The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-11 00:00:00

and those that can possibly wait do so. With duty on foreign
wheat at 2s. Bd. petqUarter, high prices cannot long be main
tained, spite of the efforts of the capitalists.—Brighton
Guardian.
Since our last we have had exceedingly favourable weather
for harvest operations, and a great quantity has been cut and
housed.— Ten Towns' Messenger.
The weather on Tuesday, and the whole of yesterday, was
as inauspicious for the crops as it could possibly be—the rain
having fallen heavily, and almost without intermission, ac-
companied with a void wind from the eastward. Elsewhere
we have inserted some notices of harvest operations through-•
out the country. In this neighbourhood, however, they are
completely suspended, in consequence of the rains which con-
tinue up to the hour of going to press. We perceive from the
Edinburgh papers of this morning, that the weather in that
neighbourhood is equally unpropitious.—Glasgow Courier.
Within these last 10 days an immense breadth of wheat
has been carried, and we think it would have been as well for
those who were in such haste on the 25th had they allowed it
to stand out another day or two; we tear they will find it out
when it is taken into the barn. There still exists a diversity
of opinion in different counties as regards the wheat crops.
We can only again repeat, that our opinion as regards this '
county is unaltered, and, as we have stated before, it requires
minute examination to find the number of capsules that are
altogether void of corn. The evil will not be felt till it is
thrashed and ready for market, and though we are unwilling
to look on the dark side of the question, we fear the average
will be a very short one. The barleys are very heavy in the
swarth and look bulky and well; and although the rain has
discoloured them, still it has improved them for malting, and
we have no doubt but the crop will be above an average one.
Oats are exceedingly good; some few samples have already
made their appearance in the market, and we have seen them
sold at from 28s. to 30s. per quarter. Those who were wise
enough to reap their oats have found the great profit and ad-
vantages of this showery season.—Northampton Herald.
A considerable quantity of grain has been well got-in in
this neighbourhood during the week; crops very abundant.
As a proof of a very abundant harvest, we have now at our
office for inspection ten stems of wheat springing from one
root, the produce of a single grain of corn. The ears are full
grown and well corned. It was taken from the farm of Mr.
Wallis, of Stapleford, and is of the variety of wheat called the
"Golden drop."—Nottingham Journal.'
The weather during the week has been generally fine, and
great progress his been made in the oat harvest. The sickle
has not been so active with the wheat.— Wakefield Journal.

TRAGICAL EVENT.
FIVE [LOREN AND THEIR MOTHER KILLED BY POISON
WILFULLY ADMINISTERED BY THE MOTHER.

.(From the Preston Chronicle.)
Happily, for the state of morals in this country, and the
sober and social tune which, in a national sense, clialacterises
its community, it seldom falls to the lot of a public journalist
to lay before his readers the details of so heart-rending and
horrifying, a tragedy, as that of which it is this week our me-
lancholy duty to communicate the particulars.
The scene of the shocking occurrence to which we refer, is
a small hamlet called Fairhurst, in the township of Goosnargh;
between eight and nine miles from this town, and about six
miles from Garstan(7. Edward Sanderson, his wife, and their
five children, resided at Fairhurst; in which place Sanderson
has lately been occupied a day labourer. On TLursday
morning last, Sanderson went to his work, but was not ex-
pected home to dinner; he left his wife and five children in
their usual state of health, and did not observe anything par-
ticular in the demeanour of the latter. About half-past

twelve o'clock at noon of the same day, (Thursday,) •Mr
John Brewer, of Little Inglewhite, was passing Sanderson's
house, when he was called in by Mrs. Sanderson, who stated
to him, that they (meaning herself and children) had eaten,
some pudding to-dinner, and she was afraid there was some-
thing in it which had poisoned them. She also requested
him to go for a surgeon. Mr. Brewer, at this time, saw the
children, and they, as well as their mother, appeared to be
sick, and the younger children were vomiting.
A medical man, resident in the neighbourhood, was in at-
tendance before one o'clock, and he found both the mother
and children in so dangerous a state, that he was induced to
send for Messrs. Smith and Clarkson, surgeons, of Garstang,
both of which gentlemen. tendered their assistance with all
possible promptitude: The unhappy husband, whose feelings
on the occasion it would be most difficult adequately to con-
ceive, much less to describe, was sent for home °from his
work, wither he arrived about half•past two o'clock. He
found his wretched wife and expiring offspring surrounded
by the surgeons and a number of neighbours, and was ad•
dressed by the wife in the most affecting manner, and in
terms of nervous feeling and earnestness, with regard to the
awful situation of herself and her dying children. Soon
after the arrival of the surgeons from Garstang, a small por-
tion of the pudding, which remained from the dinner, was
given to a duck, which almost instantly died. The medical
. gentlemen, by the use of emetics, and other means, exerted
themselves in every possible way during the afternoon, to
mitigate the sufferings, and if possible, preserve the lives of
the ill•fated family, but melancholy to relate, their efforts
were utterly fruitless and unavailing.
The names of the children were, Eleanor, 12 years of age,
Daniel James, 9, Margaret, 6, Robert, 4, and William, 2
years of age. Previous to the shocking affair of which we
write, they were all promising children, and in the enjoy-
ment of good health. About five o'clock, Robert, the
youngest boy but one, after enduring the most acute suffering,
died; a very short time afterwards, William also expired in
great agony. At this period, we understand from an intelli-
gent informant, who was present during nearly the whole of
the time the dreadful drama was in progress, that the scene
wcs at once awful and harrowing. The groans and sobs of
the three surviving children,—the ghastly, terrified, and
death-stricken appearance of the dying mother, —the despair
and alternately wild and subdued distraction of the afflicted
father,—the lifeless remains of the two poor it faits who,
a few hours before, were "all gay with life,"—and the signifi-
cant and horror-excited silence of the speed or , • rmented,
in their united influence upon the mind, ti e effek t of that
appalling thrill and heavy emotion which 'as may sometimes
see portrayed in the pages of romance, but which are rarely
used as the representatives of reality.
The next two children, Daniel James, and Margaret, lan-
guished in great agony for about an hour longer, when they
aisudied simultaneonsly. Not a long period had elapsed
after the portals of life were closed upon the two last named
victims, era Eleanor, the eldest of the dire-fated family,
breathed her last.. Long before her dissolution, it had be-
come quite plain that the iron hand of death was fast enclo-
sing within its grasp, the mother of the five murdered inno-
cents. Before her death, this unhappy woman sent for the
Rev. Mr. Gradwell, the catholic priest of Claughton Hall
chapel; and the Rev. Thomas Benn, incumbent of White-
chapel, Goosnargh, was also in attendance. To Mr. Benn,
she stated, that in consequence of her being in debt " her
. neighbours had turned their backs on her, and that she bad
thereforeput some arsenic into the pudding to poison herself
and children." She also made some communications to the
Rev. Mr. Gradwell, but we have not heard to what effeet.
The poor creature died in excruciating torture, between nine
and ten o'clock. She was thirty-two years of age. An in-
qee.st mill, be held on the bodies this day, (Saturday,) before
R. Palmer, Esq., when, should any additional circumstances
transpire, we shall take care to communicate them.
This dreadful catastrophe.has, as may be well supposed,
created the strongest degree of consternation and excitement
in the locality where it occurred. Post mortem examinations
of one or inore.of the bodies will be instituted this morning
(Saturday), and the remaining portion of the pudding ana-
lyzed. We understand that, a short time ago, Sanderson
kept a small shop, which was piincipally managed by his
wife. 'they were not successful in business, and were obliged
to discontinue the shop, having incurred debts to the amount
of about £4O, which they were unable to discharge. This, it
appears, preyed upon the mind of the deceased woman, and
she has frequently of late been heard to express the most
melancholy forebodings. Her general conduct recently has
also been such as to excite the remarks of her neighbours,
and to leave no doubt as to the derangement of her intellect.
It may be known to many of our readers, that 72 years
ago a tragedy, in character not very dissimilar to the above
was enacted at Farington, near this town, by a man named
William Whittle, who murdered his wife and two children,
under the most demoniacal circumstances. The murderer
was executed at Lancaster, on the 4th of April, 1766, and
subsequently suspended on a gibbet, near to the place where
the murder was committed.
The following is an extract from the confession made by
Whittle preceding his execution, and will doubtless be read
with interest by many who,may have heard of, or remember,
the bloods transaction :
" I was most unfortunately prompted by the devil to com-
mit the most barbarous murder that ever vile wretch was
guilty of, to a loving and industrious wife, and my two harm-
less infants. First, by knocking out the brains of my wife
with an axe (who had run out of doors in her shift, suspecting
I intended her an injury, as I proposed getting into bed to
her with a knife in my hand), and afterwards cutting off her
head with the same instrument. Then I proceeded imme-
diately to my two children (one about three years old, and
the other about nine days only), where I found them fast
asleep in bed. I first laid one with its neck on the bedstock,
where I chopped off its head, and then executed the other in
like manner. Afterwards, still more blood-thirsty, 1 went
and ripped up my wife's belly, took out her heart, and nearly
cut off one arm. Then I returned to fulfil my villainy in as
wicked a degree as the devil only could invent. I then pro-
ceeded and opened the bellies of my two harmless infants,
and took out their hearts, &c. The next thing the devil
prompted me to do, was, to endeavour to conceal the murder:
upon which I took out a window, and ran' to the constable,
and acquainted him that some rogues had broken into my
house, and had murdered my wife and children.' The con-
stable immediately suspected me, and seeing some blood on
my shirt sleeve and hand, which I endeavoured to wash clean,
but could not, he said,- "'Thou rogue, is it not thyself that
has committed the murder ?" Upon which I pulled out my
knife, and intended also to have killed him, had not he called
for assistance. I then ran up the lane, and cording to the
town's stocks, sat myself down upon them till the constable
and his assistants came up and seized me, when I was not
many minutes before I confessed the fact, for which I justly
am to suffer an ignominious deathin this world."
Ile was taken from the Castle to the place of execution
about eleven o'clock, where he prayed very earnestly for
some time. Being turned oft, and having hung the usual
time, he was cut down, and his body was, at the request of
the grand jury, ordered to be hung in chains near the place
be committed the horrid murder, and instructions were sent
by the under-sheriff to Jeoffry Sudell, of Preston, to prepare
the gibbet accordingly, viz., nine yards high by two yards.

EXPORTATION OF MACHINERY.—There are now in Not-
tingham and its vicinity, no less than nine parties from
Calais, Lisle, and St. Quentin, who are purchasing, or con-
tracting for machinery to export to France; amongst the
number are Pearson (the patentee of the circular spot,)
Robert King, and Kitchen. It appears that not the least at-
tention is paid to this subject either on the Kent or Essex
coasts; these parties openly state, that they can export
bobbin-net or other machinery with the utmost facility.
Some of them have been down to Manchester, and they
openly declare in all public companies that the French have
determined to have the trade from England. These parties,
in most instances, give £lO more for a bobbin-net machine
than the current Nottingham price. It appears from the
assertion of one of these parties, that the smiths in Lisle are
building stocking frames upon the English principle, with
slaies, sole bar trucks, caster backs, and hanging bits; if so,
the subject will prove of greater consequence than the making
of Saxony hose, of which Mr. Porter, of the board of trade,
tells such a lamentable story, for the purpose of obtaining a
repeal of the corn laws.—Nottinghatn .Journal.
THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.—The labourers have
now completed the greater part of the gravel packing which
it has been found necessary to compress under the rails, in
consequence of the sinking of the earthen embankment. It
is said, that the earth gave way chiefly on account of the
hurried rummer in which it was heaped up, in order that the
line might be opened on the day for which the company had
pledged themselves to the public. The earth will remain be-
tween the rails as hitherto. The gravelled support under the
rails will be about one foot in depth. This work, when
finished, will cost the company about £5OO a-niile, and will
have extended fifteen miles. Several thousand men have
been employed upon it already nearly two months, and at
first they were obliged to work night and day, including even
Sunday; but this emergency did not hold lung. A great
part of the workmen are already discharged. The passage
of the trains has not been at any time suspended on account
of this mishap; for. during the interval between the removal
of the earth and the substitution of the gravel, the rails have
been supported by blocks within a few feet of each other.
The gravel used is of the largest kind. The displaced earth
is first thrown upon the banks, and afterwards removed in
the night. The` demand for labourers upon the metropolitan
ends of the Great Western and Grand Junction Railways is
much diminished; and numbers of disappointed candidates
for work are now returning to tbeir former localities.-
- I.; (in don' patio: -- -