The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-02 00:00:00

HORRIBLE MURDER NEAR DROITWICH.—On the return
of a fire-engine from a fire near Droitwich, on Tuesday even-
ing, the 16th instant, on its passing through a brook near the
Wichbold paper-mill, one of the horses struck against a sub-
stance in the brook, and by the passing of the engine the
arm and hand of a female with a black kid glove on was ex-
posed to view. One of the engine men jumped off, and brought
out of the water the body of a young woman, who appeared
to have belonged to a most respectable sphere in life : she
was dressed in silk stockings, laced boots, with well-trimmed
straw bonnet and cloak.' The body appeared as though it
had lain in the water about two days. There were on it
marks of brutal usage, and signs of blows from some sharp
instrument. The body was placed on the engine and con-
veyed to the Crown Inn, at Wichbold, where it awaits the
coroner's inquisition. It is said the young woman's name is
Mary Ann Patrick, niece to Mr. Benjamin Patrick, of Wich-
bold, who, having no children of his own, was much attached
to her. About five years ago she was placed with a respecta-
ble female in Birmingham to learn the straw-bonnet business,
where she has continued to reside ever since, occasionally
paying a visit to her uncle and aunt at Wichbold. Tuesday
week the noor girl arived from Birmingham by the Brilliant,
to the surprise of her relations, who had not any reason to
expect a visit. Wednesday she went out for a walk, and on
her return appeared as well as usual, chatting familiarly to
the family, and hinting to her cousin and confidante, Miss
Baker, that her birth-day was approaching, and that before
then she expected to receive a handsome present from Bir-
mingham, but did not say from whom. On Monday last,
when her eyes were closed in death, the present arrived. It
was the " Forget-me-not," elegantly bound and richly gilt.
On Thursday morning, about ten o'clock, the ill-fated girl
said she would take another walk, when her cousin advised
her to go towards Upton Warren, adding, " Don't be later
than twelve o'clock, as we will have an early dinner." She
went out, took the path to the right skirting her uncle's little
garden, (the end of which is not more than 200 yards from
the Wichbold paper-mill-brook,) and was seen no more alive.
As the day wore away, the family became uneasy at her ab-
sence, and, after vainly seeking her in the neighbouring
farm-houses, at night flattered themselves with the hope that
she had returned to Birmingham. The week passed away,
but brought no tidings of the lost one; and, at length, on
Monday morning her aunt went to Birmingham, in the hope
of discovering the wanderer, taking with her the few articles
"C rn. •1 .

in the most intense anxiety. At length, the long-looked-for
letter arrived, containing, not the welcome news that the
lost one had been found, but lacerating their already wounded
feelings by the intelligence that she had not been seen in
Birmingham. No exertions had been spared in endeavouring
to trace footsteps on the brink of the brook, but hitherto the
search has been ineffectual. The wounds are two in number:
one between the left eye a.nd the temple—a frightful gash,
about two inches in length by nearly half an inch wide, from
which the blood had copiously flowed ; and the other a small
sharp cut across the bridge of the nose. We may further
state that it is believed no money nor ornaments have been
taken from the person of the ill-fated girl.—Worcester paper.
—[On Friday an inquest was held on the body, when the
medical gentlemen who had subjected the body -to a post
mortem examination, deemed it most probable that the de-
ceased had fallen into the brook in a fit, and was drowned, as
the body indicated all the general appearances of apoplexy,
and as the wounds had evidently not been produced by any
sharp instrument, but probably by a kick from a horse's foot
after death. As horses are in the habit of passing through
the brook, this conjecture seems perfectly reasonable. The
medical gentlemen added—" The degree of tightness of the
stays of the deceased was so unusually great, that on remo-

vin the clothes the surface of the clies't and adjacent parts
were perfectly blanched, while the upper parts of the body
still retained their florid appearance. The stomach by this
pressure was forced much below its natural position, and the
liver was also out of itt proper position. This pressure would
increase the liability of the patient to apoplexy." The ver-
dict had not been returned when the account left Wichbold.]

COLLISION AT SEA.—Two VESSELS LOST.—Yesterday
intelligence was received in the city of the total loss of the
schooner Robert, of Goole, and the Hunter, of Sunderland
(a trader), with a cargo valued at £5,000, which occurred on
the night of Sunday last, in the North Sea, by the vessels
coming into collision. The disaster took place near Inner
Dowsing sands, some distance from Bridlington Bay, a sea-
port situate in East Yorkshire, at about half-past ten
o'clock. From the particulars received, it appears that at
the time the wind was blowing a gale from the westward, and
the night was extremely dark. The Hunter, which was a
fine built vessel, left the Thames for Sunderland in the early
part of last week, and at the period above-mentioned was
bearing under press of sale at a rate, it is supposed, of seven
or eight miles an hour. The other vessel, the schooner
Robert, was on her voyage from Goole to London, and was
proceeding at a similar rate. It is stated there was a good
look out kept on both sides, and that they did not perceive
each other until within 200 yards ; and although the crews
strained every nerve to avoid a collision, they came into
contact with a tremendous force. The collision must have
been truly awful ; the hull's of both were driven in, and it
was a considerable time before they could be extricated from
each other ; and on that being effected, it was discovered
that both were sinking. The consternation that ensued
amongst those on board of each vessel can be better imagined
than described. Some were asleep in their berths at the
time, and were compelled to rush upon deck in their night
clothes. The boats of each vessel were as quickly as possible
lowered into the sea, which being done, the crew threw what
little property they could save into them, and then got in
themselves. The masters were the last on board. Captain
Redman, of the Robert, states, when he got into the long
the water had covered the cabin deck, and Captain Smithson
of the Hunter, says, when he left his vessel, the water was
six feet in her hold, and it was coming in on the starboard
bow like a main sea. Within ten minutes after, both vessels
went down headforemost in deep water. The crews kept
close together, and in the course of the night were picked up
• T

uy Luc ung, [Janina, irum ivewnaven, Laptain Jones, master,
who treated them with great humanity, and safely put them
on shore at Bridlington. The total loss is said to be up-
wards of £lO,OOO. The vessels are reported to be insured.
—Times of Saturday.

DREADFUL MURDER AT SHEFFIELD.—A very shocking
murder was committed in Thomas-street, Sheffield, on Sun-
day, by a man named George Raney, on the person of George
Belk. Both the deceased and Raney were edge-tool mak
ers ; and it appeared from the evidence adduced bef

coroner's imiUest held upon the body of the deceased on
Monday, and from the statement of the prisoner himself,
that having gone home about one o'clock on Sunday morn-
ing, he, on his arrival at the door, heard voices in the house,
and, listening for a moment or two, heard his wife say,
" Now, don't—give over-1 expect my master home di-
rectly." The man said, " Oh, never mind him, he'll not
come home yet ; I don't care for him." The prisoner said,
on hearing this conversation, he thought they were in cri-
minal intercourse together, and, rushing in, said " You vil-
lain, are you come to rob me of my dearest blessing ?" A
desperate struggle then took place between them, and the
prisoner got his hand to deceased's throat, declaring " He
should never do it again." The constable who apprehended
the prisoner stated that he said, " I have not killed him with
striking him ; I have done it more by strangling than by
striking him." He then asked the constable who the man
was? He told him it was George Belk, who worked atNew-
bould's ; upon which the prisoner replied, " Good God ! was
that the man ? There were no persons better friends than
Belk and me." It appeared when the prisoner rushed into
the room, he could not see who he was striking, as the candle

declared that he had no intention of murdering the nvn, and
said if there had been a light in the house, he thought things
would have terminated, re diffently. The inquest was ad-
I. t •

idence, and

journea ror runner e —le prisoner removed in
custody, amid the hootings of thepopulace.—SheffieldPatriot.
—[The examination of witnesses in the adjourned inquest

upon the deceased was concluded on Thursday last, and the
jury, after a few moments consultation, found a verdict of
" manslaughter" against George Raney, who was committed
to York for trial. Jane Reany was dismissed, with a severe
reprimand for her part in the matter.]
In the will of Sir Gilbert East, Bart., of Fitfield, Berks,
proved in Doctors' Commons under 300,000, is the following
curious bequest :—Certain clauses in the will are marked 1,
2, &c.—" I leave to Eleanor Mary East every dog belonging
to me at my decease. be it where it may—shall be kept, in
every respect, as well as during my life, be fed with milk,
barley, or oatmeal, or sea biscuit and tripe, &c., and I leave

to be paid to the person possessing the pioperty set down in
No. 1, for his life, is. a week for each dog ; and, at the de-
cease of Mary Eleanor East, who shall first keep them, the
person in actual possession of the property bequeathed in No.
1, be he who may, shall continue well and punctually to pay
the weekly allowance for each dog, as before directed; and,

moreover

to find out and em

)loia trusty, honest

person to