The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-17 00:00:00

. e .
again canal in, When tomcopilots. were put ta Arnold' by •
him, and repeated contradictions of the statement he previ-
ously made ensued.
Previous to any witnesses being called in, the Coroner in-
quired of Mr. Storey whether he was aware of a prevailing
report which was current in Raiuford, that a person named
Edward Stopforth, a farmer, had been in St. Helen's on the
night of the murder, having a deal of money in his posses-
sion—say some hundreds of pounds, which he had received
that day in Liverpool. He understood that Mr. Stopforth
had slept in St. Helen's that night, and it was possible that
he might have been boasting in some place of the amount of
money he had on him, and the parties who murdered Mr.'
Grayson might have heard of this, and waylaid him, but
mistook the unfortunate deceased for Mr. Stopforth.
Mr. Higginson, the landlord of the Fleece Inn, at whose
house it was discovered that Mr. Stopforth had stayed all
night, informed the Coroner that Mr. S. first went to his
house at about three o'clock in the afternoon. He was then
rather intoxicated, and, after having some dinner, he went
out for there or four hours, but where he went he (Mr. H.)
did not know.

Received last night at twelve o'clock by express,

Johriiji;,aTodger'at the Seven Stars, was called to state
whether he saw Jacques with a stick, and whether at that
house on the night before the murder, but he could not
speak to it.
John Sasher said, he went to the Gerard's Arms at about
eight o'clock in the evening, along with John Littler. John
Marsh was there. Thos. Brown came there in about an hour
after. Witness left thereat about a quarter before one o'clock.
He sat in the kitchen from ten o'clock until he left. John
Marsh and he sat in front of the fire, and opposite the win-
dow. Saw a man standing near the house when he left.
John Parr, the person in whose house the prisoner was
found by Colquitt, on returning home this morning, subse-
quent to the murder, was next examined, but the statement
he made was, that Jacques, Wood, and Molvneux went to
his house between eleven and twelve o'clock. He (Parr)
went to bed about two o'clock and left them there. He also

found them in the house when he got up next morning. He
supposed they had been there all night.
Mr. A. T. Woods stated, that a day or two ago he had
met Parr in Eccleston, when that person commenced a con-
versation with him, in which he stated that Jacques having
been an apprentice with him, he was rather inclined to think
well of him,,and having come to his house sometime in the
morning, he came down stairs and let him and his comps-

nion in.
This being directly contradictory to what Parr had deposed
upon oath, his evidence was discredited.
Ellen Richardson said, I remember reading one of the
bills, announcing a reward for the discovery of the parties
who committed the murder, to Colquitt on Tuesday. After
I read it, he asked me if I would tell if I knew, and I replied
`• Yes." He asked me if the man who did it would be par-
doned if he confessed; but I told him not the actual party
who struck the blow. He said something lay heavy o❑ his
mind, but it had nothing to do with that. He was tipsey.
John Manchester and his wife, who reside in Eccleston,
were called, but their evidence was not material.
Henry Colquitt was recalled.—He exhibited his pocket,
and described that which he had supposed to be a rag in
Jacques' possession in Arnold's, and the bottom part of his
pocket. He showed that it was just such a piece as had
been cut off the deceased's pocket. The deceased's trousers
were produced, and witness said the jagged edge of the bag,
or rag, he saw corresponded with that on the residue of the
pocket.
Mr. Storey said there was another fact he should mention,
namely, that between the place were the body and the stick
were found a few finger marks were plainly perceptible & some
drops of blood upon them. From that it alight be surmised
that the first blow was struck there, and the murder had not
been actually committed when the body was found.
This closed the evidence.
The Jury asked for a few minutes' deliberation, and after
about twenty minutes had elapsed, they intimated that they
had come to a decision.
The Coroner then said the jury had, during the few mi-
nutes they had been left alone, come to a decision as to their
verdict, and he called upon the foreman to pronounce it.
Mr. Sharp (the foreman) said, the verdict they had con-
cluded upon was one of " Wilful Murder" against Isaac
Jacques, Robert Woods, and Thomas Molyneux. The jury
wished him to state that they altogether disregarded the evi-
dence of Arnold, the beer-seller, Parr, and his daughter.
The prisoners were then brought into the room, and the
Coroner in addressing them said :—The jury, after a long
and patient investigation, had found them guilty of the mur-
der of the late Henry Grayson. The evidence affected Jaques
more particularly than the others, but there were in evidence
conversations which had passed in the presence and hearing
of the other prisoners, and which they did not deny. By
their conversation they were implicated in the murder, and
therefore it was the jury had also included them in their
verdict.
The Coroner then read over the whole of the evidence
taken, and whilst reading that of Colquitt, which so mate-
rially affects them, Jacques exclaimed, " Oh, he must be lu-
, natic, gentlemen." 4''
The prisoners all denied any participation in the crime,
but were committed, under the Coroner's warrant, to take
their trial at the next assizes.
The inquest only terminated last night at nine o'clock,
and the excitement on the subject was so great, that the room
was crowded throughout the whole afternoon.

EDUCATION QUESTION

A meeting of the Conservative Operatives resident in
Kirkdale took place on Tuesday evening last, on the subject
of this all important question. It was numerously attended,
and the feeling of all present appeared to be a determination
to do all they could to restore the schools to their former
Christian course of instruction. The assembly was chiefly
composed of the humbler classes.
Mr. PROCTER begged leave to propose that they should
not separate before giving a vote of thanks to Mr. David
Hodgson, for his manly support in the Town-council of Pro.
testant Scriptural education in the corporation schools. He
for one could not account for certain members of that council,
professing conservative principles, so far forgetting them-.
selves as to join the radical party • by so doing they had
tampered with a question, which, if left in its present shape,
would cause many Protestant children to be thrown ott the
resources of the humbler classes for education.
Mr. JoaN SMITH perfectly agreed with the motion now
made, and was satisfied that there would not be one dissent-
ing voice, and proposed that a resolution to that effect be
now made.
Mr. HUMPHREYS observed, at their last meeting he pro-
posed that a memorial should be then drawn up, and pre-
sented to our representatives, asking them to stand firm on
the school question ; but he was overruled, as being prema-
ture, and was told that we ought to see what would be done
now that that all-important question -was before the council.
It had been before the council twice, and was still in abey-
ance, through certain conservative councillors voting with
the supporters of the present rules and regulations of the
schools. He thought it high time that the thanks not only
of this ward, but all wards, should be voted to those conser-
vatives who had unflinchingly supported the motion brought
in by the education committee, and to memorialize those
who had deserted the cause to stand firm to the principle
which, after a struggle of six years, they had been returned
to the Town-council to support.
Mr. JAMES HUNTER stated that he was glad to bear that
such a resolution was proposed ; we had been fighting the
battle in the registration courts, and at the municipal elections,
for five or six years, for the main purpose of establishing the
corporation schools on true protestant principles, and now
that we bad a majority of conservatives in the council'to
enable them to carry out that measure, we were pnt back
from meeting to meeting by certain gentlemen professing
conservative principles.
A WORKING MAN observed that the conservatives had
mainly gained their present position from the help they had
had from the clergy—from such men as the Kev. Hugh
M'Neile, Fielding Ould, and last, though not least, their own
minister, David James.
It was remarked that though at present there was much
distress in Kirkdale it was not greater than usually exists at
this period of the year, and this, as was alleged, caused by
the adoption of free-trade principles. There were many
watchmakers out of work through the importation of Geneva
watches ; and many of the market gardeners had not got so
good a price for their fruit, owing to so much French fruit
being brought here. It was said that several of their body
were now suffering from the consequences of giving a eon-
scientious vote at the last municipal election.

We understand that Dr. Wm. Hunter, rector of the
grammar-school, Paisley, has been appointed principal clas-
sical master of the High school, Liverpool. There were 41
candidates for the situation, several of whom were also emi-
nent scholars and successful teachers ; but the claims of
Dr. Hunter to the support of the electors were found to be
pount. The magistrates of Paisley, in accepting the resigna-
tion of Dr. Hunter, expressed, at the same time, in their
minutes, regret at being deprived of his eminent services.—
Scottish Guardian.
AMPAITHEATRE.—Mr. Beverly has securedthe aidof Mr.
Sloan, and Mr. Harper—two very popular actors—to add to
the attractions of his benefit this evening. Mr. Beverly, in
point of humour and broad farce, is not excelled by any on
the stage. It appears that Mr. Egerton has entered into an
engagement with Mr. Ducrow, who will shortly be here.
AN INGENIOUS DEVICE.—Thomas Hogle, a young man,
was charged before Mr. Rushton, on Wednesday, by a
recruiting sergeant. with having endeavoured to impose upon
her majesty's service in a somewhat singular and novel
manner. It appeared that the prisoner was extremely
anxious to become a soldier, but being one-eigth of an inch
under the standard height he fixed to the crown of his head
a ball of wax covered with hair. Having by this means
elongated himself to the required dimensions he was passed
on Friday, but being ordered to attend again on Sunday the
ingenious device was then detected, at which the colonel, in
his turn, waxed so wrath that he commanded the unfortu-
nate fellow to be taken into custody. Mr. Rushton said lie
knew of no law which condemned a man to punishment for
such an act as that committed by the prisoner; and he
thought, he said, that the East India Company were not so
very precise as to the height as in her majesty's service. The
sergeant, however, said that they were equally strict, and
that the standard heights were the same in both services,—
five feet six inches. At the request of the sergeant the
prisoner was cautioned not to repeat the offence, and was
then discharged.
The Vice-Chancellor and the Heads of the Colleages at
Cambridge have by public notice interdicted students from
driving tandems and four-in-hand, on pain of suspension,
rustication, or expulsion.
THE "PEKING GAZETTE."—There exists throughout
China but a single newspaper, which is published at Peking,
and bears the title of King-nuott, or " Messenger of the Im-
perial Residence."
A poor man, named Charles Musgrove, an operative mason
at Sidford, in the parish of Sidbury, is a claimant, and the
, supposed heir, to a large property, stated io be £30,000 in
the funds, besides considerable landed property in Somerset.
—Western. Times.
- •

" Ina family, near Anjers," says a Nantes paper, there is
now to be witnessed the extraordinary genealogical pheno-
menon of a child, now two years old, who has got nine
ascendants all living—viz., a father, mother, two grandfa-
thers, two grandmothers, a great grandfather, and two great
grandmothers. The joint ages of the family, including the
child, amounted to 530 years."

NORTH UNION RAILWAY.—We understand, that tha
arrangements which have hitherto subsisted between the
Lancaster Railway and the North Union Company, by which
the former agreed to take the Lancaster passengers up at the
North Union Station at Preston, will cease on the 31st inst.
The distance between the North Union Railway and the
Lancaster Railway is said to he only 200 yards, but has cost
the North Union Company a sum of about £20,000. Hi-
therto the proprietors of the Lancaster line have, by a friendly
arrangement, paid the North Union a moderate sum per
annum for the use of this expensive portion of the line, and
thus, while some measure of jus
gr tice as been ad
. warded to the
latter, the public have beengreatly benetitte This new
move of the Lancaster directors will, in addition to what, in
our humble judgment, seems to be unjust to the North Union
Company, put the public to grsat inconvenience, by causing
considerable delay. The injustice to the proprietors of the
• North Union may, in some measure, be obviated by the di-
rectors of the latter company laying on an extra charge, suf-
ficient to reimburse them for the sum withdrawn. It will
then be necessary for the Lancaster Company to reduce their
fares to a corresponding extent, otherwise it is plain the pub-
lic will be the sufferers. 13ut even suppose the matter should
be thus adjusted, we do not see how the public is to be in-
demnified for the delay which will .necessarily arise from the
alteration.