The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-16 00:00:00

TRAGICAL OCCURRENCE.—The following melancholy
circumstance occurred on Wednesday, at Mr. Adam
Worsley's farm, about two miles from Henley-on-Thames.
A. man, having the appearance of a navigator, had been ob-
served during the afternoon wandering about the neighbour-
hood, acting very incoherently. Between six and seven
o'clock he was seen to break open and enter the premises
(the inmates being absent hay-making) by a person passing,
who gave the alarm to the parties in the tield, and eight or
nine boys and men went to the house, which they found
barricaded within. The man, who was then in the house,
fired a gun he found on the premises at them, through the
window, deliberately, by which one of them named Street,
was shot through the heart, and died instantly, and three
others were wounded in their faces ; the door was then
forced by the others, when he threw a billhook at the first
person who entered, which fortunately missed him; but
being rather a powerful person, and armed with a pickaxe,
he closed and secured him, and with other help, finally con-
veyed him to the gaol at Wargrave. Of his insanity there
can be no doubt. Street was a very industrious man, and
has left a wife and five children ; and it is remarkable that
he had been on the previous Sunday to Moulsford, a village
ten miles distant, to see his sister-in-law, and on his return
home on Monday evening, he told his wife he had had a
most dreadful dream, and he was sure something would hap-
pen to him. His wife begged him not to troublo himself
about it, but he was so dejected, and the impression was so
strong on his mind, that he was unable to eat and drink the
next evening, when the event took place.—Staffordshire
Gazette.

THE CHINESE CRISIS.—The missionary Gutzlaff has sent
a letter to his German friends, announcing his appointment
as interpreter to the English expedition. He observes that
" The most important epoch in the Celestial Empire has now
arrived ; the Chinese must either give up all their pretensions
to supremacy, or beat the English fleet ! Thus we are, per-
haps, about to witness the greatest events of the present age.
Several learned Chinese have just become converts to the
gospel. One is a poet of distinguished talent ; another is an
extremely well-informed bookseller in Quangsi, who has tra-
velled over the whole empire on his business, and is acquainted
with every literary work. The latter is, indeed, the most
cultivated Chinese with whom I have come in contact. Every
good Christian will be overjoyed to hear that these folks with
long tufts and little eyes, expound the Epistle to the Romans.
Three neophytes are now writing a commentary on the New
Testament without any foreign aid."
BORROWING.—We have received a letter, says the Boston
(America) Post, from a correspondent, in which he speaks
in strong terms of reprobation of borrowing in general, and
book-borrowing in particular. He talks as a man who has
suffered some. He says he lived at one time on the banks
of the Mississippi, and gives the following as a specimen of
the extent to which the practice is carried :—" Will you lend
me your axe ? you won't want to use it, I reckon." " Why,
yes, I'll let you take it, seein' you want it." In about two
months the owner does want to use his axe, and applies to
the borrower of it, but he has not got it ; " the last he seed
on't, Mr. Bletcher had it to cut some roots with." The
poor owner then goes to Mr. Bletcher—" Stranger, have
you seen my axe I lent to Mr. Bent t'other day ?" " Why,
yes, I reckon Mr. Bower 's got ;he said he wanted it to
chop some firewood, so I lent it to him. You 'd better ask
him for it." He goes—" Mornin', Mr. Bower, how 's your
wife ?" " Lively, I reckon ; how 's yourn ?" " About right,
I reckon ; have you had a hold o' my axe ?" " I reckon I
have. I have smashed the handle—it was a powerful weak
one ; but you can mend it, and when you've done it I'd like
to borrow it again, 'cause I have a smart chance of wood to
cut, and want to use it 'specially."

NEW PLANE SURFACE PRINTING MACHINE.—This
machine is the invention of Count Rosen, and is adapted for
all kinds of book-work, and may be worked either by hand
or steam power. The one we have seen in operation has
been erected at Messrs. Clowes's office. It is capable of
doing the work of two common presses, requiring a superin-
tendent, and two boys to lay on and take off the sheets, and
lower and raise the tympan. The simplicity of its construc-
tion cannot fail to recommend this machine to the favour of
the trade, as it may be managed by a common pressman—the
making ready not differing much from his usual method.
The inking apparatus is very cleverly arranged, the distribut-
ing rollers having three or four different motions ; the table,
on which the type is placed, though remaining stationary
when in work, has the elasticity of the wooden press; and
the use of tympans enables the workman to dispense with
blankets, so as to produce the finest impressions from wood
engravings. When in action it makes very little noise, and
may be stopped at any moment required. The space occu-
pied by the machine, exclusive of the turning wheel, is not
greater than a press of the same capacity (double crown)
requires, but the cost is nearly fourfold. Of course this ma-
chine is chiefly available where a large number of impressions
are required, or greater dispatch than ordinary ; as, for small
numbers, too much time would be occupied in making ready,
to render it equally economical.—Athenceum.