible to predict or estimate; but we are within
mark when we affirm that a fourth of 70, very luxuriant
crop is already tainted and worthless. Turnips are still
maintaining their luxuriance, but a considerable breadth
of the early-sown has run to seed and will be all but use-
less. Pastures endure well, and have this season been
great bargains to the tacksmen. Young grasses are also
unusually strong, and the fields being already cleared, will
afford an unusual amount of autumn keep for bestial.—
effeshire Journal.

AUCHTERM(TCHTY.—A great proportion of the grain
in this district is now cut, but a considerable amount of it
still remains exposed in the stock. The weather at pre-
sent is much broken, and it would seem as if this season
the farmers were to experience in full the tantalising pecu-
liarities of our " weeping" climate. The potato crop is
nearly a complete wreck.

PERTHSHIRE.—There is still about a tLird of the crop
out in the low country, and nearly all on the high and
back-lying lands. The potatoes have been thoroughly
examined by agents from the London dealers, and the
disease is found very prevalent, extending to perhaps a
fifth, and in others to a fourth of the crop. Even the
infected portion, however, is worth about ss. a boll, and
some farmers are flattering themselves that for sound
potatoes in the month of May they may look for 20s.
Much will depend upon the weather before the lifting
season.