The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-18 00:00:00

During Saturday and Sunday, the place was visited by
thousands of persons ; and the soft clay, which at first ex-
hibited the impressions of the deadly implement used, was
soon trodden down by the footsteps of the curious. On
Saturday forenoon, at a distance of twenty or thirty yards
from the shed, in the waste ground, was found an instru-
ment, which there can be little doubt was the " infernal
machine" used on the occasion. It is a piece of iron pipe,
forming a joint of a steam-pipe, or of a service pipe for
water, about twenty inches in length, of considerable thick-
ness, with a short arm or elbow at one end. It was of this

the short elbow being plugged with melted lead and a wooden
stopper; the touch-hole being denoted by the dot in the
diagram, and the length from the touch-hole to the mouth of
the pipe at the end of the long arm being about seventeen
inches ; the bore at least two inches. There is no wonder
that the report from this murderous engine was a loud one,
as it would take a considerable quantity of powder to charge
it ; and as there are proofs in the body of the unfortunate
deceased, and in the timber on the opposite boards of the
saw-pit, that its charge had contained not less than eight
heavy leaden slugs, of large size. This pipe on the out-side
was very rough and uneven, its surface being deeply corroded
by rust in many places, as if it had long lain exposed to the
atmosphere. But the hole which had been pierced in it for
the touch-hole had evidently been recently pierced, not by
any bad tool, or bungling workman, but apparently by the
application of a drill, in the hands of an experienced work-
man. The instrument was conveyed to the Police-office,
and placed in the care of Mr. Robert Newton. During Sun-
day, great crowds visited, not only the shed and the place
whence the fatal shot must have been fired, but also the
Swan Inn, where the body of the deceased was placed. On
Saturday, Mr. Broadbent and Mr. Cheetham, surgeons,
made a post mortem examination of the body, and found
several of the slugs lodged in various parts of the viscera.
The whole neighbourhood was in a state of great excitement,
in reference to this shocking affair ; and this excitement was
by no means allayed by the apprehension of the four pri-
soners, and the club-box, books and papers, of the sawyers'
union, as noticed above.
The inquest was held at the Swan Inn, before Mr. W. S.
Rutter, and a respectable jury. From the evidence pro-
duced, there can be little doubt that the case was one of
wilful murder. The inquiry was adjourned to Thursday
(yesterday.)

SHOCKING MURDER ON THE EDINBURGH AND

GLASGOW RAILWAY

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.---TvzsDAY

(Before Mr. Commissioner HoLuoYD.)

WRIGHT AND COMPANY'S BANKRUPTCY

This being the day appointed for the choice of assignees in
the bankruptcy of Wright and Co., bankers, of Henrietta-
street, Covent-garden, there was a considerable attendance
of anxious creditors, but their number was limited in conse-
quence of an advertisement which appeared in all this morn-
ing's papers, from Few and Hamilton, the solicitors to the
fiat obtained on the 26th November last, upon the petition
of Mr. Pett Cobbett, stating that that fiat had been super-
seded, and that the " meeting for the choice of assignees
would not take place." The debts and liabilities are esti-
mated at from £700,000 to £BOO,OOO, and the assets to
something like half a million, exclusive of Mr. Biddulph's
large landed property. Among the creditors are the Duke
of Norfolk for £54,000, Lord Petre about £15,000, and there
is scarcely a Catholic college or chapel in the kingdom which
has not had large funds deposited with the bankrupts, who
are also trustees for many Catholic charities, and other reli-
gious establishments.
Mr. Hamilton, who opened the fiat, came into court
shortly after twelve o'clock, the hour originally appointed
for the meeting, and expectation was on tiptoe to hear sonic
explanation offered as to the reasons for postponing the
meeting, or the grounds upon which the fiat had been super-
seded, but not a word was said by the learned gentleman.

In about half an hour afterwards, Mr. France, of the firm
of France and Palmer, solicitors, (and who are said to repre-
sent deposit creditors to the amount of £98,006, and as such
could have carried the choice of assigness), addressed the
court, stating that several creditors, who were his clients,
were anxious to prove their debts, and proceed at once to the
choice of assignees; but he had-been informed that the fiat
was superseded, and he wished to know officially if that were
so or not ?
The learned Commissioner said, that the fact of the annul-
ment of the fiat had been officially communicated to the
court, but he knew nothing more about it.
Mr. France begged to know if any grounds had been stated
for superseding the fiat ?
The learned Commissioner said, none. An order from the
Court of Review had been served upon this court, stating the
fact of its having been superseded; but no ground was stated
upon which such a decision had been obtained. However, in
order that the creditors should be in possession of all the
court knew upon the subject, he would direct the registrar to
read the order of the Court of Review.
Mr. France said he felt obliged to the learned commissioner,
but he did not wish to trouble the registrar to read the order,
as he was satisfied at hearing officially that the fiat was super-
seded.
A solicitor, who attended with an affidavit of debt from a
client who resided in Wales, wished to know if it were neces-
sary to have a fresh affidavit in consequence of the fiat hay-
ing been superseded ?
The learned Commissioner said that that affidavit formed
no part of the proceedings, and therefore could not be used.
The Solicitor observed thatt the affidavit was made before
the order of the Court of Review had been issued.

The learned Commissioner thought a fresh affidavit would
be necessary.
The Solicitor.—lt has been suggested to me, sir, that un-
der the terms of the order of the Court of Review, we are
entitled to the costs in making a fresh affidavit.
The learned Commissioner.—That is not within my juris-
diction. I know not why the fiat was superseded ; for,
as far as the proceedings go, all was regular upon the face of
them. My duty is to obey the order.