The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-05 00:00:00

THE MAGAZINES.

Owing to a press of other matter we have been obliged
to withdraw our customary " Literary Notices," and to
postpone then► until Tuesday. We have only space briefly
to remark upon the leading magazines of the month, re-
serving until our next a more detailed critique.
Blackwood's. Magazine.—The number for this month com-
mences with a long and powerfully written article on the
opium and China question, in which t his important and intri-
cate subject is examined in all its details. The writer concurs
in his general views with the Duke of Wellington. The tale
of " Carlo Sebastiani" is concluded in this number. The
interest of the tale is exceedingly well sustained to the end.
The continuation of " Ten Thousand a Year" will be found
well worth reading. Its sketches of character are drawn with
great truth and fidelity.
Fraser's Magazine.—The first article in this number
contains some very severe but just animadversions on
" Milman's History of Christianity," which is characterised
by the writer as " a bulky appendix to Gibbon." We have
been highly delighted with the description given of modern
Greece in the account given of a tour last summer in the
Archipelago. The article on " Eloquence" continues the
parallel between the great English and French prose writers.
" The Shabby Genteel Story" promises to afford a rich fund
of amusement. We intend to transfer to our columns the
powerful article on " Women and the Social System," on
account of the many important truths which it contains.
Dublin University Magazine.—The continuation of the
Adventures of " Charles O'Malley, the Irish Dragoon," in
this number, has almost caused us to split our sides with
laughter. It is well worth the price of the magazine. The
" Memoir of Swift" is now brought to a close. It is an ex-
tremely well written piece of biography, replete with interest-
ing anecdotes. Sir Philip Crampton, the Irish Surgeon-
General, adorns the " Portrait Gallery" this month. " Our
Fellow Lodgers" is an extraordinary article on the animal-
cuhe which exist in the human frame.

Master Humphrey's Clock.—The last number of this po-
pular production is far more interesting than the preceding.
The introduction of our old friend Pickwick or. the stage,
accompanied by the inimitable Wellers, has greatly augment-
ed the interest of the work. W e shall hail the succeeding
numbers, after these acquisitions to the dramatis. personce,
with great delight.

CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORELAND
WRESTLING.

On Wednesday last, the Cumberland and Westmoreland
Wrestling Society held their annual meeting at Mr. Coward's,
High Park House, Park-road. The wrestling took place on
the Bowling-green, and the attendance of the admirers of
the old English athletic sport was very numerous, including
a number of respectable gentlemen. The interest excited
was very great, and the repeated shouts of the spectators as
their favourites threw their antagonists were loud and long.
.The sports were excellent, and the attendance of wrestlers,
fortunately of heavy weights, was numerous.
The wrestling commenced about three o'clock, and the
sport, including a laughable sack-race, did not conclude till
dusk, when the parties who had contended for the prizes,
and a number of their friends, sat down to an excellent din-
ner, prepared in Mr. Coward's best style, and at which Mr.
Bigland, one of the umpires, ably presided. We regret that
the lateness of the hour prevents us from noticing the whole
of those who " stood" or " fell." The folloWing were the
winners :

LIGHT WEIGHTS.—First prize, a silver watch value
Edward Edgar, (Cumberland). Second prize, a watch, value
£4.,—Hutchinson. Third prize, a silver snuff-box, value
£2. 10s.,—Henry Wright. The other prizes were of minor
value.

HEAVY WEIGHTS.—First prize, a silver lever watch,
value XS—John Nichol, book-keeper at our Bridewell.
Second prize, a watch, value £4 10s—William Sleigh.
Third prize, a snuff-box, £2 10s.—Lupton. Fourth prize, a
watch-guard, value t;l—Joseph Nicholson. The others
were of minor value.

The several struggles for mastery were excellent. Any
weight was admissable amongst the " heavy" wrestlers ; the
light was limited to 101 stone. One of the " heavies" was
6 feet 5 inches in height, and weighed 19 stone. After
throwing three men he encountered Nichol, weighing little
more than 15 stone, and took him up iu his anus like a
child, but when the latter gained his feet he threw his gigan-
tic antagonist in a masterly manner.
. .

The greatest good hurnourprevailed throughout. Another

meeting will, we learn, take place on Monday next, at Mr.
Barnes's, Old Swan. The prizes to be contended for are
valued at £44.

'HE MAIN BRIDEWELL.

On Monday last, Charles Fazakerly, a letter-carrier, be-
longing to the Postoffice in this town, who had, with his wife,
been lodged in the main Bridewell, tinder a charge of felony,
put an end to his existence by hanging himself. The deceased,
who was forty-two years of age, had been a letter-carrier in
this town nearly twenty years, during which time he was
principally employed in Castle-street, and the districts sur-
rounding. He had latterly been suspected of having purloined
a letter containing a twenty paund note, and as proof was
obtained that his wife had offered such £2O note for change,
she and the deceased were apprehended by constable James
Halsall. They were lodged in Bridewell about four o'clock
on Monday afternoon. They were placed in separate apart-
ments ; and Fazakerly, at his own request, was lodged iu
a large and comfortable room, Mr. Parkinson, the governor,
having at once acceded to his wish, not to be placed amon :st
the common prisoners. About ten minutes after. he was
locked up, he asked for a drink of water, which was supplied
to him, and he was left alone. About six o'clock, when the
officer on duty went his rounds, he found Fazakerly hanging
suspended from a hook in one of the windows in the manner
which will he afterwards described. He was quite dead. He
had used for the purpose a mere piece of twine, which he had
been accustomed to bind round his letters, and as there is a
long seat under the window, which is very low, he must have
drawn up his legs beneath him, in order to let his weight bear
sufficiently on the string, which he had tied outside his stock.
The widow of the unfortunate man, who is left with five
children, was not informed of the dreadful occurrence up to
the time of being brought before the magistrates on Tuesday
morning. The examination took place in the private room,
and it is easy to suppose that the duties of all parties were
sufficiently painful. The result of the investigation was, that
she was discharged ; some of her friends being in waiting to
receive her, and to bleak to her in a proper manner the me-
lancholy event which had occurred during the incarceration.
The evidence brought against her, will have, as a necessary
form, to go before the authorities of the General Postoffice ;
but, under the circumstances, it is not likely that she will
be prosecuted, particularly as it seems pretty certain that she
was acting under the commands of her husband,

An inquisition was on Tuesday taken before P. F. Curry,
Esq., coroner, on view of the body, when the following evi-
dence was adduced :

James Halsall, police-officer, stated, that he had been for
some time past acting under the direction of the Post-mas-
ter of this town respecting a twenty-pound note that was
missing after having been put in the Post-office. After
making various inquiries, and being quite satisfied that the
deceased and his wife had been connected with the lost

money, he took them into custody on Monday afternoon, and
about four o'clock lodged them in Bridewell. He (Halsall)
had known the deceased about 15 years, during which time
he was a letter-carrier. When the deceased was taken to
Bridewell, witness did not perceive any difference in him
from what he had been formerly. About an hour and a half
afterwards witness was informed that a man had hanged him-
self in Bridewell. He went there, and found that it was the
deceased. •He (witness) never saw anything whatever about
the deceased to lead him to think that he was at all flighty ;
if he had been so, it was not likely that he would have kept
his situation. _

William Parkinson, governor of the Union Bridewell,
stated, that the deceased and his wife were brought there on
Monday afternoon, about four o'clock, charged with felony.
They were placed in separate apartnients. When the de-
ceased was brought to Bridewell, he walked up to him (wit-
ness) and said—Mr. Parkinson, I hope you will not put me
into a room amongst thieves and bad characters, as I am in-
nocent of the charge laid against me. He. about ten minutes
after, asked for a drink of water, which witness directed-to
be given to him. He had been placed in a large comfortable
room by himself. There were three windows in the room,
with iron bars on the outside. Two of the windows had
small iron hooks on the inside, to prevent the windows from
pulling down. The deceased appeared to be perfectly col-
lected. About six o'clock, witness having been informed
that a man had hung himself, went to the room where he had
placed the deceased, and found that it was him. He was cut
down, and a surgeon sent for. One of the policemen opened
a vein, but no blood would flow. lie was quite dead when
the surgeon came. Witness had known the deceased many
years, but never had observed anything extraordinary about
him.

Isaac Hartley, an officer of the Bridewell, sated, that the
officers went off duty usually at six o'clock. On Monday
evening at that hour, on going round to see if the prisoners
were all safe before going off duty, he went to the room in
which the deceased was confined, and found the door locked,
and not knowing that the deceased had been placed there,
he opened the wicket and looked in, when he saw him hang-
ing. He unlocked the door, and went in, when he saw that
the deceased was suspended by the piece of twine produced,
one end of which was fastened to the iron hook within the
window, and the other placed round the neck of the deceased
outside his stock. Witness cut him down immediately, but
he was quite dead. There is a slope down the window seat,
and his head was about three inches below it ; his shoulder
rested against the corner of the wall. Had it not been for
the latter circumstance, the twine, by which he was sus-
pended, must have broken. When found, his right knee
rested upon the form which was under the window.
Henry Collard, inspector of letter-carriers at the post-
office, in this town, stated, that the deceased had been a let-
ter-carrier many years. During all the time witness had
known him, he was always regular in his business, and wit-
ness considered him one of the best men he had, till within
the last few days, when he had reason to think he was con-
nected with the abstraction of a letter which had been for-
warded to Liverpool, containing a £2O note. The deceased
was at the post-office on Monday afternoon, and about a
quarter-past two o'clock settled his account according to his
daily custom. At that time, witness did not think he was
aware that there was any suspicion of his honesty. There
was nothing about him to lead witness to think that he was
deranged.
The jury returned a verdict of felo de se.

Viscount Palmerston has appointed Mr. George Canning
Backhouse, godson of the late statesman, to a junior clerk-
ship in the Secretary of State's office for Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Backhouse is the son of Mr. Backhouse, the Under Se-
cretary for the Foreign Depratment.

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ELECTION OF COMMISSIONERS ' N
BIRKENHEAD.

In giving a hurried account in our last publication, we find
our reporter was unwittingly led into one or two slight mis-
takes, which we take the earliest opportunity to correct.
• We divided the two parties into Conservatives and
" Liberals," from which it might have been inferred on a
casual perusal, (though we stated the question at issue), that
the contest was chiefly political, and not as was the case,
more of a local than a political nature. There were in fact
"conservatives" in both lists.

We were, however," virtually" right in our classification.
The one party were " conservatives=' of the true interests
of the public, in continuing their opposition to the tram-•
road being carried over the surface of the town, to the con-
tinual endangerment and inconvenience of the lives of pas-
sengers, young and old. The others. conservative as they
may be in other points, were far too " liberal" in conceding
or favouring so objectionable an object. Triie,- as vi•.e before
stated, the Railway Company have, for the. present, aban-
doned their purpose ; but we think. public CoMpanies; how-
ever immaculate they may assume to be; are alt the better
for being kept in check by public opinion ;. -and the -parties
who in this case, though un.uccessfully, opposed them, de-
serve the highest credit for their motives and exertions.
Mr. Seddon, we learn, was not " declared" to be
ble ; but, from being underrated, was generally believed to be
so, and was not therefore nominated or voted for by his
friends. The polling commenced at ten o'clock, and was
continued with great spirit by both parties until four o'clock,
the hour of closing, when the following was the result:—.
For the tram-road across the streets.—Pis, 318 ; William
Fry, 316; Laycock, 301; Greene, 299; Prichard, 281; Cole,
281 ; Brodribb, 280 ; Horner, 284 ; Hanson, 262.
Against the tram-road, neross the streets:—Appleton,
123; Whalley, 117; Gilbertson, 115 ; Jackson. (Church-
street), 11l ; Smith, 110 ; Ball, 109 ; Singlehurst, 100; Ri-
chard Fry, 113 ; Davidson, 102.